Cover Image: Jessie's Harem

Jessie's Harem

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3.5 out of 5 stars! This is a reread for me because this novel I had read in November of 2019 and before I had posted my official review/rating, I had lost it (find out the whole story on my blog). Therefore, this novel was chosen as a reread because I did remember enjoying it before, didn’t remember all of the plotline – which made it, so I got to enjoy it more, and I was in the mood for a paranormal polyamorous romance to read.

What I found was this novel held up all my expectations, except for the end. Though I cannot say I loved this novel the whole way through, I did thoroughly enjoy all of the characters and their eccentricities. Jessie (Jessica) is a complex woman who truly wants her freedom after living a life she really didn’t want, and in doing so she finds her “true mate” along with three possible others. Patrick & Carlton are two alpha shifters who have been enemies for a very long time and Jessie takes them, their seconds (Draco & James), and their packs in hopes of defeating her “master.” I really enjoyed reading about the mystery behind the main plotline, along with the watching Jessie, Draco, Patrick, Carlton, and James find a unique attraction/romance over a period of 5-ish days. I especially enjoyed reading about Draco’s adamant belief that Jessie was a damsel in distress that needed to be loved and saved. Draco truly made me swoon. Then when you throw in Patrick, Carlton, & James’ extra dynamics it made the storyline and romance all that sweeter and steamier.

My major issue with this whole novel was its last two chapters. I could truly put up with the little issues throughout this novel and given it a 4 or 4.5 star rating. Yet, even though the last two chapters were not bad and had some definite merit, I feel like if that was the turn Ms. Rosko wanted to make with this plotline there needed to be more to it. Or it could be a lead up to a sequel, though I doubt there will really be one. But really there just needed to be more because even though I DO believe in Jessie’s relationship with Draco, Patrick, Carlton, and James the last two chapters left me wanting more in more ways than one … and I cannot say more than that as I would be giving away too much.

Overall, even with this novel’s ending, I RECOMMEND IT and think anyone who really wants a uniquely steamy erotic yet fun paranormal polyamorous romance novel than this one is a good choice for you.

Review By: From Me to You ... Video, Photography, & Book Reviews
-- read more of this review and a TEASER on my website here: https://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2021/10/made-grade-jessies-harem-by-mandy-rosko.html --

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Jessie needs an army. One made up of the strongest alphas she can find if she is to kill a powerful sorcerer. The former master who created her. She needs warriors, both wolf and dragon alike for this tricky mission. Easier said than done because dragons and wolves don’t get along! Luckily, Jessie’s a ghoul with succubus powers and she doesn’t have to look far to find a few scrumptious men who are the perfect candidates... She just didn’t expect to have so much fun making the growly warriors do her bidding, though they don’t seem to mind when play time rolls around.
I had a hard time with this story. I found that I really just didn’t like Jessie and didn’t even really care for the shifters she bespelled. DNF
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

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This is a reverse harem with some dirty business, some evil wizards, dragons, and werewolves. Oh, and there's a succubus/ghoul, too!

Jessie is the succubus/ghoul. We meet her as she is enslaving the alphas of warring dragon and wolf shifters, which then grows into enslavement of their second in commands, making 4 total enslaved shifters. Why? Well, she's trying to escape from her evil "master" and generally bad wizard dude. What's everyone's names? Maybe I'm not so smart, because I had some serious trouble keeping them all straight. I also didn't necessarily care about each of them as individual characters, since they mostly act as a group.

Let's go back to Jessie, though. She's had a rough life, but rather than explaining that, it comes out in some truly awkward times and has to be forcefully extracted from her. I had a really hard time feeling bad for her or even feeling good about where this book takes us. The consent is murky at best and generally left a bad taste in my mouth. Usually I'm game for all sorts of strange paranormal romance stories, but something about this never quite grabbed me.

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It took me a while to complete this book and write this review because it was a bit difficult to read. I actually had to work very hard not to DNF this story. There are very few things I dislike more than an unlikeable MC. Now, sometimes that dislike works within the parameters of the story, and sometimes it is even the catalyst that can push a story to greatness. This is not the case here. We have a female MC who is so self centered and just awful that it becomes annoying to read. To me - once that happens - I'm out emotionally.

So, unfortunately, I do not want to say more than the fact that this book was just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy for an honest review.

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overall good writing and an interesting plot. I found it quite exciting and enjoyable. Nice job writing

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There's excellent writing here, with plenty of humor, but there's also long stretches where nothing happens: people--wolves, dragons, and demons--argue, calm down, then it happens again and again. There were times I wanted to give up, and in fact I did go a few stretches were I left this book for about a week before coming back.
This might have made an excellent short story/novella. . .

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Jessie is something. She’s not a We’re or a Dragon. But she is able to get the alphas of the dragons and Weres to do her bidding., or do they want to without her special charms. When things heat up in the bedroom, things getting heated when hunting the socerer who took her freedom!

I read and reviewed this advanced free complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley

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Jessie has been used and abused by her husband for years, he even went so far as to turn her into some kind of ghoul / succubus type creature who has to feed on souls to stay alive. She's been planning her escape for a long time but she knows she can't battle him alone, so she sets out to get herself an army by ensnaring an alpha werewolf and an alpha dragon shifter using her succubus abilities. She ends up binding 4 men to her with a spell and promises them that if they are able to kill her ex she will give them back their freedom.

I'm having a hard time writing a review for Jessie's Harem because I don't have a lot of positive things to say about it. I struggled with Jessie as a character, she can be extremely childish, is always very selfish and very rarely thinks about anyone other than herself. She has zero problem with compelling others to do her bidding using her magic even while complaining that the same thing had been done to her and that's why her husband needs to die. The men were a little more likeable but they spent so much time having petty squabbles amongst themselves and it was just irritating to read about. The wolves and dragons are at war, for no real good reason and that's just the way it's always been so why would they try to make peace?

Yet, despite the fact that the two sides can't stand each other and have spent years killing each other in battle, along comes a woman and suddenly they can work together? Never mind the fact that they're all aware she's put a spell on them, it's not some subtle thing that they're not aware of. They know from the get go that she's manipulating them and playing on their emotions yet somehow all they care about is how beautiful she is and how much they want to get in her pants. I find that really hard to believe considering she put them under her spell by feeding them her corrupted black blood. I just didn't buy the attraction between them, or believe that all four men would get together behind her back not to try and figure out an escape plan but to try and work out how to seduce her. I hate to say it but this is just one of those books that I'd have a really difficult time recommending and I would have zero interest in reading more about any of these characters or this world.

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I voluntarily read this ARC in exchange for an honest review

All thoughts and plus are mine and unbiased

Very explicit fantasy sci fi
Very full on
Fast and furious

Not my usual date and not completely my thing however did enjoy

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Jessie’s harem is the story of a woman who was taken advantaged of and turned into something not human. She’s now succubus ghoul type things that feeds off of lust and souls. She wants her freedom and will create an army to do so. Hence her plan to trap two alphas. Her plan backfires and she’s involved with four men who are not happy they are stuck under her command. Things will heat up and will they survive the fire ?

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Jessie needs an army. One made up of the strongest alphas she can find if she is to kill a powerful sorcerer. The former master who created her.When I started reading I couldn't put it down.Mandy Rosko is magnifysent and amazing writer.I cannot wait to read more of there books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this book.Can't wait for the next book.

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I have read a lot of sci-fi romance this past year and this is by far one of the bottom of the barrel books. The conversation between characters is so petty and uninteresting to read. By the time I made it to chapter 7 I was hoping for some type of action, adventure but what we get is dragons and wolves fighting and then a whole lot of talking in a field for chapters and chapters. By the time we get to chapter 13 and 14 we are having petty conversations and please don’t talk about me behind my back or plot some type of plan against me, says Jessie. So far she is not cut out to be a leading lady. These characters are hard to relate to and it is quite boring that we are 14 chapters in and we are still in a battlefield slowing making our way to some type of camp. The reference to Harry Potter books was ok the first time but after that it made me question how are wolves and dragons reading about and knowing Harry Potter books and characters? This book needs some pizzazz something to really draw in the reader because right now I would equate this book to a high school creative writing assignment.

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