I absolutely loved all three of these stories!

The first, Bearing His Name, was a rollicking, snarky, insta-love roller coaster of fun! Ark recognizes Jade instantly as his mate, and doesn't let anything stand in his way - not even her absolute, complete, never-in-a-million-years rebuff of his advances! This was so much fun to read, and it had a sweet depth to the story and finely detailed characters.

The second story, Owned by the Lion, has Keir, a well-known playboy, having to work hard to overcome Ally's reluctance to get involved with someone who's been so cavalier with his affections in the past. With a lot of heart and plenty of steam, this story takes us on quite an emotional journey as both Ally and Keir follow their hearts to their HEA.

The last story, No Need Fur Love, is an intense, action-packed romance between Owen, a wolf-shifter who instantly scents his mate, and Mia, a wood nymph who is needing a man - any man, really - for a one-night-stand without any strings at all. They start out at cross purposes, but soon they realize they have to work together if anyone is going to survive the coming threat. Owen is absolutely delicious in his relentless pursuit of his mate, and the way they resolve the battle was nothing short of triumphant.

Each one is a standalone novella, though there are hints that each story is part of a larger series. They were all wonderful reads, and I recommend them for anyone who loves shifter romances. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

The Big Alpha in Town is an anthology with three paranormal romance stories. The authors wrote about different shifters in each of their stories. While this is a stand-alone book, I believe reading the previous books would make this an even better experience. Overall, this was an interesting and enjoyable way to pass some free time. If you like paranormal romance, some action, antics, humor, craziness, and HEA endings then this is the book for you.

I would like to thank St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the copy of this book. This review was completely voluntary and strictly my own opinion.

Big Alpha in Town contains short stories that revolve around shifters finding their mates. Bearing His Name by Eve Langlais involves Ark finding his mate Jade. Jade believes Ark impregnated her sister, and Ark strives to convince Jade otherwise. Owned by the Lion by Milly Taiden centers around Keir finding his mate Ally. Keir hopes to gain Ally's love before revealing to her the depth of his ties to her. No Need Fur Love by Kate Baxter centers around Owen finding his mate Mia. Mia finds Owen looking for a one-night stand, and is shocked to discover their immediate bond. Problems arise for the couple when Mia's father is unsupportive.

I enjoyed the romantic snapshots contained in Big Alpha in Town. All the characters were likable, and taking part in their relationships was entertaining. Out of the three short stories in Big Alpha in Town, my favorite was Bearing His Name. Ark was a strong alpha male but to me never felt too arrogant. I found him, and his entire clan for that matter, charming and hilarious. The other two stories were enjoyable as well, but my favorite tales are those with a good dose of humor throughout them.

Compilation novels present an excellent opportunity to try an author's writing style. I have since pursued other works of those authors unfamiliar to me, and I recommend giving them all a try. I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own and may not be identical to others. I urge all readers to come to their own conclusions.

Because this book is 3 stories in 1 I will rate and do a mini review for each story. First up is

Bearing His Name by Eve Langlais

2 Star

Bearing His Name was just blah for me. I had a hard time connecting to the couple. I didn't like the plot of the book were Ark might have impregnated his Mate's sister. I get that it was before he met his mate, and of course he wasn't the father of the baby, had never slept with the sister. Still it was just a gross start to the story. Ark came off very stalkerish. She would say no 100s of times and he would just act like she never said anything.
On top of that Jade came off bitchy. She would be mean to Ark and push him away, no matter how hard he tried. Then there was that fact that at times this book got confusing. There was some funny parts but for the most part I didn't care for this story.

Owned by the Lion by Milly Taiden

3.5 Stars

I enjoyed Owned by the Lion much more than I did Bearing his name. I liked the plot a lot more. Keir and Ally had good chemistry. Still there were parts that got a little confusing. On top of that the hero was a reformed man-whore. Which I have no problem with. My problem was the fact that everywhere the couple went exes would confront Ally and it was really annoying. Overall I enjoyed this read.
No Need Fur Love by Kate Baxter

2 Stars

I didn't care for this story at all. Owen was very underdeveloped and one dimensional. Mia I couldn't stand at all. She was selfish and didn't care how her choices would hurt anyone. The only thing that mattered was what she wanted. More than my dislike for the heroine, is the fact that the book was so short and felt super rushed. I felt no connection at all between the h&h. I just wasn't feeling this one.

So over all this whole book was about a 3 star for me. The running theme of all the stories in this book is promiscuity.
The first two stories the heroes were sleeping with everyone and in the last one the heroine was a wood nymph. Now I don't have a problem with stories where the h or h sleep with others in the past but it was ott in this book. They slept around like they changed their underwear. It kinda took away something special about the couples. That of course is just my humble opinion. My favorite read of the three was Owned by the lion.

I voluntarily read an advanced review copy of this book

Bearing His Name....4 stars

This book was sooooo funny to me. I loved the little love triangle that was not really a love triangle...Jade thinks Ark might have impregnated her sister....Ark feels like he never met her sister before in his life but he knows the moment that he meets Jade that she is the one for him.

Can Ark convince Jade to give him a chance? Read and find out!

What a satisfying and fun anthology! Packed with 3 shifter stories by great authors that I will be adding to my favored author list.

Eve Langlais - Bearing His Name...Jade's younger sister Ruby, moves in with her big sister so she won't be alone when she delivers her surprise baby. Problem is she doesn't know who the father is. Ruby hooked up with a "hot god" at a halloween costume party and got a surprise Christmas present. Jade being the ever responsible big sister, sends out baby announcements to the 7 guys who were dressed as "gods" at the party. "Ark"adios Pietro Matis is one of those men who tracks them down to solve the mystery of the unsigned announcement. The problem is that Ark recognizes Jade as his mate even if he may unintentionally impregnated her younger sister. Loved this story of sorting out who the dad is and keeping Jade and Ruby safe.

Milly Taiden - Owned By The Lion...Ally Jane Fosey is new to town so she can be closer to her Mother who is dying of a rare cancer. She makes quick friends with Shawna and Josie, who we met in the Thanks Fur Last Night Anthology. Shawna runs a mate-for-hire.com who can help Ally get the much needed money so her Mom can participate in a new drug study that shows promise. Keir Harper is friends with the group of friends and helps Ally move in. He is part of XJ Financial, run by his best friend Xander, mate to Josie, and quickly realizes Ally is his mate but she only knows he is HOT and annoys her. Lovely story of a feisty heroine and a very determined lion shifter.

Kate Baxter - No Need Fur Love...Mia Oliver is a wood nymph who's Dad is the leader of their band and has given her an ultimatum. Either provide him a heir so she be named his heir and have a say in the governance of the band, or he'll find her someone to mate to. He's an antique despot who keeps his band isolated and out of touch with the world. She want to take the band into the 21st century but needs a say to do it. She finds Owen Courtney in a local bar and he's more than willing to leave with her as he recognizes she's his mate. Owen is a werewolf and that becomes a problem as wood nymphs don't feel a mate bond. She leaves to inform her father she's satisfied his requirements. The problem is dear ole Dad is determined to make the werewolves leave the forest since he can't control them like he can the rest of the world. I really liked reading about Mia coming to grips with the bond she does feel for Owen and her struggle to choose a side in the conflict her Dad has made.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and these great authors for the NetGalley ARC of this book for my honest review. Great stories and I will be looking for more stories by these authors. Now to find a copy of Thanks Fur Last Night...

I enjoyed the last book by these three wonderful authors so much I was excited to read this one. And I wasn't disappointed.

Bearing His Name by Eve Langlais
This story is a bit tricky.. Ark has a lot of explaining to do before he can even make any headway with his mate Jade..Can he do it?
Read and find out....


Owned By The Lion by Milly Taiden
This one is a riot.. Keir has always been a male who did what he wanted, with whom he wanted, how he wanted. He has always known who he wanted but Ally is so much more than just his best friends lil sister. Can he win her heart? Will she make his lion stand up and roar?
Grab this book and find out.


No Need For Love by Kate Baxter
I love this authors writing and this book just sealed it even more for me. We get sexy but also funny.
As a werewolf living in Idaho Owen knows his chances of finding his mate are slim to none. So he sets his mind on getting drunk if possible.
In walks her.... His true mate.... But will she be?
Mia has a plan and doesn't involve finding love but she needs to do the deed to uphand her father. Will Owen be the man to handle it?
Awesome read.

Three sexy shifter reads. The stories are fast-paced with plenty of drama and suspense. The characters are fun and entertaining with great chemistry. The stories really draw you into their paranormal world and keep you hooked from beginning to end. A fun and entertaining read.

A great mix of shapeshifter romances. All three short stories have enough emotion and suspense to keep you intrigued until the very end!
These stories by this excellent group of authors is a must-read! 5 stars!

Even though all the stories seemed to be parts of other, I didn't really feel lost. I enjoyed each story in it's own way.

1) Bearing His Name by Eve Langlais
I love Ms. Langlais and her stories. I can always count on her to write a great story full of fun, snark, and plenty of heat. Ark and Jade are great together and the secondary characters keep the laughs rolling. 4 1/2 stars

2) Owned by the Lion by Milly Taiden
Ms. Taiden is a real master at her craft. Her books have interesting characters, plotlines, and hot smexy-times.. I loved Keir and Ally so much.
4 stars

3) No Need Fur Love by Kate Baxter
Ms. Baxter is a new-ish author for me but I really liked Owen and Mia and the town of Stanley. I can't wait to read more from this author
4 stars

Overall, I give this anthology a solid 4 stars and recommend it.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

It's no secret that I love box sets..especially since you get multiple stories from multiple authors who write in different styles and cadences. All stories reference characters from previous stories but can be read as a stand-alone. Just means that you will have more stories to devour at another time.
Eve Langlais - Bearing His Name: humour and sexiness with a mystery. about just which "God" is the father.
Millie Taiden - Owned by the Lion: sexy and funny when matches are made on a dating site. Just how does that work when you are a shifter? Do both parties need to be shifters? And what happens to your match if you meet someone else?
Kate Baxter - No Need Fur Love: mysteries and sexy times when dealing with wood nymphs. Can true love survive being matched with a shifter?

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.