Three great short stories from three awesome authors!!! Always exciting, sexy and funny I loved every page!

The Big Alpha in Town consists of three paranormal romance novellas, which are Bearing His Name, by Eve Langlais; Owned by the Lion, by Milly Taiden; and No Need Fur Love, by Kate Baxter.

In Bearing His Name, Ark is a Greek bear shifter and highly delighted to meet his mate, Jade. However, his mate believes that Ark--or maybe one of his family members--might have impregnated her sister, which means that Ark is off limits to her. Ark is determined to seduce Jade into realizing that their mates. With rough and tough characters, short story is packed with entertaining characters and situations, as well as passionate romance.

In Owned by the Lion, Keir is a lion shifter and a playboy focused on dating plenty of women. However, he immediately stops the constant dating, when he meets his mate, Ally. Despite the attraction she feels, Ally is disgusted with Keir's playboy habits and the threatening comments from other women. Plus, she's his best friend's little sister, which adds some additional family drama to their current non-relationship. Keir desperately wants Ally, but he hides the fact that their mates!

In No Need Fur Love, Owen Courtney is slightly depressed that their werewolf pack moved to a desolate area, since that limits the chance to encounter his mate. Meanwhile, Mia Oliver is determined to become pregnant in order to have an heir, as demanded by her father to help with their fellow wood nymphs. When Owen meets Mia, he immediately realizing that their mates, yet Mia only is focused on becoming pregnant. Her one-night stand is considered forever to Owen.

The Big Alpha in Town is geared towards those who prefer reading paranormal shifter romances.


Note: I received this book from NetGalley, which is a program designed for bloggers to write book reviews in exchange for books, yet the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book was an anthology of 3 different stories from different authors. The first one was by Eve Langlais who I am familiar with and have read other books by her. I liked the story, and Jad and Ark together. They had great chemistry and the story had the signature humor from the author. I enjoyed it but did feel like I was missing something and I think I missed a previous book of anthologies or something. It felt like I was supposed to know certain characters and I had no idea!

The second story was Owned by the Lion by Milly Taiden. I’ve never read a book by her before so this was a good short intro into her writing style. I enjoyed it and steamy interactions between Ally and Keir. The story was fast paced and I could definitely see myself reading other books by this author.

The last story was my least favorite of the bunch and I just found it was something I couldn’t get into. I ended up not finishing this one due to lack of interest.

Of late I have become reluctant to buy these type of compilations ...........that is an Author I love plus others I am unfamiliar with . The reason being that whilst I really enjoy the main Author's story the others do not usually engage me and are not quite up to standard .

I loved Eve Langlais story with Jade and Ark ...........I particularly loved the Banter with the secondary characters ,
I would have bought this as a standalone novella and given it 4 stars

The other 2 books did not engage me ... the stories were not well founded and the characters did not draw me in , they felt rushed .
So this reduced my overall star rating to 3

I will think twice before buying future compilations based on this and previous offersings .

Bearing His Name by Eve Langlais

Jade sent snarky “Congratulations you’re a father!” cards to a whole slew of men in the same extended family. Her sister Ruby is pregnant by one of them, but she has no idea which one. She was at a Halloween party and only knows that the guy was dressed as Zeus – as were a bunch of men there. When Ark heads to Jade and Ruby’s apartment he’s not sure if he’s the father of Ruby’s baby or not but he hopes he isn’t because it looks like Jade is his mate.

This story was just ‘OK” imho. I liked Jade and Ruby but Ark made me crazy. He pretty much stalked Jade and would break into her apartment and watch her sleeping. That is the definition of creepy stalker in my book. I think this was all supposed to be forgivable because they were mates and he just wanted to be with her, etc. It wasn’t. He was also so arrogant it made me want to hit him. Because of his attitude I never really got into the romance – probably because I kept thinking Jade could do better.


Owned by the Lion by Milly Taiden

Keir knew immediately upon meeting Ally that she was his mate but he didn’t tell her. He wants to woo her but she hates him something fierce, for some reason that is never explained. He finally gets her to talk to him and she finally sees he’s a good guy. Too bad all of his many women keep coming around. Of course it’s hard to get away from them when they are literally everywhere they go.

This story wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great for me either. I couldn’t understand why Keir didn’t just come out and tell Ally she was his mate. It truly would have solved all the issues because of how mates in this world are so devoted to each other. She would have known that the other women he’d been with previously now meant nothing to him. Of course then their wouldn’t have been a story so… Because of Ally “hating” Keir so much at first it was hard for me to get into their relationship, unfortunately.


No Need Fur Love by Kate Baxter

Mia is out for a one-night stand so that she can get pregnant. Her father, who is the leader of their wood nymph band says that if she’s produces a child then he’ll let her in more of the leadership issues. Mia meets Owen at the first bar she goes to and it hardly takes any time at all before they’re leaving with each other.

Owen is at the bar wishing he could have the type of relationship that his Alpha has with his new mate when Mia walks in. He knows immediately she’s his mate but after their night together she disappears.

This was a cute story. I liked Mia and Owen a lot. It wasn’t insta-love but pretty close. Owen was all about the mate bond but Mia didn’t feel it the same way so that brought a little tension into the mix which was nice.

The story also involved Mia’s crazy dad and his hatred of Owen’s wolf pack which brought even more tension into the story which I liked.

Overall not a fabulous anthology for me but at least somewhat entertaining.


Overall rating: 3 out of 5

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ARC received for review

book 1 - 2.5 stars
It was confusing from the start and didn't get much better.

book 2 - 3 stars
Again it was a confusing start, but a nice romance not much in the bedroom department going on.

book 3 - 3.25 stars
Best of the three without a confusing start. Never read about a wood nymph before in a paranormal story. All around good story with sexy times.

The Big Alpha in Town by Eve Langlais, Milly Taiden, and Kate Baxter is an paranormal anthology and follow-up to the Thanks Fur Last Night anthology.

This had such potential, and yet I was disappointed in reading it and had to really push my way through to the very end. Overall, I wasn’t engaged by the characters, and each of the stories had so much going on within and crammed into them that it ended up giving off a very rushed feel to them. I was also surprised by all the errors I found throughout the book, and while I do understand that this is an ARC read, it was way more than should have been there considering and took away from my reading enjoyment.

An ARC was generously provided in exchange for an honest review of which this is both honest and completely voluntary.

Bearing His Name,
By Eve Langlais.


🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟


Bear shifter, Ark has received a card that claims he could be a father. He must investigate because no cub of his will grow up without him.

It could just be someone out for money because he knows he is always careful.

Jade is furious with her sister. How could she be so irresponsible as to get pregnant from a one night stand, and not even know who the father is.

This story has lots and lots of laughs. Our hero's bear often let's his thoughts through. Someone is stalking the pregnant sister and putting both women in danger. That can't be allowed. The need to protect both women and find out who is the baby daddy causes a lot of excitement. Great characters and so much fun.



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Owned By The Lion,
By Milly Taiden.


🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟


Lion shifter Keir has found his mate, but because of his history she thinks he is nothing but a manwhore. He has always lived women but this one is the special one, he just has to price it to her.

Ally is working as hard as she can to raise money for her mother's medical treatment. Signing up for mateforhire.com could be the quickest way to get it, but she is diverted by the sexy lion shifter. It doesn't help that every time she is out in public with him some ex of his accosts her.

This is part of a series I recognized some of the characters. it's a very sexy story with lots of giggles. Our hero learns a lesson about the past coming back to bite you. Great fun.



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No Need Fur Love,
By Kate Baxter.


🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Werewolf Owen Courtney is hoping to get lucky . His alpha has moved the pack to a new territory and found a mate. For Owen a night in the local bar will soon change everything.

Wood Nymph Mia Oliver has been given an ultimatum by her father. If she wants a say in his their group is run she must provide an heir or have a mate. Wood Nymphs live close to nature without technology and the mod cons that others take for granted. She heads for a bar to find a likely sperm donor.

An emotional and exciting story with interesting characters. I have never met Wood Nymphs before so had no idea what powers they might have. They proved to be very effective.

I will definitely be on the lookout for more of this series.



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This is my second anthology by these wonderful ladies, but unfortunately like the last, it was lacking some of their usual punch and excitement.

Bearing His Name by Eve Langlais – This story lacked character zing for me and the expected attraction just never seemed to develop. The secondary characters provided some off the cuff humour, which probably helped the story overall.

Owned By The Lion by Milly Taiden provided chemistry and banter that personifies Ms Taiden’s books, and made this the pick of the bunch.

No Need For Love by Kate Baxter was a disappointment, as the story felt rushed and just didn’t work.

The short novellas...

Bearing His Name - 3 Stars

If you’ve enjoyed reading any of Eve Langlais’s other shifter stories and you enjoy a slapstick kind of humor, you’ll enjoy this one. Having said that, there’s nothing really new here in terms of the plot setup and outcome - fairly predictable - along the same lines as her other stories.

Owned by the Lion - 3.5 Stars

Heartwarming, some sad moments but also very touching. Ally was a gem from the start, Keir took a little longer to warm up to.

No Need Fur Love - 3.5 Stars

Tension, drama and sweetness - with Owen willing to make sacrifices for Mia in a way that could help her achieve her own goals while putting his own in jeopardy. A bit rushed towards the end and a bit on the fanciful side.


Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/St. Martin’s Griffin for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

First story, 4 stars, second, around a 3, and a solid 4 for the last.

Bearing his Name, Eve Langlais - If you've read Eve's books, you know she has a knack for humour, puns, and groaners mixed in with her sexy times. This is no exception, and we actually get a two-fer in this story. Ask and Jade are our main couple, but we get to meet Mat and Stavros (who appears to be next), and Jade's sister Ruby has a storyline with some bears and an Xavier. Jade and Ark are perfectly cute together

Owned by The Lion, Milly Taiden - this started out as a meets a fated mate, then makes it a fake mate until telling about a being a real mate. It quickly got emotional though, with both our characters being honest, and a family illness to be dealt with. Not all happily ever afters come with all of life's problems solved, but it was still a forever and whatever life brings

No Need Fur Love, Kate Baxter - After centuries of ruling, some rulers get a little crazy. This is the case with Mia's dad, but she didn't see it until it was almost too late. Luckily, she stumbled into Owen and she is his mate, not that she wanted one, or understands it. Actioned packed and sexy, this was the jewel of the collection for me!

Not my usual read, however I really enjoyed the second story Owned by the Lion. Keir and Ally’s chemistry was undeniable. The other 2 stories were just ok for me.

I received a copy of The Big Alpha in Town by Eve Langlais; Milly Taiden; Kate Baxter from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued by the summary and really wanted to like the collection of three different stories, but two of them missed the mark for me, while the third was just decent.

I felt that the chemistry between the main characters in Bearing His Name was lacking. Also, neither character was particularly likeable. Jade was a shrew and Ark was kind of flat/boring (plus, he seemed liked a douche).

Owned by the Lion had two decent main characters and witty banter, but the plot pacing wasn't quite there. It was a little rushed or seemed lacking in places. I think this is an editing issue though and could be smoothed out.

Then No Need Fur Love seemed very underdeveloped. Plot threads were rather jumbled and the characters weren't very relateable.

A fun collection of shifter romances. I did like all three, although the first was my favorite. Gotta love a snarky bear, who gets easily distracted. Made me laugh, and enjoyed "Bearing His Name" very much. A lot of misunderstandings and intrigue, with danger and sass. Quick, but fun read, and hard to put down. The second one was "Owned by the Lion", and of course the shifter is a lion. This was a fun story to read too, and I liked the characters, but wished there would have been more with the other women. They were pushed forward, like there was going to be more conflict, and then it just kinda hung in the air a bit. Not a big deal, but kept expecting something to happen there. The last one was "No Need Fur Love", and this one had a wolf shifter. I did like this one overall, but the issue with her father and the war that wasn't, had me a little confused. Still liked the story and characters, but felt a little lost on what exactly happened there. Minor issues and overall enjoyed all three stories and would highly recommend this book and the authors.

WOW! what a set of stories. I enjoyed all three books. I think my favorite is Owned by the Lion but loved Bearing his Nam and No Need Fur Love just as much.

The Big Alpha in Town consists of three novellas by different authors.

Bearing His Name
Eve Langlais
Ark tells his cousin Stavros he needs to find a woman who is supposedly pregnant with his child after he gets a postcard claiming he is the father, but it doesn’t say who sent the card. He shows the card to his cousin who is an officer of the law and it turns out a number of his relatives received the same anonymous card. Finding prints on the card that was sent to Ark, they track the sender to New York and as soon as Jade opens the door Ark realizes she is his mate. Turns out Ark and his family are bear shifters and at first, he is thrilled to find the woman who has his child is his fated mate until he realizes it is her sister Ruby who is pregnant.

It turns out bears are hilarious, big cuddly, protective and totally focused. As much as Jade pushes Ark away, he tells her she really wants him, she doesn’t mean the things she says and does, and there is no way they are not mates. Jade’s father left her family when she was young and she practically raised her three younger sisters while her mother worked to support the family, so Jade has trust issues. And Ark? As much as he enjoyed his single life, finding his fated mate has him laser focused on Jade. This was my favorite because, bears! They really are lovable oafs.

Owned by the Lion
Millie Taiden

Keir loves the ladies and has made it clear he isn’t looking for a relationship. A few dates and he moves on to the next woman until he meets Ally and realizes she is his fated mate, the one woman he has been waiting for.

Ally has just moved to town for a job transfer. Her mother has mounting medical bills and the new job came with a pay increase. Ally really needs the money. When a friend tells her she can make a lot of money working for mateforhire.com and simply act as a mate to a shifter to keep other women away from him, she goes for it.

When Keir finds he has been matched with Ally for the mating site, he decides it is his chance to show her how he feels about her. I loved when he said it was the lion’s way, cunning plans of attack. And his honest relationships with the women in town? Loved it.

No Need Fur Love
Kate Baxter

Owen is a werewolf wishing he could find his mate. Mia is a wood nymph and her father has given her an ultimatum, produce an heir or he will find her a suitable mate. Otherwise, she will lose her birthright.

When Mia walks into the bar and meets Owen, he knows she is his mate. Mia just thinks he’d make a good sperm donor. Soon things spiel out of control. This story is almost a heartbreaker. To me, it was the hardest one to read because I felt so sad about the struggle these two faced.

The Big Alpha In Town, this book contains three stories from Eve Langlais, Milly Taiden and Kate Baxter.

I found I enjoyed 2 stories and the other one was just ok for me. Each book I found was a standalone, but if you had read another Anthology you may get the feeling have I meet these people before...

First book was By Eve, Bearing His Name. Second was Owned by the Lion by Milly and the third was No Need Fur Love by Kate.

I enjoyed the fluffiness of each story, the humour helped too. Each book got a 2.5 star each.

Each authors writing was different, and all flowed good enough for me to follow along. It took me longer the I thought to read this one, I do try and not to read Anthologies I prefer a full book over small short stories.

Bearing His Name -Eve Langlais
Owned By The Lion - Milly Taiden
No Need For Love - Kate Baxter
The second book I have read containing books by these three authors. I love all of them but find their stories in these books missing something. In saying that I would still say if you read these authors give this book a read

Bearing his name:
Did not find this book to be believeable. The main character Ark would be arrested in real life! Inappropriate, pushy and downright unlikeable at times. Just couldn’t get into this story.
Owned by the Lion:
A little better written, a playboy Lion discovers his good friends sister is his mate. The only problem is she sees him as a man-whore and not as a potential mate. He has to find ways to let her know he is serious. Cute story and happy ending.
No need fur love:
A werewolf has the tables turned on him when he meets his mate who is only interested in “hit it and quit it”. Though it’s obvious he means something to her, she has things to do which do not include him. He sets out to change her mind as a life without her means death for him. Good story.
3.5 stars overall

What a great collection! I liked each book which is always a pleasant surprise. Bearing his name was the usual funny, engaging romance from Eve Langlais. Owned by the Lion reminded me a lot of the Sassy Mates series, which I loved. I have never read Kate Baxter, but was so pleased! I felt like No Need Fur Love was really neat. I read a lot of paranormal romance, not a lot of wood nymphs there. There was a lot of action and it was a really quick read.