2.5 stars

Aurelia is a unseelie faery with a dark past, and a husband who has decided to claim her at long last. He's a bogeyman, hoping to create a child with her that should be especially magical. Donovan, another fae, is desperately in love with her. Can he convince Aurelia to trust him before it's too late?

This story is book two of the Faetales series, but says it can be read as a standalone. I appreciated the explanations front-loaded at the start of the book. I was glad to have an understanding of the events, but I realized my issue was that I didn't have a connection to the characters. I still felt like I was coming in the middle of a story. There was a LOT of spice, even at odd times, which distracted from the plot, in my opinion. The plot also frequently relied on long drawn-out conversations about events (probably?) from the first novella.

The world building was interesting. The plot was creative. But overall it fell flat. Perhaps someone who read the first novella would have a better experience! :o)

I'd like to thank One Night Reads, LLC, and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

☆☆☆☆☆

4/5 Spice

For fantasy-lovers looking for a steamy and enchanting evening of reading!

This lovely (and spicy) novella was such a joy to read! It was, as advertised, a fantastic one-night read for me.

Despite it's very manageable length, there was depth to the world, vivd imagery, and a cast of characters that I knew quite well by the end of the story.

Donovan was top tier book boyfriend material, and Auralia was sassy, competent, and relatable. The spice was also *chefs kiss*.

I really can't say enough good things; I'd much rather spend an evening with these characters than watching a movie, that's for sure!

Quick read about the push-pull romance between two members of one of the Unseelie's Court. It's the second book in the Faetales series but I read it as a standalone and didn't have any issues with it.

Auralia and Donovan are madly attracted to each other -- but Auralia has been tricked into marrying/mating with an evil Boggart who makes her feed information to him about the court. The sexual tension and spice is great but for such a short book, I almost wish that there had been more spice (but it's still pretty spice).

The plot isn't too complex but works wonderfully for the novella length and builds the tension between the characters. Honestly, it's one of the best novellas that I've read on the plot and spice.

Thank you Book Sirens and NetGalley for an ARC of this novella!

What a quick fast-paced read! I am not sure what I expected from this but it wasn't what it was. Always check TW but I liked this one! I haven't read the first book but I don't think you need to. Please don't quote me on that.

Pros: Was a quick read! Sometimes you just need a novella. I liked the FMC and MMC together, they clearly fit well. The story/plot was unique, I haven't read anything like it before. The spice was well written and I enjoyed it. A great read for October I think!

Cons: For novellas I love it to be basically all spice and very little plot lol, I felt like there was a bit too much plot. To the point that things felt very jam-packed. I think most novellas feel that way regardless but I would have liked to see more spice and less plot. I sound crazy but that's just me. For a novella, there were a ton of terms that felt a little too much for something short. I feel like if you're going to include some sort of world-building it needs to be a full-length novel.

Still a good read, I enjoyed it!

If you’re looking for something short and spicy, this is definitely something you should read! Overall, I enjoyed this short story and wouldn’t mind to read more of it. I like how the story was short but also hit all the high points a longer book would. I enjoyed seeing Donovan and Auralia’s relationship overcome the dark past that Auralia had and liked how she came to trust Donovan.

This is the second book of the authors novelettes but is mentioned that you can read as a stand alone, and that is what I did. Reading this as a stand alone, I felt like I understood what was going on and what I needed to know. But I also felt as if I jumped into the middle of a bigger book and just started reading in the middle of it. I never felt lost, but just that I was missing something. I wasn’t sure how Auralia came to be in this kingdom or how her and Donovan became “enemies/lovers” or whatever you want to call them at the beginning. It was as if they were just kinda there and that was it.

Overall, I did enjoy this short story! It has great potential!(:

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher!

The cover image caught my eye and when I saw the title, I knew I needed to read this. This is the 2nd in the series, which I didn't catch before starting it. So I was pleasantly surprised when I saw a recap of sorts at the beginning. Very helpful! This story focuses on Auralia and Donovan's perspectives. Aurelia is strong, defiant, hostile and has a jealous streak. Donovan is strong, flirtatious, stubborn and commanding. The two of them together are fire. I loved the characters, their interactions, the magic, and the different factions within this world. I wish the story was longer, I didn't want it to end. I would love to read more stories from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy for an honest review

I felt a bit lost reading this I know ‘Stealing the Bogeyman’s Bride’ is the second book in the series but it is mentioned it can be read as a standalone. I think I would of had a better time reading it if a had read the first one first.

Otherwise it was just okay

Rating 3 stars

“As many times as I’ve been deceived, this tie to you is the only thing that feels truly real.”

I was here for this romance between mates, it was everything. I loved the connection and the characters. This was short & spicy.

First of all, I was intrigued by this book based upon the blurb and the lore. However, I had some issues with it, not the least of which was feeling immediately and irretrievably as though I’d been dropped into a middle or interstitial portion of a story and not a beginning. The different beings and their hierarchies are a lot to keep straight as one reads further.
Additionally there’s a free for all vibe to the sexual content that I’m not a huge fan of, although I certainly can’t discourage if it’s your cup of tea. TBH, I was hoping for more of a straight up romance, perhaps with several obstacles, etc., but here not so much.
There’s lots of flouncing off and miscommunication during pivotal scenes between Aurelia & Donovan, and it becomes a bit tiresome.
I received an advance reader copy of this book for which I’m pleased to leave this honest review.

Auralia fell in love with Donovan, an Unseelie she can't be with. Her estranged husband forced her to to return back to him but Donovan doesn't want to let her go...

A sexy short story. It's part of a series but can be read alone. It's a bit on the dark side though so not for younger readers but terrific for adults.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc,

Thank you for the ARC!

3.5 stars.

This novella is part of the Faetales series and it can be read as a standalone, but you still need to know a few facts established in book one. The author explains this very well in the beginning and provides the information, so I had no problem understanding everything.

We follow Auralia, who was tricked into marriage by the Bogeyman. We meet her at Court and she's there to gather information for her "husband", but she finds more than that in Donovan.

This was very entertaining and a bit spicy. We're dropped right into it, but everything is established really well. Overall, it's a fun read that gives romance, conflict, and a nice resolution, with elements you'll recognize from ACOTAR.