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Hidden Species #2
One Bite With a Vampire
Getting kidnapped was never part of my life plan. But being rescued opened up a whole world of crazy.
It’s not easy being the only human at the Community of Species Government—and especially not when you’re the rescue case. Two years ago, I was planning to go to college, have a wild time, then settle into a normal life. Instead, I was kidnapped, spent months being a test subject, was in hiding for nearly a year, and then found out that my whole existence is a science experiment conducted by the bad guys. It’s definitely time to reassess.
It’s not easy being the only human at the Community of Species Government—and especially not when you’re the rescue case. Two years ago, I was planning to go to college, have a wild time, then settle into a normal life. Instead, I was kidnapped, spent months being a test subject, was in hiding for nearly a year, and then found out that my whole existence is a science experiment conducted by the bad guys. It’s definitely time to reassess.
My rescuers at CSG have been awesome… mostly. They gave me a job, a home, and a support network. But the whole demons, vampires, shifters thing is not easy to get used to. Especially when one particular vampire makes me want to take up stake sharpening for a hobby. How can someone be over eight centuries old and have the maturity of a drunk frat boy?
The thing is, teenage mentality or not, Andrew is a fierce protector. With the bad guys still on the loose, I need someone like that on my side. Plus, did I mention that he’s not hard to look at? I could stare at him all day if only he never opened his mouth.
As we race to find my former captor before he can find me, life takes another twist and upends my world all over again. This time, though, I’m ready—after all, I’ve got an eight-hundred-year-old vampire at my back. What could possibly go wrong?
7 pages, Audiobook
First published January 14, 2021
533 people are currently reading
970 people want to read
About the author
Louisa Masters
73 books1,535 followersLOUISA MASTERS started reading romance much earlier than her mother thought she should. While other teenagers were sneaking out of the house, Louisa was sneaking romance novels in and working out how to read them without being discovered. She’s spent most of her life feeling sorry for people who don’t read, convinced that books are the solution to every problem. As an adult, she feeds her addiction in every spare second, only occasionally tearing herself away to do things like answer the phone and pay bills. She spent years trying to build a “sensible” career, working in bookstores, recruitment, resource management, administration, and as a travel agent, before finally conceding defeat and devoting herself to the world of romance novels. Louisa has a long list of places first discovered in books that she wants to visit, and every so often she overcomes her loathing of jet lag and takes a trip that charges her imagination. She lives in Melbourne, Australia, where she whines about the weather for most of the year while secretly admitting she’ll probably never move.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 553 reviews
February 20, 2021
This second book continued to impress me with its central plot of sorcery-driven genetic manipulation, providing tons of details about its fictional universe of vampires, shifters, demons, and other magical creatures, which I found to be fun and interesting.
From the blurb, I was worried that this story would feel a bit too much like a retelling of the first book, with Noah, the 19 y.o. main MC in this story, being a victim of the second round of genetic manipulation, but that really wasn't a problem at all.
[ Noah ]
Noah's "love interest" in this book was Andrew, a very young-at-heart, 800 year old vampire, which I enjoyed. However, I specifically put that in quotes because, again, I sadly don't really consider this second book a true romance any more than the first.
[ Andrew (without the silver hair, sorry, not my thing) ]
Some of my favorite parts of this story were learning more about Noah's history, how he'd kept hidden for an entire year, then seeing all of the cool things that "the magic", even as a human, allowed him to do.
I was also a big fan of the prevalence of snark and banter between Noah and Andrew, even after Noah finally realized that what he was feeling for Andrew wasn't exactly hate.
One thing that I didn't happen to notice at all until it happened at around 80% into the book was that there was literally NO ACTUAL ACTION until that point.
Everything before then was backstory and setup, but presented in interesting and compelling ways, so I actually had zero problems with that. My squirrel brain just found it kind of odd and thought I'd mention it.
I'd rate this one at just over 4 stars and I'll definitely continue the series, and would recommend it, but much more for the extremely well-thought-out plot and *not* so much for the less-there-than-deeply-romantic aspects of the series.
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January 9, 2025
✅ Funny moments
✅🆗 Characters
🆗 Romance and smut (M/M)
🆗 Pace
🆗❌ Plot
The romance in the first book of the series was weak, and it felt the same in this book, but on top of it, there was no real plot besides Noah learning to use his magic and a kinda-weak-wannabe investigation into the big bad guy from the first book.
The relationship between Noah and Andrew felt a little forced honestly. I didn't feel their connection or the evolution of their feelings. Apparently, they have a great connection, but I didn't see it. At all. I only know it's there because I'm being told that it is. Almost all the relationship-building between them happens off-page and we are told about it after it happened... It's a typical case of telling instead of showing and it doesn't work if you want to build sexual tension and a believable and authentic relationship.
Talking about Noah and Andrew, I didn’t really like either of them. Noah came across as an ungrateful brat at times, and while he wasn't so bad, he just wasn't very likable either. Andrew had potential as a snarky and sarcastic character in the first book and I kinda liked him, but he ended up giving a huge "obnoxious and I'm proud of it" vibe and I am not a fan of him... So it made it even harder to get invested in their relationship since I don't really care about either of them.
Then there is the plot... Or rather the absence of a plot. Seriously, I waited FOREVER for something to happen other than Noah learning he can use magic and then trying to use and control it. The whole "Trish situation" was not resolved at the end of the first book, but it takes almost no room in this book. It is mentioned every once in a while just to remind us that they are looking into it (although we have no clue about what they are really doing about it) and then there is a "big confrontation" at the end, same as in the first book, but honestly, nothing else happened plot-wise. It was boring. Seriously, nothing of consequence happens until the 60% mark.
There were some funny moments, and the interactions between the characters working together were sweet and entertaining, but you need more than a few funny moments and a few smutty scenes to make a good book.
There is a little bit of action near the end with the "big confrontation", but again, it is a typical case of telling and not showing. The "big issue" was resolved in less than 10 pages and I was not anxious about any of the characters. I just knew that someone everything would be solved quite quickly and in a boring way on top of it...
The world-building is the same as in the first book, except for that weird part at the end where we learn that there are other dimensions, but it is not further developed or explained. There is potential here for a great expansion of the world, but it kinda fell flat. Maybe it will be further developed and explored in the next book, but at that point, I don't really care.
I get the concept of having a series where each book focuses on a different couple, it's something that I enjoyed about the VRC series by Alice Winters, but it's not working well for this series. Instead of having two books about two fleshed-out relationships, we have two underdeveloped romances with an absence of plot in the second book... So yeah, I will not be reading the next book.
1. Demons Do it Better ⭐⭐⭐.5
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✅🆗 Characters
🆗 Romance and smut (M/M)
🆗 Pace
🆗❌ Plot
The romance in the first book of the series was weak, and it felt the same in this book, but on top of it, there was no real plot besides Noah learning to use his magic and a kinda-weak-wannabe investigation into the big bad guy from the first book.
“Come on, puny human! You don’t have that many years left in your life that you can waste them like this!” The shout echoes down the hallway and into the room, and I’m pretty sure everyone on the floor—or at least in the immediate area—heard it.
Sam closes his eyes. I don’t think I have enough fucks left to waste on that guy.
I’ve spent too long this morning trying to decide if it’s okay to sexually proposition someone I think I dislike.
The relationship between Noah and Andrew felt a little forced honestly. I didn't feel their connection or the evolution of their feelings. Apparently, they have a great connection, but I didn't see it. At all. I only know it's there because I'm being told that it is. Almost all the relationship-building between them happens off-page and we are told about it after it happened... It's a typical case of telling instead of showing and it doesn't work if you want to build sexual tension and a believable and authentic relationship.
Talking about Noah and Andrew, I didn’t really like either of them. Noah came across as an ungrateful brat at times, and while he wasn't so bad, he just wasn't very likable either. Andrew had potential as a snarky and sarcastic character in the first book and I kinda liked him, but he ended up giving a huge "obnoxious and I'm proud of it" vibe and I am not a fan of him... So it made it even harder to get invested in their relationship since I don't really care about either of them.
Then there is the plot... Or rather the absence of a plot. Seriously, I waited FOREVER for something to happen other than Noah learning he can use magic and then trying to use and control it. The whole "Trish situation" was not resolved at the end of the first book, but it takes almost no room in this book. It is mentioned every once in a while just to remind us that they are looking into it (although we have no clue about what they are really doing about it) and then there is a "big confrontation" at the end, same as in the first book, but honestly, nothing else happened plot-wise. It was boring. Seriously, nothing of consequence happens until the 60% mark.
“I didn’t start it,” Alistair insists. “Sam and Noah were watching porn when I got here.”
“What?” Andrew’s delighted shout bounces off the walls.
I want to crawl under my desk, but instead make myself look toward the doorway again, where he’s standing with a huge grin on his dumb/sexy face and David and Gideon slightly behind him. It could be worse. They could all have turned up five minutes earlier.
“We were not watching porn,” I insist huffily as Gideon gives Andrew a shove and pushes past him.
“Why were you watching porn with Noah?” Gideon asks Sam
There were some funny moments, and the interactions between the characters working together were sweet and entertaining, but you need more than a few funny moments and a few smutty scenes to make a good book.
There is a little bit of action near the end with the "big confrontation", but again, it is a typical case of telling and not showing. The "big issue" was resolved in less than 10 pages and I was not anxious about any of the characters. I just knew that someone everything would be solved quite quickly and in a boring way on top of it...
The world-building is the same as in the first book, except for that weird part at the end where we learn that there are other dimensions, but it is not further developed or explained. There is potential here for a great expansion of the world, but it kinda fell flat. Maybe it will be further developed and explored in the next book, but at that point, I don't really care.
I get the concept of having a series where each book focuses on a different couple, it's something that I enjoyed about the VRC series by Alice Winters, but it's not working well for this series. Instead of having two books about two fleshed-out relationships, we have two underdeveloped romances with an absence of plot in the second book... So yeah, I will not be reading the next book.
1. Demons Do it Better ⭐⭐⭐.5
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February 18, 2021
What's with thousands year old vampires hitting on teenagers? Why isn't that creepy?
Our vampire in this book is older than Betty White and is hot for the guy we met in the last book. Not only is Noah 19 when they meet, but he has also spent the past few years imprisoned. When he is in danger from his past abductor he stays with Andrew, the old as fuck vampire, to stay safe. And, we all know that if you stay with a vampire for any length of time you will have sex with them. They are irresistible to our puny human brains.
Can't argue with that. It must be magic.
Andrew is described as acting like an immature jerk and Noah is also kind of a dick. This makes them perfect for each other because we all know two dickheaded jerks is way better than one.
Can't we just go shopping instead?
The story from the first book continues and there is a new dynamic to the bad guys' plans. I'm looking forward to seeing where this whole thing is going.
Our vampire in this book is older than Betty White and is hot for the guy we met in the last book. Not only is Noah 19 when they meet, but he has also spent the past few years imprisoned. When he is in danger from his past abductor he stays with Andrew, the old as fuck vampire, to stay safe. And, we all know that if you stay with a vampire for any length of time you will have sex with them. They are irresistible to our puny human brains.
Can't argue with that. It must be magic.
Andrew is described as acting like an immature jerk and Noah is also kind of a dick. This makes them perfect for each other because we all know two dickheaded jerks is way better than one.
Can't we just go shopping instead?
The story from the first book continues and there is a new dynamic to the bad guys' plans. I'm looking forward to seeing where this whole thing is going.
May 14, 2023
3.5 Stars
A solid second installment!
This continues the central plot of stopping a fanatical group that wants to enslave all of humanity that started with the first book Demons Do It Better, and the focus is now on human Noah and CSG agent, vampire Andrew.
I won’t go into too much detail of the hows and whys, but just know that these two have a fun antagonistic relationship. Andrew just loves to push people’s buttons, no more so than Noah. Because Andrew drives Noah up the wall, Noah bemoans the fact that he’s actually attractive to the most infuriating man of all time.
Maybe not as funny as VRC or as whack as THIRDS, but this second installment just drove home that vibe of comfort read for me if snarky paranormal, solid found family vibes, silly group dynamics, light romance, and an ongoing mystery for a series story arc is your thing. Enjoy!
A solid second installment!
This continues the central plot of stopping a fanatical group that wants to enslave all of humanity that started with the first book Demons Do It Better, and the focus is now on human Noah and CSG agent, vampire Andrew.
I won’t go into too much detail of the hows and whys, but just know that these two have a fun antagonistic relationship. Andrew just loves to push people’s buttons, no more so than Noah. Because Andrew drives Noah up the wall, Noah bemoans the fact that he’s actually attractive to the most infuriating man of all time.
Maybe not as funny as VRC or as whack as THIRDS, but this second installment just drove home that vibe of comfort read for me if snarky paranormal, solid found family vibes, silly group dynamics, light romance, and an ongoing mystery for a series story arc is your thing. Enjoy!
January 3, 2024
I didn't love this book all that much. With the first book in the series, I said that the world building was exceptional while the romance element was very much less than exceptional, and that holds true for this book as well. It seems like the author has a really good idea for the magical story she wants to tell, but the romance is an afterthought.
I felt that the relationship element in this book was very forced, it did not feel authentic, and I did not believe it. We are told that the two characters have a great connection and lots in common despite their 800-year age gap, but that is forged completely off page and we don't see any of that develop between them in real time on the page. That kind of telling instead of showing is extremely frustrating for me and I think is a really poor way to write a romance novel. I would not classify this book as a romance novel because I feel like the two main characters did not have a romantic connection, beyond the author insisting that they did, because it wasn't shown. It also had a weirdly abrupt ending which sort of turned from fantasy to science fiction, and that further muddied the waters for what this book wanted to do.
All in all, I have to say that I would not recommend this book or this series for someone who is looking for a romance. I personally feel it would have been better to develop this story over several novels with one couple being the focus rather than each book having a different couple as the focus, because each of the romances featured in the two books so far have been severely underdeveloped and very rushed and unrealistic-feeling. The next book in this series is due out in March, and I will not be reading it because I genuinely dislike when the books I read are filled with summarization and telling in the relationship elements. Even though the magical mystery kind of storytelling thing this book is doing is compelling and interesting, I feel that overall the book was a letdown. If you like the first book you might like this one, but in my opinion the romance element is even worse than it was in the first one, for whatever that's worth.
I felt that the relationship element in this book was very forced, it did not feel authentic, and I did not believe it. We are told that the two characters have a great connection and lots in common despite their 800-year age gap, but that is forged completely off page and we don't see any of that develop between them in real time on the page. That kind of telling instead of showing is extremely frustrating for me and I think is a really poor way to write a romance novel. I would not classify this book as a romance novel because I feel like the two main characters did not have a romantic connection, beyond the author insisting that they did, because it wasn't shown. It also had a weirdly abrupt ending which sort of turned from fantasy to science fiction, and that further muddied the waters for what this book wanted to do.
All in all, I have to say that I would not recommend this book or this series for someone who is looking for a romance. I personally feel it would have been better to develop this story over several novels with one couple being the focus rather than each book having a different couple as the focus, because each of the romances featured in the two books so far have been severely underdeveloped and very rushed and unrealistic-feeling. The next book in this series is due out in March, and I will not be reading it because I genuinely dislike when the books I read are filled with summarization and telling in the relationship elements. Even though the magical mystery kind of storytelling thing this book is doing is compelling and interesting, I feel that overall the book was a letdown. If you like the first book you might like this one, but in my opinion the romance element is even worse than it was in the first one, for whatever that's worth.
November 20, 2023
3.5 Stars
Although I liked the first book for its non-stop humour and interesting world-building, I find myself preferring this sequel, bringing together cheeky 800-year-old vampire Andrew, and Noah, the magic-fused human rescued from captivity in book one.
The vibrant characters and all the histories/lore of the various supernaturals present really is what makes this series shine most. But I also appreciate that the focus couple changes from book-to-book, keeping things fresh and new, while the overarching plot to stop the supernatural "big bad" continues to build across the series.
As I mentioned in my book one review, this Hidden Species world reminds me strongly of Cochet’s THIRDS series and Winters’ VRC: Vampire Related Crimes series, not only in the urban fantasy world-building, but in the way Masters has blended crime-solving, team dynamics and romance, between the various, often highly hilarious, human and supernatural characters she’s so wonderfully created.
This series is proving to be consistently fun and engaging, and, when push comes to shove, it’s also sweet and sexy in all the right ways. I look forward to reading on, not only to find out how they will ultimately catch the baddie, but also just to continue watching these amusing characters banter and bond, while more of the team find love in unexpected ways.
Although I liked the first book for its non-stop humour and interesting world-building, I find myself preferring this sequel, bringing together cheeky 800-year-old vampire Andrew, and Noah, the magic-fused human rescued from captivity in book one.
The vibrant characters and all the histories/lore of the various supernaturals present really is what makes this series shine most. But I also appreciate that the focus couple changes from book-to-book, keeping things fresh and new, while the overarching plot to stop the supernatural "big bad" continues to build across the series.
As I mentioned in my book one review, this Hidden Species world reminds me strongly of Cochet’s THIRDS series and Winters’ VRC: Vampire Related Crimes series, not only in the urban fantasy world-building, but in the way Masters has blended crime-solving, team dynamics and romance, between the various, often highly hilarious, human and supernatural characters she’s so wonderfully created.
This series is proving to be consistently fun and engaging, and, when push comes to shove, it’s also sweet and sexy in all the right ways. I look forward to reading on, not only to find out how they will ultimately catch the baddie, but also just to continue watching these amusing characters banter and bond, while more of the team find love in unexpected ways.
November 11, 2021
This series just keeps getting better and better!
Wow! I just adore Noah and Andrew... Noah was easy to like... Andrew's constant being awful meant he had to grow on me. Can't say enough about how incredible this book is... This series is one I will reread often!
What a ride this has been so far and I can't wait to finish the final two books of the series!
Wow! I just adore Noah and Andrew... Noah was easy to like... Andrew's constant being awful meant he had to grow on me. Can't say enough about how incredible this book is... This series is one I will reread often!
What a ride this has been so far and I can't wait to finish the final two books of the series!
January 9, 2025
Thrilling!
A dramatic story, this one got scarier, one of the main characters it wouldn’t be the kind of I would rooting for in the first pages but this book just showed to me differently, I grew and expanded my perspectives with them, it was amazing!!! The couple were just incredible together, all the characters were great, I adored them all, outstanding the love making scenes, so gripping, superb, the plot was absolutely intriguing, I was hungry for more in every page! High praises to Louisa Masters!!!
One of my favourite parts of the book was the sexual tension, it was the right amount.
I also have this book on Audible, congratulations to Joel Leslie for another astonishing performance, he is so committed to the acting, he gave so much life to the characters, I’m so pleased.
Beautiful art cover from Booksmith Designs BookSmith Design! Kudos!!!
5⭐️
A dramatic story, this one got scarier, one of the main characters it wouldn’t be the kind of I would rooting for in the first pages but this book just showed to me differently, I grew and expanded my perspectives with them, it was amazing!!! The couple were just incredible together, all the characters were great, I adored them all, outstanding the love making scenes, so gripping, superb, the plot was absolutely intriguing, I was hungry for more in every page! High praises to Louisa Masters!!!
One of my favourite parts of the book was the sexual tension, it was the right amount.
I also have this book on Audible, congratulations to Joel Leslie for another astonishing performance, he is so committed to the acting, he gave so much life to the characters, I’m so pleased.
Beautiful art cover from Booksmith Designs BookSmith Design! Kudos!!!
5⭐️
July 26, 2025
Highly entertaining book about an 800yo vampire and an not entirely… ordinary… human.
Remember Noah, the young guy Sam rescued from that nefarious lab? This is his book.
He’s working as a data analyst at CSG now, and assigned by Percy (aka The Lucifer) to help the senior investigative team track down the baddies who got away at the end of book one.
So yes. Not a standalone book, there’s an ongoing story arch that’s pretty captivating and intriguing.
One of the investigators is Andrew, an ancient vampire who behaves like he’s 30 at most. There’s a lot of bickering and chemistry between them, so it’s not really surprising they end up hooking up.
Tbh I’m thankful we only get very few (albeit intense) sex scenes, as I’ve been listening to the audio narrated by Joel Leslie (still free for 2 weeks with your audible subscription, which is one of the reasons I picked it up). And while I quite enjoyed his narration in this series (nobody is more surprised than me that I am!), his sex narrations are verrrrrryyyy loud 😬
As for all the banter: while funny, it can get a bit much at times 🤷♀️ I swear, all of them are like a bunch super funny of college kids. It’s entertaining, but I had to take breaks in between because I’m too grumpy at the moment for So. Much. Fun. 😂
Anyway. Noah is cool. I love how he embraces the powers he developed, especially as it’s not something I’ve ever read before in another book.
And I love how at the end of it all, Noah is still human, albeit one with very unusual powers, and I’m intrigued to see where it all leads 🥰 definitely picking up the next book!
Remember Noah, the young guy Sam rescued from that nefarious lab? This is his book.
He’s working as a data analyst at CSG now, and assigned by Percy (aka The Lucifer) to help the senior investigative team track down the baddies who got away at the end of book one.
So yes. Not a standalone book, there’s an ongoing story arch that’s pretty captivating and intriguing.
One of the investigators is Andrew, an ancient vampire who behaves like he’s 30 at most. There’s a lot of bickering and chemistry between them, so it’s not really surprising they end up hooking up.
Tbh I’m thankful we only get very few (albeit intense) sex scenes, as I’ve been listening to the audio narrated by Joel Leslie (still free for 2 weeks with your audible subscription, which is one of the reasons I picked it up). And while I quite enjoyed his narration in this series (nobody is more surprised than me that I am!), his sex narrations are verrrrrryyyy loud 😬
As for all the banter: while funny, it can get a bit much at times 🤷♀️ I swear, all of them are like a bunch super funny of college kids. It’s entertaining, but I had to take breaks in between because I’m too grumpy at the moment for So. Much. Fun. 😂
Anyway. Noah is cool. I love how he embraces the powers he developed, especially as it’s not something I’ve ever read before in another book.
And I love how at the end of it all, Noah is still human, albeit one with very unusual powers, and I’m intrigued to see where it all leads 🥰 definitely picking up the next book!
October 17, 2023
This series is so intriguing! I definitely wouldn't say these books are romance though, they're more crime/mystery with a romantic element.
What I liked about this book was the dual POV, because that wasn't there in book one. The relationship also felt more natural and had a gradual progression which I liked better than the relationship in book one with Gideon and Sam.
I'm looking forward to the next book and seeing what happens next in the ongoing mystery.
What I liked about this book was the dual POV, because that wasn't there in book one. The relationship also felt more natural and had a gradual progression which I liked better than the relationship in book one with Gideon and Sam.
I'm looking forward to the next book and seeing what happens next in the ongoing mystery.
May 20, 2021
Cute!
RTC
Maybe 🤣
RTC
Maybe 🤣
January 19, 2021
Well I wasn't expecting that!
I love this paranormal/urban fantasy series from Louisa.
It's clever, funny, sexy and surprising and offers up an interesting take on the whole supernatural world.
In this one we get to find out more about Noah, a human who was the only survivor at the laboratory where Sam was taken after his kidnapping in book one.
I'm not going to spoil anything about what happens to him, other than his enemies to frenemies and then lovers with vampire Andrew is epically good.
Roll on book three!
I love this paranormal/urban fantasy series from Louisa.
It's clever, funny, sexy and surprising and offers up an interesting take on the whole supernatural world.
In this one we get to find out more about Noah, a human who was the only survivor at the laboratory where Sam was taken after his kidnapping in book one.
I'm not going to spoil anything about what happens to him, other than his enemies to frenemies and then lovers with vampire Andrew is epically good.
Roll on book three!
November 20, 2022
way better than the last one! not too much action going on but it was still interesting and the romance was there. could have it been better? definitely. but i’ll keep reading.
January 15, 2021
It's hard to believe that even after reading the book twice (kinda, since the second read was much faster), I'm still struggling with a review.
I got the ARC almost a month ago and read it immediately. But I read it in almost one sitting (I'm trying not to do that anymore), and I felt that my opinions were affected too much by what I'd wanted/expected the book to be. So, I didn't write a review, and I decided I'd go through the book again, but closer to the release. Which I did. And I have to say that I liked the book more the second time. Though still not as much as the first book.
One thing that's different in this sequel is that there's more focus on the romance. Andrew is more present in this book than Gideon was in the last. Also, dual points-of-view. The author went for a slow burn, with the dynamic shifting from annoyance to friendship to more. I still wasn't fully satisfied with the romance, though, because I thought it was rushed toward the end. Andrew is hundreds of years old, and I'm going to need more than him telling me that he thinks Noah is the one in order to believe it.
But other than that, I was happy with the novel. It was fun and had characters I really liked. Not to mention that I got to see everyone from the first book again. Also, I found Andrew as a goofy, try-everything, and embarrassment-is-overrated guy to be a believable 800-year-old.
Now, one issue I had with my first read was that I felt the book didn't accomplish much. Because the plot is toned down and the romance isn't perfect, it kinda came off as the best of neither worlds. But on rereading, it was obvious that the focus had simply shifted a bit to set up parts of the world, especially for the story arc of the series. And since I like series with overarching plots, that wasn't an issue.
Overall, this was a good read, and I'm definitely looking forward to where the series will go from here. I think the author could work on balancing the different elements of her stories better, but I've enjoyed her books regardless.
I got the ARC almost a month ago and read it immediately. But I read it in almost one sitting (I'm trying not to do that anymore), and I felt that my opinions were affected too much by what I'd wanted/expected the book to be. So, I didn't write a review, and I decided I'd go through the book again, but closer to the release. Which I did. And I have to say that I liked the book more the second time. Though still not as much as the first book.
One thing that's different in this sequel is that there's more focus on the romance. Andrew is more present in this book than Gideon was in the last. Also, dual points-of-view. The author went for a slow burn, with the dynamic shifting from annoyance to friendship to more. I still wasn't fully satisfied with the romance, though, because I thought it was rushed toward the end. Andrew is hundreds of years old, and I'm going to need more than him telling me that he thinks Noah is the one in order to believe it.
But other than that, I was happy with the novel. It was fun and had characters I really liked. Not to mention that I got to see everyone from the first book again. Also, I found Andrew as a goofy, try-everything, and embarrassment-is-overrated guy to be a believable 800-year-old.
Now, one issue I had with my first read was that I felt the book didn't accomplish much. Because the plot is toned down and the romance isn't perfect, it kinda came off as the best of neither worlds. But on rereading, it was obvious that the focus had simply shifted a bit to set up parts of the world, especially for the story arc of the series. And since I like series with overarching plots, that wasn't an issue.
Overall, this was a good read, and I'm definitely looking forward to where the series will go from here. I think the author could work on balancing the different elements of her stories better, but I've enjoyed her books regardless.
August 30, 2021
2★'s = it was ok.
Oh man, I have no idea what happened here. I enjoyed the first story in this series just enough that I was anxious to continue. I was honestly hoping that what was missing in Demons Do It Better would be included in this story.
It wasn’t.
This story just made everything worse. This, for me, was a disaster.
I didn’t like either MC. Noah came across so ungrateful and just an unlikeable human. I get that he went through trauma the last year or so of his life but I just don’t think that excuses his rude behavior. Why would it bother him that Sam took him under his wing, wanting to mentor him? It was mean. He didn’t come across as thankful at all and was rude to all his “co-workers”. I just didn’t like him.
He liked them well enough when he got gifts though.
Andrew, from the first book, I think Sam liked him, right? So, I didn’t realize he was this obnoxious? I just am not a fan of this sort of humor so he did not work for me. He’s 800 years old and I just don’t buy that this twenty year old who really should be more like a child even appealed to him. But then again, this wasn’t really romantic at all so maybe that was the point?
I was not turned on by their insulting banter and when they touch each other FINALLY at the end of the book it was a total turn off to bring it to the bedroom. Add to that the fact that Noah just turned twenty, had only had sex in high school and hadn’t had sex in I think it was two years and he came across as really, really experienced when he really, really should not have. It was odd and made me a bit uncomfortable. But, the whole non-romance part of this book made me uncomfortable and I didn’t feel any of it.
There was so much going on in this one, so many words and I felt lost the entire time. How the Author can state that these books are standalones is absolute insanity. Telling your readers they can pick up in the middle of a connected series is doing them a disservice if you ask me. I read the first book and this book confused the Hell out of me. I don’t understand why the bad people had Noah at all. It would have made sense if he was like Sam from the first book but he’s not. Add to that his insane abilities that NO ONE else in the WORLD has and I’m lost. It never was even explained and now a whole new thing has been added that even the Lucifer didn’t know about and I feel like my head is spinning. I feel like all the explanations contradict themselves and I can’t tell who the bad guy is trying to get rid of!
The next book’s setup does not appeal to me and I need a break anyway. Since the mystery/case is ongoing (see, ongoing case does not equal standalone) I’m sure I’ll revisit the series at some point.
Oh man, I have no idea what happened here. I enjoyed the first story in this series just enough that I was anxious to continue. I was honestly hoping that what was missing in Demons Do It Better would be included in this story.
It wasn’t.
This story just made everything worse. This, for me, was a disaster.
I didn’t like either MC. Noah came across so ungrateful and just an unlikeable human. I get that he went through trauma the last year or so of his life but I just don’t think that excuses his rude behavior. Why would it bother him that Sam took him under his wing, wanting to mentor him? It was mean. He didn’t come across as thankful at all and was rude to all his “co-workers”. I just didn’t like him.
He liked them well enough when he got gifts though.
Andrew, from the first book, I think Sam liked him, right? So, I didn’t realize he was this obnoxious? I just am not a fan of this sort of humor so he did not work for me. He’s 800 years old and I just don’t buy that this twenty year old who really should be more like a child even appealed to him. But then again, this wasn’t really romantic at all so maybe that was the point?
I was not turned on by their insulting banter and when they touch each other FINALLY at the end of the book it was a total turn off to bring it to the bedroom. Add to that the fact that Noah just turned twenty, had only had sex in high school and hadn’t had sex in I think it was two years and he came across as really, really experienced when he really, really should not have. It was odd and made me a bit uncomfortable. But, the whole non-romance part of this book made me uncomfortable and I didn’t feel any of it.
There was so much going on in this one, so many words and I felt lost the entire time. How the Author can state that these books are standalones is absolute insanity. Telling your readers they can pick up in the middle of a connected series is doing them a disservice if you ask me. I read the first book and this book confused the Hell out of me. I don’t understand why the bad people had Noah at all. It would have made sense if he was like Sam from the first book but he’s not. Add to that his insane abilities that NO ONE else in the WORLD has and I’m lost. It never was even explained and now a whole new thing has been added that even the Lucifer didn’t know about and I feel like my head is spinning. I feel like all the explanations contradict themselves and I can’t tell who the bad guy is trying to get rid of!
The next book’s setup does not appeal to me and I need a break anyway. Since the mystery/case is ongoing (see, ongoing case does not equal standalone) I’m sure I’ll revisit the series at some point.
April 11, 2023
Yes, another audio re read. Its totally not my fault that Joel does such a great job.
I actually bumped up a star because this time I figured out that the entire romance was done in the last 2 chapters.
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Audio ReRead
This was a bad week, so I am spending time with the CSG. I love the way Joel Leslie makes the whole book come alive.
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Audiobook review
Joel Leslie made this book so much better that I had to add another star.
I want to say that the worldbuilding is wonderful in this series, but the romance still needs a bit of help. I really liked Noah and Andrew but it wasnt until I listened to the audio that I realized just how much younger Noah is. I mean, he is twenty and Andrew is hundreds of years older than he is.
I also am still peeved at the abrupt ending. It stands out even more in audio.
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Ugh the ending
I enjoyed this story up until the unexpected ending. I loved the world building but there was very little romance building.
I actually bumped up a star because this time I figured out that the entire romance was done in the last 2 chapters.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Audio ReRead
This was a bad week, so I am spending time with the CSG. I love the way Joel Leslie makes the whole book come alive.
__________________________________________________________
Audiobook review
Joel Leslie made this book so much better that I had to add another star.
I want to say that the worldbuilding is wonderful in this series, but the romance still needs a bit of help. I really liked Noah and Andrew but it wasnt until I listened to the audio that I realized just how much younger Noah is. I mean, he is twenty and Andrew is hundreds of years older than he is.
I also am still peeved at the abrupt ending. It stands out even more in audio.
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Ugh the ending
I enjoyed this story up until the unexpected ending. I loved the world building but there was very little romance building.
May 27, 2023
I really, really wanted to like this more. I felt the pacing was off and nothing really happens till around 60%. I loved the first book so much, definitely one of my favs of 2020. I’m hoping a 3rd book might be better. This one was though to get through.
Reread May 2023, still found the pacing a little off.
Reread May 2023, still found the pacing a little off.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2021
3.75 stars
Noah was a former prisoner of Tish's sadistic lab testing. He escaped when Sam's (from the first book) rescue team came in. The team at CSG took him in and gave him a place to live and work.
Andrew has been part of the team from years. He is a vampire over 800 years old. He knows how to push people's buttons but never goes to far. Noah is his new favorite person to annoy.
Noah may have some repressed powers and Andrew has been put in charge in helping him discover them. The two spend a lot of time together and feelings of dislike change into something more.
However, the threat of Tish still being free lingers over their heads.
I really enjoyed this story and this was almost 4 full stars but I hated how abrupt the ending was.
Noah was a former prisoner of Tish's sadistic lab testing. He escaped when Sam's (from the first book) rescue team came in. The team at CSG took him in and gave him a place to live and work.
Andrew has been part of the team from years. He is a vampire over 800 years old. He knows how to push people's buttons but never goes to far. Noah is his new favorite person to annoy.
Noah may have some repressed powers and Andrew has been put in charge in helping him discover them. The two spend a lot of time together and feelings of dislike change into something more.
However, the threat of Tish still being free lingers over their heads.
I really enjoyed this story and this was almost 4 full stars but I hated how abrupt the ending was.
January 17, 2022
Loved this!!
January 17, 2021
Noah is the only human at CSG Community of Species Government.
Saved from the hands of dr. Tish, he works now for CSG and is protected from the world outside.
It seems Noah has magic around him and now they want to know why magic loves Noah, he can feel it even though he’s human.
Far back in his ancestry, there was one vampire maybe that’s why?
Vampire Andrew will help him to find out more about this magic. But ugh, he despises Andrew's attitude and hates that he loves his beautiful features. He’s just not lovable and he’s a giant douche monkey, so annoying!
Annoying and poking Noah deliberately is so much fun for Andrew, it’s so easy to humiliate the little human
Andrew: “Noah has a unique talent for conveying entire monologues with a single glance.”
He loves the asshole side of Noah and does everything to poke it.
Noah: “Have I mentioned how much I hate him? It bears repeating.”
They want to find dr. Tish and even though Noah is afraid of him he wants to help.
It seems dr. Tish got help from inside CSG.
I loved this story, it’s extremely humorous, with delicious snarky comments, irritations with a consistency it was so marvelous, I enjoyed it all immensely! The author did a great job!
The hate-love between Noah and Andrew is so much fun!
The interactions between all the species were excellent. The tension and at last the romance between the mc’s was more than enjoyable!
Can’t wait for the next installment!
Saved from the hands of dr. Tish, he works now for CSG and is protected from the world outside.
It seems Noah has magic around him and now they want to know why magic loves Noah, he can feel it even though he’s human.
Far back in his ancestry, there was one vampire maybe that’s why?
Vampire Andrew will help him to find out more about this magic. But ugh, he despises Andrew's attitude and hates that he loves his beautiful features. He’s just not lovable and he’s a giant douche monkey, so annoying!
Annoying and poking Noah deliberately is so much fun for Andrew, it’s so easy to humiliate the little human
Andrew: “Noah has a unique talent for conveying entire monologues with a single glance.”
He loves the asshole side of Noah and does everything to poke it.
Noah: “Have I mentioned how much I hate him? It bears repeating.”
They want to find dr. Tish and even though Noah is afraid of him he wants to help.
It seems dr. Tish got help from inside CSG.
I loved this story, it’s extremely humorous, with delicious snarky comments, irritations with a consistency it was so marvelous, I enjoyed it all immensely! The author did a great job!
The hate-love between Noah and Andrew is so much fun!
The interactions between all the species were excellent. The tension and at last the romance between the mc’s was more than enjoyable!
Can’t wait for the next installment!
August 11, 2024
I didn’t enjoy the first book that much due to a major lack of romance, and this book is exactly the same PLUS an 800 year old vampire “falls in love” with a 20 year old. No thanks. I’m done with this series
January 10, 2023
RECENSIONE A CURA DI ELYXYZ
Piccola premessa doverosa: questo secondo volume della serie ha come protagonista una nuova coppia, ma secondo me è necessario aver letto il primo libro per capire la trama generale e i vari personaggi che si incontrano, perché la storia riprende dai fatti accaduti in quel libro.
I nostri eroi del GCC hanno salvato Sam e anche l’unico umano rimasto in quel terribile laboratorio di esperimenti, anche se i cattivi sono riusciti a fuggire, quindi ‘adottano’ Noah e gli offrono un lavoro all’interno dell’organizzazione, mentre cercano di catturare il temibile dottor Tish.
Noah ha appena vent’anni, ma la vita lo ha già messo a dura prova, perciò è diffidente e poco propenso alla socializzazione. Vivere in un mondo di esseri sovrannaturali lo fa sentire ‘il diverso’ e in qualche modo isolato e fuori posto, per questo tende ad innalzare barriere anche se il nostro team di simpatici ‘caciaroni’ cercano di coinvolgerlo.
Un cambio di mansioni e l’affidamento al vampiro Andrew sono l’inizio del cambiamento per lui.
Continua sul nostro blog!
Piccola premessa doverosa: questo secondo volume della serie ha come protagonista una nuova coppia, ma secondo me è necessario aver letto il primo libro per capire la trama generale e i vari personaggi che si incontrano, perché la storia riprende dai fatti accaduti in quel libro.
I nostri eroi del GCC hanno salvato Sam e anche l’unico umano rimasto in quel terribile laboratorio di esperimenti, anche se i cattivi sono riusciti a fuggire, quindi ‘adottano’ Noah e gli offrono un lavoro all’interno dell’organizzazione, mentre cercano di catturare il temibile dottor Tish.
Noah ha appena vent’anni, ma la vita lo ha già messo a dura prova, perciò è diffidente e poco propenso alla socializzazione. Vivere in un mondo di esseri sovrannaturali lo fa sentire ‘il diverso’ e in qualche modo isolato e fuori posto, per questo tende ad innalzare barriere anche se il nostro team di simpatici ‘caciaroni’ cercano di coinvolgerlo.
Un cambio di mansioni e l’affidamento al vampiro Andrew sono l’inizio del cambiamento per lui.
Continua sul nostro blog!
August 22, 2023
I’m surprised by how much I’m enjoying this series ⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 16, 2021
3.5 stars
I almost gave up on this story halfway in. It held a bit too many similarities to book 1. Human who’s brought into the supernatural world? Check. Love/hate relationship between supernatural and human? Check.
So I thought it was going down the same road and I wasn’t too thrilled about that. Glad I pushed through because it did NOT end up the same way. To be fair, it wasn’t all too simile at all. Just that the first 40% kinda gave me flashbacks of book 1 for some reason.
Now that I’ve finished reading it, I can’t even remember why I thought that in the first place! 🤦🏻♀️
Anyways, I’d say this was a bit of a slow start. Lots of bickering. But the story does pick up towards the 60% mark? I will say the ending was a bit abrupt though. It was adrenaline rush one moment and then whoops, the end 🙈
I almost gave up on this story halfway in. It held a bit too many similarities to book 1. Human who’s brought into the supernatural world? Check. Love/hate relationship between supernatural and human? Check.
So I thought it was going down the same road and I wasn’t too thrilled about that. Glad I pushed through because it did NOT end up the same way. To be fair, it wasn’t all too simile at all. Just that the first 40% kinda gave me flashbacks of book 1 for some reason.
Now that I’ve finished reading it, I can’t even remember why I thought that in the first place! 🤦🏻♀️
Anyways, I’d say this was a bit of a slow start. Lots of bickering. But the story does pick up towards the 60% mark? I will say the ending was a bit abrupt though. It was adrenaline rush one moment and then whoops, the end 🙈
December 18, 2021
I love this series. Andrew comes off as immature & childish at times, but when he explains why he is the way he is, it makes sense. Being several hundred years old, you might as well have fun & let your hair down. But when push comes to shove, he is a bada&& and will tear you up. If you remember in the first book, Noah was saved from the lab when Sam was rescued. What turns out amazing is that he stayed hidden for a year in the labs. How he did it never even crossed my mind & was awesome. So while they are trying to figure out what Noah's superpower is and Noah accepting the group & Andrew as his mate, we have the evil Dr. Tish hanging over their heads. It seemed like it took forever for Andrew & Noah to get together, but once they do, they are smoking hot. Did not see that ending coming. I can't wait for Alistair's book, he cracks me up.
ARC provided by Gay Romance Reviews in exchange for an honest review
ARC provided by Gay Romance Reviews in exchange for an honest review
December 12, 2021
There was not much in the way of romance and all those research and explanation parts went right over my head but the book was nice overall.
Read
August 29, 2023DNFed at 40% I don’t know …but I won’t get warm with this series and the characters.
July 22, 2021
EDIT: Discovered approximate read/finish dates!
I have absolutely no idea why I neglected to follow my progress listening to this audiobook through Goodreads. No start date, no finish date, no rating, no review. :::sigh:::
So! I think I listened to it inearly July mid June. What I remember is, although the momentum was too SLOW, in the end it was a fun addition to the series with Noah and Andrew as primary protags, a fascinating discovery toward the end, and I adored Joel Leslie's narration. Still liked the whole cast of characters, but I think the first book was better. 3.5 stars feel about right, rounded up to 4.
And now I have a conundrum as I tagged the next book "no interest" and "not my cuppa". WTF? I don't see anything in the description or reviews that would prevent me from picking up #3. Other than the audiobook hasn't been released yet. 😄 Any ideas? Anyone?
I have absolutely no idea why I neglected to follow my progress listening to this audiobook through Goodreads. No start date, no finish date, no rating, no review. :::sigh:::
So! I think I listened to it in
And now I have a conundrum as I tagged the next book "no interest" and "not my cuppa". WTF? I don't see anything in the description or reviews that would prevent me from picking up #3. Other than the audiobook hasn't been released yet. 😄 Any ideas? Anyone?
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