Royal Heroine – The Smut Report

Heart and Hand, Book #3

Heat Factor: She’s a slowwwww burn folks

Character Chemistry: They’re fated mates, but they spend the majority of the book at odds

Plot: Princess Anwyl is on a quest to bring pijala trees and pihaberries to different lords in order to protect the people from brainwashing. She’s also on a quest to find a husband—but she’s already learned that she’s destined to be with a dark haired man with blue eyes who affects her like no other. Warin is that man, she’s pretty sure; but he acts like he can’t stand her. Plus, a LOT of other stuff.

Overall: This book is an epic quest in a series, and it is LONG and complex.

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Dueling Review

Dueling Review: Wish Out of Water by Holley Trent (2022)

February 26, 2022 smutreportteam

Hooked, Book #1

Holly’s Take

Heat Factor: The two sex scenes are pretty detailed, but there are only two of them

Character Chemistry: Her magic doesn’t suck his happiness away. It’s fate!

Plot: Cooper doesn’t want to be king, so he asks Brook to do a marriage of convenience with him. Apparently marrying an American means he automatically abdicates. (???) Plot twist: Brook is a mermaid and discovers she’s the real heir to the throne.

Overall: The pacing was off…it was like: solid start, slow, slow, slow, INTRIGUE!, denouement.

Ingrid’s Take

Heat Factor: It had moments of heat but was largely pretty mild.

Character Chemistry: They’re fated mates and I guess fated rulers.

Plot: He’s supposed to be king. She’s supposed to be a human nobody. But actually she’s a mermaid with royal lineage and it’s enough to throw everything into chaos.

Overall: It feels like a very long start to something and that didn’t actually develop into its cohesive, finished result.

Erin’s Take

Heat Factor: There’s a bit of dissonance between the perfection of their coming together and, like, everything else about their relationship.

Character Chemistry: They’re basically fated mates.

Plot: She’s a nobody, except she just has no idea that she’s not a nobody, and he’s a bastard prince who grew up outside the kingdom but is somehow inheriting the throne because of Reasons, which she is supposed to fix but doesn’t.

Overall: I was extremely confused. Also this relationship contains most of the “I’m leaving now” drama that I actively dislike.

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Series Review

Series Review: The Princess Shanyin Saga by Liliana Lee (2014)

November 14, 2021January 13, 2022 Holly

Heat Factor: These books go on the Erotica shelf

Character Chemistry: There’s a cosmic connection, but I don’t always buy it

Plot: Princess Shanyin gets a hot young lord sent to her harem. Power plays (and lots of sex) ensue

Overall: If you’re looking for high-brow reverse-harem erotica with bonus disturbing political machinations set in 5th century China, The Obsession is excellent. If you want the HEA, read the full series—but note that The Enslavement and The Fulfillment are less tightly written.

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