SERIES REVIEW TOUR
BOOK 1
Up to Code
Author: Jena Wade
Publisher: Self-published
Genre/s: M/M romance mpreg
Length: 28 000 words
Blurb
Aiden was an Omega who needed a job doing what he loved. He never imagined he’d meet his fated mate during the interview. He was ready to bond right away, but something stopped his Alpha from claiming him. Aiden’s patience held strong, but being near his mate every day without bonding threatened to drive him insane.
Brandon owned a successful company, and he wanted to share that success with his mate and their child. But the continued thefts troubled him and the last thing he wanted to do was drag his new mate into any danger.
Danger found them anyway.
This is a 28K non-shifter mpreg novella featuring a sweet romance, a HEA, and no cliffhanger
Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited
Excerpt
With one deep breath and a quick step I crossed the threshold and came face to face with pure sex dressed as a six-foot grown man with broad shoulders, slim hips, dirty blond hair and piercing green eyes.
Holy hell.
Mate, my mind screamed.
Blood roared in my ears as I took in his scent. Oh my God.I’d always wondered how a person knew when they’d met their fated mate. “You’ll just know” was all I was ever told by my Omega dad.
I knew, all right. I could feel it in every part of my body. I belonged to him and he belonged to me already and I hadn’t even heard him speak. All he had to do was give the word and I’d bare my neck, ready to bond.
I couldn’t form words. I never was good with people, least of all people I was attracted to. Though, that hadn’t happened in a long time. I would have to leave the house in order to meet someone and I didn’t do that very often, unless it was for work. In those cases, I kept it professional.
I didn’t feel very professional right now.
Carra's Review
This first book in the Directions series brings readers into a world where there’s mpreg, but there’s also M/F couples as well. That threw me a little since all of the mpreg stories I’ve read so far were strictly M/M, and there really wasn’t any traditional world-building in the story to set the stage for the story and series.
I did like Aiden’s character, though he sometimes acted and spoke in a manner that made him seem younger than he was. Brandon came across as a bit aloof and as if he wasn’t fully invested in the relationship at first, and while his attitude was explained as the story progressed, I didn’t quite feel the full connection between him and Aiden that I was expecting considering this is a fated mates story.
There’s a bit of drama that does introduce some danger into their lives, I was expecting more to come of it but it was resolved pretty quickly and without much fuss.
I think this story would have benefitted from being longer with more time to establish the world, allow for stronger relationship development between Brandon and Aiden, and also to give the drama more of a punch to it. It’s a good start to the series though, and there are some other characters introduced that have piqued my interest so I’ll be checking out their stories as they come up. This book is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.
BOOK 2
Down to Earth
Author: Jena Wade
Publisher: Self-published
Genre/s: M/M romance mpreg
Length: 26 000 words
Blurb
Matt Jenkins had done his best to put his past behind him. The abuse he’d endured as a child stayed locked away inside him, never to be shared with anyone. He’d assumed that as a result of his upbringing, he was broken and he would never have a mate. That didn’t stop him from desiring Everett and wishing that they could be together.
When tragedy strikes, Matt stays at Everett’s side, which just might be the push he needs to discover what had been there all along and a future he never dreamed would be possible.
This is a 26K non-shifter mpreg novella featuring a sweet romance, a HEA, and no cliffhanger.
This is the second book in the Directions series, but can be read as a standalone.
Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited
Excerpt
I twirled the wedding band around in my hand, running my fingers over the smooth, silver metal. The ring had once belonged to my father, and hopefully someday it would belong to my mate.
Matt.
My body heated at the thought of my mate, as it often did. I'd known for almost a decade now that Matt was my mate.
Matt remained oblivious.
My fists clenched instinctively. I couldn't help but feel angry at Fate for showing me my mate before he was ready. I often wondered if he would ever be ready. Usually, it was a magical moment full of marvel and enlightenment. Eyes met, fireworks burst, and nature took its course. A mate bond was established, and the couple lived happily ever after. I'd never heard an Alpha recognizing his mate before their Omega.
Carra's Review
Of the three books out in this series so far, Down to Earth is the one I like the most. The storytelling is improved over the first book, though the overall world in which the series is set is still not fully explained. Matt’s character had intrigued me in the first book, so I was looking forward to reading his story here in book two.
For those readers who are fans of fated mates stories, you know how horrible it can be for the characters when they can’t claim their mate. Such is the case here since Matt is not able to recognize Everett as his mate for eight years from the time they first meet, though Everett knows right away. You can imagine Everett’s pain and frustration knowing Matt is his, but not able to do anything about it.
Matt comes across as sweet and innocent…though once he does recognize Everett as his mate he can be as raunchy as the best of them LOL. He also has a secret from his past that comes back to haunt him (as these things tend to do), but like the drama that was in book one, this time around things are resolved quickly and with even less to-do than we saw in the first story.
Down to Earth could also have benefitted from a longer story length, but did tell a more satisfying story than the first book did, with a bit more depth to the relationship development as well. This story is also strictly for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.
BOOK 3
Back to You
Author: Jena Wade
Publisher: Self-published
Genre/s: M/M romance mpreg
Length: 25 000 words
Blurb
Victor Docimo loved his mate more than anything, and he’s worked hard to provide Charles with the life that he deserved. He’s strived to be the Alpha that his own Father was not.
Charles spent the last twenty-six years mated to his perfect Alpha. He raised their son and managed their home. He’s tried to provide his Alpha with a family, despite the fact that he can’t have more children. After seeing Victor with another Omega, he begins to wonder if he’s enough.
Now, the two of them must face their greatest challenge yet, something that shouldn’t be possible: a broken bond.
This is a 25K non-shifter mpreg novella featuring a sweet romance, a HEA, and no cliffhanger.
This is the third book in the Directions series, but can be read as a standalone.
Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited
Excerpt
I was about to tell my roommate I was heading home, when the air in the room shifted. I became hyper aware of everything around me and, as silly as it sounds, time stood completely still. I searched around the room, looking for what had changed, what was causing this awareness in me that made my skin tingle. Then, I locked eyes with him.
Victor.
Something in the back of my mind whispered his name to me. I knew him. Though I had only seen him one time and spoken to him for less than a minute. He made his way over to me, the crowd parted for him as he moved through the room. I couldn't look away. I couldn't move. I didn't want to look away.
When he finally reached me, he smiled. There was kindness in his eyes, but also a heat and arousal that set my body on fire, and we hadn't even touched yet.
“Charles, right?” he said.
“Mate.” My hand flew to my mouth. I couldn't believe I’d said that aloud. I realized that it was the truth. The man, Victor, standing before me right now was my mate.
He chuckled. “I was hoping you'd notice this time.”
Carra's Review
Back to You resonated with me on a more personal level since it deals with partners growing apart, and features Aiden’s fathers whose ages more closely match my own. After reading the first two books in the series, I was curious about Charles and Victor given what had been revealed about them in those books. Their story is about losing your way, and reconnecting with your mate as you try to find your way back.
While we don’t get a lot of background on Charles, we do get enough on Victor to know his wasn’t the greatest childhood, and his past has things in it that are heartbreaking (and not necessarily just for him). Like Everett and Matt from book two, Victor know Charles is his mate right away, while Charles took longer to realize it. There’s drama for these guys as well, though theirs is on a much more personal level, and it has permanent repercussions for them.
While the story itself is well thought out and the plot is a good one, there were some inconsistencies and continuity issues this time around. There’s also some parts that had appeared previously in the series that were retold in this story, but from the point of view of Charles and Victor; if you read these one right after the other, these parts will feel like a too-soon rehash of that part of their story. One other thing that didn’t feel quite right was some of the words Charles used, which didn’t sound right coming from someone his age (like “dude”, which in certain instances might sound okay, but here just sounded wrong coming from him).
Back to You was a good look at some established characters in the series, and like book two also felt more solid than book one. Like both books one and two, I think having a bit more length would have been good, particularly when it came to Charles and Victor reestablishing their bond. This book is also for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.
About the Author
Jena began writing in January of 2013 as a New Year's Resolution—and so far she has stuck to it!
She lives in Michigan. By day she works as a web developer, and at night she writes. Born and raised on a farm, she spends most of her free time outdoors, playing in the garden, or riding her horses. She also helps run the family dairy farm.
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