Fated Mates: an MM Paranormal Romance Charity Anthology, Section 2

Fated Mates is a Paranormal Romance Charity Anthology from some of your favorite MM authors!

It features new, exclusive stories from Kiki Clark, Mia Monroe, Louisa Masters, Kelly Fox, Sheena Jolie,
Jennifer Cody, Nikole Knight, Vinni George, Chloe Archer, Meghan Maslow, Lee Colgin, Kelex, H.L Day, Grae Bryan, AJ Sherwood, Michele Notaro, Lisa Oliver, Ariana Nash, Michelle Frost, and JP Sayle.

All royalties will be donated to the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund and the ACLU's Drag Defense Fund.

With there being 20 amazing authors in the Fated Mates charity anthology, the reviews have been split up into sections. The reviews here are for Section 2.

~ Inferno by Kiki Clark

Nothing bad could happen from reading something in a book, right? Wrong. Myles has spent years trying to get over being in love with his best friend, Riggs. Now, he’s getting a crash course in shifters, packs, and magic because that weird book he was reading? It somehow put a curse on Riggs, and if the two of them don’t get on the same page about who—and what—they are to each other…Well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pleasant. Unlike what they have to do to break it.

Inferno is a short story prequel to Kiki Clark’s new Silver Oak Pack series. It features a magically induced heat, f $ ck or die vibes, an adorably confused lion shifter who doesn’t understand why his best friend suddenly smells so good, and his very human fated mate who’s more than willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to save his life. wink, wink

Author’s note: The traditional fuck or die trope (made popular by fan fiction) has a super gray area when it comes to consent, but that isn’t how I roll. While Riggs didn’t agree to having the spell used on him, it wasn’t done on purpose, and he and Myles both enthusiastically consent to consummating their mating to stop the magical heat from cooking him alive.

Jacquie’s Review:

Riggs and Myles were so cute. Both crushing hard but Riggs was in denial because of being a shifter and needing to hide it.

Inferno seems to be connected to Kiki's other shifter series with a brief mention of another pack who had humans mated to shifters. I loved this little Easter egg.

Friends to lovers, fated mates, an accidental spell, all done perfectly. I really want more of this pack!

FYI, I really enjoyed how the consent issue was worked out

Rating: 5 Stars

Nicole’s Review:

Riggs and Miles have been inseparable best friends since they were six years old. When Riggs moves away and Miles comes to visit, there's something different between them! I am excited for this new series from Kiki. The idea of the Silver Oak Pack is exciting and I like the mix of magic and shifters. This was a very well done friends to lovers spicy snack. I bet the mysterious Cash has an even more interesting story next!

Jacqueleen the Reading Queen's Review:

Myles and Riggs were totally cute. Growing up as best friends they were as close as two people could be, even with Myles having no idea of Riggs shifter nature. Some time apart causes Riggs' animal to have the distance it needed so that when they see each other again, Riggs animal half knows exactly why it's always loved Myles scent. I'm looking forward to more in this series to come!!

Rating: 4.5 stars 

Angel's Review:

I have been a BIG fan of Kiki's for a while now, ever since she got me hooked on her Kincaid Pack series. And this prequel makes me so eager and very excited for her upcoming Silver Oak Pack series. I adored both Riggs and Myles's characters and I really hope that they make their appearances know in the future books. I'm a sucker for friends to lovers/Best friends to lovers, and I love fated mates, so to have both of those tropes in one book plus adding in the shifter element? Hook, Line, And sinker. Kiki definitely knew what she was doing when she wrote this. A terrifically written prequel!

Rating: 5 Stars

SNik's Review:

 Prequel to the Silver Oak Pack series. Dual POV. Best friends to lovers. Riggs is a tiger shifter and a new beta with a new pack. His best friend Myles comes to visit and accidentally casts a spell which breaks open the fact that Riggs can now recognize the fact that Myles is his mate. A sweet story where the close friendship was really a bond in the making.

Sheena's Review:

This is a new to me author, and serves as prequel to a series, I read it as a standalone and still enjoyed it. I did wonder about how the consent issue would be handled but it was done brilliantly well. I really liked Riggs and Myles, I do like a good best friends to lovers story and this was fun, hot and sweet.  

~ Black and White by Vinni George

Nero is tired. He’s tired of early mornings chasing down skips. He’s tired of Shamu jokes and dealing with idiots. But agreeing to do one little favor for a friend turns the tide and brings Nero face to face with his destiny. 

Felix is unlucky. When his life is threatened and he’s hauled into police custody for safekeeping, the last thing he expects is to meet his fated mate. Especially when his mate is a giant killer whale shifter, who is also his new bodyguard. 

Nero vows to keep his mate safe, but there is more to the threat against Felix than meets the eye. Felix is safe…for now, but how long will that last?

Jacquie’s Review:

Black and White doesn't feel like a complete story to me. It is more an introduction to the series, which I'm totally invested in, but we are left hanging over what Felix is involved in and why he's in danger. 

I loved the setup of the world, with Nero being a bounty hunter and using his shifter side to catch a bad guy.

Some steam and a sweet fated mates connection. I'm looking forward to getting the rest of Nero and Felix's story.

Rating: 4 stars

Nicole’s Review:

I feel like this might be in the same world as Jonah and the Narwhal, which is a MPREG universe. That's definitely not my favorite genre, but we don't have any hint of that here. I really liked the protective Nero, and poor Felix. The mystery behind the ORCA family is very intriguing. I'm hoping this series continues in the same fashion as we explore the brothers.

Jacqueleen the Reading Queen’s Review:

This was an interesting start to a new series coming in 2024 by this author. We have a bounty hunting Orca paired with a cyber hacking sea otter. Kind of an odd pairing right, but I liked it. We are introduced to an entire family of killer whales who may or may not be what they appear from the outside. Nero and Felix are our MCs for this novella, and while they are fated mates, this felt more like a prologue of whats to come. I'm excited and hoping that means we will see more of them in the future and get theirs and Nero's brothers HEAs!

Rating: 3.75 stars 

Angel's Review:

I love sea pandas!! You'll get what I mean once you read this book. I have never read a book about an orca and sea otter shifter before, and I am so excited that Vinni created something new and unique. I am so excited for her ORCA series, cause I want to know more about Felix Nero. I'll be eagerly awaiting for that series.

Rating: 5 Stars

SNik's Review:

Prequel to ORCA series. Dual POV. Age gap. Nero is an orca shifter bondsman that's asked to be the bodyguard for a hacker in trouble. When he realizes that the otter shifter Felix is his mate, there is nothing he won’t do to protect him. I appreciated that Felix is more than able to be Nero’s future partner and is no damsel in distress.

Sheena's Review:

Another new to me author, and I really liked the world created here. I like the idea of animal shifters other than the usual and a killer whale and sea otter shifter were new ones on me, but I loved that idea. This felt less complete, it's more a teaser into the whole story and really left me hanging at the end, I wanted to know more about Felix and the brothers but will have to wait for the full series for that.  

~ Violent Secret by Ariana Nash

Aiko believes every member of the Blackrose Brotherhood has secrets, even their leader Mikalis. Especially Mikalis. But Aiko’s secret is the worst of all.

Kill all blood-sucking nyks, and never care. Those are the rules the brotherhood live by. It’s been that way for millennia.

Aiko doesn’t make waves, he follows orders—and as Mikalis’s personal no-questions-asked assassin, he takes pride in his work. But with Mikalis back in London, and a new order to clear-out Chinatown, Mikalis skirts too close to Aiko’s secret.

What if Aiko did care, and what if the man he cared about was a vicious, sociopathic, yet painfully alluring nyk? A nyk who runs the east end’s most notorious gang?

Aiko didn’t ask to love the enemy.

It turns out, the red string of fate has other ideas.

This dark paranormal vampire romance features Aiko and characters from the Blackrose Brotherhood series. Please note there is graphic sexual content on-page, adult situations and language.

Jacquie’s Review:

Being back in the Blackrose Brotherhood world was a treat! I would say that this will be necessary reading for the series going forward because of revelations, and while it can be read as a standalone, I got more enjoyment out of it because I knew the backstory.

Aiko and Kota were lovers, then they were changed, stuff happened (keeping to vague for spoilers) and Aiko became a member of the Brotherhood.

Now, he’s in London and being sent after a Nyk that is running the yakusa and bringing more Nyks to his side. Unfortunately, that is Kota.

Neither can see a way out. The other has to die, but they are tied by fate.

Violent, with a great steamy scene, Violent Secret was a fast-paced novella that made me want to dive back into the Brotherhood.

Rating: 5 Stars

Nicole’s Review:

This book is set in Arian's Blackrose Brotherhood series, which I have not read. Due to this, it was a little difficult for me to follow, there are a lot of unexplained terms, relationships and world-building that are missing from this story. I did find Aiko to be a strong character, his willingness to give his life for Kota while still wanting to do the right thing was very well portrayed. There's also another back plot with the change in Kota's blood that ties into the other stories that was a big portion of the resolution of this book. Unlike a most of the novellas in this anthology, it was definitely not a prequel. 

Jacqueleen’s Review:

"I loved you. Somewhere in my cold, hollow heart, I love you still, even now... But I hate you more."

The story of Aiko and Kota was absolutely heartbreaking. So many years lost between two men who never should have been separated to begin with. It was abundantly clear how much those cherished memories with his fated mate haunted Aiko all his Immortal life. I rooted for them the entire time, even when Kota was being his most evil.

I still don't trust Mikalis. He's the definition of suss. Is this a ruse Nash has created to throw us off? Is he actually the bad guy? Well, badder guy, cause lets be honest none of these vamps are going for sainthood. There is also a shocking revelation that occurs in Violent Secret, one that I think will be important in the next full length book. So if you're a fan of Nash's morally gray vamps then you aren't going to want to miss this novella.

Rating: 5 stars 

SNik's Review:

Novella from the author’s Blackrose Brotherhood series. Second chance. Former lovers to enemies. Dual POV. Kota has become the very thing that Aiko has sworn to hunt and destroy. But can he pretend to get close enough to kill without losing himself? A love that spans decades and can’t be denied, I wasn’t sure this second chance would work but they get their HFN for sure. Definitely would have read a full length story with these two.

Sheena's Review:

This is set in the Blackrose Brotherhood world, a series I have been reading and enjoying, and while you could enjoy as a standalone, I think I got so much more out of it as I'd read the series. It was so good to be back with the brothers, and I was so happy to finally get Aiko's story - and it was a good one. Best friends to lovers, to enemies, to lovers again over the span of several lifetimes. For such a short tale, it's pretty epic in scale and I loved it.  

~ Wounded Mate by Lee Colgin

I’ve never seen a being so captivating. What a unique creature he is. His tongue darts out and wets his lips, and when his voice comes, it zings an arrow straight to my heart. “Mate.”

What does it mean when an incubus can feel the pain of a feral werewolf? 

Valius doubles over, grabbing his side as sharp claws slash through his flesh. 

Except his skin remains unblemished, oiled to perfection, and still scented with the roses and lavender of his bathwater. 

Bela lies bleeding where a hostile pack of wolves left him to die. Much like the rest of his tragic life, even in his final moments, he’s all alone. 

When Valius lays eyes on his wounded mate for the first time, a connection sparks between them, and Bela finally has something worth living for. But a witch’s ill will stands in their way. Fate brought them together, but a curse threatens to tear them apart forever. 

Wounded Mate is a novella set in the same lush world as Lee Colgin’s Outcast Mates Series. It’s a standalone MM paranormal romance that can be read either before or after the main novels. Dip your toes into the cool waters of the Danube, stroll through Pest at midnight, and find your way into the hottest supernatural brothel in town, The Twig and Berries, where an incubus finds true love with an injured feral werewolf. Hurt/ Comfort, Found Family Feels, & Fated Mates.

Jacquie’s Review:

It was so lovely to be back in the Outcast Mates world! I would say that I got more out of the story having read those books than if I’d just read the novella as a standalone.

Valius is an incubus and starts to feel that he’s injured without an injury. Investing the cause leads him to find his fated mate, Bela, who like Andras from Mongrel, is stuck in a shift (okay, their circumstances are different but have similarities). He’s been hurt and Valius rescues his mate and nurses him back to health.

They are so sweet and loving on each other. Valius accepts Bela as he is, as does Bela. We get plenty of cameos from previous books and it ties the series together nicely.

Some steam, an incubus has to eat after all, and a sweet ending.

Rating: 5 Stars

Nicole’s Review:

While also not a prequel, Lee included enough world-building in this installment that I was very quickly able to comprehend the storyline. I really liked the portrayal of Valius' incubus. I really would like more on why he was able to feel Bela's pain. I think there is a lot more magic in this world then we got to glimpse in this short. The honesty and communication between these two was relationship goals, and they really deserved their HEA.

Jacqueleen the Reading Queen’s Review:

How excited was I to find out that Lee Colgins novella was going to be about sweet Valius? VERY! I loved meeting him in the outcast mates series. He's such a darling little incubus. It made me happy that he ended up with a mate that appears to be as sweet as him. Bela and Valius were just adorable all around. I did wish we got to see them meet up with Andras and Bowie as I'm certain they would have welcomed them with open arms.

Rating: 5 stars 

Angel's Review:

I am always enamored with Lee's writing, I enjoy the way they wrote so much. The world's they create, the characters they craft, the storylines they weave, it's all done very well. 

Rating: 4 Stars

SNik's Review:

A novella from the author’s Outcast Mates series. Dual POV. Hurt/comfort. Bela is an outcast wolf shifter that can’t entirely transform and believes he is cursed. When he is helped by the incubus Valius both of them realize their connection, but have to believe the committed acceptance of the other in order to risk everything for their love. Lee Colgin knows how to write a hurt/comfort story even in a short read.

Sheena's Review:

Another new to me author. This is set in an already existing world, but as I read it going in new, I still really enjoyed it. There did seem to be existing characters and places cameoing, as it were, but I enjoyed the story for what it was, a sweet, sometimes steamy story of two people accepting each other as they are. Valius and Bela were so sweet together, I loved them finding acceptance in each other and wanting to make that life together, even after such a short time.  

~ Shiny Things by Kelly Fox:

I’ve already had my poor wolf heart broken by one selfish, trinket-hungry avian shifter, and I am never going through that again. Hell, I moved all the way out to the shifter town of Bee Cave, Texas to start over, so…yeah. That adorably twitchy raven shifter at the local coffee shop had better get it through his pretty skull that he’s not gonna get one over me. Even if he is so sparkly and gorgeous, I can barely help myself.

Jacquie’s Review:

High heat and a fast burn. Thorin and his fated mate get off to a bad start. Unfortunately, the bond won’t allow them to be apart.

Poe is an absolute sweetheart. I loved the joy he took from shiny things. Thorin was an acquired taste, shall we say.

I enjoyed how the shifters were described and set up for a series.

Rating: 4 Stars

Nicole’s Review:

This was my favorite story in the second segment! Thorin is embarrassed and heartbroken, moving across the country to get away from his horrible X, who was a crow shifter. A chance encounter with Poe in his coffee shop leads to some intense chemistry, and a shocking mating. Kelly did a phenomenal job in walking these two through the initial trauma and healing while developing their romantic relationship in such a short story. I am hooked, and will be gobbling up all of the Bee Cave Magic!

Jacqueleen the Reading Queen’s Review: 

This was the only author in this segment of the Fated Mates Charity Anthology that I've never read before. I do have some of their books on my TBR and even on my kindle. As I tend to read more PNR and this author writes mostly contemporary may be the main reason I haven't gotten to them. I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed this romance between a broken hearted wolf shifter and his shiny loving raven shifter mate. Poe was such a likeable MC. I loved how strong he was taking charge of his life and opening his shop on his own. Even better it was successful. And Thorin. Such a fool fighting fate. But he smartened up quickly. Very steamy and cute!

Rating: 4.5 stars 

Angel's Review:

This last book in segment 2 was.. interesting. I liked how there was a raven shifter, that was new to me. And the fated mate aspect was really unique to this story, so I liked that. I just thought that the relationship between these characters could've been built up and deepened more. But overall it's a decent read.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

SNik's Review:

Standalone. Dual POV. Thorin is a wolf shifter hurt by an avian shifter before and refuses to accept the connection between himself and the beautiful raven shifter Poe. But their bond is undeniable and even though Poe is hurt by Thorin’s original rejection they find they really can have love that starts from a fated bond. Definitely get plenty of steam and romance with this story.

Sheena's Review:

Another new to me author. A fun, hot interlude turns into an accidental fated mates and it's fun, sexy, and ultimately sweet. I loved Poe, he is so cute and sassy and the perfect foil to grumpy Thorin. I love grumpy/sunshine and this was a lot of fun. I also liked the cast of supporting characters and the town this was set in. I'm not sure if this a set up for a series, or set in the world of an existing series but I enjoyed it on its' own. 

Fated Mates is available to buy as an ebook, paperback, or to read with Kindle Unlimited subscription.