A fresh new book, released January 31st of 2023! I devoured it in two days, so that should tell you how I feel about it.
In the end I gave “A Fae’s Two Alphas” 4.5 stars, for reasons I explain below, in my review.
If you like fantasy, complicated family relations, werewolves, over-protective (but sexy) love interests, and some well written erotica, then this book is for you.
Note: This book – and, consequently, this review – contains mature themes, and is not suitable for people under 18.
I loved this book. It is, once again – out of character for me – a supernatural erotic romance. At this point I just need to accept it because they keep showing up, and this one is so good.
“A Fae’s Two Alphas” tells the story of Bennett Chiston, self-proclaimed twink, a half-fae stranded in the human world after having his magic stolen. By his own father.
When we meet Bennett he only has one thing on his mind: “I want to go back home.”, and it’s honestly understandable. Bennett is trans, but he has lived in a realm where he got to choose his physical form since he was thirteen. Being thrown into a human body – with a whole new chest – he doesn’t feel like himself. Doesn’t feel right.
He’s living with his aloof, controlling mother, in a town where everyone sees him as a girl, where he has no friends, and he’s still dealing with his father’s betrayal.
One thing I really appreciated is that we meet both love interests really early on; there’s no delay or dragging of the story, they are just immediately established.
Callum is more than the typical “grumpy” trope, he’s rough and feral and has genuine problems with letting other people in. It felt, to me, that he could not even consider the idea of Bennett reciprocating his feelings. Jesse – the “sunshine” counterpart -, on the other hand, is a cheery, touchy, kind, chaotic golden retriever.
Their dynamic is everything!
They are both huge simps for Bennett, but show it in completely different ways. Bennett, bless him, is always very sure that he likes both of them. Equally.
Jesse is Bennett’s soulmate, Callum is Bennett’s pillar, and Calum and Jesse love each other, even if their relation takes a bit longer to develop. It’s tender, raw, aggressive, full of trust.
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
The twist? The ending? Gasp inducing. I was on the edge of my seat when we discover it was actually the mom. We know she’s oppressive and paranoid since the beginning, but when it sinks how deranged, how toxic and abusive she has actually been just to keep Bennett with her? Absolutely crushing.
I do have one complaint: I can acknowledge that Bennett is overwhelmed, he has wanted to go back for so long and he has just been betrayed by his mother – the person that, supposedly, loves him the most. Jesus, he almost died. But, to me, at that point it makes no sense why he goes to Faerie. Even less why he stays for so long – he no longer has a strong motivation to leave the human realm, he has his magic back, and he loves Callum and Jesse. [END OF SPOILERS]
It felt kind of hollow and incomplete to me, like it was lacking a stronger motive. This is basically the only reason it doesn’t get a 5-star review.
And yes, I’ll admit: it’s really hot. Triads, size difference, trans MC? Yes, please. It helps that the author does not shy away from actually describing what’s happening (although I wish ze’d stop using the word ‘apex’).
All in all: very solid, fast read, with an interesting plot, well crafted characters, a main character I was actually rooting for, and impeccable twists.
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You can find this book on Goodreads and on StoryGraph. For more information check out jemzero.com, or buy the book on Amazon!
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