THE ALPHA OF BLEAKE ISLE - Kathryn Moon

5 stars

Honestly?? I’m obsessed. I'm not usually a dragon-shifter person, but wow did this Regency-adjacent, filthy-yet-sweet variant really hit the spot.

Concept: ★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★★
Romance: ★★★★★

Calling all fans of dragons, Regency romances, alpha/omega, and soft yet filthy stories...

The Alpha of Bleake Isle is your kind of good time.

As the one Alpha of the Bleake Isle dragonkin, it's Lord Ronson Cadogan's duty to choose an eligible omega once per decade from society as his official rut partner. The fact that Ronson hasn't chosen one in decades is... not going well. The stuffy society Beta men of the island aren't going to let him get away with this odd behavior without a challenge for much longer, and Ronson knows it. So this time, he's made it clear that he intends to pick an omega for the very first time.

Mairwen Posy knows precisely who the Alpha of Bleake Isle will choose, and it certainly isn't her. In fact, it's so predictable it's almost boring. Mairwen, called "Mouse" by society, is a wallflower and observer, cursed to the sidelines due to her lack of perfume and less-than-ideal body shape.

So it shocks everyone when Ronson chooses...Mairwen. (The two of them have their reasons for this choice.)

Now officially "together" with no warning and no preparation, Ronson and Mairwen discover that things on Bleake Isle aren't quite as they should be... and it's up to them to fix it.

But can they fix the rot at the core of Bleake Isle while facing an intense attraction to each other??

Dun dun dun. Cue that sweet, sweet romance set with a heavy dose of spice.

It was no surprise to me that I enjoyed this story—I am obsessed with Kathryn Moon. I'm always going to read what she writes. Always. But I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting to fall utterly in love with this story. The dragon thing tied to the historical vibes...Those are not buzzwords for me as a reader. But then I tried it, and DAMN. I'm into it now. (Or at least, I'm into the version of it that Kathryn's given us here.)

This was sweeter than I expected it to be. This was more plot-filled than I expected it to be. And it was just... perfect. I loved Ronson and Mairwen. I loved the unique spin on the alpha/omega tropes and setup. Every expectation I had was clearly blown away, and I find myself eagerly sitting on my hands now, waiting for news for more in this series/world!

Thank you to the author for my early copy.