Considering I have been taking my time with this book and the events that happened since I requested this book and till today, I do not want to review the book since it has been pulled (I believe) and due to author's behaviour towards readers and reviewers.

Will not be reviewing due to the book being pulled for the authors abuse and racism which is inexplicable and should not be tolerated

Predatory is the third book in the Port Lewis Witches series, this time following leopard shifter Donovan Quinn. The novel mainly focuses on Donovan and Tyler's relationship, which was quite interesting, It's kind of like friends to lovers, but with a lot of kinks. And while their relationship seemed a little unhealthy in other books, thankfully in this one we find out that it's not: their relationship is completely consensual with safe words. Which is important.

I enjoyed the plot, but this wasn't the best in the series. Unbroken is still the best for me because I love demon romances. Predatory was very angsty but soft too.

Unexpectedly, this was my favorite of the series so far. I could relate to Donovan, and enjoyed the character development for Tyler.

With each book in this series, I fall more and more in love with the characters. Highly recommend to fans of contemporary fantasy.

This books picks up right where the previous one left off, so highly recommended to read the prior books in the series first. This one deals with a different relationship than the first two, though so could theoretically be read alone. I think my biggest issue with this book was I didn't think the couple really worked well. I get that it was a matched weaknesses kind of thing, but I just... didn't really feel it. I enjoyed the previous books in the series much more. Even so, the plot is interesting enough that I would more than likely read a sequel.

I really felt for Donovon here and just wanted to shake Tyler so many tiiiimes. But we got to understand Tyler a bit too. My heart was in my throat so many times cuz the author is so good at writing emotional scenes.

This one continues from book 2's events so i would suggest reading the first two books to know what'a going on.

We also get the whole gang here:Ryderrr, Liam, and Christy too. Their circle dy amics are fascinating as always because everything seems to be going wrong at once and seeing how each person deals with it is such a key insight into their personalities.


The excerpt from book 4 shows that we get Tyler's pov next and I cant wait cuz he'a such a complicated character

I had to DNF this because I am very sensitive to the BDSM elements and I am not a fan.

I am sure this was a lovely addition to the series but the BDSM quality of the relationship was not something I appreciate.

Predatory is the fourth installment in the Port Lewis Witches series. It follows Donovan Quinn as he and his circlemates deal with the consequences of Liam’s action. This novella is set right after the event of Undertow, so this review will contain some spoilers for the previous novellas. There will be no spoilers from Predatory, though!

Predatory is one of my most anticipated releases in June, and it’s not just because I was dying for more Tyler content, thank you very much. What went down in Undertow got me so on edge. What do you mean Liam is a fae? What exactly does the Queen of Water want? I need answers! Donovan and Tyler’s relationship has a few of my favorite romance tropes as well. If there’s anything I like more than friends-to-lovers, it’s a person with commitment issues (Tyler) trying to be with the one and only person they care about (Donovan) without having to define the relationship. I’d read the first chapter on Brooklyn Ray’s Patreon several times, and it’s really good. Needless to say, my expectation for this release was very high.

And my expectation was met!

I loved Predatory! It’s not the best installment—Unbroken sets a pretty high bar for me—but it’s definitely my favorite novella from the series so far. It’s angsty, dramatic, and so so soft and emotional. I do have some mixed feelings about it, though. I will explain what I mean below.

***

Donovan Quinn—the youngest member of the circle and a leopard were—is nineteen and struggling with magic. He can’t seem to get a grasp of it, and he has no idea what his leopard wants. With the only person in his life with the knowledge of were magic gone, all he can do is ignore that part of him and hope he will never have to face it. But when Liam murdered a kelpie and angered the Queen of Water, he can’t afford to hide from his truth anymore. His circlemates depend on him to figure out his magic, or else they may lose their friend to the ocean forever.

It doesn’t help that he doesn’t know what he means to Tyler Li—the headwitch of their circle. They’ve been “together” for three months, but the word “relationship” doesn’t fit what they are. It’s not like Tyler doesn’t care about him, but sometimes it doesn’t feel like Tyler cares about him at all.

That’s a lot of extra stress for a college student.

All things considered, I think Donovan handles his situation pretty well. I mean, it’s messy, to say the least. He avoids his friends, he fights with Tyler, he tries to do things all alone and hurt himself in the process. But he’s nineteen, and he’s definitely not equipped to deal with such a life-or-death situation that his friends have gotten into.

Donovan is not the only messy one here. (It’s kind of the appeal of the series, literally everyone is a mess in their own unique way.) Tyler, who has vowed to protect his circle, has to face the reality that he’s failed to do so. With his family’s disappointment of him already weighing heavily, it’s safe to say that he’s not taking this failure particularly well. He keeps making stupid mistakes and saying all the wrong things that make him a giant asshole. We do see him try not to be one, though. Whether he’s doing a good job of it is… a different story.

Both Donovan and Tyler feel… lost. They find themselves in each other’s bed, but it doesn’t last long. Their problem is that they absolutely don’t know how to communicate. They’re insecure, and it translates into their relationship, but they don’t know how to explain it to the other. The result is a series of misunderstandings that would be annoying if I didn’t see how hard they’re trying to make things work.

Honestly, I love how messy these characters and their relationships are. It feels realistic for them to fuck things up the way they do. It’s the way they untangle their lives and come to terms with themselves that really matters. That’s what I look for in this series. Ray has done an amazing job in the previous installments, so I expected the same from Predatory as well.

This is partially where my mixed feelings come from. Predatory is about Donovan’s journey to self-discovery and self-acceptance, riiiiight until the big showdown. A lot happens all at once, and Donovan’s own story is sacrificed for the sake of the plot. It’s a shame, because that’s when it should be about him the most. He’s pushed away so much of himself, and as the story progresses, he slowly learns to welcome it instead. It’s gratifying to see his change. However, the story shifts away from him when there’s still so much of him left unexplored. We haven’t seen him properly confront his grief or his anger. Because this is a novella, I don’t expect everything to be there. Donovan’s journey resonates with me a lot, though, so I really wanted it to have be more developed.

On the other hand, Donovan and Tyler’s relationship development is definitely my favorite from the series so far. They have a bumpy start, and their relationship is far from conventional. They make a lot of mistakes, and they hurt the other more than once. Despite everything, it’s undeniable that they want—need—each other. When they don’t fight, they’re the cutest, and the way they care for the other makes me so soft. They have arguably the hottest, most romantic sex—and that says something because literally every sex scene in this series is phenomenal. All they need is communication. Talking about your feelings is never easy, especially when you have as much emotional baggage as these two. But, spoiler alert, they talk, eventually. And it’s very satisfying when they do. (Also, Tyler, please stop making me want to cry. I hate you so much.)

I have a small nitpick about their relationship. It doesn’t really hinder my enjoyment, but I still have to mention it nonetheless. It’s the age gap. Seven-year age gap itself isn’t a problem for me, it’s the fact that Donovan is nineteen—this is repeated multiple times on page—and Tyler is twenty-six. As someone who’s barely older than Donovan, I personally feel uncomfortable being in a relationship with anyone well into their twenties. There’s a certain power imbalance that I can’t ignore. Here’s the thing, though. While definitely being more mature than the rest of his circle, Tyler still doesn’t feel like a twenty-six-year-old to me. He could be younger—I’d prefer him to be the same age as Thalia, actually—and it’d still work, for him at least. It may mess up the timeline, however.

Let’s talk about my most favorite thing in Predatory: the friend group. It plays a bigger role here than it does in any other installment, and I’m so glad for it. Found family is the one trope I’d gladly die for, and this messy little family is one of my faves. The circle has more appearances in this novella, therefore we get to see more of their friendship. We get to see how caring and headstrong Christy is, how protective Ryder is of his friends (he offers to kill Tyler—and bring him back—for Donovan and I’m sure he’s only half joking), and how, despite his stubbornness and short temper, Tyler just wants to protect his circlemates from harm. It’s also the first time they’re together with minimum fighting involved, and it’s so refreshing. I enjoy all of their dynamics so much.

We have cameos from the hot pastry chef demon and his grumpy boyfriend—Victor and Michael from Unbroken—and hoooo boy. I love them a lot. Victor is really just here to troll Tyler and I support him. Also, I don’t want to spoil anything, but Victor and Michael bring some troublesome news and things are getting more and more interesting—and depressing—real fast.

Predatory still has the amazing atmosphere that has made me fall in love with the series. Ray is really good at what they do, and it’s no different this time. Small complaints aside, this novella is a wonderful and very solid addition to the Port Lewis universe, and I can’t wait to read more about it!

I'd start to say that i haven't read the previous books, wich made me a little confused since it's lots of characters that has their own stories in the other books. That being said it's alright to be read as a standalone about Tyler and Donovan, and whilst i sometimes did not agree with their relationship and how Tyler treated Donovan, they grew and learned about each other and opened up through out the book. I think myself i want to read the previous ones, some time.

This is the third novella in an NA contemporary fantasy series. Each book follows a new member of a circle of witches and every single time I pick up one of these books I think it can't possibly be as good as the last one and yet. It is. They are. They always are. The writing is heavy with atmosphere and magic. Each character we follow feels unique. The emotions are so real and I love that we see so much of all the previous characters because they're all together. Each book builds on the overall story but is a whole story in itself as it's based on the single characters journey. The series is so magical and so very queer and I can't wait to read the next one.

CW: explicit sex scenes

I loved this book. Having only read Unbroken, I requested Predatory, Darkling & Undertow and spent my weekend devouring them all.

Donovan is a Were, that hasn't yet been able to tap into his earth magic much. He's also been holding back secrets from his circle mates, fearful of how they'd look at him once they knew them.

Tyler, is one of those secrets. The head witch of the circle has been secretly seeing Donovan for months. It's against the circle rules but their feelings are as volatile as the wild leopard under Donovan's skin.

In this installment of the Port Lewis Witches, the circle has to work together to save Liam from Leviathan, who requires a sacrifice from Liam or else he will return to the sea as a Kelpie. However, Donovan and Tyler also must navigate their feelings for each other and what they expect from their relationship, which only complicates an even more complicated situation.

Seeing the relationship between Tyler and Donovan go from casual secret hooking up to watching them realize just how much they care for one another, trust one another, lean on one another for support, not just as circle mates but lovers as well was endearing (and frustrating at times!) to watch unfold.

The push and pull of their relationship at times would leave me wanting to shake these two out until they actually communicated clearly. But on the other hand, they both made assumptions about the other that lead them taking longer to find finally find the other.

This book was full of so many emotions and so much magic at every turn. Waiting to see what would happen next was a thrilling ride to be a part of. Getting to finally know more about both Donovan and Tyler was something I've been waiting for and I'm thoroughly pleased. Both with their emotional growth in this book as well as the progressing plot of the series! I'm really looking forward to reading Cyclone (book#4) !
Predatory is definitely a great continuation to the series! A+

Predatory: Port Lewis Witches, Book 3
by Brooklyn Ray
due 6-23-2019
NineStar Press
4.5/5.0

#netgalley. #Predatory

Trigger warning: mature readers. Rough Sex. SM roleplay, hot wax play and extreme sex.

I am absolutely fascinated by Donovan and Tyler's sexual relationship and their open exploration of fantasy, erotica and desire. The sex is exciting and hot, but also respectful and safe. This series keeps getting better and I find myself totally invested in Donovan and Tyler. Both so opposite, yet so "familiar". The use of familiars is brilliantly done, adding dimension to the both of them and their sexuality. Their openness and willingness to learn and grow as a couple is refreshing.
I recommend this series to anyone interested in male to male erotica, or is looking for a fresh mystical story with bold sex play.
Thanks to NineStar and the author for sending this requested e-book ARC for review.

Predatory picks up pretty much immediately where Undertow ended, and while Donovan is the new POV character and thus opens up a whole new arc about his own magic and his relationship with Tyler, it's definitely not a standalone.

The Port Lewis Witches series's overall arc is getting more important. Victor and Michael from Unbroken appear, and while their part isn't so big that you wouldn't understand it if you hadn't read that, I still strongly recommend the book!

I liked Donovan from the first time he appeared in Darkling. He's the youngest of the circle and struggling with his magic, mainly with the Were Leopard inside him. There's also a bit of uncertainty about his earth magic, but that was barely mentioned.

Despite the overarching plot, the main focus of the novella lies on Donovan and Tyler's relationship. The previous books have hinted at it being extremely toxic, which it wasn't, though it also wasn't entirely healthy.
They are kinky, and while they do have communication issues their kink is well negotiated with several safewords in place.
Overall I enjoyed them a lot as a couple.

The previous books in the seris have a bit of a world building problem, which wasn't really resolved in Predatory, but it's barely noticable anymore. I'm enjoying the setting a lot and each book establishes the setting more and more, though there still could be a bit more background information. Predatory does very well in this area, for example with Donovan going to his normal classes in one scene, and I loved seeing these witches and their culture in non-magical day-to-day life and situations!!!!

As usual, the frequent sex scenes were superbly written. There was quite a bit of angst around the main relationship and the plot and more, but it never got overwhelming.

Content warnings include: sex on-page, BDSM (impact play, pain play, bodage), graphic injury (broken bones, bruising), mentions of: murder, drug abuse, death of a sibling, domestic violence (parent beating child.)

Let me tell you about the Port Lewis Witches Series. I love it! First… I read Unbroken and was intrigued by Victor the witch-come-demon who seduces new Port Lewis resident, Michael Gates. When Michael first moves to Port Lewis, he doesn’t know much about the town or what goes on there. The two of them become entangled in a passionate, dangerous love affair … and they discover all kinds of dark, underhanded, magical business is going on. What I didn’t realize when I read Unbroken was that it was basically a novella about two side characters. I don’t want to sell them short, because they are great, but I wasn’t aware of how wild and expansive the cast of characters in Port Lewis is.

Ninestar press was kind enough to send me Darkling and Undertow so that I could catch up before I read the most recent installment. I loved these two books.

Let me tell you, this series is well worth the time you’ll invest to read the entire thing. In Darkling, Ray introduces the reader to Ryder. Ryder has a lot of secrets, and his partner, Liam – a water mage and storm wielder – knows some of those secrets – others will blindside him. Ryder comes from a family of Necromancers. It’s a divisive history to live with and Ryder has struggled with all his family members. Born a fire-witch, Ryder can feel the darkness within him that is fighting for dominance. The closer Ryder and Liam become, the more their energies feed off one another.

The cast of characters is rounded out by Christy the psychic who is an absolute sweetheart, circle leader – Tyler who is an air-mage with a volatile temper, Donovan who is a new witch with earth-based powers. When Ryder and Liam become “tethered”, the group pulls together to try and get to the bottom of what is going on within their magical circle. They should be defending each other, supporting each other but it seems that all of them have secrets they are keeping.

The second installment in the series is Undertow and focusses on Liam. Liam hears the heart-stopping cry of a Kelpie one night while he’s down near the ocean, and it stirs up something inside him that threatens his existence. This story is difficult to describe because I found myself unable to put it down. I was wrapped up in wanting to understand what was going on with Liam, his family, More is revealed about Ryder’s family, and the circle is strained to the breaking point. Liam is given a prophecy that he can’t even imagine fulfilling because it might mean giving up everything he loves.

This brings me to the newest installment of the Port Lewis Witches series: Predatory. In this tale, Ray focuses on Donovan Quinn. Donovan is the newest of the witches. Donovan is entangled in a relationship with Tyler. I say entangled because their relationship is a little insane. I was fascinated by the power imbalance between the two of them and the undertow of emotion and affection that was almost painful to read about.

Undertow ends with a terrible incident that polarizes the circle, and Predatory picks up with people divided over what to do to try and appease the wounded parties. One of the problems that keeps cropping up is that the progression fo Donovan’s magical prowess seems to have stalled. He can sense that there is something raging inside him and feels as though he’s moments from losing control.

Tyler and Donovan’s relationship is one of the most interesting I’ve read in a very long time. The dynamic between these two is absolutely scorching, a little frightening and sometimes heart-breaking. I loved these two boys and would gladly read an entire series just about them! thank you, Brooklyn Ray, for writing one of the most unique and original couples I’ve read in a long time!

This series has a well-rounded set of diverse characters. They’re fully developed and I fell in love with them all for different reasons. They’re delightfully magical, and no one is pure-good or pure-evil which I loved. This is a complex tale, but don’t let that stop you from beginning the journey. I’m delighted to see that there is another book coming in this series.

Predatory is available for pre-order from NineStar Press on June 21! You’ve got time to pick up the other books and catch up!

Predatory is a fantastic part of a series and the first I have read. The writing is good and the characters are well developed. I will have to go back and read the rest of this series.