Magical Temptations

<b>Rating:</b> 4 stars<br /><br /><b>Identification:</b> Dr. Laila Porter<br /><b>Age:</b> 19<br /><b>Profession:</b> Labbie at Biomystic Security<br /><b>Mission:</b> Help one of the last existing dragon gets his hands on an artifact<br /><b>Non Official Identity:</b> Dr. Indiana Laila Jones<br /><br /><br />So far, each book could be read as a different level for a video game, or maybe a combination of Mission Impossible and Tomb Raider movies. The books are really slow burn, as they each follow the current mission, but really entertaining even though the riddles are always cracked by sheer power. Dr. Laila Porter is ridiculously overpowered, her men are having hard times protecting her.<br /><br />I really wonder what the next book has in store for me.

Ok first of all the is a 2.5 for me, but we can't do half stars and I just couldn't give it a three. Burwell has such a good idea with this series but it was incredibly disappointing to see her jam square peg scenes into the round hole story without stopping to see if it made any sense. Everything from here on is a spoiler.<br />First you have the FMC being sent out into the field on an assignment, but it is totally normal for a scientist who only does lab work to have to do field work and then act like it is her butt to the client and this is just the same old same old b.s. you put up with from clients. That made no sense. There should have been more push back from her and her boss/guys. The dragon should have showed up insisting she was there (because they did need her) her boss said no, the boss and the guys start arguing with the dragon and then the FMC taking the job to keep the piece.<br />Second even if they needed her for her abilities ir made zero sense that she, with literally no field experience, was put in charge to lead the expedition. She should not have been the one calling the shots and running the show. Also, if you are going on a spelunking expedition you wear specialized clothing and equipment not your old gross clothes because you "might" get dirty. While we are on the whole spelunking portion of this 1) continuity matters. If she sets down her bag and then teleport out of a room without picking it back up she can't just have the bag again, and 2) you have to make sure the story makes sense. If they are charging through to catch someone who can't be more than a few hours ahead they are sure stopping to rest a LOY, and if it is almost impossible for this TEAM od elite persons to make it to the final prize you have to explain how a team of two made it and how the single guy thought he was going to be able to get back out again.<br />Three, there was absolutely no reason the FMC to remain at the camp when they were back out. Their contracted job was over. She was free to go. She shouldn't have just caved and said I'll be there. This was a missed opportunity for her to say no, storm off towards her tent, and then have a touching, vulnerable moment with the dragon where he tells her someone he cares about has been cursed and he needs this fair to have it lifted.<br />Fourth, you have got to be kidding me, an elf was on sight to make them all formal clothes so they can go out dress in gowns with heels and suits in the middle.of the forest and out of no where be like yeah we talked and we all want to date you, it's cool right? Oh and let's go skinny dipping now. That is one of the worst harem creation scenes I have read, and I've read a lot. It was so out of place in the story both with the formal dinner in the middle.of the woods and that the FMC was barely just thinking of these guys as friends but now she is claiming them for life? Come on!<br />Fifth, and then there are children living at this TEMPORARY encampment to recover an arecholcial artifact that is also a weapon of mass destruct who wouldn't bring their kid to that! Oh wait, literally everyone. It was just dropped in so FMC could have her speech about innocent people getting caught in the middle of two sides fighting. You can't just drop things into a story where they have no place.being to make a scene you want to have happen happen. At least set it uo that the native tribe was all with you and mention seeing the children and moms BEFORE they go underground spelunking so that you don't have this forced awkward scene. <br />I really enjoyed the first book and the first half of this book was ok but the second half just really wasn't professionally done and needs some serious reworking.

Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed with this one for a number of reasons:<br /><br />1. No world-building. We keep getting drips and drabs of information that let us know the characters are living in a completely different world - the West hasn't been settled; hell, America is barely settled; this Chaos war, etc. - but the amount of knowledge we have about the world they live in fills a thimble. I just cannot picture this world, because I haven't been given enough information to understand it. <br /><br />2. The creation of the harem comes completely out of nowhere. So the first book starts with Laila basically perving on every man she meets, and it is clear that they each find her attractive as well. The author is also clearly trying to make Laila a sex-positive character, because she is all about getting what she needs when she needs it in one-night stands and not feeling guilty about it (and good for her), but then is weirdly dancing around any intimacy with people Laila is attracted towards. The author explains it through fear of emotional intimacy, but then, of course, there is one conversation about dating five men, and suddenly Laila is over those fears and she's all in. What? It just doesn't make sense. This acceptance, of course, is conveniently precipitated by a conversation with the woman in the caves who tells Laila that she should date multiple men just to set the stage for her acceptance. <br /><br />3. There is a lack of explanation of events that occur in this book. <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="95a9af48-6a8d-4c28-9d37-f4eb51bf3b9d" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="95a9af48-6a8d-4c28-9d37-f4eb51bf3b9d"> Laila, a level A1 magic user, could not sense the traps in the cave system at first (and could only sense them by cracking the wards in the entire cave system), and their whole team of highly trained individuals almost died multiple times in the caves, and yet they kept being unable to catch up with the person (actually 2 people) ahead of them. This is possibly partially because they kept taking unfathomably long breaks, but then again it turned out their whole travel took 2 days (despite earlier in the book Laila said the later traps would get harder by being powered by the earlier traps and so she wanted to speed the process up so that they were done in a few hours total AND it being only 8 miles that they walked to get to the artifact). So the timeline just didn't make sense AND we never found out how those two managed to get that far into the cave system, avoid the traps without cracking the wards, etc. </label> Lots of plot threads just left dangling. <br /><br />4. The 'date' they go on while in the forest is absolutely ridiculous. They are in the wild, which they already know is dangerous. So, of course, they get dressed in fancy clothes and decide to have a picnic in the middle of the wild forest. Oh, and then go skinny dipping without knowing what may be in the water. Brilliant. <br /><br />5. As another reviewer mentioned, this is a dangerous excavation. <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="40ca7af2-186e-427c-9cf4-e2dcf453762f" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="40ca7af2-186e-427c-9cf4-e2dcf453762f">They <i>know</i> that dangerous individuals are after the artifact as well. Why the hell are children at the excavation camp? They would not be there. Using these kinds of cheap plot devices does not do your story any favors. There are other ways to make your character look good. </label><br /><br />6. Again, lack of resolution. <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="40eb9604-e2b4-4513-b22c-1adaea9eb9af" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="40eb9604-e2b4-4513-b22c-1adaea9eb9af"> What happened to the woman that Laila blasted at the camp? Did Laila end up killing someone else? Or did that woman manage to get away? Did someone else murder her? How was she able to keep the dragon from shifting? Not. enough. information. </label><br /><br />7. How incredibly pretentious is Laila that she always has to introduce herself as Dr. Laila Porter? It is so unlikable that she is constantly shoving that in people's faces. Most of the time, people with doctorates aren't actually going around doing that, especially in situations where their credentials are already known and obvious. <br /><br />8. The same poor spelling, grammar, and proofing from the first book is present in this one as well. <br /><br />I'm going to stop there. It's too bad, because I think the premise is cool - I like the idea of a badass female scientist working for a security firm and making the world a safer place, but I don't think this series is for me.

<strong>Magically Delicious Wow!</strong><br /><br />Damn, I'm so sucked into learning more about Laila and the guys, her past, all the connections...the possibilities are endless with this series! I loved how masterfully the author wove this complex story and such layered characters! This world these characters inhabit has so much potential for so many plots and subplots. The chemistry sizzles between Laila and her potential love interests, but they aren't the central focus of the story thus far. Yes, they are the nucleus, but the author artfully weaves a fantastical world around them that you get lost in the story, lose yourself in the pages. I grew and learned along with the characters and though there are no cliffhangers per se, there is still so much to discover, so much more to see with the relationships, as well! I'm not looking forward to waiting to continue this awesome series, but I definitely know it is worth the agonizing wait! ?

Again, interesting premise and some good world building, but typos and overused words detracted. Also, as far as romance goes it really only pops up at the conclusion and was just too much. 6 or 7 dudes is just ridiculous and felt shoehorned in.

I read this entire 5-volume series during the pandemic/quarantine of 2020 (still going on, at this review's writing, May, 2020) Since I don't read a lot these days, and almost never finish a book, much a series, I wish I could say my perseverance was due to great writing, characters or plot.... But, no. Mostly, curiosity and boredom.<br /><br />Since this is the final book of this author's first series, and she is young, I will be gentle. BUT, there are numerous editing/proofreading/formatting problems with this and every volume in this series. Plus, it's not actually a "series," by my definition. The entire series, with the exception of the final Epilogue, takes place within one calendar year. That makes it a stand-alone novel, IMO, and it should have been published that way.<br /><br />She also added a Volume 2.5, which I did read, and that was even shorter than the others and just as mediocre. Sheesh.<br /><br />But, since it is a 'series," my review of Volume I is: good start, mediocre set-up and not-credible back-stories. Two-dimensional characters almost uniformly, except for the one-D characters and the MC.<br /><br />Dr. Laila Porter (see other reviews for summaries; I don't bother, here) has more depth than any other characters, and I did find her interesting. However, there are so many holes in the world-building here that I can't even get started. I suspended my disbelief and just went along for the ride.<br /><br />Then, there is the whole polyamory/"reverse harem" aspect, with which I am not the least bit familiar as a writing genre. Is it? The online definition of this term fits this use: "A 'reverse harem' includes three or more characters who potentially show romantic interest in a female protagonist....A genre in manga and anime." BUT, that is NOT what a females-comprised "harem" is, so why the use of that term? And, this is not "manga" or "anime," so, I'm baffled.<br /><br />I do like some Urban Fantasy and some Paranormal genre books, and this is both, IMO, with a lot of Romance/sex thrown in (somewhat gratuitously, it seems to me, and characters are having sexual fantasies/thoughts and conversations way too often (e.g., in the middle of a battle, injury recovery, kidnapping, etc.). There were many things I did like about this book, and it was free, so I bought the other ebooks and continued (since each Volume read like about 4 -8 chapters of a regular novel). <br /><br />She added an additional "volume," 2.5, from the POVs/backstories for each of the male "harem" characters. Not very well-done at all. Later Volumes in this 'series" are interesting, but even more mediocre<br /><br />If you're bored, if you like graphic interspecies but heterosexual and mostly vanilla sex, if you like descriptions of "magic," "power," shapeshifters, vampires, and witches, etc.,and a strong, smart, but impulsive and adolescent (actually ad behaviorally/emotionally) cis-gender female MC you'll like this just fine.<br /><br />(See first volume's review for "shelves" categories I chose.)

Please keep the pure greatness that is this series and I may very well have a new favorite haha...no but seriously.<br /><br />So the second installment is most definitely even better than the first one. And that's saying a lot because Magical Intentions catch me easily and swiftly. And I think the reason why I think this read is even better is because Magical Temptations is much spicier and has more, like, attitude (but in a positive way).<br /><br />And when I say spicier, I mean that both the story and the characters are obviously more <i>seasoned</i> this time around. That is, the potential and substance of each one of them are tapped and tested here through the wild adventure with the dragon and his staff.<br /><br />Sure, what they have done during the first book is pure hard work, but is still on a familiar social environment and semi-safe work place. But in this one, the characters are in a foreign area; wild and heavily restricted at the same time. Plus, they are not only in need of being wary against intruders and enemies. Since they are with the dragon and his staff, they need to play well with them, too.<br /><br />But, as I have expected from Laila, she flourished from this experience. First of all, her networking skills broadened. Not only she has grown so fond of and friendly with the heroes (like joking around with them and being able to express herself more openly with them), but she also proved her opposers wrong throughout the job. It amuses me to no end how she rolls with the snide remarks from <s>assholes</s> others. Second, Laila continues to inspire awe from me through her mental strengths. As in the way she strategizes, the way she considers different scenarios and always delivers distinct perspective. She really is amazing period.<br /><br />Third, the author also briefly touched the subject about the heroine's origin. Very unfortunately with Laila though...she may or may not be thinking how her, <i>origins</i>, can go fuck themselves and/or shove it where the sun doesn't shine. At least, that's the general idea. And by <i>origins</i>, I mean both the literal ones like her and the history behind her being thrown and abadoned since birth. So yeah, fun times. Not. <br /><br />Last but def not the least, yesss-and I mean YAY-Laila's budding romance with the guys. Of fucking course, all she needed was clear and direct sign from the heroes, i.e. them asking her out on dates. Lolololol. Side note: there was something so seamless the way the author brought the heroine and the heroes together to a mutual agreement, to a romantic connection. And I dig that, I really do.<br /><br />Which brings me to another important point: the characterization of the guys. Their feelings, their sentiments and even their brief histories have really built something more substantial development for them. I think this is pretty much the only aspect from book 1 that I asked for.

One of my favorite things about this series is that it is primarily about the adventure. The author does a deep dive into the case(s) Laila and the other Biomystic Security employees are working on, and I find the work they do very interesting. From the beginning, certain aspects of Laila's personality have rubbed me a teeny bit wrong, and I was very pleased at a certain point when Shanton said some things to her that I had already been thinking. This may sound like a negative, but I actually mean it to be a positive - Laila is a unique heroine in the current spectrum of reverse harem (RH) books, and I like that there are things about her I dislike, just as you would with people in real life. <br />As with the first book, this one needs a thorough proofread for both outright errors and for sentences that could be worded a little more cleanly for smoother reading. In terms of the actual romance/RH...it amounts to less than ten percent of the book/series, which might not be what some people are looking for, but I'm okay with because I enjoy the adventure so much, and I love a slow burn in general. I don't have a super strong sense of all of the heroes, why they all are into Laila, or even why she cares about them as much as she states she does, since they haven't spent enough time together (when not in their work capacities) on page to support those feelings. There have been some telling vs. showing sentences addressing their getting to know each other, but the readers haven't experienced that as much as I prefer in my romances. There is a note at the back announcing a book 2.5 that states it is about the guys and how they came to want Laila, so I am looking forward to reading that to get some more insight. Both it and book three are now out, and I will be reading them directly - I'm intrigued by what we learned about Laila in this book and curious what their next big adventure will be - hopefully Shanton will be involved, as well as Lombardi!<br />3.5 Stars<br />

This series has so much potential but there is just too many small things adding up that are ruining it. My review for the first book was so optimistic. I love the idea of a slow burn and was looking forward to relationships that build up naturally. I thought I was getting that with this series but, this book has proven me wrong. Everything is going in a nice orderly, natural way when all of a sudden the author decides to drop the dreaded "we all talked about this without you and have decided we all want a relationship with you". I abhor it when authors do that. So there goes the slow burn part and any hopes of a believable relationship progression. <br /><br />My next beef is with the small details. Pretty sure the FMC was 5'7" in the last book but now she's 5'8". Then we have some serious character interactions and scenarios that make no sense. First, we have the dragon guy act like a complete ass to the FMC telling her to stop making everything about her when the situation definitely called for her to have some right to a breakdown. He's a total fuckface to her but then when she goes to leave he's all charming like "Thanks for the date" and she gets embarrassed and shit? Like, are we NOT going to address the fact he was actually out of line with her? While the group was going through the gauntlet there was a part where they needed both magic and energy to move the maze piece or w/e and he stood there expecting her to use both. She even states that it looked like he expected her to have use of both...and that tells us that he suspected she was this Elementalist or w/e....but guess what? That never gets addressed. Information is just dropped randomly but never picked back up again. <br /><br />I liked the excitement of the story and the idea of the gauntlet was great but there were just too many things not explained and other things that didn't any sense. I'm going to continue to the next book and hope for an improvement but this one was seriously disappointing.

<strong>The slow burning Reverse Harem builds</strong><br /><br />Once again, I loved this book. This book is the second in the series and follows on straight away after the 1st in the series. Laila made such a good impression on the dragon that Shanton requests that she be brought onboard his team that is going through an archeological dig to obtain an artefact left by the Elementalists, a powerful race of magicians who have disappeared several thousand years before.<br /><br />Unable to say no to a dragon Laila goes along with three of her favourite men. Coming out of her lab stretches what Laila has to cope with magically and emotionally, as physical and magical trials are inflicted on the party trying to obtain the artefact.<br /><br />This book explains more about the magic of this world along with exploring more about the nature of Laila’s own history. She also comes closer to understanding her feelings about the men who surround her.<br /><br />This is a very slow burning RH, but I like that it’s not an insta-love/lust situation. Laila has known these men for around 5-6 months and the men have all known each other much longer. Laila isn’t very in touch with her feelings and hasn’t much experience in connecting on a level that isn’t physical or superficial. This is why the slow moving aspect of the RH makes sense.