When creatures emerged from the hidden nooks and shadowy crannies of the world decades ago, they had one goal–to create a world where humans and creatures could live together peacefully, out in the open. And it worked, mostly.
Despite everyone’s best efforts, problems still arose, and that’s where the Creature Crisis Hotline stepped in.
Bridge troll blocking your commute to work? Call the Creature Crisis Hotline and they’ll send a team to relocate him.
Want to eat your annoying coworker because he keeps stealing your designated parking spot? The hotline will talk you through that rage.
Accidentally bought a demon possessed teapot at the thrift store? Don’t worry, a Creature Crisis Hotline Team will take care of it.
So when Hailey’s attractive Orc neighbor suddenly disappears, she listens to her gut and calls the hotline for help. Little did she know that one call would change her life forever, and the person the Creature Crisis Team would really save was her.
The thing about gloomy weather is that it makes my eyes tired. I’m feeling extra tired as my body has been pumping anxiety for the last 12 hours. I get the “joy” of seeing the dentist today. I’ve been manifesting good vibes only. I picked this book up from Kindle Unlimited last week. I hit a lull because I started reading books with the same concept, and it made me feel detached from a genre I really enjoy. As Goodreads reminded me the other day that I am 3 books behind on my reading goal, I thought a great way to calm myself down before the dentist visit was to do some reading.
I’d never heard of this author or read any of their other books. So I walked into this blind, and honestly, as the book cover looked slightly ‘homemade ’, I wasn’t sure what level of writing I’d discover. When I was halfway through the book, I realised I’d found a gem of a story, one that felt unique and different but still had the bones of the genre I love to read. I enjoyed the variety and spontaneity of the characters. I found myself more entranced by what I was reading earlier than expected.
I need to break down the characters. We have Hailey – the FMC – a human.
We first meet Hailey as a child and rediscover her as an adult for the main plot. Sometimes a prequel-style first chapter can feel off-putting or unnecessary, but in this case, I felt it added to her character and helped me understand her frame of mind and actions more deeply. Her character is clearly shaped by her tumultuous childhood. Interestingly, I was talking with a friend about a mutual friend and how there is a clear pattern between what happened in their childhood and how that has shaped their adult life. So I found myself reflecting on that as I got to know Hailey’s character. She is very much a character who blossomed despite the parched garden she grew up in. She has endless energy, kindness, and compassion. Her empathy is always full steam ahead, and I think she is more grounded and more focused on right and wrong because of what she’s experienced. She definitely isn’t a damsel in distress, but she also wouldn’t oppose snuggling with several hot men.
She is the glue of the group; that much is clear. Louis makes a point in the book that sat with me. He says that they were already halfway to being a pack before Hailey arrived, like she was fated for them. I think, as humans, we talk a lot about coincidences and whether they exist, and that concept is definitely alive in this book.
Eric – an orc.
Eric is pretty much the reason this book took flight; he starts the main plotline and is one of the main contributors to keeping it going. Eric is not like other orcs. I suppose to them he is a ‘sissy’ or a ‘pansy ’, but something about having an intellectual orc is very interesting. He is as much the glue in this story as Hailey. Of all the men, Eric meets Hailey first, and yes, he makes some questionable life choices that, in the real world, would have drawn more anger and ickiness. But in this book, while his choices are a little icky, he has the best intentions, and by coincidence or fate, it all works out. Eric is eternally loyal to Hailey, and his life mission is to keep her happy. He doesn’t mind what form it takes or what it takes to get there; he just wants her happiness to last. He also needs a family. Stripped of his outdated views, his heart quietly longs for a new family, and he finds it in this mismatched group. It’s amusing to read because he clearly realises that the people around him could be a new family far before any of them realise it. But he just waits; he waits for the others to come to that realisation and make their moves. He doesn’t push or force, or interrogate; he waits because he knows it will happen eventually.
Skye – a demon.
Skye is an interesting character. My experience with demon characters in reverse harems is entirely stereotypical and has become almost boring. Any character of this species became almost 2D, and I found myself knowing their move before they made it. Skye is different. And I think the difference is that he is unapologetically himself. There is no hidden meaning behind his words or his actions. Demon life, as far as this book is concerned, seems complex, but the character is integrated so smoothly into the group. I almost get the sense that he was surprised by his own actions, by his own feelings. I imagine that he has been around for a long time indeed, and though he has frequently participated in fuelling his sexual desires, actually caring for someone past that urge is almost foreign. I expected him to fight it, to contest what was happening with rage and cruelty, but he surprised me by being so open to the shift in the dynamic and wanting to be part of it and included in the group.
Otis – a minotaur.
Otis is the working group’s team leader. He is a big, beefy man and a big, beefy minotaur. He is very protective of the team. He comes across as calm and stoic. He enjoys retreating to nature. He clearly cares deeply about his team, and that begins to extend to Hailey faster than I think he expected. It is an odd situation, and I think he realises her special quality in the group he is part of. Hailey shines, and Otis sees it quickly; though he denies what he is feeling, it doesn’t deny it in a way that screams the opposite or makes him act out in aggression, cruelty, or violence. He sits with it, watching the team integrate themselves into her life, and I think in doing so, he gets to understand more of what he is feeling and how keeping Hailey within the group will end up benefiting them all on a family level as well as an intimate one.
Ilyas – a gargoyle.
I’ve only read about gargoyles in the context of Harry Potter fan fiction, so I was actually excited to discover this character here because it’s a new element for me in this genre, and I wondered what he would be like and what it would bring. I never expected to find that this particular gargoyle belongs to a ‘flight’ who are egotistical and ‘pure-blooded ’. Honestly, made me smile and think of Harry Potter again. Ilyas is quiet; he has peaceful restraint. He warms to Hailey in his own way. What I like about Ilyas and, actually, all of the men, is that they each have their own story outside of the group, which (A) makes for a more interesting read and (B) gives me a deeper look into their character, which helps me visualise and understand different narrative perspectives. Ilyas is dealing with a lot with the other gargoyles, and it is clear he needs an alternative setting but isn’t sure how to get it. I can see the struggle he is going through, but I also saw how the other male characters banded around him and tried to offer solutions. It’s part of why I like this group of men; they are very supportive of each other, and it shows through the plotline.
Louis – a werewolf.
It’s fair to say Louis is a puppy with boundless energy. If I were reading a book that were more stereotypical, he would be the character the reader first bonded to, the warmth between the inevitable testosterone. While it is fair to say that all the men in this book are MEN…there is no ego or vanity. Louis cares deeply for his friends, and he falls deeply very quickly, but he falls deeply for eternity. He is a very likeable character. He can calm down, coax, and charm a wide variety of creatures, which comes in handy in his line of work. He is also a mother hen who thrives on making sure everyone has food, is taken care of, and feels safe. His entire personality is something Hailey has not experienced enough of, and watching the change in Louis from Hailey’s presence was rewarding as the reader, but on a larger scale, a rewarding need for the two characters.
The book is chaptered in the POVs of all these characters. I find this style best for this genre; it lets the reader get to know each character more deeply.
The world we live in today is so far past problematic that no word can sum it up anymore. Every day that I read the news, I almost brace myself for what horrors have occurred now. It is almost a relief to escape reality and dive into a book. Even though this book is rife with creatures living among humans, the same issues plague them as plague the real world. It was very humanising, and though I doubt that was the book’s aim in any way, it was a thought-provoking read.
I expected the plot twist because it was the only path that made sense, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. This is a standalone novel, so everything was wrapped up with a bow, and I really enjoyed it because most reverse harem smut books are series. This was the perfect distraction read to calm me before and after my dentist appointment, and I enjoyed the visualisation it created in my mind, the depth of the individual characters, and the escape from reality.
