Queen B’s Decree: The reason I love a rejected mate trope is for only one reason: GROVEL. And dang, Caden is pretty good at it.
Basically Caden places blame wrongly for years and Avery pays the price. But once their mating bond gets kickstarted, it’s like a freight train that Caden just can’t stop and he eventually realizes that he’s a giant idiot. Watching that man beg for Avery’s forgiveness just gave me a justice boner and I loved that she makes him work for it.
Fated mates is one of my favorite paranormal tropes and Alpha’s Burden does it well. While the magic pushes them together, what I appreciate most of all is that both Caden and Avery actively choose to accept it and work towards the other. There’s real relationship development (in addition to the spice wink-wink) that fleshes out the story.
Basically, Alpha’s Burden was my jam and I want more.
Book: Alpha’s Burden by Luna Lark
Series: Rejecting Fates #1
Genre: Paranormal/Shifters
Hotness: medium salsa
Plot Devices/Tropes: fated mates