Review: Don't Cheat Me by Jackie May

Don't Cheat Me
(Nora Jacobs #2)
Jackie May
Release: May 21, 2018
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Borrowed via Kindle Unlimited

One month after Nora’s violent induction to the dangerous supernatural side of Detroit, she’s finally settling into her new life as the underworld’s token human. All she wants to do is mind her own business, enjoy her new friends, and stay safe. But that’s easier said than done when she’s such an enigma to everyone around her.

Thanks to her unique psychic abilities, she’s garnered a reputation for being mysterious and powerful. When the alpha of a local werewolf pack asks her to help him figure out who is stealing from him, she can’t say no, even though getting involved in pack business could have deadly repercussions.

While tangled up in a heap of werewolf troubles, Nora can’t quite shake her old vampire problem, either. Henry is practically stalking her, Parker is breaking down the walls around her heart, and Nora’s blatant fear of the blood-sucking monsters is a delicious temptation for the natural predators.

Nora’s succubus friend, Cecile, believes throwing her a “coming out” party into underworld society is the best way to solve all of her problems, but Nora disagrees. If the vampires and werewolves don’t kill her, Cecile’s party planning definitely will.

Review:

Don't Cheat Me is much lighter in tone than than the first book in the series, which devoted a lot of time to the abuse and trauma in Nora's past. Those things are still mentioned, and are still impacting her present as Nora deals with PTSD-type episodes, but they're not so prominent. Since I felt like there was too much of it in book one, I'm really happy to see it toned down here.

Where the first book introduced Nora to the local vampires, now we get to meet some of Detroit's werewolves. I loved those characters and learning about the series's werewolf mythos, but I wish they didn't focus on dominance so much when explaining their customs. Nora also finally learns where her powers come from. (And I totally called it!) I'm excited to see where the series goes with that revelation.

When I read book one, I didn't know that this series is a "slow burn reverse harem." (It's in the blurb on Goodreads and Amazon, but I don't think it was on Netgalley.) I was surprised to learn that since Nora basically has panic attacks when people touch her. But in this second book, you can start to see her group taking shape as Nora works through her issues. At this point, there's still nothing more than kissing in her relationships though.

I really enjoyed Don't Cheat Me! I wanted the next book in the series as soon as I finished this one. I'm excited to see where Nora goes from here.

    

4  stars

My reviews of other books in this series:
Don't Rush Me