4 out of 5 stars
https://claims.prolificworks.com/public/vebxRkqe
Blurb:
I’m just an ordinary guy… who feeds on sexual energy. I never knew my dad. Mom said he was a nice enough guy, but she never got his name. Then a government agent shows up and announces that I’m not really human. Dear old Dad was an incubus, a being that needs sexual energy to survive. Apparently that means I am too. Gotta be a scam, right?
Or so I think… until Agent Cutie changes into a canine (not a werewolf) in my living room. Turns out, other species do exist.
Being a stripper means that all my incubus needs are being met without even trying. And now that I know the situation in my pants is normal, a fling with Agent Mark is definitely on the table.
Between being sexy Santa at work, feeding hellhounds cookies, and learning what sexual stamina really is, I’m not so ordinary at all
Likes:
- Short and sweet.
- Community explanation for Christmas/Jesus
- Got to see some of Sam’s old team.
- Neil and Mark, together and separately.
- Positive sex work.
- Versatile couple.
- Nice to see a main character who’s not with the CSG.
- Easy to find.
Dislikes:
- Didn’t actually get to see Neil’s incubus dick.
- Made me feel a little bad for Noah.
- Not much on-page smut.
- Only found the novella through prolific works.
Unlike the two bonus short stories for the Hidden Species series, this novella was listed under Louisa Masters’ name on prolific works. That made it easier to find than the short stories, but at the same time, I only found out that it existed because I searched her name. The novella isn’t listed on Goodreads, and I haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere.
It’s definitely not a necessary read, but I enjoyed it. Neil is an incubus, which is a species that hasn’t been shown in detail in any of the books. There’s actually a lot in this novella that’s never been shown in any of the novels. Neil is the first main character doesn’t work for the CSG. He gets the whole ‘you’re not actually human’ introduction, which includes a visit from Mark, counselling, and ‘new to the community’ chat groups.
Since neither Sam or Noah got the normal treatment, it was nice to see how it worked. In fact, I ended up feeling a little bad that Noah didn’t get a chance at getting the normal treatment. I understand why it wasn’t possible, since the CSG was trying to keep his presence a secret from the bad guy. But still, he could have used the community chat groups.
Mark is part of the team Sam left behind when he went to work with Gideon’s team. It was nice to get to see those guys, however briefly. They clearly missed Sam, especially his homemade cookies. It was a nice tie-in with the series at large.
Mark was nice. He had the typical hellhound energy, and it was fun watching him try to keep Neil a secret because he didn’t want to share Neil’s cookies with the rest of the team. Neil himself was easy to like. He was full of good cheer, and I liked that his incubus influence made his neighborhood feel warm and welcoming.
The fact that Neil worked as a stripper was treated like it was no big deal, which I liked. In fact, it was the perfect job for an incubus like him. There’s too much hatred towards sex workers of any kind, and I was glad that there was none in this book.
There wasn’t much on-page smut, though both men were versatile. I was especially disappointed not to see Neil’s incubus dick. Each species has a different shaped dick, and while Neil’s was described, it wasn’t shown.
I wouldn’t have minded if the novella was longer. I think there were definitely places that could have been expanded on. Still, it was a fun, cute read. The Christmas theme was especially nice, and it was fun seeing how confused Mark was about Christmas traditions. I also liked the community explanation for Christmas and Jesus.
Be sure to check out my reviews for Demons Do It Better (Hidden Species #1), One Bite With a Vampire (Hidden Species #2), Hijinks With a Hellhound (Hidden Species #3) , and the Hidden Species Bonus Short Stories.
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