Captive of the Horde King by Zoey Draven

I'm not ashamed to say it: I'm officially in my Literary Hoe Era. For me, the key has been a healthy suspension of disbelief that men like this exist, even within the confines of a completely fictional world, fictional planet, fictional species; that in this universe, a man in a position of authority can both see the value in a woman with a strong sense of self, intelligence, ethics, while honoring those traits, not just with words but also action - it's almost beyond believing.

Here's a rundown without spoilers: A human woman who lives in a kind of barren settlement of another species' planet is taken by the leader of this tribe made up, seemingly exclusively, of burley humanoid men with tails so that her brother's life could be spared. She's expected to be his queen, but the only thing she knows of them is that they are savage and mean and generally terrible. Except of course they aren't. And she begins to see that, which is complicated since she doesn't want to like him, or his people. So she's stuck trying to navigate this new culture, the dangers from outside the horde, the dangers within, as well as figure out her own feelings about her hot new husband (oh...no...not that how terrible oh no...).

Again, I'm new to this genre but I feel like this book is solid. Yes, the tropes abound, however there were only two things that truly disturbed me about this story and they are 1) too much talking about putting babies in this woman and 2) THE CONSTANT CAMPING. Like, ew. That's her life now, having babies and camping. GROSS. I don't think I can continue this series if every woman is going to be forced into constant pregnancy and CAMPING (honestly, I can't really determine which is worse). It's no way to live. Like, clearly she's into it and that's great for her but no. Just no. Too far. I'm on board with the tails, which I never saw coming for me, but I cannot live in a tent and have your babies I am so not sorry.