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The Suitable 'Verse #4

A Suitable Stray [For an Outguard and an Assistant]

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Tiiran is just trying to keep the Great Library running. The library has existed for centuries, but after decades of political upheaval, everyone in charge of the revered institution seems to have vanished, leaving only Tiiran and a handful of assistants to keep the lights on.

With a creatively foul mouth and no patience for nobles, Tiiran has a ferocious reputation for defending the library, which is the only home he’s ever known. Abandoned by both his fae and human parents, Tiiran learned to fend for himself long before the older librarians abandoned him too, meaning he’s more hissing alley cat than well-mannered administrator.

About the only person Tiiran softens for is Orin, an unusual outguard with a taste for poetry and a string of eager submissives trailing after him, or so rumors suggest. Big as a bear, but patient and gentle with Tiiran, Orin has been trying to warn Tiiran about the dangers in the palace, especially with Tiiran’s temper and too-honest way of speaking. No one has ever been so concerned for Tiiran, or worked so hard to get Tiiran to trust them… or playfully threatened to put Tiiran over his knee. Orin makes Tiiran feel things that Tiiran has no words for.

He’s equally flustered when a new assistant as the library seems determined to help him. Nikoly is friendly, beautiful, and likes to joke about serving Tiiran… if that is a joke. If Tiiran were anyone else, he’d say Nikoly has been flirting with him. But Tiiran is spiky and difficult on a good day, and doesn’t know anything about that sort of bed sport. Someone like Orin is probably more of what Nikoly is looking for, so Nikoly must be after something else, possibly even Orin himself.

Tiiran would much rather focus on library business than on feelings he doesn’t understand or expect to be reciprocated. But Orin and Nikoly are set on luring this stray cat to a cushion by the fire so they can show him what love is, one with a firm hand and the other with sweet submission. Neither of them considered that taming a fae-touched, fiery spirit like Tiiran means he will love as fiercely as he does everything else, and will do whatever it takes to protect who, and what, he cares about, no matter the danger.

m/m/m romance

372 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 6, 2025

61 people are currently reading
88 people want to read

About the author

R. Cooper

80 books982 followers
I'm R. Cooper, a somewhat absentminded, often distracted, writer of queer romance. I'm probably most known for the Being(s) in Love series and The Suitable 'Verse stories. Also the occasional story about witches or firefighters in love.

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5 stars
120 (50%)
4 stars
63 (26%)
3 stars
42 (17%)
2 stars
13 (5%)
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1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Kassu.
814 reviews21 followers
May 18, 2025
3.5⭐

While there were some excellent passages here and there, I liked these characters, especially the prickly Tiiran, this is probably the most unnecessarily long R. Cooper book yet. It goes around in circles and it feels like half of the book could be cut. Then the plot picks up quite abruptly in the end and finishes in a much faster pace than the majority of the story.

The charm of this series is still there, and it really made me want to re-read the other titles. Unfortunately sometimes I felt more like putting this one down to pick another one up. 😅 I'm also not a fan of spanking (which Tiiran admittedly is) so that was another reason this one didn't engage me quite as much as most of the other books in the series or from the author in general.
Profile Image for Cabert A.
234 reviews
May 17, 2025
3.5 stars

I'm a big fan of R Cooper's work, and there were two things I found pretty frustrating in this one.

The first 200 pages or so were really dull to me - full of pining, misunderstanding, obliviousness, and no plot at all. Some of those events had to happen to develop relationships, but I swear the conversations were so repetitive. It really needed to be cut down by at least 100 pages. The most exciting event was that a bookshelf broke and a carpenter came to repair it.

Secondly, I was frustrated by all the build up in several scenes just to fade to black. I admit this is a personal preference and not the fault of the author, but it's like teasing the reader. It happened more than once.

With that said, I still really enjoyed the second 2/3 of the book. The kinks were good, and I hadn't seen these combos of D/s orientation previously. The plot toward the end also had me at the edge of my seat. I was left really wanting more of the HEA given how much I had bought it to the relationship.

I would happily read more, but it's not my favorite in the suitable verse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Yvonne.
1,327 reviews
May 12, 2025
Around twice as long as two of the earlier books. While an okay read, all of the internal monologuing got tedious and I found it rather heavy going.
Profile Image for Kevin.
2,653 reviews37 followers
June 15, 2025
This paranormal MM romance overlaps a much better book that I had already read, and shares some characters, settings and events.
This book is much too long, and almost nothing happens until the second half.
Profile Image for Human Person.
84 reviews4 followers
May 24, 2025
4.5 stars. Pulled on my heartstrings in the best way. Like A Suitable Consort (with which this has some overlap), there's a bit of plot in the background, but it's minor. The focus is on the love story. I *adore* the main character, Tiiran. He's prickly and emotionally dense, but loves with his whole heart. Very charming.

The love interests, Orin and Nikoly, are less compelling on page. They have interesting qualities, but maybe too interesting for the scale of this book. I almost always prefer single POV (which this is) but I think this would have been stronger with Orin's and Nikoly's perspectives.

That said, this really is quite charming. Although the relationship dynamic isn't 100% my usual cup of tea, I enjoyed reading something a bit different. The BDSM elements aren't super intense, but are intrinsic to their relationship(s). I think certain readers will really appreciate the fluid Dom/switch/sub dynamic.

My favorite aspect of the story is Tiiran's emotional growth. Although he's inexperienced in love and exceedingly clumsy in interpersonal interactions, he's sharp-witted and quick to pick up on his partners' motivations. But even as he grows, he doesn't lose his wildness.

I think I'll probably enjoy this a lot more the second time I read. It wasn't completely what I expected, and I think that threw me off. But it's undeniably good.

Note, this does have some overlap with Book 1 in this series, but can be read as a standalone. However if you're interested in Book 1, might be better to read that first as this references the events of that book in the epilogue.
Profile Image for Lisa.
1,439 reviews5 followers
May 12, 2025
It was good to visit the Suitable universe again and to get greater insight into the workings of the Royal Library. This story takes place in the months before Bk 1 in the series with some overlap into Bk 1 from a different perspective. Tiiran is a fae-abandoned young man, who grew up often mistreated and in poverty. Through a lucky connection, he began to work in the library and has risen to be de facto in charge after the library is ignored by the king and nobles. His childhood and his fae blood have made him snippy, harsh, untrusting, lonely, unconcerned with his own care, and deeply devoted to the library. It is his life.

Tiiran has two men in his sphere who seem special, but he cannot be sure. Each one handles him slowly and patiently. Nikoly is a library assistant who is likes to take direction from Tiiran and to watch out for his daily needs. Orin is an outguard who often stops in the library while at the castle, spending hours reading and talking to Tiiran. Orin has a dominant personality and Tiiran likes it - a lot.

This long book has exquisite character development with slow-burn relationships that incorporate a lot of time for healing and development of trust. As the triad forms, elements of dominance and submission with some bondage and impact play, develop. About 3/4 of the way into the book, the threat of an overthrow of the king emerges and danger enters the story. This is another view of the story in Bk 1. I hope to read more from this world.

141 reviews16 followers
May 11, 2025
This is the review I wrote about the first book in this series, after I finished the third. What is … distressing is that in that review, I complained that these were basically all the same book.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

This book differs in the following ways:

In this specific book, he’s a librarian assistant who is plain unwilling to care about his appearance but likes fashion and fancy jewels. All of the books are about people who take five million years to realize other people have fallen for them, and who talk endlessly about how love works without realizing that this is both annoying and also that the people who they are talking to are falling for them. They His new beaux are involved in deeply complex palace intrigues while over-explaining them to their conversation partners while under-explaining them to their readers. And they’re ultimately little and cute and fuckable, and that is their secret weapons while also being about to become the most powerful people in all the land, though that comes right when after the books end.

There are ways in which this book is structurally pretty sound, and the author does write decent fiction. But the endlessness of these books, and the “are they really all the same book?!”-ness gets, well, quite old.
Profile Image for Sidonie.
420 reviews9 followers
May 28, 2025
A very indulgent book, long and filled to the brim with the classic R. Cooper things: lots of pining, play with power dynamics, extremely strong emotions, things not-quite-said, love interests repeating each other’s names in italics when they feel overwhelmed or have realizations. All of which means that if you are interested in what Cooper is selling (and I am!) you’ll probably have a decent time. But as much as I did enjoy plenty of it, I did feel a persistent desire for a stronger editorial hand. There was a lot of basically repeated conversation, almost no plot until the end, and the reveals would have hit much harder with a clearer, more focused narrative. I also felt a little like the indulgence meant the characters weren’t quite as distinct as they could have been—Cooper has a couple patterns they return to a lot and here it felt a bit repetitive of previous work (especially with Mattin and Arden and Mil right there for comparison). Easily the weakest of the series. But I like this world and Cooper’s authorial sensibilities, and the sex was great, so that counts for something.
Profile Image for Eponine821.
143 reviews
June 18, 2025
Good story. Needs some editing.

This book needs a pass from a line editor. It’s got some errors throughout, mostly missing words that are easily assumed. I lowered the rating because it didn’t just happen once or twice.

The story is told from the perspective of Tiiran, a man that is highly insightful about systems, but dense as a post regarding people. So there are moments when he’s the smartest person in the room intermixed with moments where he totally misreads the situation. Amazingly, this works. After all, real people contain contradictions.

The other two main characters also have contradictions: ways in which they are strong and ways they are weak. Eventually, it’s clear that the three are a perfect match for each other, since their strengths and weaknesses complement each other.

I’ve been following along since the beginning of this series, so I know the confusion of reading it in the print order. I recommend reading this book as third in the series, but saving the epilogue for after Mattin’s book, since that’s chronological.
75 reviews
July 25, 2025
I couldn’t decide on 3 or 3.5 stars, but though I feel bad about it, 3 seemed more true to how the story made me feel. I really enjoyed Tiiran a lot, I did. And him being fae touched and mad about it was great. But I don’t think his issues of abandonment were actually addressed to satisfaction, and that’s WITH this book being over 500 pages. And again FIVE HUNDRED pages…and the only sex scene is a fade to black number in the middle of the book?? Some parts really dragged too, and I found myself not drawn to turning more pages, especially by the end.

It sucks, but this book was kind of a disappointment? Especially after realizing that we weren’t going to get another sex scene after all the build up. I liked that we got to see Mattin, but mostly reading this book made me want to read Mattin and Zelli’s books again.
Profile Image for Julie Yates.
651 reviews2 followers
August 17, 2025
2.7 Do not recommend. This was a slog and I almost DNF'd but the last 2o percent was (suddenly) action packed and good. The 3 MCs have almost no chemistry: Tiiran is truly, ridiculously oblivious while his friends - not to mention his potential boyfriends Orin and Nickoly!- are a bit cruel to allow him to continue remain oblivious, to feel unloved when a clear conversation would have ended his insecurity and self hatred.

It feels like nothing happens forever and then suddenly the plot took off? They talk and talk and talk and talk - but never clearly enough to allow Tiiran to feel loved? Like, that is pretty much the opposite of romance.

Also, the huge number of pet names went from amusing to annoying. Kitten, ducking, honeybee, little cat, bee ... sunflower?

Meh. This wasn't for me which is a shame since I LOVED Fox of Fox Hall and 4 star'd book 1 of this series.
Profile Image for Sarah☀️ Somerville.
1,684 reviews19 followers
May 8, 2025
I enjoy R. Cooper's writing, and I enjoy the world and the series timeline - I like how book 4 is set before the events of book 1. I enjoyed the relationship dynamics and the challenges they faced.

I liked this book, but I didn't love it. I didn't feel that the major world events were as neatly intertwined with the relationship development as in the two previous books. It felt more like there was a big chunk of relationship then a little chunk of plot. The relationship development felt long, repetitive, so much talking, more exhausting than usual. Tiiran spent so much time talking about other people having sex - Orin, Nikoly, Po, random assistants and outguards in the library... okay, enough already!!
Profile Image for Jaxx.
150 reviews14 followers
May 10, 2025
I love R. Cooper's writing. I love how they build the dynamics between characters, and the dialogue, on sweet and cozy subtext, often times frustrating for what is left unsaid, but ultimately delectable. Cooper is a master at it, and I will always be a reader.

I think this particular Suitable Verse was less of a story and more of an exploration of a dynamic. Because of this, it wasn't my fave, more so because I didn't feel fully invested in that particular dynamic. I wish there had been a bit more plot intrigue and less repetition of internal turmoil.

I also wish Tiiran's fae side was more apparent, as was in the other half-fae suitable verse.

But it's always a treat whenever Cooper releases a new work, and fans of theirs are still sure to enjoy this.
Profile Image for M.
236 reviews6 followers
May 23, 2025
A prequel to A Suitable Consort (a book I loved), with a lot of Mattin (and in an epilogue, his husbands), and a lot of those things R. Cooper does so well, the secret pining for somebody who loves the MC pining back, the low self esteem getting healed, the fantasy worldbuilding which is convincing. And a big library!

I should have loved it, but it so so so so wordy and maze like, they kept talking precisely of the same feelings a dozen of times all over and it was all so contrived, so so long (two and a half times the length of a Suitable Consort). All that and there was something unexpected, a scene, the first time the MC and one his suitors have sex is fade to black, surely not, but yeah it seems so, they did have sex on their own off page. All that talk and innuendo and we do not get Tiiran's feelings and their dynamic on that occasion, I don't get it.

Reading the afterword I think this was a Patreon book, and that might explain the length and it might be better read as a serial (maybe the missing scene is an extra?). Patreon originated novels republished hardly ever work for me but I am not that hardcore fan of anybody really and this reinforces that prejudice of mine. I wish I had realized that before starting this.

I was so in for another book on this universe set in the library, but I am probably not the reader target for this, it was much too long too wordy and disappointing (to me) as a standalone novel.
Profile Image for Snow.
1,335 reviews10 followers
July 18, 2025
3.25 stars.

this was cute and detailed and had the right amount of angst. it's a long book, but it was definitely worth it. the whole book is about the heroes and their relationship, and it never got boring. the characters fit together beautifully, though the dynamic isn't my favorite (one dominant, one submissive, one versatile).
i enjoyed A Suitable Consort more, because the dynamic is more my speed (two heroes dominating the third).

(note: goodreads says 370 pages, but my kindle says 500 pages. based on how many hours it took me to finish the book, I'd agree with my kindle.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Tira.
51 reviews
May 19, 2025
First love the MC's name.
This was a nice "prequel" to the Suitable 'Verse with sweetheart Mattin, too.
Tiiran, Orin and Nikoly were so cozy and warm with each other. I really enjoyed the way they spoke over Tiiran's head sometimes. The only thing that was strange was when they would have one those deep talks when Po or someone was near. That gave me second hand embarrassment. Not a spicy as other books in the series, however the tenderness and romance were still sweet.
Profile Image for Shelba.
2,683 reviews98 followers
May 23, 2025
Am I slightly baffled why the romance wasn’t clicking for me? Definitely. Spanking aside, it had a lot of things I loved… but I just didn’t care.

Do I wish this had a little less sex and kink, and a little more wooing and hair braiding? For sure. But that's just my personal preference.

I do love the Suitable ‘Verse. This was my least favourite, and took me quite a bit longer to read than most R. Cooper books. But I still enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Kir Reads Books.
332 reviews1 follower
May 11, 2025
Fantastic!

A lovely new addition to the series. It was thoroughly enjoyable to get another peek into the library and it’s running, revisit old and new characters. Tiiran, Nikoly and Orin are perfectly wonderful and only more so together.
Profile Image for Emma.
627 reviews
May 14, 2025
3.75 I liked the characters but it felt about a 100 pages too long with inconsistent pacing. I love the dithering and the fretting and the figuring things out that Cooper’s characters do-it just felt a loooong amount.
202 reviews
May 15, 2025
Such a good story

The Suitable books are some of my favorite and I loved how this book tied into the others. The fey seem to have plans and you can see their influence on the characters, even when some of the characters are obvious.
Profile Image for Duke Silver's Duchess.
853 reviews
July 14, 2025
I have loved all the books in this series but there was something about the pacing of this one that just felt slow to me. I found myself putting it down a lot and not feeling the urge to pick it back up again.
34 reviews
May 27, 2025
More sass

Tiiran
Mine, both, yes I keep thank you
Same breath "fuck the fae
I'm pretty sure they find it amusing
Profile Image for Trefoil.
442 reviews16 followers
June 15, 2025
2.5 DNF at 21%. this is incredibly wordy
Profile Image for Mere Rain.
Author 28 books33 followers
Currently reading
August 8, 2025
Chapter 8. The two suitors of oblivious Tiiran have finally ended up in the same room.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews

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