Division Chief Seraphine Thomas is finally handling the snowballing situation in New York. She survived her first Valentine’s Day as Alpha and a whole new mess of problems, but is feeling more confident in her roles now that she’s laid a better foundation. The problem is there’s no safe way to handle what she needs to, and alone she’s not enough. But help comes in a very surprising away. The Alpha of one of the New York City packs sent a hitter to take care of Sera when she started forcing the system to work and he was on the wrong side of that. Though months ago, Sera still has a valid claim to retaliate. Plus, it’s the only non-human office that hasn’t been fully retrained, which is rather odd given the FBI is hiring new non-human agents to have teams in regular offices. Add to that, there are rumors of the regular NYC office being dirty, and it might take a miracle to pull this trick off without getting everyone dead. Thankfully, lipstick can be a magical thing if used right.
Seraphine Thomas is a crime series filled with Chicago attitude and a strong heroine that pushes what most would think a female lead capable of, along with the heat being involved with several men brings while trying to figure out what she wants.
Erin is a born Chicagoan who decided to state hop a bit, given she works from home. She currently resides in Georgia with her pup, Lord Vader Flynn. With an eclectic and addictive personality, there isn’t much that doesn’t interest her or she won’t pour herself into if it catches her fancy. She has always been interested in the darker aspects of life and mythologies—especially vampires, shifters, the occult, and anything paranormal.
To date, she has published more paranormal books than she can keep up with the characters for, in different genres with dedicated readers who await each release to her numerous series under any of the three Flynn names she writes.
This book has Sera and the FBI finally going to deal with the problem that is New York. The New York Alpha put a hit out on Sera when she first became Alpha of Chicago, which means she can deal with him without going through all the normal fights for the position with lower ranking wolves. Sera and her team ave been fighting to stay afloat since this happened and now they finally are going to deal with it.
To help her, her adopted mother has sent her eldest daughter to take control of the New York pack once it’s been cleaned up. Their first meeting does not go well. When they finally get to New York they find help from the fae and the vampires as well as the shifter council. Glad to see Apollo, that happiness is soon turned upside down with the other councilman he brought with him shows his darkness to Sera.
With all the paranormal stuff going on, you’d think there wouldn’t be much time for anything else, but you’d be surprised who the bad wolves get involved with in New York.
This book is very plot heavy and is back to how the series started with lots of crime fighting, whilst Sera is still trying to do her best for other people. It’s face paced and gripping. I highly recommend this book.
Review of the Seraphine Thomas Series by Erin Flynn (Books 1–18) ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Overall)
I’ve officially read all 18 books in the Seraphine Thomas series - yes, all of them - so you don’t have to (but maybe you’ll want to). I’m a longtime fan of Erin Flynn’s writing. Her stories are creative, emotionally rich, and often addictive. There's always at least one character per series you end up rooting for, and her talent for immersive world-building is undeniable.
That said, my experience with this series has been a bit of a rollercoaster. Let’s break it down honestly - but respectfully.
🔥 The Positives: Compelling Worldbuilding: The supernatural FBI + polyamorous twist is unlike most in the genre. Think Forever meets Castle with a Vampire Diaries vibe.
Long-Term Character Arcs: The series spans a wide timeline and shows dedication to character growth (even if not always in a direction I enjoyed).
Addictive Early Books: Books 1–7 had me hooked. They had humor, high-stakes emotional drama, and solid pacing. These earned a solid 3.5/5 stars from me.
😬 Mixed Feelings & Constructive Critique: 1. Tone and Authorial Voice While the author’s writing style is generally engaging, I personally found some of the commentary in the closing author’s notes and certain narrative choices to feel more personal or opinionated than expected in fiction. I completely understand the need to address issues like piracy, but I believe there might be more neutral or inclusive ways to communicate those messages.
2. Relationship Complexity vs. Clarity This isn’t a typical “Why Choose” or Reverse Harem setup. It’s a deeply layered polyandrous dynamic - messy, intricate, and sometimes emotionally chaotic. If you're looking for straightforward bonding arcs, be prepared: the relationship development gets incredibly convoluted. Personally, I found the shifting dynamics between mates, sirened partners, consorts, and friends-with-benefits confusing as the series progressed. A glossary or relationship map might be helpful in future installments.
3. Character Fatigue By Book 18, I found myself struggling to connect with many of the characters - especially the main character, Sera. She starts off as a resilient, sharp, and likable FMC, but over time, her decisions and relationship management felt inconsistent or frustrating. The push-pull dynamic in her personal life, paired with very little progress in her supernatural education even 18 books in, made it difficult for me to continue rooting for her.
Many love interests were introduced with big emotional weight, only to fade into the background or disappear altogether. Some characters who were well-developed and emotionally resonant (like Dain or Tristan) seemed to get less closure or fair treatment than others who felt more peripheral. In contrast, some relationships dragged on without significant development or payoff.
4. Pacing & Structure Books 8–18 dropped to a 2.5/5 rating for me. The pacing slowed, and more focus seemed to shift toward commentary and expanding the cast rather than continuing the central storyline. Political and social themes started to feel more prominent than the core plot, which I found distracting from the fictional narrative I was invested in.
🧍♀️Sera Thomas (FMC): Early-series Sera was fantastic: witty, brave, emotionally complex, and vulnerable. I loved her journey through the early books. But as the series continued, her indecision, emotional volatility, and seeming lack of introspection made it harder to sympathize with her. She often reacted rather than reflected, and by Book 18, she felt less like a hero and more like a character stuck in loops.
💔 On the MMCs: Too many to list fully, but here are some key points:
Tristan: Felt unfairly treated by both the narrative and Sera. He brought a lot to the story emotionally and deserved more.
Dain: A standout for me. Loyal, strong, and emotionally available. Frustratingly underappreciated by Sera.
Brian, Riley, Hagan/Reagan: Relationships with these characters didn’t feel satisfying or necessary by the end.
Noah, Axel, Eugene, Jason: Struggled to leave a lasting impression. Some started strong but faded, others never quite clicked.
Carter: Felt like his storyline was mishandled. A simple conversation would have solved a lot.
Ari, Virgil, Lucca, etc.: Either forgotten or sidelined. At 18 books in, I’m struggling to remember who’s still important and who isn’t.
⚠️ Final Thoughts: This series started with a bang but has become increasingly complex - sometimes at the expense of clarity, pacing, and emotional payoff. I’d still recommend it to readers who enjoy dark paranormal romance with poly themes, complex emotions, and an ongoing world that spans dozens of characters.
But for me, the series may have reached its natural peak. I’m unsure whether I’ll continue with future books unless there’s a notable shift in focus and tone. Still, Erin Flynn’s creativity and dedication to her characters is commendable, and I hope future installments bring some much-needed resolution to long-standing arcs.
TL;DR: Started strong with a bold and complex heroine in a unique supernatural world. Became bloated with characters and unresolved plot threads. A frustrating but ambitious series worth reading - if you have patience.
I’ve been none stop reading this series for a week now and have absolutely fallen in love. I’ve written a review before on another of the series but need to write one for this book as well as it is my favorite so far. The FMC is literally my hero. She is what I have always wanted in a strong female main character but had yet to find a consistency in said character. This one is top dog for me. She is who all other strong FMC’s strive to be in my mind. The growth through the series, knowing her faults, knowing when to say enough is enough with new men, and so so much more. I will re-read this series for the rest of my life and wish I could read it all for the first time again. I love it so very much. I have never been so moved by a character before. I’ve laughed, cried, felt my heart break, felt anger on her behalf and overall am in awe of her. The author should be very very proud of her work. I know some authors never get the appreciation they deserve for some of their best work because of one reason or another but this series should be talked about world wide. I have recommended it to so many people in my day to day life. I was at Barnes and Noble yesterday for my birthday and someone asked me for a recommendation and my first thought was this series even as I was holding 3 great books to recommend. If I had the money I would buy this series twice in physical copies just to have one myself and another to lend out or put on a special shelf in my home to go untouched because this series just became my new favorite series overall which to most doesn’t seem like a big deal but I have had the same favorite series since I was 15. I am now 24 as of yesterday and this will be my favorite series for many many years to come. Thank you Erin R Flynn for blowing my mind and giving my heart so much to love. Please keep writing and sharing with the world your greatness as you deserve to be recognized more and I can’t wait to read more from you. Thank you. Just thank you.
I don't always write reviews for books I've read, but this author notes at the end of each book that reviews help. I know it does, I just don't always do it mostly due to me wanting to read the next book. I do always rate though.
Overall, I've enjoyed this series and will try to make time to go back and do reviews. As stated in my heading, this is a good series that will captivate you.
I only have a few issues with each book, mainly the editing. Several paragraphs don't make sense. They either have the wrong word used, misspelled words or there's not the necessary punctuation to separate each sentence ensuring the reader understands where there was a pause before reading forward.
The author's world he/she created is one that is fast paced with plenty of action, steam and drama. The MFC is one you feel for as she is a strong woman but she also goes through all the life issues any woman may have. She's strong but have a sweet side as well which the author portrays rather well. All the male characters in her life whether current or new, just adds to her appeal and the storyline.
I read this through KU. The thoughts provided is my personal opinion as an avid reader. I'm not an editor nor do I write so I don't know the ins and outs of being an author. I do know that authors spend lots of time creating worlds using their imaginations so that readers like myself can escape into the world they created. Their time and dedication to writing is very much appreciated.
This is book nine and I'm still interested enough to keep reading so kudos to you, Author!
Invading Alpha is the ninth book in the Seraphine Thomas series by Erin R. Flynn.
Well all of this interagency and Council cohesiveness was enjoyable in the grand scheme of things. But I am getting to the point where I'm overloaded as much as Sera is. In both how many problems everyone assumes she will solve for them, and her ever growing list of romantic entanglements.
I like this book series but it's becoming almost repetitive at this point. Sera is great at bringing the smackdown, and equally great at liberated the oppressed, and ferreting out corruption. But if there isn't an entire, or mostly, book dedicated to her getting a much deserved break and deep diving into her psyche or coming to understand herself more I don't know if I will be able to continue.
I will say that Flynn does a wonderful job of keeping even the repetitive interesting. It's only the most basic of qualifiers that is becoming rote. Each individual situation is easily identifiable and individual.
Also, we don't get nearly as much indepth detail into her actual pack. And pack life. I feel like that's an entire aspect of the series that's been left to flounder. Along side her Dorcus relations, and actually traveling to Greece to understand her Siren connections. We've only learned anything on that side of her new life by proxy; either her family visiting, or visiting Greece wolves.
I am worried what that cliffhanger will mean for her next, and that it will just bee another truly traumatizing experience for this character. When she hasn't even had time to recover from the many previous ones.
I have seen where people have compared this series to the Anita Blake series. As I have read and am a fan of that series as well I find the comparison laughable. There are some similarities in that they are both paranormal reverse harem stories and both lead females are some type of law enforcement. That is absolutely where the similarity ends. The Seraphine Thomas novels are, by far, a much better story. Each book builds off the last and takes the plot in some very unexpected directions keeping them fun to read and not falling flat after the first few books. Seraphine and all of her lovers and close friends and associates are all well fleshed out characters that have depth to them instead of just a 2d construct you find with secondary characters in a lot of novels. I am on tenterhooks waiting for the next novel to be released.
This book was awesome, even if a bit unbelievable. It's not the paranormal people or magic that's unbelievable, but that Sera and her crews took down the NYC pack, the Russian mafia, Ukraine cell involved with Russians, the Triad, Cartel, dirty NYPD, crooked IA AND a criminal law office in like 3 days. I'm EXTREMELY happy that there was barely any relationship stuff.. the author just focuses TOO MUCH of the books on that. Also the typos are killing me!! If it's not the wrong word, (ex quite/quit, change/chance, he/she, breath/breathe) it's a lack of commas that screw up the sentences' meaning and makes me reread too much, too often.
I am loving these books. The series is near impossible for me to put down. But I have to eat and do those essential every day things. I enjoy the strong characters especially how the female lead is written. Apollo's friend scares me too, and may need incenerating. I forget how that relationship goes. Reading on so will find out. These books are for everyone to read. Men in society need to learn to treat women better. Women in society need to learn to treat each other better, and think more highly of ourselves and our self worth. Erin maybe should write a how to guide for young girls and women on building self confidence, being more assertive in society not only the workplace. Awesome series, thank you.
Sorry, I had to take a break from this book the new Outlander book came out. So, my review isn't going to be much of anything because I forgot most of it (my fault, not the author, I have migraines). I did like the book very much, I love seeing Sera blast her way through all the bullshit, crime, and wrongdoing. I am loving the series and can't wait to find out WHAT HAPPENED at the end (no spoilers). I love the fact she is so in love with Brian (a human) and that she just treats everyone the same - I get in trouble doing that. She's tough but also very naive in the ways of things (I get that). Great job!!!
I'm completely hooked on this series. It pretty much hits every mark for me. It has well plotted thought provoking storylines. I enjoy the personalities of the characters and their interactions. Most are truly entertaining with unique quirks and traits. There's plenty of action, adventure, while sprinkled throughout with humor, and romance. This series blends the challenges of being a member of the paranormal community trying to live alongside humans. I highly recommend you read this series.
I love all of the stories in this series. Usually by the time I get 5 or 6 books into a series, I'm bored. Not with this one. It is one of my favorite go to series and I have read them a dozen times. Sera intrigues me and I find myself wandering where her story will take her next. I have to say I want more of Axel. I have a soft spot for the delicious tiger. :) can't wait for more
I have been enjoying this series. When she gets the balance between crime, paranormal and personal life/romance right the books are great (not all books in this series have this balance). It also seems like as the series progresses the books are being rushed. The story line is still good but the number of typos and similar errors are increasing. She needs someone to proofread the stories
Once again our heroine has had to clean up another city, even got shot twice to get it done 😃. The author also shows how stressful Sera's job is 😖. I truly believe it would be wonderful if we had paranormal's that could help make this a better place 😍. Thanks again Erin, although some people bitch about the sex, I truly LOVE it, cuz it gives you something else to focus on instead of just the bad stuff 🤓.
This is another great story in the Seraphine Thomas series. I am always so excited when the next book comes out. I also love that they are long and not just short little stories but well thought out with plot lines that tie in and keep the reader wanting to know what happens next.
Loving th series (five stars after all) but I HATE cliffhangers! Did I say I hate cliff hangers? Erin, please, I beg of you! Finish and publish the next book! She better get some serious spoiling after she gets rescued and she better have nothing permanent done to her!
Still going strong into book nine. I'm loving the extra chapters at the end of the book. I love getting other points of view. All so I think the conclusion cheaper is great because so much happens, but I don't feel like anything wasn't settled and just forgotten. Everything always comes together
Just finished book 9 and am about to read 10! I’m loving this series. It’s a great ride and really fun to read…just enough good and bad situations to keep you asking for more! Start at book one but be prepared, you will be rapidly pulled into Sera’s world!
What a ride !! I love Sera. I have from the very first book . My eyes are already watching for the next book ! Can't be too soon for me . The storyline is one of the best , going all over the place ! There is nothing boring about this series . I need more
Oh my god! I can’t believe Sera said all that to the councilman!!! Oh my god! I love her but it was scary!! And wtf what happened to her?!?! I need the next book ASAP
Oh my gosh, what is gonna happen next to poor sera, the last sentence had my heart rate sky rocketing. I love this series so much! It's so good and just keeps bringing the action.
This series is absolutely addicting from the first book and continues to hold your attention through all of the following books. I love the strong female lead working to make the world a better place
Whoa what a cliffhanger! I cannot wait to read the next in the series! As always it has been an action packed and entertaining ride with Sera. She definitely had to deal with more than enough shit in New York but wow that cliffhanger!
Talk about a cliffhanger. These books are so good, I've been reading the back to back. This is the first time in this series there was a cliffhanger, and Erin did it right. I really love these books.
At last New York and wow! The characters are lovely and engaging. The plot was a little slow in spots but enjoyed the story. Can't wait for the next book.
This has a lot of twists and turns. I like that we are starting to see individual relationships form. I also like that we see a foundation. I hope it continues