I don't get overly-contorted from it, but I also have the advantage of seeing the 3D models and rotating them to see from all angles, so I know what her full body pose is.

I do get that she's apprehensive and pulling back from him, and that's deliberate, as I wanted there to be a light story throughline from books 1-3, based on what I think the general run of the story in this subgenre is: reluctant mate(s) in #1, bond under pressure in #2, and full acceptance in #3.