Rating: 4 stars out of 5
A Sinners Series Novella
Miki St. John’s life has been turned upside down but it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him.
His best friend, Damien Mitchell, is back from the dead. He has a dog named Dude. And more importantly, he and his lover, SFPD Inspector Kane Morgan, now share Miki’s converted warehouse.
For the first time ever, Miki’s living a happy and normal-ish life but when Valentine’s Day rolls around, Miki realizes he knows next to nothing about being domestic or domesticated. Nothing about the traditional lover’s holiday makes sense to him but Miki wants to give Kane a Valentine’s Day the man will never forget.
Can he pull off a day of wine and roses? Or will his screwed up childhood come back and bite Miki in the ass?
Rhys Ford’s The Devil’s Brew is a novella that slides in between Whiskey and Wry (Sinners, #2) and Tequila Mockingbird (Sinners #3), both full scale continuations of the Sinners series. At 70 pages, it concentrates on Mika and a singular crisis in his life. Valentine’s Day. For other’s it’s merely stressful or happy occasion but for the near feral Miki, with his heinous foster life, its a completely unknown element.
One of the benefits of bringing Damien back to life is that it gives Rhys the ability to compare and contrast these two characters. Brothers in everything but blood and background, Damien is a social being, He gets holidays and loves Valentine’s Day. He’s expects presents and gives them. Damien and Sionn are on the same extravagant page.
On the flip side, Mike is shocked to find out that’s its a holiday. He has to be clued in. That happens only to be told that he has to find a present for Kane, that Kane probably always has a present for him, and that its all a very big deal and he’s panicking because he’s has no idea. He was raised outside of any culture, other than that of abandonment and abuse.
Damien and Sionn appear briefly to set Miki into shock and motion. Its then that Rhys Ford’s quick-fire descriptions and ability to deliver the power of a character’s emotions, however inarticulate they maybe, within a scene comes to life. The reader feels Miki’s inability to understand what’s going on, his lack of emotional foundation for the holiday. We also get that Mike feels especially shaky because his relationship with Kane and the Morgan family is still so new.
I have always loved that as the intensity builds, Fords uses humor the level it a bit, whether its Dude, the irrepressible terrier or in this case “a chunk of forest leftovers”…that “a blind gypsy dropped off a tribute to Herne in your living room.” That last bit was courtesy of one of my favorite other characters in the series, the Morgan clan father, Donal Morgan, who has a special relationship with Miki. The part he plays here will bring tears to your eyes. At least it did to mine. And some laughs as well.
It all ends on a hot, sexy note as all great Valentine’s Day’s should, making it one to remember. With The Devil’s Brew, Rhys Ford made 70 pages seem full and rich, a terrific thing for a novella. I highly recommend this story, this series and this author.
Cover art by Reece Notley is nice but has little to do with the subject of the story other than the main character. Still does a good job of branding the series.
Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | 
Book Details:
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 