Review: Brewtiful’s (Culinary Creatures Book 4) by L Eveland

Rating: 5🌈

Brewtiful’s is the heartwarming, wonderful finale story in L Eveland’s fantastic Culinary Creatures series. I’m so sorry to see this series end.

Bluz, the preceding novel, is a small masterpiece of storytelling that combined a old musical sounding style of Appalachian dialect , a vanishing American mountain voice, with a vivid location, mouth watering BBQ and layered memorable characters. It remains a top tier book for me.

Now Brewtiful’s, with characters, especially one, that could have been written as tragic but end up as triumphantly beautiful and with a joyful ending that brings this series to a satisfying conclusion.

Why have I fallen in love so quickly with this story? I’ll start with one of the main characters. Tripp Powers.

Tripp Powers has the emotional power to move the reader to tears but it won’t be immediately evident why. The clues, his halting words as he assembles his thoughts and sentences to give voice to his own inner feelings. It’s those beautifully written scenes that will carry Tripp’s sometimes jumbled excited messages that will melt the reader’s heart and that of Nicola Lightwing, a mothman he meets in Las Vegas.

You see Tripp is suffering from an injury that comes from being a ex-NHL hockey player. He’s got head/brain trauma from taking a hit. He’s in forced retirement, has memory issues, migraines, and more. He’s lost his passion and focus. But in an extraordinary way, found a new one.

Tripp is real, heartbreaking, and inspiring. And he wakes up married.

To a mothman.

Yes it’s a wake up married, bi-awakening, hockey romance in a paranormal world with antennas and it’s fabulous.

Tripp has a well written bi-awakening journey along with finding true love. Done with another character, Nicola Lightwing, a mothman. We met Nicola before in Bluz but he comes fully into his own here. He’s a successful agent who sacrifices his private life for his clients and now , because of an impulsive decision, has the potential to make changes for himself and Tripp.

Eveland’s story weaves a gentle reminder that sometimes the simplest thing can bring the best possible outcome to a person’s life. A cup of coffee, an act of kindness, a smile or even a positive saying to start the day with. Or find true love and happiness.

The author gives the characters depth of personality, intelligence, interesting uses of otherworldly sexuality, love in all its forms, and as always, a fabulous recipe at the end. Never miss out on those.

L Eveland’s Culinary Creatures is four books and I’ll always regret it isn’t more. But those four books are on auto reread for me, the last two in particular. The entire series is a must read for just splendid storytelling.

Pick up the series today and prepare for some joy in your day.

Culinary Creatures with great recipes at the end of each story:

✓ Brimstone #1

✓ Beefcake #2

✓ Bluz #3❤️+

✓ Brewtiful’s #4 ❤️-finale

Buy Link:

Brewtiful’s: A High Heat, Low Stakes MM Monster Romance Novella (Culinary Creatures Book 4)

Blurb:

They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas…unless you accidentally marry a mothman.

My name’s Tripp Powers, former NHL star, notorious playboy, and aspiring coffee connoisseur. My plan? Open a chain of coffee shops to brighten everyone’s day. All of that was going according to plan until I woke up in bed with a man.

And not just any man, but Nicola Lightwing, a mothman!

It’s a mistake we’re both keen to undo as fast as possible until we realize we have a lot in common. Nicola is smart, suave, and almost as obsessed with coffee as I am. With his help, I might even be able to make my coffee shop dreams into reality.

There’s only one problem. Until today, I was sure I was straight. Yet I can’t help but want to drink Nicola up, especially when he’s promised he’s good to the last drop.

Can I resist his bold advances? Or is a lifelong romance brewing?

• Publisher: Grim Cat Press LLC (November 15, 2023)

• Publication date: November 15, 2023

• Print length: 138 pages

Review: I Went on an Adventure and All I Got Was This Barbarian Orc: Crack Fantasy Adventure Chapter Three by Jennifer Cody

Rating: 5🌈

Necromancer Prince Lawton, his lover, the half Orc barbarian and founding member of the League of Extraordinary Rage, Berklak, and their merry crew of mismatched otherworldly beings are off on an adventure, I’m mean, mission to find out what’s plaguing the Kingdom of Fasgard. Turns out, it’s quite a lot.

So many mysteries , bodies, zombies, and magic gone awry.

Cody’s having a blast rolling the dice in a serialized story that’s , in the author’s words, playing out in a “lighthearted, fun TTRPG vibe”. For those who don’t know what this is, it’s a tabletop role-playing game. You grab paper, pencil or pens, and game is on with a bunch of people in various roles. Dungeon & Dragons being the hallmark here.

This has all the feels and more. I love the characters and, especially in this chapter, we get more growth and history along with the “event a minute “ storyline. Dwarves and every aspect that even has a side dwarven element is just amazing. From the dwarven mead to their ability to accept any other being as a dwarf if they have grown up in a dwarven environment is incredible. We absolutely believe in these dwarves, yes, we do.

Armus and Inghram’s relationship is looking intriguing, Darian, Frost (the Unbearded, which I’m still giggling about) and Tavia, all the crew members are developing further. So is the sexy bond between Lawton and Berklak.

Cody’s expanding the boundaries of the darkness plaguing the Kingdom while giving us and the intrepid crew very little answers. Hopefully more will come soon in the next chapter.

Until then, enjoy these short wonderfully entertaining stories for the format as well as the spontaneity that it narratively captures so well!

Buy Link:

I Went on an Adventure and All I Got Was This Barbarian Orc: Crack Fantasy Adventure Chapter Three

Blurb:

Lawton:

I expected challenges along the way in this adventure, but I didn’t expect to come face to corpse with the work of another necromancer. It pains me, but I can’t let just anyone carry on creating potential wights and contagious zombies. Fortunately, I know exactly how to fix the problem, even if it drains me dry. Thankfully, I have a Berklak to help me recover.

Berklak:

Mead—that’s all I need. At least that’s what I think, until my little necromancer reaches for a weapon that could kill him, and I realize that I might need a little bit more in life than the drink of orcs. It’s a good thing Lawton’s ok with me setting boundaries, because I need him to be safe, whole, and energetic, even if I have to give him everything I am to make that happen.

I Went on an Adventure and All I Got Was This Barbarian Orc is a five chapter serial fantasy adventure with a light-hearted, fun TTRPG vibe. Expect big magic, lots of cuddles, plenty of steam, and a team of characters that might not get a natural 20 on every roll, but they make up for it with creative solutions to both magical and mundane problems.

Review: Light from the Grave by Sara Dobie Bauer

Rating: 5🌈

What a stunner! Sara Dobie Bauer’s recent release, Light from the Grave is such fabulous cornucopia of paranormal elements of powerful magical families, beautifully crafted characters textured with layers of darkness, grief, and death, set into the mossy, old southern landscape of Charleston, South Carolina. Bauer’s plot is a thriller of horrifying beauty.

I was immediately entranced by the characters, the raw emotion that the author keeps pulling out of her scenes and how she can carry those heart wrenching memories over into a new situation that becomes an entirely different experience. One that may have humorous overtones.

Everyone here, each character, from childhood to adulthood, has experienced gut wrenching loss. And that pain, that overwhelming grief continues to haunt them deeply in various ways.

Dylan Quinn’s lost his foster mother and he’s unable to process her loss. It’s not the first or last deep grief he’s had to deal with but it’s the most devastating.

Bauer’s nightmarish descriptions of Dylan’s pain feels so real, the emotional turmoil and endless loop of mourning raw and believable. The power of the memories doesn’t have to be magical to make us feel what it’s putting him through.

More subtle, and deadlier is Keller Rex. Keller too has deeply suffered, and ,in turn , caused unbelievable losses. He’s been sent to bring Dylan to the Zaine ancestral home in Charleston. What type of magical creature he is should be left to the story as it’s so much a part of the powerful narrative.

But it’s the growth and revelations that Kelley’s presence and the death of Vivian Zayne start to bring about in Dylan that’s brings the darkness and magic to this story.

I just wanted to jump in and start reading it again after I finished to see what I’d missed the first time around.

There’s battles, zombies, crazy families, familiars (wish more had been done with the bobcats), and quite a few bittersweet moments. And a fierce young girl, Raven, who needs more page time, as she’s a great character on her own.

Actually, Light from the Grave by Sara Dobie Bauer is bursting with darkly detailed and fabulous scenes that make a reader want more than was left on the page. More of the characters in that army, more backgrounds, just more. Because what we did get was so imaginative and marvelous that we naturally needed more. Of everything and everyone.

Yes, this beautifully written and plotted book is a must read. It’s dark fiction and romance, just a reminder. So if grief, dying and death isn’t your thing, this might not be either.

It’s definitely mine.

Buy Link:

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Light-G…Light From The Grave – Kindle edition by Bauer, Sara Dobie. Paranormal Romance …

Blurb:

I’m what nightmares are made of, but I’m not sure who’s more dangerous: him or me.

In the world of witches, Keller Rex is a legendary monster—a dark sorcerer with a gift for suffering. He has long been the protector of the Zayne coven and their ancestral home in Charleston, South Carolina. When the family matriarch, Vivian Zayne, dies under mysterious circumstances, he is tasked with finding the only person who can open her sealed Book of Shadows: the son no one knew she had.

Dylan Quinn has never bothered to figure out why cats follow him everywhere, but it’s been that way for as long as he can remember. After the unexpected passing of his adoptive mother, he had to make a new home for himself in small-town Ohio. Things have been quiet ever since, but lately, there are strange voices in his dreams and a sense of being watched.

When a striking Southern gent appears in town, Dylan welcomes the distraction. Keller is handsome and charming, but Dylan can tell there’s something else, something eerie about him. And he discovers he’s right, as Keller goes from being Dylan’s seducer… to his abductor.

Now back in Charleston, Dylan’s newfound family is shocked when it’s discovered his magical affinity is for death itself. Despite his fears, he’ll need to learn to control his terrifying powers in order to open the Zayne Book of Shadows. He also needs to keep his coven safe, and time is running out. The estate’s protective wards expire on Halloween, and power-hungry witches from all over are ready to pounce.

While Dylan’s awakening darkness threatens to overwhelm him, Keller finds himself confronted by feelings he thought long dead. Keller will do anything to protect his young necromancer and open Vivian’s Book of Shadows, but the Zaynes are in for a surprise when Dylan resurrects someone he shouldn’t.

• Publisher: Carnation Books (October 24, 2023)

• Publication date: October 24, 2023

• Print length: 352 pages

Review: Sting in the Tail: Carnival of Mysteries by TA Moore

Rating:5+🌈

TA Moore, what a story! I love this so much! Although I feel I should put a titch of a warning out there for anyone looking for a feel good, cozy hearted romantic tale that they won’t get the book they’re looking for here.

A whopping fabulous story that has huge elements of horror, murder, mystery, and the paranormal. A bittersweetness and just plain bitterness, yes. All so beautifully written. But warm and fuzzy? Uh no.

But you kind of have to figure that goes hand in hand with a story who’s centered around a dead serial killer and his son who has to deal with the ramifications of the father’s debts. Not that his son isn’t as morally ambiguous a figure as dear old dad. He’s just not a serial killer.

Not in the entirety of this collection or in any recent books I’ve read have I met as intriguing and layered a character as Ledger Conroy. Moore could write legions of stories about him and Wren and never be done.

Ledger, son of convicted killer, Bell Conroy, returned to dispose of the old family house and the ghastly things that his dad might have left hidden inside. Why? Because , considering what they are, they would bring a profit. Ledger’s in the business of selling darkness, in the form of items, to people and beings who can use them. Yes, magic is real. And dear old dad dealt with the worst.

Every paragraph, every page adds depth and clarity of purpose to our character and history. Even as we get more information, I begrudge the the space the author isn’t able to give to the small elements introduced to fill out Ledger’s backstory. I need to know more about that sister!

Then there’s Wren, an otherworldly figure in service to a truly horrifying creature. I’ll leave Earl to the book. Make no mistake, Earl is one of the scarier nightmares to haunt any narrative.

Wren is a very complex being. One whose relationship with Ledger grows them emotionally in an unexpected manner , but doesn’t change what or who they are fundamentally just as it doesn’t Ledger.

This aspect of the story is probably the most interesting part about this. Moore stays true to her creations, neither of them becoming something they’re not but continuing to act /or emotionally maneuver within their respective personalities.

The plot is fantastic, a hunt for an object that belongs to Earl. Plus a short timetable and a horrific bargain that was made by Ledger. During this process, the Carnival of Mysteries is introduced and employed in a perfect way that not only is important to the game but has a profound impact on the outcome. Another exemplary usage of the overall theme.

There are several different storylines woven into the main theme of that have compelling endings, almost endings. There’s a tenuous quality to them, a vagueness that’s so satisfying and horrifying because, that’s what this tale calls for. You wish it wasn’t so but how else would it end?

Ledger and Wren have made it clear of the present danger. That’s the only spoiler I’ll give.

But what wouldn’t I give for Moore to send Ledger and Wren off on more murderous magical missions. Horror awaits. I hope the author is listening.

I’m highly recommending this to lovers of dark fiction and paranormal romance. I only wish I could rate it higher.

Spectacular cover. This collection’s artwork is amazing.

Carnival of Mysteries series:

✓ Crow’s Fate by Kim Fielding❤️

✓ Step Right Up by L.A. Witt

✓ Magic Burning by Kaje Harper ❤️

✓ Night-blooming Hearts by Megan Derr

✓ Go For The Company by Ander C. Lark❤️

✓ Roustabout by Morgan Brice❤️

✓ Assassin by Accident by E.J. Russell❤️

✓ Dryad on Fire by Nicole Dennis ❤️

✓ The Extraordinary Locket of Elijah Gray by Kayleigh Sky

✓ Smoke and Mirrors by Elizabeth Silver

✓ You Can Do Magic by R.L. Merrill♥️

✓ Sting in the Tail by TA Moore ♥️♥️

✓ The Black Robe of Flanders by Sara Ellis

◦ Gods and Monsters by Rachel Langella – October 25

Buy link:

Sting in the Tail: Carnival of Mysteries

Blurb:

The Carnival of Mysteries just arrived in Sutton County. They say if you cross the fortune teller’s palm with silver she can read your future like a map. Right now all Ledger Conroy wants to know is if he has a future.

Back in Sutton after over a decade, Ledger’s plan had been to bury his father–recently deceased convicted serial killer and less-well known warlock, Bell Conroy–clear the property, and then finally wash his hands of being a Conroy. Instead there’s a cured human heart in the larder, a pissed off pretty boy who is definitely not human at the door, and a debt to the devil that Ledger’s just inherited.

Devil. Monster. Something like that. He’d not asked for its pedigree

Whatever it was, it’s given Ledger a week to fulfill the terms of his father’s contract. Or else he’s never going to leave Sutton again. With pretty-boy Wren at his heels, more to make sure Ledger doesn’t skip town than to provide assistance, Ledger tries to track his father’s sins across Sutton. The problem is there’s so many of them.

Ledger is faced with old grudges, a Sheriff that thinks Ledger knows more about his father’s crimes than he’s ever said (and isn’t wrong), and a dead man with a book shop. Not to mention the on-going distraction of Wren, who can’t decide whether to be a hindrance, a help, or just hot.

Luckily Ledger has a nose for this sort of work.

Sting in the Tail is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains a dealer in dark collectibles, a man who’s NOT people, and a monster with a debt it expects to be paid.”

— Sting in the Tail: Carnival of Mysteries by TA Moore

Review: Son of the Arch Demon (Possessive Love) by Amanda Meuwissen

Rating: 5 🌈

Well, this made me exceptionally happy. In a collection about demons from hell finding a mate and a relationship, in whatever form that may take, I have a story where the characters are actually coming across as demonic. With a few minor exceptions. And hell’s no vacation spot.

Amanda Meuwissen’s tale of love and demons is an intriguing affair. I love it when a collection reacquaints me with an author I haven’t read in a while with outstanding results, and that’s what I found here.

Immediately the author gives us a compelling opening . It’s Avriel’s 21st birthday and he’s feeling a bit out of sorts, even for him. From beautifully detailed descriptions of the characters and their personalities and lives , the reader is intimately familiar with the situation as the story begins and understands the types of people involved. Avi is immediately real and grounded in his small group of friends and college town.

And when he dies, it’s gut wrenching. That’s not a spoiler. It’s in the blurb and how he changes into his true self. But are we still prepared for it? No.

Then there’s Marchosias, the demon imp, also known as Marc. He’s the other half of this incredibly complicated, emotional narrative. From the start, Marc has a surprising history and agenda that prompts a character development that’s both in keeping with his demonic tendencies and newfound sense of self worth. It’s an exceptional journey.

But it’s done in tandem with the changes brought forth by the death and rebirth of Avi’s demon nature. And the battles they face from the Princes of Hell.

Meuwissen was so clever in using the seven deadly sins as avatars for the Princes of Hell. How they manifested themselves in the earthly realm I’ll leave to the book as well as those formidable battles. Just outstanding on every level.

Even the other characters that support Avi and Marc are so good in their roles and depth of personality. The father who is just glimpsed until the later stages still has a strong sense of self. The cast is believable and grounded in emotion and real life, even given the paranormal nature of the situations.

Let’s get to the part where there’s pain, blood, suffering, and death, because yes, these are demons. There may be a beauty in their brutality and otherworldly physicality but they are definitely demons. It’s reflected in the evolving relationship between Avi and Marc, the conflicted nature of their roles as Avi changes and Marc becomes more aware of his own feelings. Such an emotional connection and excellent element of this story.

Avi and Marc have decisions to make if possible. That’s part of the amazing story and the author’s ability to create a great narrative. I won’t spoil it but will say this is my favorite of the collection. And I’m delighted to have rediscovered this author once more.

Grab this one up if paranormal fiction and romances are your wheelhouse.

Check out the rest of the Possessive Love series! 15 books by 15 authors

◦ A Slice For My Demon by K.L. Hiers & Mozzarus Scout

✓ Cuddly Demon by Aster Rae – DNF

✓ My Demon Husband by Jax Stuart ♥️

✓ Exercising A Demon by H.L Day ♥️

✓ Drop Dead Demon by B. Ripley

✓ The Demon’s Dealbreaker by Delaney Rain

◦ My Demon Rebound by Ashlynn Mills

✓ Curiosity Caught the Demon by Travis Beaudoin

◦ My Saintly Demon by RM Neill

◦ Terrible Lovely Demon by Odessa Hywell

✓ Son of the Arch Demon by Amanda Meuwissen ❤️♥️

◦ Recalling My Demon by Colette Davison

✓ The Demon Undertaker by Alex J. Adams

◦ Gift for a Demon by Emily Alter

Buy Link :

Son of the Arch Demon: An MM Paranormal Romance

Blurb:

Sometimes the high road leads straight to Hell.

Avriel

Turning twenty-one is almost universally seen as the age of transformation, of coming into one’s own, reaching adulthood, and sometimes even as a symbol of death and rebirth. I never knew how literal that last part could be until, on my twenty-first birthday, I died and was resurrected as a demon.

Well, half-demon and would have died if I wasn’t prophesized to become the Antichrist and take over the world. All I wanted was to survive graduation, achieve my dream of becoming an artist, and maybe have Marc, the hot new guy who I thought liked me for me, be anything other than a lust demon hoping to guide me on my path to the apocalypse.

Marchosias

Occasionally, ya gotta make yer own destiny, my lovelies, so when I found a thin spot in the veil between Hell and earth, I leapt right through it. Sensing the soon-to-be successor to the throne of Hell, I insinuated myself on campus and into his life to await his awakening and fell to my knees in supplication once he did. Pity Avi is so set on denying his destiny.

But I can convince him. I will serve and aid and arouse my master in whatever manner necessary to get what I want. I’ve been an underling, a doormat, a lesser demon for far too long, and his path to glory is going to be mine.

Son of the Arch Demon is part of the MM paranormal romance collaboration Possessive Love.

Review: Perfectly Charmed Pixie: Parsnip’s Story (Perfect Pixie #3) by M. J. May

Rating: 5🌈

May’s Perfect Pixie series just took a decidedly darker turn in an already beautiful and layered world. Much like the vibrantly colored, glittery pixies the stories have been written about, Perfectly Charmed Pixie has at its heart, one Parsnip, a well known social pixie, as famous for his unusual aquamarine color as he is for his cable television series.

But the truth is on the cover. Parsnip’s fabulous Aqua is a fake. In reality, he’s faded to a ombré grey shadow. The lack of color born of trauma and the fact he was a prisoner of a pixie dust addict for months who drained him.

Yes, this story has a pixie dealing with his ongoing struggles with depression, PTSD, anxiety, and the very real consequences of his past. All by staring in a mirror. Plus Parsnip is fighting multiple internal and external battles here. With his fans and the Network over the expectations for his appearance, his insecurities, and his real fears for himself.

May has really outdone herself here. Because the series themes and world building just expanded in several quiet horrific ways.

Addiction to pixie dust has been mentioned before in the previous books but now we see the consequences. And worse . Because Parsley, Parsnip’s brother, is running a recovery home for those pixies saved from trafficking operations. But that’s still a minor aspect of the narrative.

A huge one is the warlock, Vander Kines, a fantastic character. Guardian to a young brownie, Byx, Vander owns a small shop that makes magical charms and he’s barely making ends meet. Mostly due to the fact he’s got a strong moral compass and won’t take jobs he feels is wrong or unlawful.

Vander and his ward, Byx, have a warm family relationship with a loss of a loved one that connects them. That beautiful dynamic carries over into the one that starts when Parsnips contacts Vander out of desperation.

Vander and Parsnips emotionally exist, at the beginning, outside of the circle of friends who form the basis of the strengths of the strange pairings here. But the subtle similarities in Parsnip’s relationship and personality bring them together with pixies Phil and Peaches, along with their fated mates. I loved this journey and all the tiny elements that the author wove into it. Btw? Those hair clips of Byx’s are incredible!

May’s attention to detail, however, is never lost by the sheer texture and depth of the new storylines being added into the universe, the darkness that is now so much closer to the characters than we thought, and new awareness of old dangers brought to light.

The different Pixie relationships are loving and unusual, the many beings who are important to the inner circle are expanding their storyline, and a new realm has opened up.

There’s so many key issues that May puts into play at various stages in the narrative that it’s chilling watching how they slowly develop into something more complex and threatening than has ever been hinted at before. It happens with whispers and the occasional nod from the characters that something is definitely amiss and will need to be investigated. Or something even more serious.

I got delicious shivers and a whole new appreciation for this author’s style and craftsmanship in this book and series.

The fourth book has a title. Is it part of a new series or this one? It’s most definitely connected. I needs it now I do.

Not familiar with this author? This is a fabulous place to start, with this series. But they really must be read in the order they are written in because of the relationships and events that occur that are building the foundation.

If I could give higher ratings I would.

Perfectly Charmed Pixie: Parsnip’s Story (Perfect Pixie #3) by M. J. May is a must along with the prior stories!

Absolutely gorgeous covers!

Perfect Pixie:♥️

✓ Perfectly Imperfect Pixie #1

✓ Perfectly Perfect Pixie #2

✓ Perfectly Charmed Pixie #3

Next: and part of this series/universe

◦ Perfectly Perplexing Zombie: Wendall’s Story – late fall/winter 2023

Buy Link:

Perfectly Charmed Pixie: Parsnip’s Story (Perfect Pixie Series Book 3)

Blurb:

Youthful arrogance and misplaced trust left Parsnip’s once beautiful aqua colors little more than shades of muted gray. As a social pixie and host of a popular TV show, Parsnip desperately needs to fool everyone into believing he’s that same, stunningly colorful creature. Warlock-made charms are all Parsnip needs to keep up the rouse. But the financial cost is high, and each activated charm steals more of his life force. Despite this, Parsnip’s willing to pay any price. After all, who would want a faded pixie?

Everyone knows warlocks have no moral compass. But if that’s true, why does Vander Kines turn down more commissions than he accepts? Barely able to keep a roof over his head, his shop open, his brownie ward fed, and beer in the fridge, Vander should jump at the large sums of money clients are willing to throw in his direction. But no amount of cash is worth the cost of his soul, and his only true concern is keeping the young brownie safe.

When a magical mishap with Parsnip’s warlock sends the pixie through Vander’s door, Vander refuses his request until he discovers Parsnip is his one and only. Now, he will go to any lengths to make Parsnip happy—even trading his own life force in place of Parsnip’s.

Unfortunately, Parsnip isn’t fooling everyone, and a witch with a vendetta is determined to expose his secret, and she’s willing to kill Vander and hand Parsnip over to his worst ogre nightmare to get what she wants.

True, unvarnished love is hard to find and sometimes even harder to accept. Having found it, Parsnip’s willing to do anything to keep it safe…even if that means giving up his charmed life.

Perfectly Charmed Pixie is the third book in the Perfect Pixie series. It can be read as a stand alone but would be more enjoyable if the first two books in the series are read first.

Perfectly Charmed Pixie contains beautiful pixies—no matter what their colors, an ornery yet clever brownie, a morally sound warlock, pixie dust addicted ogres, good and bad witches, a questionably reformed siren, more honeysuckle mead, magic, and finding your perfect, other half.

Review: Clueless Puckboy (Puckboys, #5) by Eden Finley and Saxon James

Rating: 5🌈

When I’m not even at 15% and all I’ve done is laugh so hard I’m crying and my sides are in stitches, you bet I’m giving the book a 5 star rating. Clueless Puckboy is right. And probably my favorite novel to date out of a bunch of crazy hockey stories from this pair of authors.

Ayri Quinn is fighting an adductor injury and doesn’t want his team trainers to know he’s not as recovered as he says he is. Quinn is a character so adorable and funny that his issues, which aren’t humorous at all, have this reader snorting in laughter, because the authors have set up this situation and created him just so perfectly.

I love Quinn. He’s ferlect. That’s something you’ll get if you read the book btw. Stumbling over his words, blushing, intense, in his head , practically ferlect in every way.

The man watching Quinn and determined to help him before Quinn’s stubbornness in refusing help derails his career is one Vance Landon. Vance is one of the trainers with Quinn’s NHL team in Buffalo, NY and a great character foil for the younger man. A bit older, athletic , gay, and empathetic, Vance’s personality plays off Quinn’s endearing character in a manner that is made to have the reader fall for them both. As we do.

Starting from a basis of professional concern and knowledge, the switch to attraction and recognition of their mutual interest is natural and believable. It’s often awkward and funny too.

But James and Finley go the adult route, and that’s including a lot of discussion about what a relationship would mean for the team and their future in hockey. All that goes along with spectacular descriptions of a hockey season in play. Buffalo is fighting for the playoffs and Stanley Cup, and the authors make the race vivid in the on the ice physical scenes.

And of course, it’s not a great story if some, if not all, of the NHL Queer Collective make appearances in very memorable moments.

So, do I adore this story and couple? Absolutely. It and them made my day and night as I picked it up and read it through in one sitting. Filled with joy, a ton of laughter, and yes, some sexy moments, this is a favorite of mine.

Pick it up and see why it’s on my reread pile! Highly recommended!

Puckboys:

✓ Egotistical Puckboy #1

✓ Irresponsible Puckboy #2

✓ Shameless Puckboy #3

✓ Foolish Puckboy #4

✓ Clueless Puckboy #5

Buy Link :

Clueless Puckboy (Puckboys Book 5)

Blurb:

QUINN

Straining my groin is bad enough. It puts my hockey career, my future, but even worse, my dignity on the line.

Having to get massages in that area from Vance Landon, one of the team trainers, is mortifying.

It’s impossible to hide my feelings toward him. If my constant blushing and bumbling doesn’t give it away, my body does.

It’s getting to the point where I wonder if hockey is even worth the embarrassment.

Trying to avoid him only makes him seek me out more. He’s determined to rehab my injury, but all I want is for him to leave me alone.

Or fall for me.

One or the other.

VANCE

Ayri Quinn isn’t your typical jock … except for the fact he refuses to admit when he’s injured.

I’ve seen more than enough professional sportsmen lose the career they love due to injury, and I’m not having it happen again.

Especially not when the guy in question happens to be the sweetest, most awkward, innocent jock I’ve ever met.

When a night out leads to Quinn reinjuring himself, I create a care plan that keeps me hands on, literally. Unfortunately, working with him in close proximity brings all those feelings I’ve been trying to ignore to the surface.

I just need to get him better so he can be back on the ice and out of my bed.

Ah, my massage bed.

Because if this goes on any longer, I might mean my actual bed.

Ayri Quinn is impossible to resist.

Review: Nelson & MacIlwraith (Moon Murder Mysteries #1) by K Sterling

Rating: 5🌈

K Sterling has become a go to author for me and this book is an excellent example why. Nelson & MacIlwraith, the first in the Moon Murder Mysteries, is steeped in mythologies and cultural traditions. These myths and lores that enrich and at times horrify the characters and readers have been pulled from literary sources and the author’s incredible imagination.

To say the Celtic mythological tapestry Sterling has woven here works to enhance the themes, mysteries, and unique relationships is an understatement. It goes beyond that.

It starts with the unusual characters. FBI Agent Grady Nelson has been assigned the case of a missing girl, but told to “bury” the investigation by his superiors. Nelson, the son and grandson of famous agents, is a man out of favor with the FBI, a person they are looking to bury.

We’ve seen this type of character before but not Grady Nelson. Sterling has created in Nelson someone of unusual depths and qualities, submissive, unyielding in a hunt for the truth. Nelson is a dichotomy of traits and desires. And his growth here is unexpected and astonishing.

Nelson is paired with his complete opposite. That’s the renowned and well connected Professor Lennox “Nox” MacIlwraith. Looking like a combination of goth musician, he’s an archaeologist professor who’s consults in cases that have an occult or otherworldly nature. Which is what he has been working on. One exactly like the one Nelson isn’t supposed to investigate.

From a truly macabre starting point, Sterling launches a spectacular new series and couple. One missing girl becomes more, and the fact that each one is linked to local pagan communities and witchcraft just adds to the mystery.

Sterling builds on the men’s hugely different lives and unusual interior mentalities to craft a relationship unlike any other. This overlays an increasingly horrifying investigation with a narrow timeline.

This story is amazing, terrifying, haunting, and extremely suspenseful. It’s no surprise that it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.

I can’t wait to see how the next episode in the men’s relationship and journey will go.

If you love a fantasy story with highly developed and compelling characters and a world that’s equally layered, this is for you.

Moon Murder Mysteries:

◦ Nelson & MacIlwraith #1

Buy Link :

Blurb:

No one wants a witch for a partner.

Time is running out, and the deck is stacked against Professor Lennox “Nox” MacIlwraith. Six girls have been abducted, but the FBI doesn’t realize they’re connected. There’s also the matter of the dead girl in New Castle. She was found tied to a tree and Nox suspects one serial kidnapper and killer is responsible. An unorthodox expert on the occult, Nox is rumored to be a psychic and a witch. And a crackpot. The wily young professor has to prove he’s not batty—or possibly a vampire—and that the cases are linked before the next full moon. If not, he fears the remaining girls will be sacrificed to a mythical god-king.

Everyone in the FBI hates Agent Grady Nelson. He’s failed to live up to his legendary father’s reputation within the bureau and is almost universally despised for being an uptight do-gooder. Nelson’s ready to kiss what’s left of his career goodbye when he’s ordered to work with the “sketchy professor” on what should be a nuisance case. The investigation turns into a professional minefield when Nox claims it’s connected to an ancient Celtic cult. Rules are broken and lines are crossed as Nelson falls under Nox’s spell and begins to suspect his partner might be a real witch.

Nox is a little bit witchcraft. Nelson is a little bit Federal Bureau. Together, they’re a wickedly good team, but can they find the missing girls before it’s too late? Nox is prepared to sacrifice his own career and his life to save them. He’d also like to save Nelson, but is Nox ready to sacrifice his heart too?

Review: A Ruse to Unchain Us (The Magi Accounts #4) by Michele Notaro

Rating: 5🌈

A Ruse To Unchain Us brings The Magi Accounts near the end of this incredible dark saga. Two more stories to follow and we’ll see what happens to all the characters who have suffered and survived through this perilous, harrowing journey.

A Ruse To Unchain Us is emotionally draining and powerful in the wrenching scenes that Notaro delivers, one after the other, as the Ono-Nai tribe fights against government and witches alike to survive the battles against both and the tear in the universe. There are moments of such brutality and violence, common in this series, that hit you hard in the heart. As they should. Tissues should be issued along with the story.

Repeatedly, the author reminds the reader exactly what’s at stake, often graphic detail , what type of treatment the non humans have had to endure for decades. Along with the past traumatic history, there’s the current horrors they continue to endure, suffer under, as they battle to get their rights and freedoms.

As Notaro notes, read the trigger warnings because they definitely apply, as they have for the series. Torture, sexual assault and abuse (some off page) as children and adults , brutality , beatings, and horrific death is a common occurrence too. These beings have been and are continued to be subjected to the entire spectrum of the worst humankind is capable of simply because they aren’t human and are regarded as tools for the humans to use as they see fit.

To counter such agonizing moments and scenes, it’s balanced with those of pride, found family, bonds of deep affection, friendship, and abiding love. All of which have had to endure the pain and horror of the world they live in and survive to come together as the strong forces we see now.

Cosmo Ono-Nai, Mads, Jude, and the rest of the Ono-Nai pack must deal with the toughest challenges yet their pride has faced when The Red Cloth ups it’s attacks against the government and its citizens.

I won’t spoil the high stakes and action that occurs here. It’s intense, fast paced, incredibly emotional, and very suspenseful. And yes, filled with love and pain too , because this is a battlefield and people/beings are hurt and sometimes they die.

Notaro’s vision and realistic writing makes sure we don’t forget about the pain as well as the love, the loss that goes with the wins, such as they are. It’s raw, dark fiction and it rings so true.

Two more novels to go. One’s a companion story, Logan and Haiden get a book of their own. And then onto the finale. I can’t imagine how the author will tie up all the characters and storylines still moving forward but I’m sure it will be amazing. I’ll be so sorry to see this series end.

What a fantastic journey it’s been.

Until then, I highly recommend you read this series in the order it’s written if you haven’t already done so. Then read the intensely powerful A Ruse to Unchain Us (The Magi Accounts #4) by Michele Notaro. Just a great example why this author is an auto read.

The Magi Accounts:

🔹The Scars That Bind Us #1

🔹The Shackles That Hold Us #2

🔹A Date To Impress Him #2.5

🔹A Purpose That Restores Us #3

🔹A Holiday to Sustain Us: A Magi Accounts Holiday

🔹An Embrace To Hearten Me: The Magic Accounts 3.5

🔹A Ruse To Unchain Us: The Magi Accounts # 4

🔹A Heart To Revitalize Me #4.5 – September 20, 2024 (Logan and Haiden companion story)

🔹Only Unity Will Spare Us #5 – Sept 20, 2024

Buy Link:

A Ruse To Unchain Us: The Magi Accounts 4

Blurb:

It’s time to fight back, and by the goddess, I will help free my people.

The Cloaked Freeway is finally in a position to effect real change, and I want so badly to be a part of it. Since I was a little kid, it’s been my dream to free my people from under the human’s rule. And now I have the chance to make that dream a reality.

But helping them means giving up so much. I have a family now—a pride—and I don’t want to put them at risk. Luckily for me, my mate wants to be a part of the revolution, too, but that still leaves everyone else.

The world is turning into chaos around us and our family is being pulled in different directions, but I know one thing for sure. The Ono-Nais are fighters, and we’ll do everything in our power to keep each other safe and help those around us.

A Ruse To Unchain Us is the fourth book in the MM urban fantasy series, The Magi Accounts. It’s recommended to read the series in order because the romance progresses through the series and it has an ongoing storyline, but there is NO cliffhanger.

*Intended for adults only. Please read the trigger warnings at the beginning of this novel.

Review: A Ruse to Unchain Us (The Magi Accounts #4) by Michele Notaro

Rating: 5🌈

What a fantastic journey it’s been.

The Magi Accounts:

🔹The Scars That Bind Us #1

🔹The Shackles That Hold Us #2

🔹A Date To Impress Him #2.5

🔹A Purpose That Restores Us #3

🔹A Holiday to Sustain Us: A Magi Accounts Holiday

🔹An Embrace To Hearten Me: The Magic Accounts 3.5

🔹A Ruse To Unchain Us: The Magi Accounts # 4

🔹A Heart To Revitalize Me #4.5 – September 20, 2024 (Logan and Haiden companion story)

🔹Only Unity Will Spare Us #5 – Sept 20, 2024

Buy Link:

A Ruse To Unchain Us: The Magi Accounts 4

Blurb:

It’s time to fight back, and by the goddess, I will help free my people.

*Intended for adults only. Please read the trigger warnings at the beginning of this novel.

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