Review: The Kite by N.R. Walker

Rating: 4 🌈

With The Kite, N.R. Walker dips her hand into the ever popular trope of the warring/competing top assassins who, for whatever reason, have to work together in order to survive.

Their relationship goes from enemies who admire each other’s skills to friendship then love as they fight for survival. It’s a great trope. And it works for so many reasons. Whether it’s in the movies, being streamed through a series, or through the various novels I’ve read recently.

There’s action, suspense, two hot highly skilled people at the height of their careers , in this case men. Gorgeous, of course. Each damaged by their pasts, albeit in different ways.

It’s how each author takes this trope and puts their spin on it that interests me.

Walker’s assassin are hit men for the government, instead of being private contractors. Well, one is. Taking on assignments that eliminates the “bad guy”. He thinks he’s being the good guy.

Tim “Harry” Harrigan, a truly giant of a man, works for the Australian government. Not that he’s been home for a while. For years he’s been the sniper called on to take out high level targets. Make a hit, move on.

But now he’s getting tired, not slow, but the lifestyle is wearing on him. Harry’s weary frame of mind coupled with setting up a hit gives the reader a good idea of his personality at the moment.

Especially when it looks that Harry is now the hunted instead of the hunter.

The assassin to come to Harry’s aid is Asher Garin. Asher is a hitman for hire, top in his field. The reason he’s there is because they are both targets on everyone’s list now.

The exciting way they are brought together, the high action and swift acknowledgment of each other under extraordinary circumstances is so much fun to read.

Their personalities are less defined, very much the Grumpy/Sweet tag that’s employed. The layers come later as the men flee from one destination to another, trusting each other, and the real reason behind their names on a kill list gets revealed. It’s betrayal, greed, and , double crosses.

The story moves rapidly. The sex is of the angry/hot type, and the dynamics between Harry and Asher go from slow to incendiary, dislike to love.

There’s more to this, including another main-ish character that’s an enigma for most of the story. Totally charming, however. We could have done with more of him in his “Charlie” voice stage.

Overall, I found this entertaining and a quick romance/adventure read. Walker’s characters never actually came across as heartless professional assassins. So making Henry a ex-soldier who believes he’s acting for the benefit of his government helps in her character creation. Same goes for Asher. It’s never laid out exactly what he does and who he kills for. Just he has a talent for languages and a very damaged childhood. So he too doesn’t feel like a hitman for hire. Are they killing people? Yes, but those are the bad guys. That’s expected.

I believed in the men, if not exactly their professed careers as it were.

One other odd element. Walker throws in a reoccurring dream (twice) from Asher, a weirdness who’s reappearance at the end is just so out of the type of story this was supposed to be that’s it’s immediately noticeable. It almost had a narrative whiplash effect. A spiritual woowoo, yes, we were always supposed to be together thing. What? In a killers find love action story? This paranormal aspect doesn’t happen anytime except this once so why do it at all?

It’s like Walker couldn’t help herself, was writing a whole other book. That was a SMH moment here. Took me right out of the story.

So, elements like those aside. The Kite has a satisfying ending for the criminal and a heartwarming HEA for the couple.

If anyone could make them disappear, Four could.

And if Walker wanted to make them all reappear for a sequel, well , that works too.

If you’re a fan of this author and a lover of this type of storylines, here’s a book for you.

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Kite by N.R. Walker – Goodreads

Description:

Ex-Australian Specialist Response Group leader, Tim “Harry” Harrigan, has been running covert ops for almost a decade. A lone wolf, he’s single-handedly taken down terrorists and national security threats, or so he thinks. He’s been in the game far too long, and when he sees a familiar threat, he knows his time is up.

Asher Garin is a dangerous man. A man without loyalty, a man without a nationality, without a country, without a home. He’s also a mercenary for hire to the highest bidder. His next job is a face he recognises, and after a tip-off, he learns he too is a marked man.

It’s a different game now, and Harry and Asher have a better chance at surviving if they stick together. But it’s not just the game or the rules that have changed. The stakes have too.

Because on their own, they had nothing to lose. Together, they do.

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: Rarely Pure and Never Simple (Varient Configurations Book#1) by Angel Martinez

Rating: 5🌈

Angel Martinez is a auto buy for me for a reason and Rarely Pure and Never Simple (Varient Configurations Book#1) is a fantastic example why.

We get a taste of the world the events take place so quickly. So typically Martinez. Breathtakingly simple in her ability to deliver a picture of a world rendered apart, catastrophically environmentally destroyed in the not too past, by some stark concise phrasing.

Same goes for the Varients. Humans , that appeared during the chemical wars, with genetic alterations that allowed each to have specific, if undetermined or not understood talents.

Varients are feared , misunderstood, and of course, used by various governments for their talents. Yes, the Varients vs Real Human movement should strike many nerves. It’s right on point.

This is outside or rather flows around the main plot of variant Damien Hazelwood. He’s a locator, only of humans. Damien’s a very damaged soul. His brutal background is one that will be revealed slowly over the story.

I love Damien. He’s broken, has so many layers, and yet still reaches out, despite himself. What an amazing character.

The other person to accompany him on the mission is another infamous variant. Blaze Emerson, a tracker and a person capable of handling dangerous situations they might come into contact with. Blaze has a reputation that precedes him as a angry personality and someone who’s hard to get along with.

It’s justified. He’s also had a past where he’s been unfairly judged , he’s been left, and hurt. He’s a complicated man. Blaze is so undeniably believable that you feel the anger and mistrust radiating off of him.

Their mission? Find 40 missing varient kids.

It’s a chilling mission made more so by the fact the men need to find a way to at least work together, tolerate each other’s differences, especially when things start to go wrong.

I really don’t want to say too much here. There’s another character that’s intriguing that’s brought into the mix. The dynamics that begin to grow between Blaze and Damien is halting and slow, as it should be due to each man’s tumultuous history and emotional damage.

But that ending. So full of hope. I need that next story. And I need it now. These are compelling people. And Rarely Pure and Never Simple (Varient Configurations Book#1) by Angel Martinez is proving to be one of those quietly moving but addictive starts to a new series I can’t and won’t resist!

So I’m highly recommending it! And anxiously awaiting the next in the series.

Varient Configurations :

🔹Rarely Pure and Never Simple #1

🔹From the Noblest of Motives – fall 2022

https://www.goodreads.com › showRarely Pure and Never Simple by Angel Martinez – Goodreads

Description:

Variant children are vanishing at an alarming rate. It will take a uniquely mismatched pair of trackers to untangle a web of conspiracy and misdirection to find them.

In his isolated cabin, variant Damien Hazelwood avoids human contact as much as possible to prevent attacks of blind berserker panic. But his rare talent as a locator makes him the go-to contractor for tricky missing person’s cases and when agents bring him a troubling contract involving missing variant children, he finds it impossible to refuse.

Licensed tracker Blaze Emerson can’t help being irritated when he’s expected to follow the strange, twitchy locator’s lead on his latest case. He works alone, he’s damn good, and as a variant sparker, he has both the fire and the firepower to take on anything out there. Though he has to admit there’s something intriguing about a man who can find people with his brain.

With vastly different temperaments and backgrounds, Damien and Blaze need to negotiate quickly how to work together if they’re going to crack this case. Add in the sudden appearance of Blaze’s outlaw ex, the perils of tracking in the wilds, and a maddening lack of discernible motive or method, and they soon find themselves in as much danger as the kids they’re trying to rescue.

Variant Configurations takes place in a future Earth where humanity is reclaiming its spot in a gradually healing world. This book contains mentions of past abuse, action-adventure style mayhem, and the beginning sparks of a slow burn, series-spanning relationship.

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: The Doctor (Magic and Steam #3) by C. S. Poe

Rating: 5🌈

Sawbones. The doctor behind all the heinous experiments and the battlefield nightmares. A sadist now being hunted and who’s hunting.

The Doctor starts off on the cliffhanger of a heartbreaker of that ending in The Gangster. Then it ended with a explosive revelation by Gillian Hamilton just as the DC Special Agents were flooding the building he and his outlaw lover, Gunner the Deadly, were in. Gillian forced Gunner to leave for his safety, before turning to face the unknown.

Now we know the results that awful day. Gillian Hamilton has lost everything. He’s been imprisoned by the Council, under conditions that have him losing his sanity and hope.

It’s a truly chilling opener.

We’re inside his mind and just so devastated as he’s emotionally bereft without Gunner’s loving support. He’s isolated, tortured, and still aware of all the sinister elements and evil characters in play around him.

Poe’s writing distills the horrors of Gillian’s state of mind as well as his physical damage with a cold conciseness.

The complicated storylines and whereabouts of the characters we care about are threaded neatly through the plot as Poe advances Gillian’s plight from stage to stage.

The suspense is tight and fraught with anxiety for Gillian’s safety. Poe starts to introduce more steampunk elements as well as horror aspects as the plot expands to bring in more characters and bigger sinister details.

I am so addicted to this couple and series. So of course, The Doctor ends on a moment of heartbreaking revelation once more. One, however, the reader was somewhat prepared for this time.

The Councilman will do you need to go is that what you’re telling me OK

Magic & Steam series to date:

🔹The Engineer #1

🔹The Gangster #2

🔹The Doctor #3

🔹The Councilman #4 – Release TBD

Another outstanding cover.

Cover art: Reese Dante

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Doctor (Magic & Steam, #3) by C.S. Poe – Goodreads

https://www.cspoe.comC.S. Poe | Homepage

Synopsis:

1882—Gillian Hamilton, magic caster and Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Magic and Steam, has been stripped of his title, badge, and freedom. Gillian’s true name and powers have been exposed, so now he’s kept under lock and key. To make a tragedy worse, Gunner the Deadly has returned to his life out in the Wild West and has not been heard from since.

Rumors of a doctor, known only as Sawbones, with access to illegal magic have persisted into the new year. Gillian believes that violence, chaos, and certain death will befall New York City if this criminal isn’t apprehended. And despite having lost his sense of purpose, Gillian knows he’s the only one capable of confronting this new madman—with or without the backing of the FBMS.

But such dangers should never be undertaken alone. Gillian will need both Gunner’s deadeye marksmanship, as well as his love, if he’s to detain Sawbones before irreparable damage is done to the magic of his world.

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: A Very Armitage Christmas (Mismatched Mates #2.5) by Eliot Grayson

Rating: 4🌈

A Very Armitage Christmas is a short holiday story featuring the two mated couples from The Alpha’s Warlock and Captive Mate #2. Both characters are still trying to settle into their relationships , new duties within the pack, and recover from past events.

Plus here come the holidays.

The story is equal parts horror, humor, and romance with all four men working to make each other happy and safe amidst rising revenants and inflatable Santa’s.

I found it entertaining and a smidge poignant when Nate and Arik find a typical Holiday family celebration so very scary and hard to relate to.

It’s a fun break from the angst and full out terror that’s usually part of the storylines in this series.

I’m recommending A Very Armitage Christmas (Mismatched Mates #2.5) by Eliot Grayson. Have a great read!

Mismatched Mates:

🔹The Alpha’s Warlock #1

🔹Captive Mate #2

🔹A Very Armitage Christmas #2.5

🔹First Blood #2.6

🔹The Alpha Experiment #3

🔹Lost and Bound #4

🔹Lost Touch #5

🔹The Alpha Contract #6, only loosely connected to the above series

https://www.goodreads.com › showA Very Armitage Christmas by Eliot Grayson – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Tis the season…for zombies?

It’s two days before Christmas, and the Armitage pack’s getting ready for the holiday. Nate’s decorating the driveway with dozens of light-up candy canes (well, bullying Ian into doing it for him, but details). Matthew’s sitting through yet another endless pack council meeting.

And Arik’s raising revenants in the herb garden.

When a plague of zombies and an infestation of in-laws hits on Christmas Eve, Nate, Ian, Arik and Matthew will need to pick up their machetes, put some Bing Crosby on the record player, and overcome their relationship issues if they want to make it to Christmas morning.

This book follows the same characters and refers to the events of The Alpha’s Warlock and Captive Mate, and really should be read in series. Warning: Contains a modified inflatable Santa, a snowblower put to a really unusual purpose…and knotting. Because of course it does! This series does not contain mpreg.

——-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: The Gangster (Magic and Steam #2) by C. S. Poe

Rating: 4.5🌈

Special Agent Gillian Hamilton, healed from the events that occurred in The Engineer, is back home in New York City. And he’s anticipating a very special New Year’s Eve celebration if everything goes smoothly.

But this is Gillian , so no. He’s actually not healed yet, not completely and hasn’t said anything. His feelings about his reunion are complicated by his job, the need to hide his sexuality, and his insecurities. So huge!

Poe has made this man come alive in such a short time that we feel him actually vibrating with his thoughts while trying to bring down a fleeing criminal. Gillian may be a powerful magic caster but emotionally he’s vulnerable, a aspect to him that makes us feel even more connected to him .

Then there’s another unexpected complication from within his office for him to deal with.

Poe narratively threatens Gillian’s foundation on several levels while throwing him in the form of Gunner, the support he needs , emotionally and physically.

Just as Gunner is starting to open up to Gillian, the mystery of the mechanical men, the illegal magical weapons, and the devastating consequences it’s having on the City are tearing away at Gillian. It’s reawakening horrifying memories, causing his deeply buried secrets to raise barriers between himself and Gunner.

This story is more provoking, emotionally thoughtful, and horrific than The Engineer. It ends in a heartbreaking cliffhanger.

Luckily, The Doctor, the next novel in the series, can be read immediately so that cliffhanger is dealt with.

I’m headed to that story now.

Brilliant writing and character development. The Gangster (Magic and Steam #2) by C. S. Poe has so many incredible and layered personalities here , Addison and Monroe, that you just feel each is such a keeper too. Along with the main couple that’s currently breaking our hearts.

Poe’s imaginative storyline gives us new steampunk elements, magical mechanical men, and more as the mystery expands, together with beautifully rendered characters.

This is a series and book to absolutely have on your #MustRead lists.

I’m highly recommending them.

Magic & Steam series to date:

🔹The Engineer #1

🔹The Gangster #2

🔹The Doctor #3

Another outstanding cover.

Cover art: Reese Dante

Buy Links:

https://www.cspoe.com › m-s-the-ga…The Gangster (Magic & Steam: Book Two) | C.S. Poe

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Gangster (Magic & Steam, #2) by C.S. Poe – Goodreads

Synopsis:

1881—Special Agent Gillian Hamilton, magic caster for the Federal Bureau of Magic and Steam, has recovered from injuries obtained while in Shallow Grave, Arizona. Now back in New York City, Gillian makes an arrest on New Year’s Eve that leads to information on a gangster, known only as Tick Tock, who’s perfected utilizing elemental magic ammunition. This report complicates Gillian’s holiday plans, specifically those with infamous outlaw, Gunner the Deadly, who promised they’d ring in 1882 together.

The two men stand on the cusp of a romance that needs to be explored intimately and privately. But when Gillian’s residence is broken into by a magical mechanical man who tries to murder him on behalf of Tick Tock, he and Gunner must immediately investigate the city’s ruthless street gangs before the illegal magic becomes a threat that cannot be contained.

This might be their most wild adventure yet, but criminal undergrounds can’t compare to the dangers of the heart. Gillian must balance his career in law enforcement with his love for a vigilante, or lose both entirely.

——-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: A Mage’s Guide to Aussie Terrors (R’iyah Family Archives: Volume 2) by A. J. Sherwood

Rating: 5 🌈

It’s been waaay too long since the first time I met this zany, fabulous found family of MAD monster hunters. A Mage’s Guide to Human Familiars was the beginning of the R’iyah Family Archive series. It introduces us to Bel Adams, a red-eyed R’iyah mage who’s part demon, in need of a new familiar because of a traumatically bad first bonding.

He gets a fabulous BOGO in the forms of new familiar, Nico di Rossi, Army Ranger, who gets a change of pace and a new purpose in life. Then Nico brings into their mix, Garen Dallarosa, former Secret Service. He’s part Gargoyle and soon he’s also the other familiar. And lover to them both.

It’s a great triad of a mage with his new familiars/lovers.

But it’s not ending there. We get a team comprised of a totally entertaining Wicky, bonded with Lia , along with Bel’s foster parents. And of course Grandpa!

Honestly, the sublime joy that is that story!

How I missed all of them!

The book picks up on the anniversary of Bel’s devastating breaking of his first bond. That event left Bel comatose, and afraid to summon a new familiar until the organization he works for, MAD, forced his hand.

Bel’s trauma has left him with PTSD, and he’s kept these past damaging facts from his lovers/familiars.

The sexy, loving triad is a wonderful relationship here. Supportive, well defined according to each character’s changing needs , and personality. It’s so interesting and heartwarming, especially for Bel, who’s need for such depth of love and happiness is so strong compared to his upbringing.

The entire team is back, especially Wicky, who’s dynamic with Nico, his brother from another mother, has been one of the most entertaining aspects of the books. That continues here.

There are monsters to hunt, but the serious elements here are the personal ones. Dealing really with confronting the “monster “ from the past. The real one, the enormous emotional ones that have caused the continuing trauma to Bel and threatens his bond to his familiars.

That’s handled beautifully too. Not all monsters have enormous scales , some are human , selfish, impulsive brutes.

Did I love this book? Why yes I did. Again I was so excited to see everyone, including Grandpa! And the hounds.

Plus we get the news that the next story is Wicky’s. The anticipation is off the scales.

I highly recommend both books of the R’iyah Family Archives, including this one. There’s no date for Wicky’s story. Stay posted.

R’iyah Family Archives:

🔹A Mage’s Guide to Human Familiars #1

🔹A Mage’s Guide to Aussie Terrors #2

https://www.goodreads.com › showA Mage’s Guide to Aussie Terrors by AJ Sherwood – Goodreads

Synopsis:

One ghost from the past.

Two unknown Australian monsters eating people.

Three men who won’t let either problem win.

Tags:

Familiars of choice, healing old wounds, Australian mythology, yes Nico and Wicky are in Australia, that goes about as well as anyone expects, giant amphibians of unusual size, even the MAD research department is stumped, Wicky may have summoned Godzilla, in his defense he was left unsupervised, conversations via air guitar, the next time they have to travel to a different continent Bel is drugging Nico first

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Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: The Engineer (Magic and Steam #1) by C. S. Poe

Rating: 4.5🌈

What a fantastic story and start to a new series by author C. S. Poe. The Engineer, a fabulous mix of Wild West, magic, amidst a steampunk universe where a touch starved Special Federal Magic Agent ends up hunting a magical terrorist known as Tinkerer.

Only he’s not the only one. There’s another man after the Tinkerer too. But that person is decidedly on the other side of the law. The other one is Gunner the Deadly, the top of the Bureau’s Most Wanted List.

Poe creates a bedlam of dust, panic, and steampunk magic as Special Agent Gillian Hamilton, outlaw Gunner , and madman engineer, the Tinkerer , all descend on the small silver mining town of Shallow Grave , Arizona in 1881.

Hamilton is especially compelling as a magic caster forced to work for the government by federal laws and personal guilt. But regulations and society morals have forced him into such severe self isolation that he’s essentially dying inside. He hides his sexuality because homosexuality isn’t allowed, and the strength of his magic makes touch of another unsafe.

Until Gunner touches him, unleashing tightly imprisoned feelings and making him feel alive again.

They are both such fascinating characters. Poe has left just enough gaps in their histories that future stories can use that knowledge to enrich their developing relationship.

Here it’s a tenuous emotional connection that’s building between them, and a bargain struck over the need to bring down a unexpectedly more powerful villain.

Poe has created some marvelous steampunk magical inventions along with the usual airships and expected western Gatling guns of that era.

It’s poured together in a fabulous 72 pages that has the feel of a much bigger story. One that leaves us on a hopeful note going forward into The Gangster (Magic & Steam #2).

Magic & Steam series:

🔹The Engineer #1

🔹The Gangster #2

🔹The Doctor #3

Btw, what outstanding covers each story has! They absolutely caught my eye!

Cover art: Reese Dante

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Engineer (Magic & Steam, #1) by C.S. Poe – Goodreads

1881—Special Agent Gillian Hamilton is a magic caster with the Federal Bureau of Magic and Steam. He’s sent to Shallow Grave, Arizona, to arrest a madman engineer known as Tinkerer, who’s responsible for blowing up half of Baltimore. Gillian has handled some of the worst criminals in the Bureau’s history, so this assignment shouldn’t be a problem. But even he’s taken aback by a run-in with the country’s most infamous outlaw, Gunner the Deadly.

Gunner is also stalking Shallow Grave in search of Tinkerer, who will stop at nothing to take control of the town’s silver mines. Neither Gillian nor Gunner are willing to let Tinkerer hurt more innocent people, so they agree to a very temporary partnership.

If facing illegal magic, Gatling gun contraptions, and a wild engineer in America’s frontier wasn’t enough trouble for a city boy, Gillian must also come to terms with the reality that he’s rather fond of his partner. But even if they live through this adventure, Gillian fears there’s no chance for love between a special agent and outlaw.

Based on the short story, “Gunner the Deadly.” Entirely revised, newly expanded, and Book One in the exciting new steampunk series, Magic & Steam.

Review: Vortex Conundrum (Ghostly Guardians #2) by Louisa Masters

Rating: 4.5 🌈

I was so excited to see the new story as I’ve been waiting to dive back into the fascinating world of Mannix Estates with its amazing group of characters.

That it includes a powerful medium in love with a blacksmith, a found family of ghosts from an assortment of eras , each with their own quirky personalities, as well as a staff that’s endearing and fascinating on their own, makes it a universe you can dwell in for a very long time.

The first book, Spirited Situations, introduced us to Josh, the medium, as he found his way to the very haunted Mannix Estates. It was also home to a 50 some odd year old open gateway, a beacon for trouble.

The ramifications from opening that gate continues into this story as the combined found family of Mannix Estates, alive and ghostly, need help to handle more trouble coming through that open gateway.

Masters builds upon a already lively and unique cast of amazing characters we come to love by adding several new people. One we’ve gotten to know anonymously by text when he’s helped in the last book. He acquires a name here. That’s Connor.

And his best friend, Gabe. And a paranormal enforcement agency.

So Masters is expanding her universe to include the growing series new topics, romances, and mysteries she’s threading through her storylines. It’s such an exciting element, one that lends a real sense of anticipation towards each new book and plot thread.

While that’s happening, there’s additional character growth in terms of power and romances.

Connor and site manager, Kieran, are the main couple working through their romantic impulses while dealing with demons, ghostly matchmakers, and, the everyday occurrences that comes with guests at a living history event sight.

The paranormal and the mundane, the magical and the murderous are all perfectly balanced for the most entertaining reads. I read right through!

And unfortunately now it looks like I’ll have to wait until 2023 for the next in the series.

Until then, I’m highly recommending the first two books in this fantastic series. Read them in the order they are written, to understand the relationships and theme storylines.

Ghostly Guardians:

Spirited Situation #1

Vortex Conundrum #2

https://www.goodreads.com › showVortex Conundrum (Ghostly Guardians, #2) by Louisa Masters – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Wanted: one demon hunter. Beware the matchmaking ghosts.

After years managing a haunted hotel and estate, I thought things were good. Sure, the ghosts can be a handful—nosy, opinionated, interfering—but they’re also friendly and fun. We have a system. Everything was under control.

Cue hysterical laughter.

But after a minor blip with a demon in the basement and a vortex to the spirit world, the ghosts swear they have no more secrets. The danger is gone, and we’ve done everything we can to make the vortex safe. It should be fine. Nothing’s come through it for fifty years.

It’s never that easy at Mannix Estate.

Lucky for us, the demon expert we met online is willing and able to help us out. I’m so grateful, I’d willingly kiss his feet. Until he arrives and opens his mouth.

Connor is… a jerk. But he’s a sexy jerk who’s doing us a favor, so I’m going to be polite no matter what. Even when he makes me mad. When he flirts hard. When the roof falls in and we have to share a bed. When we realize the vortex upstairs is just the beginning.

Suddenly, Connor’s real strengths shine. Beneath the smoking hot yet annoying surface is a heart of gold, and I don’t think I can hold out against it… or that I want to.

——-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: Captive Mate (Mismatched Mates #2) by Eliot Grayson

Rating: 4.5 🌈

Captive Mate , second in Eliot Grayson’s Mismatched Mates series, picks up after the events in The Alpha’s Warlock. Wildly traumatic ordeals that saw Ian, a alpha werewolf and Nate, a warlock long imprisoned by his father, mated. And the Armitage pack under siege by mage and were.

And the worst was the betrayal by Matthew Armitage because of a curse.

Captive Mate begins with the pack dealing with the ramifications of Mathew’s actions, Ian’s assuming temporary leadership, and the shaman who worked with their enemies now their prisoner.

Arik, shaman , who cursed Mathew, the one responsible for pack deaths, and the near deaths of Ian and Nate, is one complicated character.

One of the two POV’s, Arik is resolved to escape by any means possible. He’s not particularly interested in those he’s hurting or may have hurt . He’s only interested in his survival. He knows no remorse, and shows little compassion.

Not a easy character to like. It takes time to see or understand that Arik’s a long term abuse survivor. He’s still running and has no reason to trust anyone to help him. His actions and mentality come from a deep place of brokenness and pain.

And to the credit of Grayson, Arik’s not fixed here. What’s broken, is truly broken in a lot of ways. Tiny bits might be on the path to healing as the book winds it way down, but even in the next story, Arik’s sharpness and pain whips out like a knife at a whisper.

Trying to balance Arik against the basic strengths and character of Matthew is a challenge for the author. Because the element of making Matthew seem weak under the manipulations of Arik might undermine the reader’s connection to the couple’s romance.

It’s a tightrope to walk narratively speaking. One I think the author threads through exactly right.

All the extremely tough personalities that are having to negotiate new relationships while the pack is still under attack by enemies old and new.

There’s major suspense. High action, great magic scenes, and real poignancy.

Captive Mate really balanced tricky characters, major themes, and complicated relationship dynamics. Just a fantastic book.

I’m highly recommending this story and series to date. Read them in the order they are written to understand the series plot progression and characters.

Mismatched Mates:

🔹The Alpha’s Warlock #1

🔹Captive Mate #2

🔹A Very Armitage Christmas #2.5

🔹First Blood #2.6

🔹The Alpha Experiment #3

🔹Lost and Bound #4

🔹Lost Touch #5

🔹The Alpha Contract #6, only loosely connected to the above series

https://www.goodreads.com › showCaptive Mate (Mismatched Mates #2) by Eliot Grayson – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Captured, imprisoned, and…falling in love?

Arik is many things. Shaman, necromancer, a little on the snarky side…no one could ever accuse him of being boring. But one thing he never intended to be was imprisoned by angry werewolves. Maybe casting that love spell on the sexy alpha pack leader wasn’t such a great idea after all.

Matthew Armitage has a problem. Several of them, actually. And the biggest one is Arik. The shaman can’t be trusted. He’s dangerous enough to get the entire pack killed. Matthew knows that. But knowing doesn’t make it any easier to keep his mind (and hands) off Arik. Surely everything he’s feeling is a side effect of the spell…right?

It’s not long before enemies of the pack start circling—including one intent on claiming Arik as his unwilling mate. If they have any hope of surviving, Arik and Matthew will need to work together. And if they want a shot at happily ever after…well, they’ll just have to cross that bridge when they get to it.

If they get to it…

Captive Mate can (sort of) be read as a standalone, but works best when read in order as part of the Mismatched Mates series, beginning with The Alpha’s Warlock. This book contains a vivid memory of a sexual assault, but the assault occurs in the past and off-page and is not between the main characters. This series does not contain mpreg.

Review: The Alpha’s Warlock (Mismatched Mates #1) by Eliot Grayson

Rating: 4.25 🌈

Werewolves and mages just seem to be a great match! So I always gravitate to any story and series with these elements to check out what the author’s take will be.

The Alpha’s Warlock (Mismatched Mates #1) by Eliot Grayson was a story I thought was very entertaining, and had characters I enjoyed reading about.

It certainly opens with Warlock Nate Hawthorne in the worst possible situation. Running for his life.

“It had been years since I set foot in the Armitage pack’s territory, and I’d hoped to keep that winning streak going for a while longer. Of course, being kidnapped and cursed had a way of changing your plans.”

— The Alpha’s Warlock (Mismatched Mates Book 1) by Eliot Grayson

Immediately, we are seeing the story, and immediate scenario, from the perspective of a very human and hurting Nate. He’ll give us a lot of the history on the backgrounds of the beings we meet and their relationship dynamics.

For the most part.

The others are the Alpha werewolves of the Armitage pack. Head Alpha Matthew, who you initially think is the one referred to. And Ian Armitage, Matthew’s brother, also a Alpha.

That I found really interesting, as other authors have packs as a one Alpha structure. Having 2-alpha pack, with brothers as a supportive structure is a great idea.

There’s a huge discordant past relationship between Ian and Nate, one that never fully gets explored in terms of the misunderstandings and history. I wish we got a more layered picture of that weird start but I have the feeling the author may intend to use it in future books.

It means their relationship is always a little unbalanced in terms of equality. That’s probably realistic in that Ian’s a were, Nate’s a human, while still a warlock. It’s a status that seems to be a element that’s a factor going forward that at least one is aware of, in terms of what they want in their future plans.

Nate’s a character dealing with serious emotional and physical issues due to a traumatic past. Having to “mate”, his choice taken away is a topic that’s brought up and continues to be addressed. I appreciate that this wasn’t romanticized.

The themes of forced mating, the right of personal choice, trust. All not only big storylines here but ones used throughout the series.

Grayson’s story gives us romance, suspense, elements of horror, touches of humor , and a great plot that leaves plenty of room to explore new territory and characters ahead.

That’s certainly true for the way it’s left for a main character here to lead into the next novel.

I’m on my way there.

If you’re a lover of shifters, magic, and paranormal romance, here’s a series and book to add to your list. I’m recommending this!

Mismatched Mates:

🔹The Alpha’s Warlock #1

🔹Captive Mate #2

🔹A Very Armitage Christmas #2.5

🔹First Blood #2.6

🔹The Alpha Experiment #3

🔹Lost and Bound #4

🔹Lost Touch #5

🔹The Alpha Contract #6, only loosely connected to the above series

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Alpha’s Warlock (Mismatched Mates #1) by Eliot Grayson – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Cursed, mated, and in for the fight of their lives…

Warlock Nate Hawthorne just wants a cup of coffee. Is that too much to ask? Apparently. Because instead of precious caffeine, all he gets is cursed by a pack of werewolves who want to use him for his magic. Now the only way to fix the damage is a mate bond to a grumpy and oh-so-sexy alpha in the rival pack, who happens to hate him. This is so not how he wanted to start his day.

Ian Armitage never intended to take Nate as his mate. The Hawthorne family can’t be trusted. Ian knows that better than anyone. The fact that he’s lusted after the way-too-gorgeous man for years? Totally irrelevant. Ian’s just doing what is necessary to protect his pack. This whole mating arrangement has nothing to do with love and never will. That’s his story and he’s sticking to it.

Nate and Ian will have to work together if they have any hope of staving off the pack’s enemies and averting disaster. That’s assuming they can stop arguing (and keep their hands off each other) long enough to save the day…

The Alpha’s Warlock is an explicit M/M paranormal romance featuring a snarky warlock, a brooding alpha werewolf, knotting, enchanted socks (long story), and a guaranteed happily ever after. This series does not contain mpreg.

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