Category: Books

Review:  Beautifully Savage Butterfly (Mafia Bound #2) by K. M. Neuhold 

Rating: 4.5🌈

I had no idea that K. M. Neuhold’s dark crime romance series, Mafia Bound, would climb to the top of my list of favorites from this author.  But it certainly has just based on the two fantastic books Neuhold has released in this addictive series.

Violent, dangerously sexual, full of men ready for kinky sex and dark unmistakable attraction amidst Mafia family drama and power struggles within the criminal territories of their city.  Yes, please!

Mafia Bound has its center in the powerful crime family, the Morettis, run by big brother, Lorenzo Moretti.  The first story, which I loved, featured his enforcer, the Ice Man, Xaviaro Saviano, and his romance with Sparrow, an assassin with an agenda. They are seen again here in all their loving psychotic glory. Perfection.

The hints of this relationship we saw in that novel come out swinging here, literally as Elio’s obsession with MMA/ underground boxing champion  Orion is on full display during a courtside match.  It’s a match where anything goes, and the fury, the sheer intensity and physicality just powers off the page.

Neuhold sets the tone and themes here for the characters, the settings, and their dynamic, all right there at the beginning.  It’s violent, bloody, powerful, intense, gripping, and magnetic.  Each character is so well executed and beautifully defined that we understand them even though they have more layers to be revealed as the story progresses.  

Each man is set both within their own family and history, and then within their developing world where their universe will eventually overlap.  It’s fascinating to watch/read about because we feel a part of this couple’s journey. That Orion makes a credible reversal in his view of the Moretti family is due to how Neuhold handled this aspect of his journey in the storyline.  Well done. 

This is how the reader makes such an intimate connection with them , the understanding we reach with each of them, one that’s potentially very dark as well given the violent nature of the situations. 

This is a BDSM D/s relationship, with someone who craves certain elements within their sexual play. Read the notes.  This will go for the series as well, per the characters. 

The plot lines, the characters and their interactions were so great.  I loved the elements with Jack. That’s Orion’s brother whose disability plays a huge part of the story.  And as the two novels have hinted at, Dante,the intriguing dancer,  has a relationship of his own with Sal coming. 

I can’t wait for this one. 

So, more please.  I’m so hooked.  The Moretti family has me in their clutches.  I’m highly recommending Beautifully Savage Butterfly but start with Deadly Little Sparrow, then head here. 

Great covers.

Mafia Bound:

  • Deadly Little Sparrow #1
  • Beautifully Savage Butterfly #2

Buy link 

        Beautifully Savage Butterfly (Mafia Bound Book 2)

    

Blurb

Being savage in the ring is one thing. The way Elio Moretti craves my violence outside the ring is another.

I feel like I’ve been fighting my whole life, and tapping out has never been an option.

I can live with owing money to the Morettis. I can even live with the constant guilt that my brother is the one paralyzed in a hospital bed while I live his dream. What I can’t live with is Elio Moretti, second in command to the infamous crime family, showing up to all my fights, sitting in the front row, watching me like he can’t look away, and barging into the locker room to patch up my wounds and invade my space.

The Morettis are monsters. Vicious, brutal sociopaths. So, why is Elio so eager to get on his knees for me?

He’s as desperate to give up control as I am to take it, but is giving in to these primal urges enough of a reason to sell my soul?

He claims there are worse people in this city than his family, and the deeper I get dragged into his world, the more true that’s starting to seem. Can I really fall in love with a Mafia underboss? Is it even possible to walk away?

  • Publication date: September 6, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 280 pages

Review:  Found in Obscurity (Tales from the Tarot story) by A. M. Rose

Rating: 4.5🌈

Tales from the Tarot is an amazing paranormal series, serving up such a wide selection of 22 stories and authors that’s it’s impossible not to find a great book to read, and share.

I’m including in that tally the quite marvelous Found in Obscurity by A. M. Rose, a tale about a young man, a witch, who has to make a decision to embrace his true nature before he can find his roots, his destiny, and his future happiness. 

Rose has done an excellent job in creating multiple elements of this story, ones guaranteed to fully pull the reader into the universe and narrative.

It begins with the young man,Lorin, who’s spent 12 years evading his destiny, his history, his town, and the powerful grandmother who had raised him.  But as the story opens, the marks of his heritage have appeared on clawed hands, and Rose details, with incredible emotion and intensity, the changes that are coming to him.

It’s a two person point of view storyline, so we alternate between Lorin as he reluctantly returns to home to Oak’s Hollow and his waiting grandmother. The other voice belongs to Kit, Kit, a artic fox familiar and shifter, who’s arrived because of the impending town wide bonding ritual. 

The author weaves a haunting magical mystery through a growing renewal of his relationship between Lorin, his grandmother and the magical nature that is his birthright, that of being a witch. But Lorin must also face his past, accept Kit , and the town where he was born.  It’s a town that Rose has vividly imagined and feels every bit as real as the beautifully imagined characters we grow so close to.

I couldn’t put the book down, and when the story was over, all I could think about was how many more stories of the universe Rose had created I wanted told.

What a pleasure to read.  Highly recommended.

A final note.  Rose took the central theme of the tarot, in this case The Hermit, upright position, as well as The Owner and The Magic Shop as part of the narrative in an extremely effective manner.  Just excellent!

Another fantastic cover, art: Fae Quin 

Cover design: Amanda Meuwissen

Tales from the Tarot- 22 books 

🔷 Where Fools Have Tread by Jennifer Cody❤️

🔷The Magician’s Heart by J.P. Jackson

🔷Cleric of Desire by Amanda Meuwissen❤️

🔷The Nephilim’s Touch by Morgan Lysand

🔷King of Hollywood by Fae Quin

🔷My Minotaur Daddy: An MM Romantasy by Laura Lascarso

🔷Across Space and Time by Kit Barrie

🔷Chariot of Souls by Morgan Mason

🔷By Rude Strength by K.L. Hiers❤️

🔷Found in Obscurity by A. M. Rose❤️

🔷Twisted Fates by Adam J. Ridley

🔷No Justice for the Damned by Hellie Heat

🔷The Angel’s Kiss by Nicholas Bella

🔷Death Song by B. Ripley 

🔷Arcanum by Ashlyn Drewek

🔷The Devil’s Dilemma by Alex J. Adams

🔷Camelot’s Tower by Brooke Matthews

🔷A Highland Gargoyle’s Lucky Star

by Chloe Archer

🔷Trust in the Moon by Delaney Rain

🔷Raising the Sun by Eryn Hawk

🔷Zero Judgment by Kota Quinn

🔷The End of the World by Drake LaMarque

Buy link

        Found in Obscurity

    

Blurb

Being a born witch doesn’t mean you actually want to be a witch. At least not in Lorin’s case. He made the decision to run from it over a decade ago, sequestering himself away from his coven and the idea of magic.

Magic isn’t so easy to hide away from, however.

Drawn back to his hometown, Lorin finds himself tangled up with the one thing he was trying to avoid above all else. A familiar. And this familiar proves to be so much more than he could ever expect.

Kit’s humanity had been taken from him. Locked away and kept out of reach. Trapped in his fox form, he’s spent years wandering around from one bonding ceremony to the next, looking for a witch to break the spell. Not just any witch. His mate.

It was never going to be as simple as that, however.

Not only does his mate not seem to want him around, there’s a far more sinister plot to grapple with as Kit tries desperately to woo his mate and make him understand he’s more than he appears.

Found in Obscurity is a standalone MM romance novel as part of the multi-author collaboration Tales from the Tarot. This book is based on the major arcana card The Hermit.

  • Publication date: September 19, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 441 pages

Review: Werewolves Hate Clogs (La Famiglia Mostro Book 1) by K.L. Hiers

Rating: 4.5🌈

Well, that was just hilarious. And sexy. And a fabulous way to jump into a brand new paranormal series and group of amazing characters written by K.L. Hiers.  

Werewolves Hate Clogs is such an entertaining and engaging read.  Hiers creates in Othniel “Neil” Ricci , a relatable, appealing character.  Neil’s a bit at loose ends, so he’s come for the summer to help his traveling Uncle run his flower shop, Uranian Flora in Somerton.  It’s a city known for its azalea festivals and past criminal history. 

It also has some very unique qualities that its hiding along with its citizenry.

Hier slowly builds a strong, fascinating and, well, the strangest paranormal found family I’ve read recently. And I adore it. All centered around a growing kinky romance between Neil and Lou Morenas-Mostro, werewolf , as well as an involved mystery that affects the entire paranormal community itself.

Neil, Lou, Lou’s very scary family that I’m certain will be explored in coming books, and ,my favorites, the entire found family of The Reliquary, a magical bracelet , as well as that shop, I just didn’t want the book to end.

Honestly any story that contains the phrase 

“ Wang wizardry equals roasty toasty” is a book I certainly needed to have on my must read list! Love , love, this!  

Crocs, battles, fabulous dialogue, sexy scenes, and found crazy family ! Definitely a book and series I’m taking to heart.

You should too.  Highly recommended.  Plus what a great cover.

Need that next book soon.

Pls note it’s a mate romance with bdsm D/s elements in it.

Cover Art by Christina Record of Itsy Bitsy Scissors 

Cover Design and Typography by Amanda Meuwissen

Buy link

        Werewolves Hate Clogs (La Famiglia Mostro)

    

Blurb

Othniel “Neil” Ricci has a sweet new gig working at his uncle’s flower shop—good hourly pay, free room and board, and he has absolutely no idea that the city is apparently infested with monsters.

That is, until he does.

Louis MorĂŠnas-Mostro is a werewolf and an underboss in the monstrous crime family who rule over everything that goes bump in the night. When a prized magical artifact becomes inadvertently attached to Neil, Lou is determined to get it back at any cost.

…Even pretending to date him.

Neil finds himself at odds with an entire monster family, their rebellious enemies, and his own growing attraction to Lou. He hopes he lives long enough to find out if their explosive chemistry can lead to something real, but first he has to make sure he doesn’t end up as monster kibble.

  • Publication date: June 23, 2023
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 432 pages

Review:  Playing the Man (Watkins Glen Gladiators Book 6) by V. L. Locey

Rating: 4.5🌈

V. L. Locey’s Watkins Glen Gladiators series is such a special warmhearted group of stories and characters.  Locey’s gift of being able to bring a fully immersive universe such as the Watkins Glen Gladiators AHL team to life, then fill it up with characters that a reader will find endlessly fascinating, entertaining (looking at you,Greck),amazingly diverse, and always endearing,that’s what makes it so lovely.

Her stories are humorous, realistic, and filled with people stumbling through life as best they can, a HFN on their way to a HEA.  Filled with cats, and as here, a pack of rescue dogs as real as their owner, and locations we’ve come to know as well.

The slow paced romantic relationship between 38 year old Tanner “Fossie” LaBrie of the Watkins Glen Gladiators and Keyshaun Williams, successful gym owner, is low angst, supported by both their families in a way we get to really enjoy the family dynamics and interactions, and understand the true nature of the men themselves.

There’s no real drama.  Between them that is.  It’s on the ice as the Gladiator’s go for the Cup in exciting scenes and memorable plays.  Without the recuperating Fossie who has to watch from the sidelines. That’s the reality too. 

Locey doesn’t make a mistake here. Not on or off the ice. It’s a relationship that’s still very much in play but going forward in the right direction.  I love this. Realistic expectations and grounded.

Plus we get a very special wedding and vows.  That’s the ice on the Cup!

A highly anticipated story in a lovely series hit the goals and more.

Watkins Glen Gladiators:

  • Between The Pipes #1
  • Defending The House #2
  • Dump and Chase #3
  • Taking The Body #4
  • Reading The Play #5
  • Playing The Man #6 

Buy

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Playin…Playing the Man (Watkins Glen Gladiators #6)

Blurb

If only getting back into playing shape were as easy as falling in love…

Tanner LaBrie—aka Fossie to his teammates—is feeling every bit of his thirty-eight years. His shoulder aches when it’s cold, his arms need to be longer to see the crossword puzzle app on his phone, and his knees are incredibly unhappy about the abuse they’ve taken. During one of the final games of the regular season, one of his weary joints decides to give way. The need for surgery is not a surprising one for Tanner. He’s been putting it off for years, but escaping the knife is not an option now. Post-surgery rehab is a son-of-a-gun, but if Tanner is anything, it’s stubborn. Just ask any of his ex-boyfriends. So when his therapist suggests finding a local yoga group, he scoffs at first. Unsure of how he would fit in with the gals in leotards, he nonetheless signs up for a class at his local gym where the teacher is not at all the person listed on the signup form. Not that Fossie is complaining when Keyshaun Williams, the enigmatic and sexy gym owner, shows up with a floral exercise mat, some whale song CDs, and a smile that nearly erases how out of place the defenseman feels.

Keyshaun Williams is living the life he has always dreamed of…for the most part. His new business is a huge success, his family is happy and healthy, and his sister—the only somewhat straight triplet—is a few weeks away from giving birth to twins while his brother is about to open a franchise of Williams Wellness in Buffalo. Yep, life is looking pretty darn great for the former Army dietician/Golden Gloves boxer. Great aside from the quiet house he goes home to every night. Being a few years on the other side of thirty has him seeking someone to settle down with, raise a family, maybe adopt some dogs or raise some goats. Heck, maybe dogs and goats. A man could dream, right? And yes, dreamy would describe the towering, mature, stunningly attractive D-man for the local hockey team who has, it seems, signed up for a senior yoga class that Keyshaun is leading as his sister nests and eats far too many chocolate-covered jalapenos. Tanner LaBrie ticks all his boxes as well as a few he didn’t even know he had. Maybe those long looks the hockey player has been shooting his way for months means Tanner is interested in more than achieving the perfect camel pose?

Playing the Man is a low-angst, small-town, queer hockey romance starring a rehabbing hockey player, a personable gym owner, a fitness center filled with snoopy seniors, meddling but well-meaning siblings, rescue dogs, tons of namaste, and one barktastic happy ever after.

  • Publication date: September 21, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 192 pages

Review: Ghostridden (Ghost Townies Book 1) by E. J. Russell 

Rating: 4.5🌈

E.J. Russell begins a new series, Ghost Townies, with Ghostridden, a wonderful paranormal mystery that introduces the delightful denizens, mysteriously quirky history of this remote small town that’s Ghost, Oregon. 

It begins when ghostwriter Maz Amani, accompanied by his ginger cat Gilgamesh, arrives at the house he inherited from an Uncle Oren he barely knew. 

That house, a gorgeous Queen Anne, is its own character and promptly becomes a magnet as it pulls in neighbors and townsfolk to meet the new owner.   

Russell does such a splendid job building a sense of community by way a of a great cast of characters. Each one has a special role and warmth to them, whether it’s Tia Sophia, Saul Pasternak and Jerry McHale and their daughter, Taryn, to the other shop owners, these are folk we want to know and spend time with.

The main characters too. Maz Amani who so desperately wants a home, finds himself in the middle of a mystery.  The story of the house he inherited is more than it appears.  I love that we discover along with Maz as he learns about the house, the couple (his Uncle included), and the town through research and revelations.  Some bittersweet and heartfelt.

There’s a few elements that caught me off guard.  In one point in a conversation, Maz says

“Are you taking the piss?”

This is a distinctly UK/English phrase, definitely not one you’d hear an American say. So its appearance in a dialogue, from an American to another, in this context is very jarring and took me out of the moment.

Another is that I felt the “villain” of this book was easily tagged.  While the motivation behind the villainy isn’t clear until the end (great dramatic scenes), I feel I knew the “who” straight away.

Not a bad element because we get that wonderful storytelling about Avi and Oren in between, and it’s amazing.

I hope for much more of this going forward.  Of the main couple and characters too.  I think this will be a great series.

Cover design: L C Chase

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Ghostr…Ghostridden – Russell, E.J.: Kindle Store

Blurb

When ghostwriter Maz Amani inherits a house from an uncle he’s never heard of, he offers heartfelt thanks to the universe, packs up his car, his cat, and his skepticism about mysterious uncles leaving all their worldly goods to unknown nephews, and high-tails it to a small town halfway to the Oregon coast.

Anything would be better than week after week of couch surfing his way around Portland. Even if the alleged house is a rundown shack ridden with termites, spiders, and—shudder—rats, he’ll deal. Because hey, he owns a house!

And when his legacy turns out to be a pristine Queen Anne beauty with nary a termite, spider, or rat in sight, he’s ready to stand the universe unlimited vodka shots.

Except not so fast.

Because instead, his house is ridden with something a little more on-brand for a place called Ghost…

  • Publisher: Reality Optional Press (September 20, 2024)
  • Publication date: September 20, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 227 pages

Review:  By Rude Strength (Tales from the Tarot story) by K.L. Hiers

Rating: 4.5🌈

“This book is based on the major arcana card Strength.”

By Rude Strength by K. L. Hiers is a terrific read.  One of the 22 novels in the multi-author series, Tales from the Tarot, Hiers gives us a young man whose world has fallen apart in one day.

When we begin the story and meet LA Holmes, he’s being fired from a job he’s loved and held for 10 years. It quickly becomes apparent that he’s been working in a toxic environment, and while he’s in anguish over his job, it’s a good thing for him he’s leaving.  Then it’s another loss or crushing toxic element of his life after another just piling up on top of him. From being dumped to a narcissist mother’s call, LA’s having the worst day of his life.

Hier’s narrative is so realistic and LA’s situations so relatable that it might be triggering for some.  Especially the narcissist mother who refuses to listen and the ex whose behaviors are tagged with red flags.

But The Magic Shop, The Owner, and a positively remarkable imp, Cassie, help LA recover his strength and inner resolve.

Cassie is a marvelous character, gentle, kind, and genuine in how they show LA there’s a different path for LA to take in his life, his relationships , his job, his outlook. And together they build something wonderful.

Hier tackles sensitive topics within the storyline but it’s done with a compassionate approach, using Cassie as the voice of reason and thoughtful dialogue.  It works and gives Cassie just another layer of credibility and depth to their personality.

I loved the book and characters and would love to see Hier bring the other imps back into their roles in future stories.

Highly recommended.

Love these covers.

Cover art: Fae Quin 

Cover design: Amanda Meuwissen

Tales from the Tarot is a massive multi-author paranormal & fantasy MM romance collaboration. These 22 books, each by a different author, highlight the Major Arcana cards in a traditional Tarot deck – with some liberties taken, such as The Empress card being The Consort, for an all MM or gay romance focus.

Tales from the Tarot- 22 books 

🔷 Where Fools Have Tread by Jennifer Cody❤️

🔷The Magician’s Heart by J.P. Jackson

🔷Cleric of Desire by Amanda Meuwissen❤️

🔷The Nephilim’s Touch by Morgan Lysand

🔷King of Hollywood by Fae Quin

🔷My Minotaur Daddy: An MM Romantasy by Laura Lascarso

🔷Across Space and Time by Kit Barrie

🔷Chariot of Souls by Morgan Mason

🔷By Rude Strength by K.L. Hiers

🔷Found in Obscurity by A. M. Rose

🔷Twisted Fates by Adam J. Ridley

🔷No Justice for the Damned by Hellie Heat

🔷The Angel’s Kiss by Nicholas Bella

🔷Death Song by B. Ripley 

🔷Arcanum by Ashlyn Drewek

🔷The Devil’s Dilemma by Alex J. Adams

🔷Camelot’s Tower by Brooke Matthews

🔷A Highland Gargoyle’s Lucky Star

by Chloe Archer

🔷Trust in the Moon by Delaney Rain

🔷Raising the Sun by Eryn Hawk

🔷Zero Judgment by Kota Quinn

🔷The End of the World by Drake LaMarque

Buy link

        By Rude Strength

    

Blurb

 If you don’t have anything nice to say…

LA Holmes has never had anything nice to say and he’s not starting now.

He’s fought tooth and nail to get where he is and he’s not about to change his wicked ways just because things have gotten a little complicated. It doesn’t matter if his body is a wreck, his career has imploded, or that his love life is in complete shambles. He is not going to give up. He is not going to quit fighting. He is not going to show any weakness…

Except for that random visit to a magic shop when he was feeling a tiny bit desperate, but reallywhat was the worst that could happen?

A magical monster being bound to him for eternity, that’s what.

LA is now stuck with Cass, a snarky gentle giant of a beast who is supposed to be the answer to his problems. All Cass wants to do, however, is cuddle and bake cakes and talk about feelings. His ideas are ridiculous and frustrating, and LA refuses to listen to his stupid plans. LA can’t let himself be distracted by a handsome monster when he has so much at stake and letting his guard down could cost him everything…

Cass promises LA a lifetime of happiness if he’s willing to give in, but can LA find the strength to surrender?

By Rude Strength is a standalone MM romance novel as part of the multi-author collaboration Tales from the Tarot. This book is based on the major arcana card Strength.

  • Publication date: September 16, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 256 pages

Review:  Lonely Shore (Chaos Station Book 2) by Jenn Burke and Kelly Jensen

Rating: 4.75🌈

The journey of Felix Ingesson, his broken ex super soldier partner , Zander Anatolius, and the rest of the crew of the ship, Chaos, continues in the fantastic novel, Lonely Shore.

The novel picks up after the events of Chaos Station, Zander has become a part of the crew but the effects of the alien stinn poisoning are increasingly felt throughout his system and he’s functional less and less as himself.

This heartbreaking story thread is viewed by multiple sources as the story is told by multiple points of view, not just the main couple.  The crew members are a space going found family of mixed species and peoples that are still coming together for the reader. So it’s equally important to feel Zander’s breakdown by each one’s perspective, not just Felix’s.

For Felix, Zander know it will be shattering. And he will be correct.  So it’s evasive maneuvering as far as communication goes between them for much of this story when it comes to the reality of Zander’s situation.

The authors weave an impending sense of disaster in this story even as they are building a romance and multiple relationships between the characters within the ship’s crew. 

Agrius Cartel , a criminal organization that’s been pursuing the crew because of various reasons, steps up its efforts to bring them down, it’s set against the personal drama of the fight for Zander’s survival.

Did I cry? Oh yes I did.  Get a box of tissues ready.  The authors pulled my emotional strings here and I was exhausted from the first to the last paragraph. Extremely satisfying to be honest, but wrung out.

And very ready for the next book to see where the crew and adventure takes them. 

A great read and totally engaging book. One I highly recommend, but read the series in the order they are written.

Series – read them in the order below:

  • Chaos Station 1
  • Lonely Shore 2
  • Skip Trace 3
  • Inversion Point 4
  • Phase Shift 5 – series finale 

Buy link:

        Lonely Shore (Chaos Station Book 2)

    

Blurb 

All they can do is live day to day…

Felix Ingesson has returned to his duties as the Chaos’s engineer with Zander Anatolius, his ex-boyfriend-turned-broken-super-soldier, at his side. Hope means something again. But there’s nothing Felix can do to battle the alien poison flowing through Zander’s veins, or his imminent mental decline. With each passing day, the side effects of Zander’s experimental training are becoming more difficult to ignore.

When the ruthless Agrius Cartel seeks their revenge—including an ambush and an attempt to kidnap the Chaos’s crew—Zander is pushed over the edge. He can no longer hide his symptoms, nor does he want to. But hurting Felix when he’s not in control of himself is Zander’s worst nightmare—when it nearly happens, he agrees to seek help. Even if that means trusting the unknown.

As Zander places his life in alien hands, Felix appoints himself his lover’s keeper. And though he tries to be strong, he can’t ignore the fact that he might lose Zander…forever this time.

  • Publisher: Ghost Ship Books; 2nd edition (July 23, 2024)
  • Publication date: July 23, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 318 pages

Science Fiction Romance 

Science Fiction Adventure 

Review:  Power of the Mind (Shadowy Solutions Book 2) by Nicky James

Rating: 4.75🌈

I’m not sure if Shadowy Solutions won’t surpass Valor and Doyle as the series I come to adore the most. Just based on the three novels that James has given us, the characters of Shadowy Solutions have me in their thrall totally and anxiously waiting for more.

It’s been 3 months since the last case, time frame, 10 months since they met during the events that occurred previously.  Diem Krause, ex cop, overburdened PI, scarred , damaged man that he is,  can’t get

the intriguing Tallus Domingo, PD records clerk,  out of his head.

Tallus, with his own fascination with this huge, quiet dangerous man, will let nothing stop himself from pursuing a relationship with Diem, no matter what the obstacles he throws up between them. 

James has built and continues to construct two incredibly powerful, complicated men who are almost magnetically connected to each other but who are also fighting one’s inner demons that’s keeping them apart.  It’s a compelling, moving dynamic that’s being developed and one that connects the reader instantly to these men.

With the relationship as a foundation and as a way to propel the story forward, James creates an interesting mystery that’s as layered as the characters and relationships found here.  It starts with Memphis, old friend of Tallus’, who decides to have his fortune told and swings into a mysterious investigation that sees a crossover with Valor and Doyle, bringing suspense and excitement.

It’s a great story, excellent character development, exciting scenes, and just such emotional moments that make this a series to watch and put on your must read list.

Highly recommend!

Shadowy Solutions:

Invisible Scars – prequel 

Skeletons in the Closet #1

Power of the Mind #2

Connected and preceding series in the same universe:

Valor and Doyle (7 book series)

Buy link

        Power of the Mind (Shadowy Solutions Book 2)

    

Blurb

It’s not a real case, he’s not my boyfriend, and we aren’t partners.

Three lies I told myself for survival.

After ten months of shamefully stalking and showing up randomly on Tallus’s doorstep at midnight (for reasons), the sinfully hot records clerk decided he’d had enough of my games.

In fact, he went out of his way to bring me the most ridiculous case (it was not a case) on the planet as an excuse to push me over the line (he wanted a date). Our arrangement (hooking up) didn’t suit him any longer.

Could I say no? Of course not (this was Tallus).

Five days, I told him. Five days to prove his silly theory, then we were done.

Little did I know, Tallus had a deadline of his own.

Investigating a mind-controlling-murdering psychic was hard enough (because it was not a thing), but resisting Tallus’s charm was the real challenge.

It turned out, I was wrong about a few things.

The case might be a case after all.

Tallus had potential as a partner.

And after all was said and done…

I wasn’t sure I could let him go.

  • Publication date: September 12, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 431 pages

Review:  Chariot of Souls (Tales from the Tarot story) by Morgan Mason

Rating: 3.5🌈

Chariot of Souls by Morgan Mason is another in the fascinating multi-author paranormal series, Tales from the Tarot.  

I thought Mason’s story and characters had some great ideas and potential but the narrative didn’t really seem to fulfill the expectations that the author has worked so hard to on delivering.

Arit, the reaper who’s been only delivering the brilliant souls of the world, has been following one single soul’s path for thousands of years, and has found him once more.

That’s a great hook.

Nixon is an accident prone young man, having almost lost his life close to 15 times and he’s not yet thirty. Mason built an intriguing foundation for Nixon as the only surviving infant of triplets but then does nothing with it.  Same goes for his family and younger brother. It’s interesting enough that the reader thinks that it’s a building block of the mystery of Nixon yet this element goes nowhere. 

The buildup to the relationship between Arit and Nixon is another reason why I was involved in the story. It includes background information on the various reapers and their lives that adds to the mystery.

Arit and Nixon together, however, aren’t as promising as a fated soulmate duo. For me, they needed more time to develop their relationship and chemistry, and that odd little bit towards the end felt rushed.  All that to call him home?

But what struck me the most was that the theme of the series really wasn’t present.  The tarot card here was The Chariot, the vessel of Arit to ferry the souls to their versions of the afterlife.  But does that card actually make an appearance? No.  It’s just a part of the forward.

The Magic Shop and The Owner , previously a omnipresent, somewhat ominous figure, is in a diminished capacity here, literally and figuratively.

I found that to be disappointing as well.

I did find Chariot of Souls by Morgan Mason to be an enjoyable read. Read it if you’re a fan of the series and author.

Tales from the Tarot- 22 books 

🔷 Where Fools Have Tread by Jennifer Cody

🔷The Magician’s Heart by J.P. Jackson

🔷Cleric of Desire by Amanda Meuwissen

🔷The Nephilim’s Touch by Morgan Lysand

🔷King of Hollywood by Fae Quin

🔷My Minotaur Daddy: An MM Romantasy by Laura Lascarso

🔷Across Space and Time by Kit Barrie

🔷Chariot of Souls by Morgan Mason

🔷By Rude Strength by K.L. Hiers

🔷Found in Obscurity by A. M. Rose

🔷Twisted Fates by Adam J. Ridley

🔷No Justice for the Damned by Hellie Heat

🔷The Angel’s Kiss by Nicholas Bella

🔷Death Song by B. Ripley 

🔷Arcanum by Ashlyn Drewek

🔷The Devil’s Dilemma by Alex J. Adams

🔷Camelot’s Tower by Brooke Matthews

🔷A Highland Gargoyle’s Lucky Star

by Chloe Archer

🔷Trust in the Moon by Delaney Rain

🔷Raising the Sun by Eryn Hawk

🔷Zero Judgment by Kota Quinn

🔷The End of the World by Drake LaMarque

Buy link

        Chariot of Souls

    

Blurb

Being a reaper, Arit has been around since the dawn of humankind, ferrying souls from one realm to the next. Always separate, always alone, his only connections are with the departed. Some he may have encountered before, but while most are unmemorable, there is one soul Arit would never fail to recognize, for he has been called to carry it more than any other.

Accident prone and clumsy, it’s a miracle Nixon has made it to adulthood. Having survived a dozen near-death experiences, everything changes one night when he manages to escape death’s call, one more time. But who is the hooded figure standing outside Nixon’s apartment window? And why does this beautiful man seem strangely familiar?

When Arit realizes Nixon might be on his last life, never to be ferried again, can he and Nixon make a bargain with Fate in time to save Nixon’s soul? Or are both man and reaper destined to part before they even get a chance at love?

Chariot of Souls is a standalone MM romance novella as part of the multi-author collaboration, Tales from the Tarot. This book is based on the major arcana card, The Chariot.

Review:  Strikes Twice (Elementally Yours Book 2)  by FN Manning 

Review:  4.25🌈

This series is so fascinating and each story enlarges the universe. With Strikes Twice , the story focus’s on characters whose different elements, are air and electricity and the challenges they’re facing.

Manning changes up the characters here in that Marty Russo had already accepted his brand as an air wizard, accomplished in his magic.  Additionally, he’s known to the family of ice mages we met in the first story, a neat twist I appreciated. I really loved seeing Mrs. Blanchard again, and in a totally new perspective. She’s wonderful.

Azure “Az” Serrano, isn’t just a cursed person, he’s a dragon. So it’s a whole different element of magic to explore as the mystery unravels.

Manning, in fact, has more narrative strengths written into the book than is explored to the depths we want, simply because they are so intriguing and interesting.  

There’s the damaging past history of Marty’s fire element parents and the impact that it left behind. We get some of that but  that mother/step father dynamic is heartwarming and would love to see more. 

The same goes for dragon history, their magic and Az’s family. A deeper dive would have felt satisfying.

But Manning gives us a romance, terrific chemistry, a stumbling-slow to grow relationship between Marty and Az that’s realistic and relatable. Their interactions, the fears and mounting hopes, it keeps the reader connected to them and the story. 

The couple, mystery and journey to a HEA makes this an entertaining and heartfelt story. It’s one I’m recommending.

Elementally Yours:

Frost or The Bite #1

Strikes Twice #2

Bold As Brass #3 – October 13,2024

Buy link

        Strikes Twice: M/M Paranormal Romance (Elementally Yours Book 2)

    

Blurb

When lightning strikes anyone he touches, can love strike back?

Marty Russo doesn’t need wings to fly. The air wizard loves using magic to soar through the sky, yet he lacks a purpose when down on the ground. So Marty tries to help a man plagued by a cruel electrical curse. But solving this impossible hex isn’t nearly as challenging as keeping his hands off Azure “Az” Serrano.

Az is guarded. Understandably so, after six years of his skin zapping anyone who gets too close. Then a determined air wizard strolls into his life and won’t go away. And when he gives the cursed man hope again, it’s hard to resist the attraction between them.

But getting closer puts the wizard in danger; electricity is especially harmful to air casters. And after they’re unable to keep their distance, the curse nearly fries Marty. Can Marty free Az, or will he fall when lightning strikes twice?

Strikes Twice features enemies to lovers, an understandably grumpy shifter, an optimistic wizard, action, steamy scenes, cruel curses, and love triumphing against all odds. This the second novel in the Elementally Yours Series, and each book features different characters and can be read seperately..

  • Publication date: August 4, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 257 pages