The Trouble With Trying to Hook a Harbinger is another absolutely wild unhinged story in Jennifer Codyās Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees series and Iām loving every single bit of this.
No, itās not over yet. This is the penultimate tale of battles, families, universal balance and gods, shopping, engagements, ginormous rings, new adoptions, and just outright chaos in the best way possible. With blood and swords and lots of sex.
Cody does give Romily (and the reader) a further explanation into his muteness and past trauma. Itās typical of Codyās writing that this aspect of the story, while it offers Romily an explanation for his tragic past and mutism, it wonāt resolve it. Instead this storyline gives him a new perspective about this part of himself as well as sees another intriguing being added to the family.
Codyās characters are so well written, grounded in their emotions and respected relationships that we stay connected with them no matter what happens to the world around them. Here, with the incredible imagery and imagination thatās been brought by Cody to this moment, itās a very wild ride!
Thatās why I just love this entire series and story. Even the smallest scene can contain ramifications for the larger plot, or even for a characterās story later on in the series. Codyās plot is complex even when appearing at its most simplistic stage. Itās never one dimensional. Crazy, zooming off into the wilderness of the universe and who knows what else could possibly happen next but thatās what makes this work. Characters that love each other deeply amidst chaos and way too many tables.
Gotta love this. I do and canāt wait for the next one to come out. Plus I heard that there will be a new sequel series to follow. Highly recommended!
Stay tuned.
Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees :
ā The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer #1
ā The Trouble With Trying to Save an Assassin #2
ā The Trouble with Trying to Love a Hellion #3
ā The Trouble With Trying to Hook a Harbinger #4
ā The Adventure of Sterling Jones: A Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees Sidequest
Welcome back to Will-They-Wonāt-They? The Engagement: The Foxily Edition. Thatās the name of the show that Iām planning to pitch to a producer thatās based on my life. Will Fox ever give me a ring? Who knows! I donāt, and I donāt think Fox does either. If the rock currently sitting not-on-my-finger is any indication, we might be doomed.
In the meantime, let me introduce to you my new best friend: a cherub. (Are we surprised by this turn of events? No. I flipping love cherubs.) Akile Aristide walks into my life, declares that Iām his bestie, and then flips the world on its three way axis. Whatās a Harbinger to do except announce, āIncoming!ā and hope everyoneās buckled in?
The Trouble with Trying to Hook a Harbinger is a 63k MM Paranormal Romedy with a Harbinger who gets to change his title to The Chosen One, a slightly manic Reaper whoās out for a little blood, and the family that theyāre building one adoption at a time.
Well this is an absolutely splendid addition to the Fortune Favors the Fae series. I loved how Michele Notaro adapted her Brinnswick universe into this series, by means of that mischievous wayward fae coin.
While its personality doesnāt really come into play as it has in a prior tale, that coin is still the means through which unlucky fae Belryn Bizidor meets wolf shifter Remington ā Remiā Ellwood, newly arrived with some of the members of his family to start a family security company on Gauhala.
Its meet cute, and mate recognition, sort of . Mostly both feel a very special unusual attraction, which I find interesting because it takes time for this relationship to develop. For Bel, his situation is fragile. His city views Fae as the lowest form of life, discrimination is common, heās homeless, and trying to protect whatās left of his family.
The more the reader learns about his character and how perilous the situation heās in, the more we connect with him. Bel is the type of character Notaro crafts so well. Layered, emotional, and warmhearted. And desperate. In this case, to save his family.
Remi the wolf shifter who finds his viramore and is determined to hold him, no matter what, is kind and loving. Just by his own history heās not as vividly drawn as a wounded Bel. Itās just the nature of the difference in the drama between them. They do have a gentle charm and connection that works well here.
Notaro has created a number of fascinating characters that support the main couple, ones that almost prove more compelling. Whether itās Tan, Remiās friend and business partner whoās in a frenemies attraction thing with the Dragon King, or Belās cousin Ker and the vampire bookstore owner, Anton Orsova, those are stories that beg to be told and look to come in a new sequel series soon to be released.
I hope we see these characters as well.
The Wolf’s (Un)Lucky Fae (a Fortune Favors the Fae story) by Michele Notaro is a highly entertaining read and one Iām happy to recommend!
Be on the lookout for the new series below.
New connected series that continues a coupleās developing romance:
The Witchās Grumpy Dragon (Brinnswick: Tales From Gauhala Book 1) – Oct 25,2024
Look at whatās coming up next!
Fortune Favors the Fae – 15 books:
ā A Fae Coin Transported Me Into Another World and Now I’m the Gay Holy Maiden by AJ Sherwood #1
ā The Wolf’s (Un)Lucky Fae by Michele Notaro #2
ā¦ Bound to the Wild Fae by Tavia Lark #3 June 13
ā¦ The Sorcererās Thief by Lee Colgin #4 – June 20, 2024
ā¦ The Fae Menagerie by Edie Montreaux #5 – June 27,2024
ā¦ Never Darling by Sam Burns #6 – July 4,2024
ā¦ Prince of Poison by Alice Winters #7 – July 11,2024
ā¦ Grave Misfortune by Nazri Noor #8 – July 18,2024
ā¦ Fae for Pay by Meaghan Maslow #9 – July 23,2024
ā¦ Kisses at the Crossroad by Morgan Lysand #10 – August 1,2024
ā¦ Smoke and Mirrors by Kai Butler #11 – August 8, 2024
ā¦ Siren in the Rain by Chloe Archer #12 – Aug 15,2024
ā¦ I Destroyed the Elf Princeās Harem by Jocelynn Drake #13 – Aug 22,2024
ā¦ A Fae Called Wylder by Michelle Frost #14 – Aug 29,2024
ā¦ Lucky or Knot by Eliot Grayson #15 – September 5,2024
Call it fate, call it luck, but when a powerful wolf shifter walks into my life, everything changes.
Bel
Iāve made some stupid decisions in my life, and one in particular keeps coming back to haunt me. When I keep running into a handsome stranger, I know I should push him away, if only to keep him safe from my mess, keep him safe from me. But something inside of meāmy heart, my magic, or my soulākeeps pushing me toward him, offering to make all my secret dreams come true. And I donāt know how to stay away.
Remi
When I travel across the world to open a new businessāand get away from my overbearing familyāthe last thing I ever expect is to find the most beautiful and alluring fae Iāve ever met. Iām drawn to him, and Iām pretty sure if he lets his guard down, heāll admit heās drawn to me too. All I want to do is pull Bel into my arms and protect him from whatever heās hiding. But heās skittish and suspicious, and I just want to prove to him that he can trust me.
Fate, and a bit of luck, brought us together, and Iām not going to let it or anything else tear us apart.
The Wolfās (Un)Lucky Fae is a part of the multi-author series, Fortune Favors the Fae. From spicy to sweet, zany romps to epic adventures, thereās something for everyone in this mystical series. Discover destiny and true love and follow the coin on its fickle journey to the next world and a new magical adventure.
Eden Winters new release, Darkness, is a superb supernatural thriller. Wintersā beautifully written narrative combines elements of horror, murder mystery, political conspiracy, as well as a deeply intriguing romance to create a dark, suspenseful, and gripping story.
It starts with Atlanta PD Det. Morrisey James. Heās a wounded, broken man, with a disturbing talent that allows him to sense what the newly deceased felt, a gift he keeps hidden in his job investigating violent crimes.
Thatās where Winters drops the reader into the narrative. James and his partner have just arrived at the scene of a truly horrific crime, one that will have ramifications for the rest of the story. We immediately get a feel for Morriseyās battered emotional state, the close dynamic between himself and his deeply depressed partner. And the author is able to portray, just from the remarks of the other crime scene officers, a city under siege as waves of high crime just overwhelm the police and all departments.
When tragedy strikes again and loss hits Morrisey, its help from Farren Austin that turns his life upside down.
The characters of Morrisey and Farren, the darkness and the light, are so thoughtfully and beautifully crafted. Winters builds believable people who we have real empathy for , but leaves them with so much more room to expand their characters into increasingly larger and complex roles.
I couldnāt stop reading. I was so caught up in Morriseyās story, Farrenās role in it, each new revelation about all the various travelers and their tumultuous journeys from a dying world. Winters has enough elements for a series should she want to continue exploring the world and characters she has created and set in motion.
I wasnāt really ready for Darkness to be over as I felt the characters were just getting started with their own new beginning. There were also other characters I had grown fond of and needed to see more of them.
Whether this is a standalone or the beginning of an extraordinary series, itās a great story and one Iām excited to share.
As an Atlanta PD detective, Morrisey understands the worst atrocities the city has to offerāor believes he does. His recent cases present something new: a killer who unleashes unbridled terror in victims before moving in for the kill. Morrisey has an edge, though, the terrifying ability to gain flashes of insight from each victim.
Most people assume Farren Austin is a shallow, pretty boy, but heās so much more. Agent Austin keeps secrets as part of the FBIās Alternate Entities Task Force, a unit created to monitor travelers from another realm. Although they might look human, theyāre anything but.
And theyāve taken a special interest in Morrisey.
Partnered with Farren, Morrisey finds himself in the middle of demons trying to possess his body, a succubus sidekick who wants to cook him breakfast, accusations of being a powerful destructive force, and a growing number of people calling him āDarkness.ā Not to mention a sudden overwhelming attraction to his new partner.
Itās going to take the mysterious Farrenās help to keep the latest case from being Morriseyās last.
F. N. Manningās urban fantasy series. Supernatural Affairs, draws to a close with The Soul of an Angel.
Manningās story is a good finale in that the reader has some important questions answered about the main characters and their relationships. The author also supplies further exploration of the universe and adds on to the series world building/mythology already established.
Does everyone get a HEA? No. A HFN , which is more in keeping with the storylines and newness of the main coupleās relationship. That actually makes sense, but for a finale novel some people might not be satisfied.
Manning has a number of larger series elements that need in-depth exploration and themes that require more heavy lifting, narratively speaking, than a book 195 pages long can provide.
Frost, a Angel hiding from Heaven, revelations about the true nature of the inhabitants of Heaven and Hell, their relationship with Earth, the past and current history between the three realms, a hidden political conspiracy, complete with battle and thatās just what is basically happening.
Letās then throw in internecine family dynamics, and a main character in danger whoās the fated mate of Frost. Nathan Clinton is someone who is being hunted down and thatās what brings him to the attention of Frost because of what is hunting him.
I liked Manningās characterizations of both Frost, who weāve seen before, and Nathan, a very frightened man on the run from demons and a supernatural world just revealing itself to him.
I think that my issues here are that thereās little time for any real development in this relationship because thereās so much more that Manning needs to pay narrative attention to and does. To the detriment of this couple.
A fight for Earth. Yes, super important and that would necessitate a lot of new information and elements to be added. Which they are. Aliens who arenāt what they appear? Yes, more exploration and more details required. So much more.
Probably see where this is going.
Thereās really not enough time within the pages to lay out all the really interesting and imaginative content that Manning has written for this story and series. So in trying to get it all done, it all feels as though the author has made sacrifices and nothing has the layers and dimensions expected in a finale or book with this many storylines.
Itās got a lot of potential. I enjoyed the characters, and some of the relationship dynamics. I just wish there had been more length or another book to make that work.
The author does mention the idea of another sequel series which perhaps would tie up some of the many loose ends left behind here. And let us see what happens next to those characters without partners or just getting a start with theirs. That would be lovely.
If youāre interested in paranormal romance or urban fantasy stories, here is a series for you.
In a battle between Heaven and Hell, two lovers must fight to stay together and save the world.
Frost the angel takes pride in protecting others as an agent with the Department of Supernatural Affairs. But his days on Earth are numbered when his family intends to drag him back to Heaven. After centuries of precious freedom, wishing for more time feels greedy. Itās just a shame that Nathan enters the picture right when his time as a free man is up.
Being a high school music teacher isnāt exactly glamorous, but Nathan Clinton is happy with his life. He already did the impossible once by escaping toxic, controlling parents and starting over, so stopping the demons after his immortal soul should be a piece of cakeā¦ right? Good thing a beautiful angel has offered his assistance.
When angels and demons start taking an interest in Earth and the world is threatened, Frost and Nathan find themselves in the middle of a brewing war between worlds. With the angel being pulled to Heaven and Nathan being dragged to Hell, is there any hope of them being together on this worldāand also saving the Earth?
Never has Jocelynn Drakeās fantastic fantasy series, Kings of Chaos, leaned so heavily and culturally into its Chinese mythological roots as it does beautifully in Two Thousand Blades.
When Two Thousand Tears dramatically ended, so many major traumatic events had happened. The Elf King had been ended. But the invasion, lead by the Elf Queen, was successful and the East Coast was falling fast as the otherworldly forest spread. But more devastating, the Clan lost a brother as a dragon sank down into the battle and stole Xiang away from his family and those fighting against the Fae.
Drakeās clear love of Chinese mythology and culture has always been used beautifully against the various otherworldly themes and mythologies at play in this series. But in Two Thousand Blades, she allows them full rein.
This tale becomes a vivid tapestry of ancient history, gods come to life, otherworldly internecine war, magical blades, and forever love. Memorable, emotional and immensely powerful.
Itās Xiangās background. His family and past so cemented in their original home so far away and Kai, the one who becomes everything to him. The swirling mythology of which is well known today and is attached via footnotes and addendums here by the author.
Itās how Drake builds their relationship, the slow reveal of identity, and the meshing of the two ongoing conflicts/locations that work together so seamlessly here. We see the Clan of 2,000 Chinese vampires, their mates, friends and allies in Hartford fighting the Fae and desperately seeking a way to find their brother Xiang. And we have Xiang and Kai in the Dragonās cave with Xiang equally seeking passage home, answers about their location, and the dragon.
The relationship between Xiang and Kai is revelatory personally and historically. Itās a great way, narratively, for Drake to bring the history of the Clanās history, their horrific transformation into vampires, and their defeat of their master.
Without venturing into spoiler territory, this is an exciting, high stakes, action packed storyline where even if you think the Clan has come out ahead, nothing is as it seems. The clan and its family will have its major brutal challenges ahead and angst filled romances to come.
We know who is next as the ending is a bit of a stunner and cliffhanger, both in the best way possible. So now itās waiting until Two Thousand Shadows comes out in December.
Until then, Iām highly recommending all the books in this series. Read them in the order they are written for character and plot development. Just a superb series in every aspect.
Xiang thought his biggest problem was going to be defeating the fae.
Nope.
Right now, it’s escaping this dragon’s hoard.
The dragon, who tried to eat his clanmate, grabbed Xiang instead, and now Xiang is trapped.
And heās not the only one who needs to escape the dragonās lair.
Kai is serving as the dragonās assistant and helping to keep Xiang from going crazy with boredom.
Xiang is sure thereās more to this sexy man beyond his sad eyes and stuffy personality, but learning all of Kaiās secrets is going to take time.
First, Xiang needs to steal Kai from the hoard, and hopefully win his heart in the process.
But will they be able to escape the reach of a very possessive dragon?
Two Thousand Blades is the third novel in the Kings of Chaos series. This book contains a stubborn vampire falling in love with someone who isn’t quite who he claims to be, shifters, vampires, a nosy family who wants all the spilled tea, other non-human surprises, snark, angst, magic, treasure, found family, brotherly bickering, chaos, pouting, cuddles, one very possessive dragon, and an endless love that crosses lines drawn by war
ā¢ Publication date: May 31, 2024
ā¢ Language: English
ā¢ Print length: 360 pages
Fantasy Asian Mythology
The Kings of Chaos is a spin-off series from the Lords of Discord and Princes of Mayhem series.
Lords of Discord :
Claiming Marcus
Saving Rafe
Waking Bel
Embracing Winter
Healing Aiden
Visiting the Variks: A Short Story Collection
Princes of Mayhem
How the Necromancer in the Gold Vest Ruined Saved My Life :
The Subpar Heroes series has been a real hit or miss for me, with having liked 2 books and finding I absolutely couldnāt finish 2 others.
Iām combining the reviews for the DNF because neither requires a full on review as you will see.
The Accidental Necromancer by Liv Rancourt is a DNF simply because I was appalled by its application of the theme and overall plot. If you are a cat lover, pet owner or just love animals, this is not the story for you. The main character accidentally raises road kills, they follow him home. Opening scene of a roadkill cat now pitifully mewing, detailed missing parts showing exactly what happened to it, following him home. He sighs because yeah, again. Adds it to a room with other dead roadkill animals . Then follows episodes with the hot one dimensional SPAM vet. Poor dialogue.
But mainly pathetic really horribly dead animals.
Why would author think that this is a good idea? Especially considering readers who might have lost beloved pets? Just no. DNF
Next up an author Iām a fan of except for this nonsensical piece where thereās no clear idea of the characters or even whoās speaking most of the time .
2. Behind the 8-Ball by A. E. Wasp
This is from Harlanās pov and his voice included as well to further muddle the conversation. So three different people speaking and basically the reader will have no idea who they are from this passage. And thatās not unusual.
āDash and DT exchanged glances. āStop looking at each other that way. Itās making me insane.ā
I took a long drink of coffee and lost track of what I was saying.
āFuck me, this is good coffee.ā
I know, right?ā DT agreed.
āWhereād you get it?ā
āThatās classified, soldier.ā The corners of his mouth tilted up.ā
āI forced the memory of how that mouth had tasted back into the lockbox in my brain. āAsshole.ā Banter was good. It gave us some familiarity and some distance at the same time.ā
ā Behind the 8-Ball: A Subpar Heroes Story by A. E. Wasp
It should be a good story but the framework and how Wasp lays out the characters and storylines will just give the reader a headache. Iām sure the author is going for a certain narrative style but itās hard to tell because it lacks substance and flow.
DNF
Subpar Heroes series- 15 books:
š·The Accidental Necromancer by Liv Rancourt
š·Behind the 8-Ball by A. E. Wasp 5/30/2024
š·Transparent Is a Color by Kaje Harper
š·Impossible Things by Alexa Land
š·My Not-So-Super Blind Date by Allison Temple 6/6/2024
š·An Ex-Hero’s Guide to Axe Handling by Jenn Burke 6/13/2024
š·In The Nick of Time by Elle Keaton 7/25/2024
š·Static/Cling by Jaimie Samms 7/30/2024
š·Spiritual Guidance Not Required by Jacy Braegan 8/1/2024
š·What Could Go Wrong? By Toshi Drake 8/6/2024
š·License to Chill by Chantal Mer 8/8/2024
š·Code Name Dolittle by Lynn Michaels. 8/22/2024
š·Signed, Iām Yours! By Rhys Lawless 8/29/2024
Well, this was an absolute blast! A beautifully crafted, well written, and wildly entertaining fantasy story that I really didnāt want to see end.
A. J. Sherwood, a author Iām an enormous fan of, just has a fabulous time with the theme of this multi author collection and gives us a tale of a man ripped out of his own life and into a new world! Itās one complete with talking magical fae coin, peopled with many species in need of some dire, or in this case divine intervention, a handsome intelligent warrior/Duke, and a quest the displaced businessman is surprisingly well suited to solve.
Thereās so many great layers to this world and Sherwoodās story. The characters alone are ones I could write pages about, not just the main characters but all the well defined but important ones. Like the child Izzy, Grandma the Herb Master, Mina and her grandfather, Grandpa Hawes, a farmer, Boss Melva, and so many others. Each voice distinct and memorable. Their personalities and presence made this book and world real and vibrant with emotion.
However itās Jake Alexander, soon to be divorced from a disastrous marriage, whoās hit by a truck and transported by a mischievous fae coin to another realm where a quest and new life awaits him. Jake is someone who, no matter what his family or his beleaguered life has delivered, has always been able to make the best of what he has been dealt. That attitude, and with his own personality and integrity makes Jake a character we cheer on, especially as we learn more about his past life and upbringing.
The person who is supporting Jake, in his new role as the gay Holy Maiden (thatās a hilarious aspect Iāll leave to the story), is Theon, a warrior who, in his own right, is the only person who has treated Jake the way that he has been hoping for. Theon whoās responsible, intelligent and warmhearted. Worried about the welfare of his people yet still has the same caring attitude towards Jake. Itās a marvelous relationship to watch evolve. Humorous, warm hearted and , slow to kick in. Loved it
Thereās several terrific surprises. Every person, every being is treated with respect and kindness. Here youāll find yourself and the world you are meant to live in.
So yes, I wasnāt finished with this crew or world when the end hit. I could have kept going. I so hope that thereās a sequel somewhere someday. Fingers crossed
Highly recommend!
Great cover!
Look at whatās coming up next!
Fortune Favors the Fae – 15 books:
ā A Fae Coin Transported Me Into Another World and Now I’m the Gay Holy Maiden by AJ Sherwood #1
ā¦ The Wolf’s (Un)Lucky Fae by Michele Notaro #2 June 6
ā¦ Bound to the Wild Fae by Tavia Lark #3 June 13
ā¦ The Sorcererās Thief by Lee Colgin #4 – June 20, 2024
ā¦ The Fae Menagerie by Edie Montreaux #5 – June 27,2024
ā¦ Never Darling by Sam Burns #6 – July 4,2024
ā¦ Prince of Poison by Alice Winters #7 – July 11,2024
ā¦ Grave Misfortune by Nazri Noor #8 – July 18,2024
ā¦ Fae for Pay by Meaghan Maslow #9 – July 23,2024
ā¦ Kisses at the Crossroad by Morgan Lysand #10 – August 1,2024
ā¦ Smoke and Mirrors by Kai Butler #11 – August 8, 2024
ā¦ Siren in the Rain by Chloe Archer #12 – Aug 15,2024
ā¦ I Destroyed the Elf Princeās Harem by Jocelynn Drake #13 – Aug 22,2024
ā¦ A Fae Called Wylder by Michelle Frost #14 – Aug 29,2024
ā¦ Lucky or Knot by Eliot Grayson #15 – September 5,2024
What happens when you fall and hit the webtoons trope tree? You get killed by Truck-kun, get transported to a fantasy world by a sentient Fae coin, and become the first gay holy maiden.
Jake Alexander is Not Happy to be sure. Fortunately in Jakeās case, part of the trope tree includes the gorgeous Duke of the North, Theon. And starting a business from scratch, which heās always wanted to do. And revitalizing his new country which is on the verge of collapse.
He could do without the killer miasma and corrupted kings and the singing magic and a sentient coin that doesnāt shut up, however.
Jakeās not sure if he should thank or melt the Fae coin into *ahem* something more useful.
Tags:
Fell on the trope tree and hit every branch going down, truck-kun, fae duke of the north, holy maiden, miasma threat, Jakes needs singing lessons, duke needs to take a business course, magic coin is about to be melted into a cock ring, bingo card for tropes, dragons, contracts are Jakeās love language, potato soup cures all, potatoes are friends, fourth wall who, basically I took all of the webtoon tropes and crammed them in
Gay Holy Maiden is a part of the multi-author series, Fortune Favors the Fae. From spicy to sweet, zany romps to epic adventures, thereās something for everyone in this mystical series. Discover destiny and true love and follow the coin on its fickle journey to the next world and a new magical adventure.
āPeregrine Crawford stared in horror at the box sitting on top of his delivery cart. Thatās a bomb.ā
Iām a fan of Kage Harperās work. This author manages to take a āordinaryā personās, or someone who has been categorized as āsub parā, approach to an extraordinary set of circumstances and make it and him relatable.
Thatās Perry whose super powers are anything but. Perry can make things change colors but not indefinitely. Yellow rug to blue. Until the color fades. He has one more talent but it doesnāt always work and takes a lot of power and practice. So Perry hasnāt told anyone about it. That makes him a disappointment to his mother, especially as his only job he can hold is in a mailroom.
Perry is that easy to connect with character. One whose life changes when he does the right thing and meets Sergeant Deckard of the Nova City Bomb Squad and his canine patrol partner, Nix.
Harper combines an investigation into a serial bomber with a sweet developing relationship between Perry and Deckard. The super hero organization, SPAM, isnāt much of a element here but does appear largely as a smaller thread.
This is a good take on the theme and a sweet couple.
Subpar Heroes series- 15 books:
š·The Accidental Necromancer by Liv Rancourt
š·Behind the 8-Ball by A. E. Wasp 5/30/2024
š·Transparent Is a Color by Kaje Harper
š·Impossible Things by Alexa Land
š·My Not-So-Super Blind Date by Allison Temple 6/6/2024
š·An Ex-Hero’s Guide to Axe Handling by Jenn Burke 6/13/2024
š·In The Nick of Time by Elle Keaton 7/25/2024
š·Static/Cling by Jaimie Samms 7/30/2024
š·Spiritual Guidance Not Required by Jacy Braegan 8/1/2024
š·What Could Go Wrong? By Toshi Drake 8/6/2024
š·License to Chill by Chantal Mer 8/8/2024
š·Code Name Dolittle by Lynn Michaels. 8/22/2024
š·Signed, Iām Yours! By Rhys Lawless 8/29/2024
Perry’s mother told him he’d develop the superpower of flight, like his grandfather. She even named him Peregrine, so folks would call him “The Falcon.” Spoilerā they don’t. Because when he did come into his power, all he got was the ability to change colors. Not even himself, like some kind of Chameleon Man, but the color of objects. He can de-pukify the shade of his bedroom curtains, turn a bully’s sweatshirt pink, or even turn a red traffic light green. (Not a good idea.) He hasn’t told anyone except his disappointed mom about his power. What would they call him? The Interior Decorator?
Back in high school, under stress, he did convince his power that transparent was just another color. Now that ability’s sometimes fun in an illicit way. Then one morning, in the mailroom at work, he turns a cardboard box transparent and sees a bomb inside. And Perry’s ordinary life explodes.
Sergeant Deckard of the Nova City Bomb Squad never thought much about superheroes, or supervillains for that matter. He has plenty of work with ordinary humans and their explosives. Until he and his bomb-sniffing dog, Nix, get called to a possible-explosives situation in a highrise mailroom. The guy who reported the bomb is a nerdy twink in dark-framed glasses who pushes all of Deck’s buttons. When he finds out the young man has a weird superpower and may be the target of a villain, every protective instinct comes into play.
Deckard’s goal is to keep his job, his dog, Nova City, and Perry intact. His libido can just sit down, shut up, and take a number. But as their attraction gets hotter and the villain closes in, their future might be blown apart before it even has a chance to start.
Transparent Is a Color is a part of the multi-author Subpar Superheroes MM romance series.
(Content warning for abduction, parental emotional abuse)
Perry’s mother told him he’d develop the superpower of flight, like his grandfather. She even named him Peregrine, so folks would call him “The Falcon.” Spoilerā they don’t. Because when he did come into his power, all he got was the ability to change colors. Not even himself, like some kind of Chameleon Man, but the color of objects. He can de-pukify the shade of his bedroom curtains, turn a bully’s sweatshirt pink, or even turn a red traffic light green. (Not a good idea.) He hasn’t told anyone except his disappointed mom about his power. What would they call him? The Interior Decorator?
Back in high school, under stress, he did convince his power that transparent was just another color. Now that ability’s sometimes fun in an illicit way. Then one morning, in the mailroom at work, he turns a cardboard box transparent and sees a bomb inside. And Perry’s ordinary life explodes.
Sergeant Deckard of the Nova City Bomb Squad never thought much about superheroes, or supervillains for that matter. He has plenty of work with ordinary humans and their explosives. Until he and his bomb-sniffing dog, Nix, get called to a possible-explosives situation in a highrise mailroom. The guy who reported the bomb is a nerdy twink in dark-framed glasses who pushes all of Deck’s buttons. When he finds out the young man has a weird superpower and may be the target of a villain, every protective instinct comes into play.
Deckard’s goal is to keep his job, his dog, Nova City, and Perry intact. His libido can just sit down, shut up, and take a number. But as their attraction gets hotter and the villain closes in, their future might be blown apart before it even has a chance to start.
Transparent Is a Color is a part of the multi-author Subpar Superheroes MM romance series.
(Content warning for abduction, parental emotional abuse)
āAs I sprinted up Telegraph Hill with about two dozen overly enthusiastic raccoons in hot pursuit, I muttered, āNot again.ā
So opens Impossible Things by Alexa Land and our introduction to Anderson āAndyā Chen, our appealing subpar hero.
This is the second in the Subpar Heroes multi author series that Iāve read and each has taken a different approach to this decidedly engaging theme. I absolutely adore Impossible Things by Alexa Land .
Landās story acknowledges the existence of SPAM, Special Processing and Management of superheroes or just about anyone with paranormal abilities. And thatās where we meet Andy , a librarian who has landed a āupper mobility ā job in heading the Archives for SPAM. We meet his mom and her girlfriend (with their powers and backgrounds), his bestie and her issues. Heās a great character, fully established in his culture, layered in personality and his own baggage. Land has left him room to develop and thatās exactly what Andy does. He blooms throughout this story.
Next comes Samaritan āSamā Miller, a man of many talents who is a new hire at SPAM, and who gets assigned to help Andy wade through the mess down in Archives. Sam is another character who is multi dimensional and grows as the story and their relationship develops. They are both perfect for each other.
After a rough start connecting with each other, a mysterious file and some research send the pair of them on a mission thatās helping them bond, revealing to the reader and each other so much about their lives and opening themselves up to new possibilities for themselves and a romantic relationship.
This journey is so exciting and well plotted. We get villains, family involvement, new friends (Arden), more mysteries, action-packed sequences, and a sweet romance.
I donāt think Iāve read much by Land but this will see me seeking out this authorās catalog.
Iām highly recommending Impossible Things (A Subparheroes Novel) by Alexis Land. Engaging couple, well written story and wonderful cast of supporting characters. Lovely!
Love this cover too!
Subpar Heroes series- 15 books:
š·The Accidental Necromancer by Liv Rancourt
š·Behind the 8-Ball by A. E. Wasp 5/30/2024
š·Transparent Is a Color by Kaje Harper
š·Impossible Things by Alexa Land
š·My Not-So-Super Blind Date by Allison Temple 6/6/2024
š·An Ex-Hero’s Guide to Axe Handling by Jenn Burke 6/13/2024
š·In The Nick of Time by Elle Keaton 7/25/2024
š·Static/Cling by Jaimie Samms 7/30/2024
š·Spiritual Guidance Not Required by Jacy Braegan 8/1/2024
š·What Could Go Wrong? By Toshi Drake 8/6/2024
š·License to Chill by Chantal Mer 8/8/2024
š·Code Name Dolittle by Lynn Michaels. 8/22/2024
š·Signed, Iām Yours! By Rhys Lawless 8/29/2024
I chose to be a librarian for a reason. All I want is a quiet life, surrounded by books. But when I stumble across a scientistās journal that could have dire consequences for superheroes everywhere, my whole world gets knocked off its axis.
Suddenly, bad guys are closing in, and I find myself on the run with my coworker Sam–a big, loud ex-jock with more conspiracy theories than common sense. He says heāll keep me safe, but how? Iām the one with a superpower, even if itās total crap.
To complicate matters, thereās an undeniable spark of attraction between us. We donāt need the distraction, not when weāre running for our lives. But itās hard to resist temptation when weāre stuck with each other day after day. And I canāt help but wonder if thereās more to Sam than meets the eyeā¦
Do Sam and I have what it takes to stay ahead of a supervillain, protect each other, and keep the information we possess out of the wrong hands? It seems impossible. But maybe weāll end up surprising ourselves–and each other.
Impossible Things is a part of the multi-author Subparheroes MM romance series.
Taylor Rylanās Ambrosius : Paranormal Council Enforcers Book One represents a new author for me as well as series. I enjoy paranormal romance fiction so I was looking forward to reading this, especially as it already has a number of books already published in the series.
Unfortunately, I believe Iām going to stop here. While thereās a few things I enjoyed about this story, theyāre overshadowed by other aspects that left me feeling disconnected from the characters, underwhelmed by the plot lines, and , most importantly, uninformed about the foundation or universe itself that the story and characters are grounded in.
Taylor Rylanās Universe of Destined Paranormals is a group of five inter-connected series and characters, of which Ambrosius is the first in the fifth series, Paranormal Council Enforcers. So thereās a lot of expectations for readers to know who everyone is and who these agencies are that they work for, this giggling goddess that just appears (not a fan), a omega/Alpha relationship thatās not well defined, especially here with one character.
This story actually ends up raising more questions than it does answer with its narrative. But quickly , the poorly crafted characters have lost my interest in their lives and this book.
That starts with the main character of Ambrosius, a made vampire. That term isnāt used in the way weāre accustomed to seeing it. Ambrosius wasnāt āturnedā or made. No a goddess who comes across as a blonde bestie from your college sorority days crafted him full blown. Thirtyish looking, now over a millennium old. But how does Ambrosius act during the book? Much like a silent movie heroine, weeping, throwing himself at his mate, overwrought by emotions and the situation he is in. Surely, heās got his own power and has learned a thing or two about weapons, or something. His character is just so ill defined. In the beginning we learned he went from being rejected by an omega because his fangs are scary to becoming an omega himself when he finds himself mate to a dragon. No explanation. Then there is basically little communication between anyone here.
Thereās really little history or reason laid down for personalities. Or for reactions, or just anything in general . And the main drama, a huge criminal investigation into a shifter trafficking organization is barely explored and not finished, a thread thatās carried over to the next book.
The only other major storyline is a mpreg one that comes out of nowhere (literally) because the main character has no clue heās pregnant. His mate and others know but donāt say anything. They assume he knows. Then heās got kids. Then they are special. Itās a rapidly changing story without substance or grounding.
If youāre a fan of the author or any of the other series associated with this, then Iām sure youāll enjoy it .
But other authors do this one universe, multiple connected series better and those are the ones Iāll read.
Paranormal Council Enforcers:
14 books to date:
Ambrosius #1
Attiticus #2 plus more
The Universe of Destined Paranormals is a world of interconnected series set in one universe. Because of this, it is recommended that you read the books in chronological order.
š·Honey Creek Den Series-When the child of the created warlock goes searching for his mate, a domino effect occurs and the den is blessed by the Fates.
š·Timber Valley Wolf Pack Series-Magic is changing and the wolf pack is next to be blessed by the Fates.
Does Edison have something to do with it?ā
š·Warlocks of Amherst Series-Edisonās warlocks have finally been blessed by the Fates and itās their turn to find their fated Ones.
š·Vampires of the Beloved Gem Series-Master Nikolaiās vampires aboard the Beloved Gem realized that their time has come to find their beloved ones.
š·Paranormal Council Enforcers Series-the magic has shifted and the Paranormal Council has been formed. Will the chosen enforcers be next to find their forever mates?ā
When youāre the created vampire, and discover your fated mate is a dominant dragon alpha, what could go wrong?
Master Ambrosius was created over a millennium ago and had come to terms with spending his life alone. He has his coven, his second, and a few close friends, but he continues to be haunted by the memory of his fated mate running from him in terror. That is, until the goddess sends him to Montana, and he discovers his body reacting to a sexy alpha with wide shoulders and dark eyes. Surely thereās some mistake though, right?
Emmerich was born on Treasure Ridge, the mountain his grandparents claimed several centuries ago for a reason that wasnāt yet known. Like his brother, he longs for his mate and children but knows they arenāt on their mountain. Emmerichās dragon insisted he would find his mate in Sicily, but after weeks of searching, he comes back to Treasure Ridge, where his dragon scents the most amazing thing. Mate. When he discovers the scent is coming from the created vampire, heās not sure about the pairing but is more than willing to accept the match.
Together, they discover a desire for unexpected things. But while they are happy switching roles at certain times, the council is still forming, and they discover an evilness none expected. Will they be able to stop the threat before their family is harmed?
Ambrosius is Book One in the Paranormal Council Enforcers series. Each book in this series will focus on a different couple, but these books are not standalones and should be read in order as there is an ongoing backstory that wonāt be resolved quickly. This is a fated mate MPreg story in an MPreg world, and you should expect all the normal vampire shenanigans, and remember that love bites in unexpected places. Especially when your beloved is a sexy dragon.
The Universe of Destined Paranormals is a world of interconnected series set in one universe. Because of this, it is recommended that you read the books in chronological order.
š·Honey Creek Den Series-When the child of the created warlock goes searching for his mate, a domino effect occurs and the den is blessed by the Fates.
š·Timber Valley Wolf Pack Series-Magic is changing and the wolf pack is next to be blessed by the Fates.
Does Edison have something to do with it?ā
š·Warlocks of Amherst Series-Edisonās warlocks have finally been blessed by the Fates and itās their turn to find their fated Ones.
š·Vampires of the Beloved Gem Series-Master Nikolaiās vampires aboard the Beloved Gem realized that their time has come to find their beloved ones.
š·Paranormal Council Enforcers Series-the magic has shifted and the Paranormal Council has been formed. Will the chosen enforcers be next to find their forever mates?ā
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 