Category: LGBTQ Book Reviews

Review:  Cold Fury (Frost Mage #1) by Ryan Attard

Rating: 4.5🌈

What an unexpectedly great find. Different on so many levels, Ryan Attard is another new writer for me and his main character is a powerful Frost Mage. Shes just also happens to be bisexual, angry and lonely. Freydis, Frost Mage and town Executor, carrying out justice for the supernatural world in Vigrid Falls. When she’s not going to college. 

Freydis, Frost Mage, is a conflicted character, whose backstory is slowly revealed over the course of the story as events unfold. Incredibly and unashamedly strong, she works out to maintain her physique, which is intimidating to match the reputation she’s gotten as someone who is cold and emotionally hard. Which is far from the truth. 

Attard lays out the complex universe and supernatural politics of Vigard Falls where underneath the beautiful town and college campus where the wealthy students attend to their university studies, is another otherworldly city, complete with transportation systems. 

It’s there where Freydis operates and reports to her boss on her daily enforcement of the laws and takes on whatever missions she’s given. 

It’s werewolves against mages, against vampires with other fae or mythical beings thrown into the narrative. 

Including small side stories of romance or crushes (Freydis is bi so while most of her romantic interests are women in this book I wouldn’t rule out that she might have a vampire in her life in the future. Romance really isn’t a main aspect of the book, it’s primarily about a larger supernatural suspense or intrigue element that is going to continue throughout the series. And how Freydis’ developing powers fit into this. 

I absolutely got into the characters and the various aspects of the town and world building. 

Can’t wait to see where the author takes them next. 

A winner. 

Buy link

        Cold Fury: Frost Mage Book 1

    

Blurb 

Vigrid Falls looks peaceful — until you look beneath the surface.

The supernatural runs the world.
Mages keep the balance.

Until a shifter is brutally murdered — and the victim’s family wants blood.

Enter Freydis, Frost Mage and town Executor. She’s young, brash, dangerously stubborn… and a college student trying to survive midterms while enforcing magical law. Keeping her double life separate is hard enough.

Then the murder turns personal.

What should have been a routine investigation spirals into something darker. This wasn’t random. It wasn’t simple.

It was planned.

As vampires quietly pull people off the streets, shifters call for open war, and the Mage Council hides behind ancient arcane law, Freydis uncovers a conspiracy that could tear Vigrid apart. In this city, secrets are currency. Trust is weakness. And magic is a weapon.

Good thing she’s angry.

Cold Fury is the gripping first book in the Frost Mage series — a sharp, noir-tinged urban fantasy packed with supernatural politics, deadly alliances, and a heroine who hits back harder than she’s hit.

Review:  How to Catch a Hellhound (Hellhounds of Paradise Falls # 6) by Shannon Mae 

Rating: 4.5🌈

How to Catch a Hellhound is the conclusion to the Hellhounds of Paradise Falls series by Shannon Mae and it’s absolutely one of my favorite stories of the series, a great way to finish it off. 

Through the series we’ve been learning more about the different types of otherworldly beings who are living in Paradise Falls as well as following the Smith hellhounds as they each find their mate amid a mysterious new drama that comes their way and enlarges the current universe that everyone is familiar with. 

That’s the story here. We get to see the events that brought Sheriff Paul to Paradise Falls, his perspective on Jude’s pursuit of him, and the town’s community itself. I always wanted his POV and this really connected me to him and see how they worked together as a couple. They absolutely meshed together so well, but it took them time. 

Paul’s development is very much a terrific aspect of the story, not just the relationship. It pulls from past events and his and Jude’s storyline features importantly into further series and Paradise Falls itself. 

There’s a great twist here and I really hope that it means we will see this couple as well as the other characters crossover into more of the forthcoming Paradise Falls series. 

This is a great story and wonderful way to finish it all off. Highly recommended. As is everything else in the related Paradise Falls universe. 

Hellhounds of Paradise Falls:

How To Flirt With A Hellhound #1

How To Hack A Hellhound #2

How To Tame A Hellhound #3

How To Trust A Hellhound #4

How Not To Kill A Hellhound #5

How to Catch a Hellhound #6 – finale 

What else takes place in Paradise Falls? 

Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures (8 book series) more coming plus a new series 

Buy link

        How to Catch a Hellhound (Hellhounds of Paradise Falls Book 6)

    

Blurb 

Paul

I’m not exactly sure how I became sheriff of Paradise Falls, but I take the protection of the people in my town seriously. That even includes Jude, who’s constantly pulling pranks in the hopes of getting arrested. I know he’s flirting with me, but how can someone as damaged as me be a match for his eternal good cheer? Never mind the fact that I may also be losing my mind—I’m getting crazy feelings about people, and the urge to act on them is getting stronger. My goal has always been to save people, not to harm them. Something is changing, though, and I’m not sure who I am anymore. 

Jude

Being an assassin and a hellhound is all-around fun, and teasing my sexy sheriff makes my life complete. Lately, though, something’s been wrong with Paul. He’s been cranky and secretive, and I’m determined to get to the bottom of it. Is something from Paul’s past haunting him? Because if someone needs killing, then I’ll be happy to do it. Although maybe it’s time to show the sheriff what he’s really capable of. He’s a kindred spirit—I can sense it—and I’m only too happy to show him how hellhounds take care of the bad guys.

Tags: Sheriff Paul can sense things; Jude is, as always, ridiculous; there are numerous Beatle references, so get ready to have songs stuck in your head; Jude is the happiest assassin you’ll ever meet; these two have explosive chemistry; Paul might kill Jude (or at least shoot him); the entire pack is there for all the fun; Paul isn’t exactly what he appears; Oracles give the vaguest advice; trying to get arrested is Jude’s love language.

October 1, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

235 pages

Book 6 of 6

Hellhounds of Paradise Falls

Review:  The Little Shop of Curiosities The Music Box Part 2 (Crawshanks Guide to the Occult) by Vawn Cassidy 

Rating: 3🌈

I’m going to talk about some of the plot points so if you don’t want any spoilers, stop reading. 

I will start with saying I love the origin series with Dusty and Tristan and that entire cast and journey. Thought it is fantastic, right down to the fabulous side stories with The Grim Adventures of Death and Chan. My favorites too. 

So I was really excited for some of the other characters to get their stories as well. But while the story is pretty good, I just can’t with the character of Harrison. He’s everything that makes a DNF book for me. 

Sam, the paranormal PI is well done. He’s a layered personality and a good reason for being connected to the storyline. However, he’s also plays a powerful role here along with the other members of the original group, to keep me from engaging with Harrison.

A major reason for me not to buy or read a book is for an author to have written a main character who has major communication issues. Someone who, like Harrison here, has a secret or knowledge about the main mystery/storyline that’s threatening him and everyone else and is knowingly lying about it or/or refusing to tell anyone about it. 

His dads and grandfather know and tell Harrison to reveal it to those who need to know, his friends and boyfriend, Sam. At one point, he lies to his parents and says he has.  But no, he doesn’t, endangering his “boyfriend” Sam and his friends by withholding his all “central to the case” knowledge. As well as himself. 

And once you think he’s learned something, and it’s over. It’s not because, wait for it. There’s one more potentially dangerous secret and another awful event that Harrison is responsible for. 

This happened for the entire book. FFS and SMH

If you think that got old fast, you’d be correct. And it ended up with a cliffhanger where at this point I really didn’t care what happened to him. That’s a what a TSTL character reads like. Too bad about Sam.

And for my final spoiler, the author brought in characters from an unrelated series to save the day. So if you’re not familiar with them, it’s a huh, who are these people moment. 

So, no not continuing further with this side series. I just don’t care about the main character and Tristan is made out to be whiny and weak , a characterization different from the other series. 

Disappointing. 

Cover design by Natasha Snow

Crawshanks Guide to the Occult (2 book series):

The Little Shop of Curiosities Cursed Object 1 The Music Box

The Little Shop of Curiosities The Music Box Part 2

Connected series:

The Dead Serious Universe,

Crawshanks Guide to the Recently Departed (6 book series)

Crawshanks Guide to Mischievous Spectres & Spirits(2 book series)

The Grim Adventures of Death & Chan Vol 1-3 (on the author’s website)

Buy link

        The Little Shop of Curiosities The Music Box Part 2 (Crawshanks Guide to the Occult)

    

Blurb 

The Music Box – Part 2.

Strange things are happening in London, with a murder investigation underway into his biological mother’s murder Harrison is trying to find answers about the mysterious and powerful bloodline he’s descended from. Plagued by terrifying dreams of one of his ancestors and trying to keep his friends from discovering his true identity is exhausting. But his growing feelings for Sam cannot be ignored and sooner or later Harrison knows he must tell him the truth.

Having returned to London after fulfilling his own family obligations Sam begins to realise the cases that he’s investigating as a PI are all paranormal in nature. As he delves deeper he begins to suspect they are connected to the Crawshanks family and somehow to Harrison, himself, the man he’s falling in love with.

But as the murder investigation comes to a frightening conclusion and the killer is revealed, Sam and Harrison begin to realise that this is only the beginning.

Now they find themselves facing their most terrifying challenge yet.

Underside Press

Publication date

August 19, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

314 pages

Book 2 of 2

Crawshanks Guide to the Occult

Review: A Match Made in Slumber (Marriage Market Misadventures) by Kasia Bacon

Rating: 4🌈

Part of a mult-author fantasy series centered around a Marriage Market and “forced marriage” trope, I picked up A Match Made in Slumber because of the author and the description, which seems to have found a good way around the forced proximity aspect in the series that’s just not my thing. 

Bacon doesn’t disappoint here with a charming tale of two totally different men who have been haunting each other’s dreams each night. Each man from a different world or realm, although they’re both Elves. And each one differs in their lifestyle and personality. Except for the fact they appear to be fated for each other. 

Commander Keălhem Reñyés is about to storm the castle with his men, a bloody battle sure to ensue. He’s been in a war for a long time and only his nightly dreams have kept him sane.

Elian Fountenblym, is an imaginative genius who creates wondrous things with his magical matchsticks. But his nightly fantasies and the dream man who haunts them are keeping him up and from being productive. And when his magic goes wrong, it’s Keălhem who suddenly appears before him. 

Bacon does a terrific job of characterizing the various backgrounds of each man while making the chemistry between them feel absolutely believable. 

And being able to see Keălhem find his own way into Elian’s life and the marketplace, using his own strengths and skills is such a great pleasure and part of the relationship and storyline. 

Even the “forced proximity/marriage” aspect loses the “ick” factor for me when the author builds such a strong case for them being fated partners being pulled together. 

There is a happily ever after for the couple and the ending is very satisfying. 

For those readers like me who are a fan of the author, this Shared world universe stands outside of Bacon’s Order Universe. FYI. 

Highly recommended.

Cover Art: Cormar Covers 

Logo Design: Marek Frankowski 

Map Design: JS Harker & Katey Hawthorne

Marriage Market Misadventures – 8 books

Romancing the Throne by Lisa Henry and Sara Honey

Berries and Blades by Katherine McIntyre

Quills and Starlight by Kota Quinn 

The Rake and the Cake by Katey Hawthorne 

Love and Clockwork by Essie Sloane

The Love Schematic by JS Harker

Tossing the Caber by jem zero

A Match Made in Slumber by Kasia Bacon

“Each book explores queer pairings across the gender spectrum (M/M, F/F, F/X) through light-hearted mishaps and shenanigans. Romance tropes include fake engagements, forced proximity, opposites attract, marriage of convenience, and grumpy/sunshine dynamics.”

Buy link

        A Match Made in Slumber

    

Blurb 

Kidnapping an interdimensional warlord is a crime. Marrying him is a get–out–of–dungeon–free card

Commander Keălhem Reñyés is mid-swing—about to storm a fortress—when the battlefield dissolves into the scent of candyfloss. Instead of headbutting an enemy, he crash-lands face-first into a heap of silk ribbon talismans, yanked across dimensions to Everend by an alchemist desperate for some shut-eye.

Elian Fountenblym, a genius matchstick maker with a cataclysmic track record of magical mishaps, is plagued by sensual dreams of a mysterious soldier. Every night, they leave him randy, pining and knackered—all in the run-up to the Great Midsummer Market—the busiest event of the year. To kill the longing once and for all, he invents the Match of Tranquillity, only to unwittingly trigger a forbidden summoning enchantment that delivers his dream man straight into his waking world. That’s one more whoopsie he could’ve done without.

With High Arbiter Cholerius—Elian’s former Academy rival—sniffing around for unauthorised magic, the stakes are high. Bound by the volatile constraints of the spell and forced to share a bed to keep Keălhem from flickering out of existence, the pair must turn to an ancient legal loophole to save Elian from a one-way trip to the dungeons on interdimensional kidnapping charges.

Navigating a fake marriage that begins to feel dangerously real, they have until the Midsummer Moon wanes to decide: part ways or let the flame of their accidental match burn forever?

A Match Made in Slumber is a low-angst, marriage-of-necessity, forced-proximity story featuring fated mates, accidental kidnapping and a stoic/chaotic dynamic. It is part of the Marriage Market Misadventures.

Marriage Market Misadventures is a light-hearted series of standalone queer romances where elves from all over the realm gather at the Everend Midsummer Markets to meet, match, and marry—with plenty of shenanigans along the way.

August 14, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

224 pages

Part of series

Marriage Market Misadventures

 A Match Made in Slumber is a low-angst, marriage-of-necessity, forced-proximity story featuring fated mates, accidental kidnapping and a stoic/chaotic dynamic. It is part of the Marriage Market Misadventures.

Shared world universes

Review:  Dreams and Reptiles (Foggy Basin Season 3) by R L Merrill

Rating: 3.75🌈

Dreams and Reptiles (Foggy Basin Season 3) by R L Merrill is a sweet contemporary small town romance. It’s one of a multi-author series now in its third called Foggy Basin, set in a California small town.

Dreams and Reptiles is an age gap, hurt/comfort, multicultural romance that includes characters who have been through many traumatizing experiences, including work place assault. 

There’s a lot to like about this story. The characters are engaging. Francis, who has been through a traumatic experience with his work and his father, has bought a new home that will allow him to live his dream of a having artists retreat. 

Next door is an older firefighter, Kendall, who runs a reptile sanctuary. Kendall’s a divorced father, who is trying to deal with his own family issues of a daughter in college, a demanding job and a sanctuary full of animals needing him.

I really enjoyed the secondary characters of Francis’s mother and aunt, and his cousin, Derek, the real estate agent who is soon to be involved in a throuple storyline in the next book. 

Things that I would have liked to have seen more exploration here was the traumatic event that sent Francis to Foggy Basin and the aftermath with  his father. That resolution was over in a couple of sentences. Plus the fact that the father continued to call Francis’ mother “his wife “ despite being divorced, that was a big flag here.  Nothing about that aspect of the story felt particularly satisfying. 

And to be honest, the entire relationship felt rushed between Francis, who was trying to set boundaries because of his trauma, and Kendall, who didn’t really deal well with his daughter’s return from college. 

So, while the animals were adorable. The relationship between them sweet, I was left with a HFN and a timeline that sped forward without answering questions. 

It’s was good reading. But not anything I’d revisit. 

Foggy Basin Season Three (11 book series)

Keystrokes and Kittens by Gabbi Grey

Boss and Brat by Brina Brady

Silk and Honey by Kota Quinn

Fruit and Flash by R.A Frick

Dreams and Reptiles by R L Merrill

Flights and Sights by Riley Long 

Bales and Brawn by Jem Wendal

Fibre and Ink by Jamie Sands

Herds and Hooves by B L Maxwell 

Hammer and Hops by Lynn Michaels

Nicks and Cuts by TJ Nichols 

Buy link

 Part of: Foggy Basin Season Three (11 books) 

        Dreams and Reptiles: A Small Town MM Romance

    

Blurb 

From the award-winning author of Under His Sheets and Once Upon a Goth Dog Solstice comes an age-gap, hurt/comfort romance between two men with bruised and battered hearts ready for a second chance at happiness in small-town California.

Francis

I refer to the events of the past year as My Demise, and now that I’ve received a significant settlement, I’m ready to move on with my life. While visiting the town of Foggy Basin for their Pride Festival, I fell in love with the vibe. Lots of folks move there to start over, so why shouldn’t I? My cousin Derek shows me a quirky property for sale just outside of town, and once I see it, inspiration hits. Why not create a retreat where folks can make their dreams a reality? I ignored mine for way too long, but not anymore, and if I happen to run into the hot firefighter I shared a kiss with at Pride, well, I’ll take it as a sign.

Kendall

My entire adult life, I’ve taken care of others, and now I’m ready to start the next phase of my journey in California. I’ve spent years learning about various species of reptiles, and it just so happens that Grandma left me the perfect place to build a sanctuary. Only, I soon discover that my passion project is a bit trickier than I thought it would be. My spirits lift, however, when the saucy young guy I met at Pride moves in next door to me. At first, I worry perhaps he’s one of those wealthy people who come to town and throw their money around, but when I learn the truth about his past, I’m determined to make him see just how deserving of love he is.

For Mature Readers due to sexual content, frisky aunties, reptilian escape artists, and meddling polyamorous firefighters.

Welcome to Foggy Basin. Nestled at the base of the foothills in Northern California, this small town is full of characters just waiting to tell you their story. Whether you’re just passing through or you decide to stay a while longer, you’ll always find a warm welcome from the townsfolk. From farmers and animal rescues to artists and small business owners. Foggy Basin has it all.

Celie Bay Publications LLC

Publication date

August 13, 2026

Accessibility

Learn more

Language

‎English

File size

4.8 MB

Screen Reader

Supported

Enhanced typesetting

Enabled

X-Ray

Not Enabled

Word Wise

Enabled

Print length

290 pages

Page Flip

Enabled

Part of series

Foggy Basin Season Three

Review:  Found Objects by Mary Calmes

Rating: 4.5🌈

Found Objects is the latest urban fantasy romance by Mary Calmes and it’s exactly what we expect from this author. The old,settled rich location of a small town high in the mountains of West Virginia, an intriguing group of found family of town,  and a great setup for a slow paced romantic journey.  

Calmes’ plot lines includes a newly arrived werewolf pack that has brought with them to the town, pack dysfunction, mystery and loads of action packed moments.

I love Merritt Baker and the mystery that Calmes builds around his character. Merritt is the owner of the town’s restaurant, and a central figure in the community. A friend and someone who acts as a shield or protector when needed. 

When a new shifter pack arrives in Coille, West Virginia to establish themselves in a new territory , they bring with them old problems along with a dysfunctional pack and history. And Cole Swann and his younger brother, Evan, nephews of the Alpha of the Swann pack. 

The way this author blends the well known Appalachian mythology with other lore is intriguing and well done. It works well for the many other characters here and for adding some really great layers to this story. 

It ends with a HFN, given the specific species of each character. And known life spans. 

I will admit to hoping that Calme revisits this town and special community as I really enjoyed them and didn’t get enough of several of their storylines. 

A definite winner and one I’m happy to recommend. 

Cover art: Reese Dante

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comFound Objects – Kindle edition by Calmes, Mary. Romance Kindle eBooks …

Blurb 

Merritt Baker is older than he looks. Quite a bit older, in fact. He knows all about the woods and where one should never wander at night, but the fact of the matter is, sometimes men are the scariest creatures of all, and Merritt makes it his business to protect the innocents caught in their wake. In the small town of Coille, West Virginia, where he makes his home, he takes care of quite a few people, and that’s always been enough. Or has been. Lately though, he’s felt a bit lost, as though he’s forgotten what it means to really live rather than simply exist.

Change arrives when a pack of shifters buys the land that borders his. He doesn’t think twice about them until his simple rules are ignored, and suddenly there’s conflict. One of the wolves, Cole Swann, is very interested in him, and surprisingly, Merritt can’t seem to get the man out of his head. But things aren’t what they seem, and between other packs, ghosts, and worst of all, love, Merritt might be in over his head. That’s the thing about being lost—it can be wonderful when you’re finally found, but is it worth the risk of losing yourself?

Mary Calmes Books, LLC.

Publication date

July 30, 2026

Edition

1st

Language

‎English

Print length

268 pages

Review: ABBY, SKYLAR, AND GWYN’S AWESOME APPRENTICESHIP ADVENTURES (Jon’s Mysteries and Mack’s Marvelous Manifestations Short Stories ) by AJ Sherwood 

Rating: 3🌈

This group of 3 short stories is a bit of a mixed bag to be honest. Centered around the teenage characters from AJ Sherwood’s Jon’s Mysteries and Mack’s Marvelous Manifestations series they range from problematic to interesting.

Spoilers:

I didn’t expect this, especially considering such cool characters to work with. 

AITA for Telling My Friend She’s Being Cheated On? This is the story I have major concerns about. Abby, and Skylar are both high school students with powerful magical abilities. One being able to read people. See relationships, health issues. In this case it’s that a friend is being cheated on. Fine. But it’s not the issue. 

The boy is not well liked. Nor is the girl who he’s having the other relationship with. Again not the problem. Although not handled well. 

The issue? Abby reads that the other girl is pregnant, a fact she doesn’t realize herself. Nor does he. 

All extremely serious, private sensitive information. Want to guess how it’s going to be handled? Yep announced to those involved by Abby at school. With no adults present until much later. 

Nowhere is there any discussion on ethics or ramifications of this matter.  We all know how deadly high school is.  None of this matters.  Abby has outed the cheaters. 

This was almost a DNF moment. 

The rest was just ok. Honestly after that. I was done.

The second story saw Gwyn settling in and the third was about ghostly call that went sideways. 

But that first? Nope. Poorly executed and not well executed. 

Where’s the ethics here? 

No recommendations.

Cover by Katie Griffin

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comAbby, Skylar, and Gwyn’s Awesome Apprenticeship Adventures …

Blurb 

Have a Mack’s Horribly Hellacious Ghost Town hangover and need more? Here are three new short stories featuring the apprentices from Jon’s Mysteries and Mack’s Marvelous Manifestations! Each story is about a first of some kind, learning moments for the girls.

Note: Gwyn was introduced in Mack’s Horribly Hellacious Ghost Town. It is recommended you read that book first, but it’s not necessary.

AITA for Telling My Friend She’s Being Cheated On?

One of Jon’s first lessons to me had been to mind my own business. He’d stressed to me that life would be better for me all around if I kept everything to myself unless someone asked for information. Or unless the situation called for me to reveal that secret.

I, uh, had no idea which heading this fell under.

All in the Family

I think anyone in my shoes would be nervous. I was meeting people who would be in my life for years to come. People who didn’t have to like me. Brandon and Mack assured me it’d be fine, that everyone in their family was easygoing and I’d become part of the family, but still. My own parents didn’t like me. How could I expect anyone else to?

First Time for Everything

Lazy Saturday morning with nothing to do? Check.

Unexpected ghosts needing passing? Check.

Being attacked by a ghost without Mack around to help? Uh…help?!

Tags:
apprentices, short stories, side stories, BAMF girls, milestones, ghosts, energy reading, AITA, found family, chosen family, F/F romance, psychics, bonds, Gwyn does her first exorcism, Eli

Review:  Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea (Tomes and Tea Book 1) by Rebecca Thorne 

Rating: 4.5🌈

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea, the first book in the cozy LGBT romance fantasy Tomes and Tea series by Rebecca Thorne, has an totally different feel than the excellent Moss’d N Space novel I just finished by this writer. 

Slower paced, more to the journey of the couple and the establishment of their new shop than the other space adventure. But the relationship between the two characters, the dynamics and the way Thorne builds her community is just as excellent and thorough. 

The women, each with their fears and strengths about their decision to leave and have a future together in Tawny, despite the ramifications, have relatable moments and credibility here. From talks about power imbalance to money, it’s a relationship between adults who want to make sure their relationship works. 

Even with magic, dragons, bandits, and a psychopath of a queen behind them. 

Reyna, the Queen’s Guard and Kianthe, the Mage of the Ages, fleeing to set up a tea and book shop in the cold hinterlands was a dream, until it became clear that Reyna needed to leave before she became a casualty of the Queen’s cruelty. 

The town of Tawney, its citizens are beautifully drawn. They are soon become part of this couple’s found family and new life. 

And there’s a mystery a foot that needs to be solved, and that’s will take investigating as well as a journey. 

And dragons. 

A slower delight and cozy fantasy mystery that I absolutely enjoyed. 

Another wonderful tale to share. 

Cover art by Irene Huang 

Cover typography by Amphi 

Map by Rebecca Thorne 

Chapter ornaments by Amphi 

Tip-in illustration by Eilene Cherie

Includes the short story:

“Meet and Greet” by Rebecca Thorne

Tomes & Tea (4 book series):

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea #1

A Pirate’s Life for Tea #2

Tea You at the Altar #3

Alchemy and a Cup of Tea #4

Buy link

 Book 1 of 4: Tomes & Tea 

Blurb 

In the tradition of Legends & Lattes, comes a cozy fantasy steeped in sapphic romance about one of the Queen’s private guards and a powerful mage who want to open a bookshop and live happily ever after…if only the world would let them.

All Reyna and Kianthe want is to open a bookshop that serves tea. Worn wooden floors, plants on every table, firelight drifting between the rafters… all complemented by love and good company. Thing is, Reyna works as one of the Queen’s private guards, and Kianthe is the most powerful mage in existence. Leaving their lives isn’t so easy.

But after an assassin takes Reyna hostage, she decides she’s thoroughly done risking her life for a self-centered queen. Meanwhile, Kianthe has been waiting for a chance to flee responsibility–all the better that her girlfriend is on board. Together, they settle in Tawney, a town nestled in the icy tundra near dragon country, and open the shop of their dreams.

What follows is a cozy tale of mishaps, mysteries, and a murderous queen throwing the realm’s biggest temper tantrum. In a story brimming with hurt/comfort and quiet fireside conversations, these two women will discover just what they mean to each other… and the world.

Bramble

Publication date

July 10, 2023

Language

‎English

Print length

345 pages

Book 1 of 4

Tomes & Tea

Review: Moss’d in Space (Moss’d in Space #1) by Rebecca Thorne

Rating: 5🌈⭐️

Moss’d in Space , the first book in the Moss’d in Space excellent science fiction adventure series is the first book I’ve read by Rebecca Thorne, and I’m absolutely thrilled I’ve found her. 

I don’t even know where to begin to describe the amazing qualities of this book.  It’s so fantastic and funny and uniquely crafted. And it’s a testament to the author’s ability to write great characters and relationships, including a sentient moss who is  emotionally upset with abandonment issues, that the reader is absolutely engaged with the story. 

I picked this up and read right through ‘til morning. Loving every single sentence, scenes, moments and character dynamics within it. 

The first character we meet is Moss, a sentient life support system on an alien spaceship who has been abandoned for over 100 years in a human space station, neglected in the dark.  The ancient odd looking spaceship is bought by Torian Razner, who’s on mission to save her sister’s life. 

Torian is a wonderful character. Earnest, struggling with her sister’s critical illness, and her own life choices. She’s easily one of the most relatable characters in the series, vulnerable and emotionally open. Which is why her relationship with Moss is so strong and funny and true once they begin to trust each other. 

In fact, all the systems are looking at evolving and having distinct personalities. Moss and his “conversations/interactions” with the other systems are blocked out and starts off each chapter. They turn into some of the fun and entertaining moments of the story, highlighting how Moss is changing along with its circumstances and new relationships as events evolve. 

Aliens. All types of aliens. Humanoid and ones that definitely aren’t along human evolutionary paths. Another great factor here. 

Is there a romantic relationship? Sort of. Torian and Amelia, a Captain of a galactic spaceship, have a history between them, a kiss and a “what if” moment before Torian left her service for buying her own ship.  So this looks like a really slow burn cozy romance. 

There’s plenty of other great characters, diverse species, to show off the community that’s starting to grow between them all, despite age, species and culture. 

And I was so immersed in the story and these lives that the cliffhanger ending actually shocked me. 

So I will be waiting until Summer of 2027 for the next book and the next chapter of their journey. I am very excited to see where the author takes them and us!

One of the best books I’ve read this year. Highly recommended.

Buy link

 Book 1 of 1: Moss’d in Space 

Blurb 

USA Today Bestselling author Rebecca Thorne delights in a brand new cozy science-fiction romance series for fans of Martha Wells.

Torian Razner finally bought a starship, and contrary to Amelia’s assessment, it was not “a meteoric sign of stupidity.” Sure, the alien starship may have been abandoned for a century, and it may be covered in moss now… but it’s Torian’s ticket to freedom, regardless of what her ex… ah, captain… said.

Except Torian’s first flight reveals a surprise passenger: the moss is actually an organic computer with a snarky attitude and serious abandonment issues. The target of its loathing? The immortal alien who built it (and then parked the starship, with Moss inside, and forgot about it). The same alien who just found Torian and accused her of “stealing” the ship.

It’s entirely possible that Amelia was right about this meteoric stupidity.

Bramble

Publication date

June 30, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

359 pages

Book 1 of 1

Moss’d in Space

Review:  The Rut in the Road (Beyond the Veil #11) by K. M. Avery

Rating: 4.5🌈

Rayn’s journey has been one of the most haunting, and tormented of all of the characters to date in this immersive paranormal world where an Arcana virus swept across the world altering the human landscape forever. A large portion of the world’s population perished, others were left altered by the virus, becoming orcs, witches, weres of various species, zombies, vampires and other otherworldly beings. Quickly consigned to hospitals, or institutions or worse when society and families couldn’t accept them or the virus transitions were physically agonizing and long to take hold. 

By book 11, Humans only rights groups, not just the extremists, are fighting to remove the rights the Nids have gained. It sounds very familiar. And the fear and ugly hate groups, the crimes against the Nids going unpunished, is so well written that it feels lifted from events today. 

Rayn,older and working as a touch psychic in alongside Ward and Mason in BTV is still very much the under socialized, on the spectrum person he’s been even as he’s developed physically.  His childhood, and its accompanying deep trauma and abuse along with his lack of knowledge of his own powers, still makes Rayn an introverted, emotionally awkward person. He’s trying to get people to accept him as adult and not as a fragile little traumatized boy most who know his history see him as. 

Avery’s crafting of Rayn is immaculate, he is real in his skin, his efforts to navigate through the communication blocks and issues between Raj and himself are emotionally tough and difficult and feel absolutely credibly raw.  Hart plays a great supporting role here, once again revealing himself to be a fine, intelligent caring man. 

Raj has been a strong presence in the series and his involvement with Rayn starts in the previous book. But the issues between him and Rayn have been building and his extraordinary overprotective nature is a huge problem. 

It’s addressed and seems to be an aspect that he needs to work through. Do I believe that it’s resolved? Not sure. I never know with Avery, maybe it is or maybe it isn’t. There’s one more book in Rayn’s trilogy and the human only faction element has just gotten more complicated and suspenseful by the end of this very amazing story. 

I highly recommend reading it but it’s not something that you can read by itself. Each one should be read in the order that it was written for characters and overall plot development. 

Amazing series and fantastic characters. One of the best paranormal group of storylines I’ve read. Certainly one that has the most impact on current events.

Series couples to date (not standalone and have to be read in the order they are written):

Highly recommended. 

Beyond the Veil Series : 

💀Ward’s story (1-3): 

The Ghost in the Hall 

The Boy in the Locked Room 

The Skeleton Under the Stairs. 

💀Hart’s story (4-6): 

The Dog in the Alley 

The Bones in the Yard 

The Elf Beside Himself 

💀Seth’s story (7-9): 

The Turning of the Tables 

The Badger in his Burrow 

The Past in the Present 

💀Rayn’s Story (10-12) 

The Diamond in the Rough 

The Rut in the Road 

The Rock and the Hard Case (coming 2026) 

💀Dan’s Story (13-15) Coming 2026-2027

Buy link 

 Book 11 of 11: Beyond the Veil 

Blurb 

I was finally getting my life together—I had a job, a boyfriend, was working on my college degree, and was learning to control both my magic and my psychic abilities. I’d reconnected with my sister and I was starting to think that I might actually be able to have something approaching a healthy adult life, even if it wasn’t going to be an even remotely normal one.

And then I hit a rut in the road.

Or, rather, people started hitting other people. What started as a single hit-and-run had become several of them, all targeting Arcanids, and I was being asked to get into the mind of the killer… although I’m starting to think that maybe there’s more than one. Tracking one killer is hard enough, but when you think there might be several, things get a lot messier.

Especially when your boyfriend is a federal agent who just got called in to take over the case. It’s the first time we’ve worked together since we started dating, and it’s definitely taking a toll. I don’t want to have to choose between keeping him and solving the murders.

July 30, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

430 pages

Book 11 of 11

Beyond the Veil