Review: Broken Warrior ( The Weavers Circle #1) by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott

Rating: 3.25 🌈

The combination of a great cover and a fantasy author who’s stories I’d enjoyed brought me to Broken Warrior, the first in The Weavers Circle series by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott.

I found the premise of the series arc really interesting and full of potential. The idea that long ago a tear was created between worlds to allow another species access to our world to steal energy and resources to give to their dying one. A battle to seal the tear and save our world began, including the use of immortal warriors.

Well not exactly. They die , then are resurrected, looking exactly the same, minus the memories and groovy clothes of the era they died in. Then, slowly, in a magical “I can’t help myself “ way start to travel to a southern mansion to start to gather together and battle again.

So far they haven’t been really good at this. They’ve died a lot of times. Only to return and do it again.

Interesting elements. A pull to a certain region. A internal “recognition “ factor that allows each warrior to know instinctively that another is his missing brother in arms. A neat idea that thrown away in the first book by a actual photo. SMH! No don’t need a to feel my new bro is around here, I know what he actually looks like to recognize him. Sigh.

There’s a handyman that’s clueless to all the strange hunky men gathering in the gorgeous mansion he’s been hired to renovate by the three older women…cough… goddesses….

While the characters are likable, the part of the story that’s basically a instant love romance between Clay Green, Earth Warrior, and Dane Briggs, handyman, feels rushed and incomplete. It’s more that Dane has a part to play, less than he feels like half of a HEA.

As I said, there’s sections I like, others that make little sense other than it’s what was needed to move the plot along. The men were told to do this, naturally they did that which made zero sense so the plot ended up at point zed.

Things done like that are narratively frustrating. Characters, their personalities, especially within a plot should make sense. You’d think they’d leave notes for themselves. Tried this, big fail. Note to self. Don’t do that again, and btw…no one liked my mullet.

You know… important stuff.

Nopes.

The characters that had the best chemistry were the two ‘brother warriors’ found in this story. They were easily the best friends and characters here. You got to thinking I’d ship them and not the handyman.

Baer Manning, the Animal Warrior, is adorable. You’re not wrong in thinking he’s destined for Clay Green, but alas and alack , no. And if you’ve noticed a pattern with the names you’re not wrong there either.

Clay Green: Earth Warrior plus Dane

Baer Manning: Animal Warrior..grrr you great big ol bear you.

Grey Ackles: Soul Warrior

The three women who are the goddesses are interesting and likable. Not a whole lot of information on them as yet .

Honestly, not sure if I’m going forward. Towards the end Clay and Baer found a photo of all of the warriors before the last and unsuccessful battle, showing that they do in fact always look identical in every new life, minus a Fu Manchu mustache or two.

Now , as the both remark, they know EXACTLY what their missing warriors look like.

Soooooooo

Baer’s book is next.

Wild Warrior. Where according to the long description, it’s where Baer meets an adorable guy because he’s MISTAKEN him for one of his missing brothers.

You know, the ones on the picture he’s seen so he knows exactly what they look like plus all Warriors know who the other is by a Internal “bro alarm”.

So I’m thinking… um no. I’ll think I’ll quietly move on.

But you may be totally fascinated by how this all shakes out. Let me know.

The Weavers Circle series:

Broken Warrior #1

Wild Warrior #2

Blind Warrior #3

Tangled Warrior #4

Storm Warrior #5

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Weavers Circle #1 – Broken Warrior – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Clay Green:

A brotherhood? Monsters? Goddesses? Magic?

The world has become a strange place.

After a life on the run, Clay Green is rescued by a crazy old lady with a shotgun and an even crazier story about monsters, goddesses, and a secret brotherhood.

Gifted with the power of the earth, Clay must locate his missing “brothers” before invading monsters can destroy everything.

As if that’s not enough to contend with, Clay can’t keep his hands off the man trying to rebuild the house he’s temporarily living in.

Dane Briggs

Something strange is going on…

Dane knew restoring the old house wasn’t going to be an easy job, but at least none of the clients were going to be underfoot. Since losing his wife and child, the only way Dane can keep going is to focus on the work.

But that focus crumbles the second Clay appears covered in blood and barely hanging on to life.

Mystery and danger cling to Clay and the other men who suddenly show up. A smart person would walk away.

Dane chucks smart out the window in favor of hungry kisses and the silken slide of skin against skin. He doesn’t understand what’s happening, but there’s no question that Clay needs him.

He’s just not sure his heart can survive being broken again if something happens to Clay.

Broken Warrior is the first book in The Weavers Circle series. It includes fast-paced action, explosions, hurt/comfort, sexy times, animal shenanigans, wounded hearts, three crazy old ladies, and magic!

Review: Ghost of Truth (Medium Trouble #2) by Alice Winters

Rating: 2.5

It’s always the second book that seals the deal one way or the other. In this case , it the flag that tells me go no further.

I like Alice Winters. Her books are normally characterized by such great elements like well-developed complicated plots, multi dimensional characters with great chemistry , and snappy intelligent dialogue.

None of which is on display here.

Based on the two books I’ve finished, the series reads like something scribbled off while completing other high priority books. The storylines are plodding. The culprits spotted easily and immediately. And any supposed mystery is so far from some being a surprise that it’s less a revelation, more a eye roll.

But the real issue lies with the main characters.

I had an issue with Hiro in the first story but thought that his lack of communication with his partner and friends had been worked through.

No. Hiro is, apparently, what I term a TSTC character. That’s a To Stupid To Communicate character. A type that’s right up there with the TSTL characters, often they are the same .

Aspects of their personality include a inability to tell anyone around them major plot points that they need to know, often to survive, even though every rational person would do so immediately.

Especially the person closest to them, which proceeds to put that person (and others) at the greatest risk. Duh.

Other elements include running into danger ; for example when you suspect a person , someone who has been acting VERY differently ( like pulling a gun on you) , then asks you to get in the car. You know things like that. Then… not telling or communicating that to anyone!

Yep. TSTC. That’s Hiro. For the entire book.

What does poor Maddox do? Spend the book angry and chasing after him. Plus wondering where he is, because, you know, no communication.

Even the ghosts are irritated with him.

I get that.

At the end, with a miserable sort of pulled together finish to their case which gives no one any satisfaction, the author tries to offer up a hint of a mystery about the final days of a major character. But , to show you how bad this series is, you can already guess the answer and who exactly the bad guys are.

Before that third book is even out! Because everything here is one dimensional, even the mysteries. Nancy Drew would have passed on this one as being too easy.

So if you’re like me and you like this author, I’m not recommending this book or series. There are , imo, far superior series and novels in her library.

Instead head over to her Hitman’s Guide or the fantastic VRC: Vampire Related Crimes series. Her character , Finn, a double amputee, is as engaging and complex as they come.

Medium Trouble series:

✓ Ghost of Lies #1

✓ Ghost of Truth #2

https://www.goodreads.com › showGhost of Truth (Medium Trouble, #2) by Alice Winters – Goodreads

Hiro
When I first realized that I could see the dead, I never imagined that it would allow me to help save the lives of others and pull me into Detective Maddox Booker’s path. Through my ability, ghosts have become some of my greatest friends and allies.

But now, someone’s dead and his ghost is gone. Ghosts have sought my help for my entire life, wanting to be heard, but something is keeping them quiet, almost hostile as our search for the ghost of the dead man leads us to a small village. Even though everything looks normal on the outside, I’m starting to wonder what’s happening on the inside.

Maddox
Life is better than it’s ever been. Hiro’s by my side and has brought my best friend Reggie back into my life—if we can consider Reggie’s harassment (even as a ghost) a positive. And even Hiro’s horde of ghosts won’t keep me from asking him to move in with me. The only issue is that work is never quiet, especially when Hiro is able to dive into a whole new side of a case by speaking to the victims of the dead.

But when someone takes Hiro from me in the middle of the night, I know that I will do absolutely anything to get him back, and I will make them pay for what they’ve done.

Ghost of Truth is full of action, mystery, humor, and romance. Though more is planned for this couple, the mystery is solved and there is a happy ending.

Review: Misfit Mage (Fledgling God #1) by Michael Taggert

Rating: 4.5 🌈

Misfit Mage, the first book in the Fledgling God series by Michael Taggert , is a brutal, vastly entertaining, and imaginative introduction to this new to me author and great universe.

A world where the supernaturals are ruthlessly hunting for power or power sources, with methods brutal, cruel, and often final, those recently awakened to those powers don’t have long to grow into them. Often too weak to survive, they are easy prey , power fodder for those stronger then themselves.

But the mundane world hasn’t a clue such viciousness exists.

Taggert creates one young man about to find out in the worst manner possible, exactly how close the magical world exists to his.

Jason Cole is a survivor. He’s also inventive, amusing, kind, and emotionally a walking soul bruise. His past has left him damaged but scrappy. In short, Jason is someone we can easily connect with.

And we do. Especially as Jason is put through rather a lot. Physically and emotionally. But mostly physically. When I say parts of this book are brutal, I mean it. Jason is attacked and the descriptions are harsh and raw. He takes a real beating. More than once. On the page. So if this is a issue or trigger , be prepared to skip over this section.

What you will delight in? The magic here. Taggert doesn’t just have a character wave a hand … and then there’s magic. Nope!

This author decided to go into the mechanics of his magic, which is fascinating. It’s on a cellular level plus there’s another element that’s tonal. So many outstanding magical threads here. Plus Taggert does so without taking away any of the wonder and awesomeness that makes a urban fantasy so unforgettable.

Taggert gives us matrixes, dancing pink cells, magical flying Grannies with Dustbusters, zooming Red energy Dots with feathers, Miniature Magical Miners, and so much more. It’s incredibly entertaining, vastly amusing, and so inventive that as a reader I’m just waiting to see what Taggert and his characters come up with next!

There’s a found family being established within a sentient House, a foundation of magic and history that’s slowly being rolled out too.

Oh there’s cats and kittens. Kittens are Life. And hugely important as characters. You will adore them, especially one.

It’s almost as though we get a magical cultural smorgasbord in some respects to entertain us. For me it absolutely works. I can envision it and it makes me laugh.

Misfit Mage is primarily concerned with Jason’s intro into his new world and the people that will become his found family. It’s also his first real look at its realities and the enemies he and his friends face.

A harsh new yet amazing world. One that gets steadily better as we advance into the next installment, Melee Mage.

I’m steadfast in my love for this small group of people who are still revealing themselves and growing their powers. So it’s a winner and one I’m definitely recommending!

Fledgling God series:

Misfit Mage #1

Melee Mage #2

https://www.goodreads.com › showFledgling God #1 – Misfit Mage – Goodreads

Synopsis:

He went searching for a fresh start. He didn’t expect to find unusual friends, fierce enemies, and primal powers.

Jason thought that it was the end of his life after being hunted and attacked by a band of ruthless thugs. Instead, he tapped into the source of creation and emerged from his Death Experience with magical powers.

As a new mage, Jason finds himself part of a wonderful – and dangerous – new supernatural world. He also finds himself in the middle of a mage war as he becomes part of an unlikely group of protectors who are defending a mystical mansion from those who want to destroy it.

Jason has little power, and the band of misfits are on the losing side, until he discovers he can see and manipulate magic at a remarkable level. What he detects begins his journey into discovering how his new powers really work, and just might be the edge that they need to survive.

If you like witty dialogue, diverse characters, magic that feels real, and intense action, then you will love this LGBTQ urban fantasy. Buy Misfit Mage today and step into a new enchanted world.

Review: Never Stay Gone (Big Bend Texas Rangers #1) by Tal Bauer

Rating: 4.5 🌈

I’ve been so busy with fantasy and contemporary romances that I’ve neglected one really great action suspense author. Tal Bauer.

Tal Bauer writes just amazing stories. Ones that might include such elements as government agencies and military spies, secret missions, and any number of inside sub terrorist organizations to deal with. Along with folding in a wonderful romance to boot.

Never Stay Gone is the author’s first story in his new Big Bend Texas Rangers series and it’s great. Jam-packed with so many of my favorite tropes, it’s a fast paced murder mystery and a second chance at a revived passionate relationship as two men race to find a killer. All throughout the unforgettable location of Big Bend Texas.

It’s starts with a terrifying find of a body dump by Deputy Shane Carson out in the desert wilds of Big Bend country Texas. It’s our initial introduction to the murder victims and one of the main characters.

Shane Carson is a small town’s native son who’s never lived up to its and his family’s huge expectations for him. He carries the years of his “failures” heavily. But Bauer’s created a more damaged man then evidenced on the outside.

Only by flashes of his past and glimpses into bits of his relationships with those outside of work does the reader realize Shane’s floundering there too.

It’s a realistic, painful portrait of a man deeply in trouble.

The reason why appears in the form of Texas Ranger Dakota Jennings, who’s been pulled by the Governor herself to handle the investigation into the multiple murders.

One reason? His history with the region and people. Second? One of the bodies worked for the Governor.

Dakota Jennings is as complex a man, albeit in a completely different way then Shane. Each man was damaged by their past with each other. Neither has ever moved forward.

How Shane and Dakota handle their reunion amidst murder, multiple investigations, heartbreak, forgiveness and redemption is a remarkable story.

It’s so compelling from just the personal elements alone as each man grapples with the past and the trauma it’s done to them. Add to that the police work as they track the killer and trace the identities of each victim. So gritty and tough.

This has first/only love, coming out, lovers reunited, second chance at love, hurt/comfort…all set in the dry open spaces of Big Bend country in Texas as a murderer tries to escape justice. It’s thrilling, heartbreaking, and an amazing suspenseful read!

I can’t wait to see where the series takes us!

If you’re not familiar with Tal Bauer, this is a wonderful place to start. I’m highly recommending this!

Big Bend Texas Rangers series:

Never Stay Gone #1

https://www.goodreads.com › showNever Stay Gone (Big Bend Texas Rangers #1) by Tal Bauer – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Six bodies in a single grave… in the same West Texas country where Dakota left everything behind.

Every beat of my heart belongs to you.

Thirteen years ago, Dakota Jennings thought he’d found his forever when he fell in love with Shane Carson. But one afternoon shattered their love story, and both Dakota and Shane left Rustler, Texas, with broken hearts. Even now, Dakota is still feeling the agony of losing Shane. Sure, he’s a Texas Ranger, but that’s not how he wanted to live his life. All he ever wanted was to love Shane.

Loving you is the only time I feel alive.

Shane’s life was supposed to be different than this. There’d been a plan, ever since he was knee-high to his father. But falling for Dakota spun Shane’s world upside down, and for years, Shane has had nothing but the memories of all that he lost: Dakota’s gentle touch, and the sweetness of his lips, and the star-strewn nights they spent wrapped in each other’s arms.

West of the Pecos, there is no law.

When the Rangers get the call about six bodies being pulled out of a mass grave in West Texas, the governor sends Dakota to run the investigation. Dakota heads back to his hometown and comes face-to-face with the last man he ever expected to see again: only now, he’s Deputy Shane Carson… Dakota’s local partner assigned to the case.

There’s nothing Dakota wants more than a second chance with Shane, but so much is stacked against them: six corpses, a murderer on the loose, and history that refuses to stay buried. And the bodies keep piling up as Dakota and Shane try to run the killer down across the West Texas plains.

In a moment, everything changes: the hunters become the hunted, the past fractures, and all Dakota thought he knew comes tumbling down. Secrets break wide open as Dakota remembers–

This is West Texas, and out here, nothing is as it seems.

Big Bend County is a place of beauty and desolation, of secrets and small towns. Where the past and the present collide, and where nothing stays hidden forever.

This MM romantic suspense is the first in the new Big Bend Texas Rangers series. Come along for the West Texas sunsets, the heart-pounding thrills, and the hard-won Happy Ever Afters.

Review: Fluke and the Faithless Father (Fantastic Fluke #2) by Sam Burns

Rating: 5 🌈💫

After reading The Fantastic Fluke I had to immediately go to the next in the series to see what happens next. Imagine how surprised I was to find this (and probably all the other books) flow seamlessly from one to another.

The beginning here is exactly the last paragraphs of the ending of the first book so the narrative continues perfectly, picking up where the events left everyone evaluating how to go forward.

All the characters I have gotten to love, and a few I despise, are back. The interpersonal relationships are deepening. And the character growth and magical revelations just connect me even more closely with mage Sage McKinley, and his incredible found family that includes his cowboy mage (former ghost) boyfriend Gideon, his fabulous mage grandmother Iris McKinley and her staff/family as well as Rufus her familiar, Sage’s BFF and store partner Beez, Freddy, and last but never ever least … the amazing familiar Fluke the fox! Unfortunately there’s still Sage’s dads who are both a huge part of this story.

Both of them had enormous roles in damaging and traumatizing Sage, a element that has continued into the present. His biological father has remained in the bookstore Sage inherited, albeit in ghostly form, to taunt him daily, not content to have been just a miserable, horrible father to Sage while living.

The man Sage had loved and thought of as his real father and family, until he watched him murder his mother, is behind bars, convicted of the same murder that almost took Sage’s life too. And left him traumatized.

Both men and Sage’s past return here with real emotional impact.

I love found family stories and Burns is building a remarkable one while crafting a urban fantasy arc full of magic and mystery and quite a few murders.

Throw in how much damage a parent can inflict on a child’s personality by abuse, neglect, or, stunningly, unforeseen betrayal and murder, as Burns gives us a heartbreaking portrait of damaged adolescence and survival. And not just Sage’s.

Fluke and The Faithless Father is such a great story because of perseverance and strength and even grace shown by those under such awful conditions here. And the way in which they all triumph as they head to the next challenges.

It made me want to go back to the beginning and meet them all again, to see what I may have missed, recapture their wonderful spirits, before we head onto the next step.

I can already tell this is a journey I’ll want to take again with this remarkable family.

I’m highly recommending this book and series.

Again, a glorious cover.

The Fantastic Fluke Series:

✓ The Fantastic Fluke #1

✓ Fluke and the Faithless Father #2

◦ Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco #3

◦ Fluke and the Frontier Farce #4 – coming in 2022

https://www.goodreads.com › showFluke and the Faithless Father by Sam Burns – Goodreads

Synopsis:

After escaping a murderer and resurrecting his boyfriend, Sage figures he deserves a little time to recover.

Unfortunately, life is rarely fair.

So instead of a break, he gets to deal with a magical law enforcement rookie asking uncomfortable questions about his brush with death. The quaesitor is acting downright suspicious. Or is it suspiciously?

Things go from awkward to dangerous when the man who murdered Sage’s mother is released from prison, and soon after there’s a break-in at the bookstore. The situation escalates so fast that Sage is afraid he’s going to end up with whiplash. Or worse, end up dead. He wanted a break, but not a permanent one.

Fluke and the Faithless Father is a direct sequel to The Fantastic Fluke, and should not be read first. It is an ~85k word novel that follows the continuing adventures of Sage, Fluke, Gideon, and their whole family, found and otherwise.

Review: The Fantastic Fluke by Sam Burns

Rating: 5🌈💫

The first in a series, The Fantastic Fluke is another one of those magical tales that author Sam Burns writes so beautifully.

From the opening sentence and our introduction to mage Sage McKinley, we have an immediate understanding of this man’s current situation, his thoughts on his past, his present predicament, even his self image. It’s intimate and concise. And it serves as both a foundation and way to connect the reader emotionally to Sage.

How could it not? Then we get thrown further afterwards as it gets more evidenced that this story is firmly bound to the magical world by ghosts, mages, familiars and murders most supernatural!

Not all the great characters are human, some are delightfully foxy! Or ghostly! Burns has built this story around multiple magical murder mysteries (alliteration is not a key), fantastic layered characters, and a romance.

The story is so well plotted that it moves along smoothly, all the elements coming together at the end for a perfect “aha” revelation or two!

I was just captivated the entire story. Whether it was Sage’s ghastly adolescence, the trauma he endured, or his future path that was happening , whether he wanted it or not. Magic was coming for him.

The Fantastic Fluke is just the first of The Fantastic Fluke series by Sam Burns. I can’t wait to read on and see where this journey takes Sage and his companions.

I’m highly recommending this. And the author, Sam Burns.

And btw? That cover is gorgeous! Love it.

The Fantastic Fluke Series:

✓ The Fantastic Fluke #1

◦ Fluke and the Failthless Father #2

◦ Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco #3

◦ Fluke and the Frontier Farce #4 – coming in 2022

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Fantastic Fluke #1 – Goodreads

Synopsis:

A lost fox. A gorgeous ghost. And an unlikely partnership to stop a murderer.

Since his mother’s murder, Sage McKinley doesn’t live, he exists. His weak magic has made him an outcast, shadowing his life with self-doubt. All that changes when the spirit of a gunslinger appears in his bookstore with a message that will flip Sage’s world upside down. According to the mesmerizing apparition, a powerful magic lies within Sage… if he can find a way to tap into it.

But dastardly threats accompany this untapped power. Bodies are piling high as a killer hunts for the secrets of the mage that now course through Sage’s veins. Can Sage find the confidence to embrace all he’s capable of? Or will the next life snuffed out be his own?

Review: O Hell, All Ye Shoppers by Louisa Masters

Rating: 3.5🌈⛄️

A slightly revamped edition of a short story Louisa Masters released in 2017, O Hell, All Ye Shoppers is a meet cute, sexy holiday romance.

Everything happens quickly, from the “meet cute” to the idea that they are ideal for each other to the ending.

A holiday Bonbon you partake of before settling in with a more fulfilling meal of a novel.

If a cute holiday contemporary Is on your menu, this might just be your choice.

See how Ethan Hall plans to fill Saturday….

http://mmgoodbookreviews.com › o…O Hell, All Ye Shoppers by Louisa Masters – MM Good Book Reviews

Ethan Hall plans to fill Saturday, December 23, with junk food and bad TV, a day just for him amid the holiday chaos… until his baby sister calls and begs him to go collect a present for her. At the biggest shopping center in Australia. On the busiest shopping day of the year. Hell no. Right?
Ethan’s soft heart gets the best of him. He battles through the parking lot, and in the main shopping concourse, he’s trampled, elbowed, and bombarded with terrible holiday music. Then he enters hell itself, a specialty store aimed at women… where he meets Ty. They bond in a sea of estrogen and manic shoppers, fighting together to attain freedom, only to find they’re not quite ready go their separate ways.

This novella was originally published in 2017. Some scenes have been revamped and an epilogue has been added.

Review: The Fix Is In (Torus Intercession #4) by Mary Calmes

Rating: 3.5🌈

The Fix Is In is the fourth book in Mary Calmes’ Torus Investigations series and it’s probably my least favorite of the group to date.

Surprisingly because this one sort of breaks a number of patterns set out in all the previous novels and it includes a circle of friends and support characters that I really got into.

Shaw James, seventh son of a seventh Scottish son and Torus fixer, has been handed a new case from his boss’ idea of helping people who can’t normally afford their expensive services by doing pro bono work on a selective basis.

His new assignment involves rainy Oregon, and a paranormal investigator that someone seems to feel might be in danger.

The character of Shaw James is splendid . He’s not what I term a typical Calmes golden boy but I do love the character traits she gave him and the personality as well as family history that makes Shaw so interesting and attractive. He’s terrific and incredibly likable immediately.

The small town he arrives at feels realistically sodden and uncomfortable (I’d leave). And the towns citizens are what I’d expect of some of the Pacific Northwest small townships…quirky, interesting, a patchwork of humanity. Calmes really does a excellent job here in getting a feel for life as in this area and it’s people.

Even the investigations into the potential “ghostly scares” that the other main character, Benjamin Grace and tiny crew, are inquiring about, are done with equal amounts of respect, seriousness, and a smidge of humor.

So my issue? Sigh. It’s that for the majority of the story, I felt that Benjamin Grace is or was an absolute dunderhead. A twit of the biggest proportions! Honestly, there were so many times I just wanted to smack him myself. The man was as clueless as can be. A kindergartner would have glommed onto the facts around him, seen the lightbulb going off over his head, and not been a total nit about things! And not once did any of the supposedly sane people around him, at any time, ever speak up and announce “Benjamin Grace, you great doofus, that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard or seen anyone ever do or utter outside of a Adam Sandler movie. “!!!!

He withholds important information from everyone all the time!

Outside of Monty Python, when did idiocy become so attractive?

Good thing everyone and everything is so good that I worked overtime to ignore Benny there. He’s not even one of the typical “golden boys” but a cousin. Many, many …… many times removed.

Trust me, Benjamin is a character I feel just didn’t work. Why even write a character this dim?

Calmes does break a pattern here with her formula for the series which makes me think she’s setting up her next novel in the series and it’s couple.

Needed to get them out and away.

I look forward to that one.

I’ve enjoyed this series and if you’re a Mary Calmes fan, I know you have too. I’ve listed the series below in case you’ve missed any. Check them out.

Torus Intercession series:

No Quick Fix #1

In A Fix #2

Fix It Up #3

The Fix Is In #4

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Fix Is In (Torus Intercession, #4) by Mary Calmes – Goodreads

How can a man who doesn’t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?

It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.

But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.

Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.

Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.

Review: Beautifully Unexpected by Lily Morton

Rating: 5🌈

With Lily Morton I find I have to look at her stories as I would a rare treat. Something I need to remind myself not to binge on, but rather a gift I give to myself a little bit at a time. Mostly when I know I need to laugh during unexpected moments, or lie in bed giggling over scenes that rear vividly back to life, along with their characters to make me feel warm and happy.

Last night it was Endof romping hilariously out of control through a park, to Laurie’s endless amusement (and mine) and everyone else’s dismay.

Just one small scene and I’m instantly transported back into the world of Mags and Laurie and Beautifully Unexpected.

And it made me want to pick up their story and start their journey all over again.

Lily Morton’s books have a way of making me want to do that. It becomes a Sisyphusian task to get by a Morton library!

Key Morton elements include making any location not just a mere setting but a rich aspect of her stories. From well known historical sites that get a new perspective to out of the way pubs and galleries, the way the streets and structures look in a certain light during a season…There’s a love and affection that flows through all the descriptions to the places where the men walk, the stops they make from the bingo hall, to the parks. So that each stop becomes an integral rich part of them and their relationship and story.

In every book, I itch to get a ticket and retrace their steps.

But it’s Mags, Magnus Carlsen, the magnificent Dane himself. And Laurie Gentry who will sneak up on you and slowly send their way into your heart as they do each other’s. The men are deeply layered, believable human beings. You delight in them, even as you find them grumpy or outrageous. So it’s falls in line that as a reader you’re pulled immediately into their lives and growing relationship.

It’s funny, often hilarious, sneaky, so clever, sexy, loving, and heartwarming.

It’s very hard to describe such a strange path these two take towards a relationship and HEA. They are both later in life, neither has looked to have a relationship, each has an extremely rewarding career.

They are totally different. Yet absolutely perfect for each other.

Such a joy and fun , and poignant, because that’s life and this author doesn’t forget that part too.

And when the ending comes, it stays true to who these men are. I loved that too.

Once again, Lily Morton has given us an brilliant opportunity to peer into a unique romance and relationship between two unforgettable men. One that still has me smiling. Or laughing.

As her stories so often do.

It’s why this one is another I’m recommending. So lovely. And honestly, Endof is just as unforgettable as well!

Check it out to find out exactly who that is!

https://www.goodreads.com › showBeautifully Unexpected by Lily Morton – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Sometimes love comes when you least expect or want it.

Magnus Carlsen is determined to grow old disgracefully. At fifty-two, he doesn’t believe in keeping anything. Men, sofas, books—everything gets jettisoned, eventually. He’s divided his life into happy compartments. A successful trial lawyer, he spends his days lecturing jurors, exasperating judges, and striding arrogantly around courtrooms. He fills his nights with a parade of handsome young men who want to make him happy. Why date someone his own age to discuss back pain, retirement-planning, and corns, when he can date men who don’t care to discuss anything at all?

However, when one of these sunny young men shows an inclination for dramatic scenes, Magnus meets his new neighbour. And his whole world implodes.

Laurie Gentry is nearly the same age as Magnus, but that’s where the similarity ends. He’s messy and creative and nosy and mysterious. He’s everything that Magnus has spent a lifetime avoiding. So, why can’t he get Laurie out of his head?

Luckily, Laurie is only in London for the summer. Magnus can uncover Laurie’s mysteries and indulge their annoyingly hot attraction, and Laurie will be gone before complications arise. A few months isn’t long enough to lose his heart. Is it?

From bestselling author, Lily Morton comes a romantic comedy about two footloose older men and how one summer in London brings something quite beautifully unexpected into their lives.

Review: Breath (Scales ‘n’ Spells (#2) by A.J. Sherwood and Jocelynn Drake

Rating: 4 🌈

Breath is the second book in Sherwood and Drake’s fantasy series and it takes the series off to Finland, Poland..a tiny travelogue of countries really, in search of new mages and Dragon mates for the Burkhard Fire Clan. The path taken through Riga, then Wrocław is so descriptive and charming that you scramble to Google it. Locations are always a plus here.

However with both Origin and now Breath, there was an underlying element that tugged at me when I finished both stories and it took this book to figure out what it was.

I like the fantasy arc the authors have established and the mystery of the enemy mages to overcome. Nor have I mislaid the aspect of the Lost Clans the authors only mentioned in the beginning. All good.

I do like that the story concentrates on the mage for most of the novel. Here it’s Tori Taavi. He’s lived a miserable life in a hidden village that’s pretty much a matriarchal homophobic society where only the females who test out magically are valued, males who do are valued solely as mates to procreate and anyone else is considered worthless. Tori fell in the later as gay and someone who did work magic under their rigid guidelines.

Both Sherwood and Drake do a fantastic job in creating a sympathetic and relatable personality in Tori. He’s so easy to connect with, that making him our window into the story and his personal journey into a new world of hope is amazing. I’m with him and his tale of love and growth all the way.

In fact Tori’s emotional tale overpowers everything here. Baldewin, the sweet giant of a red fire dragon, definitely comes in second as a narrator instead of on equal standing. Same for Baldewin’s story. It’s Tori’s book really, not that I mind. He’s a great character. Much like the first book belonged to Cameron, Cassie, and Ha Na instead of King Alric.

But shouldn’t it be at least more uh… dragon sided too?

Right now it’s all about the mages but we learn very little about dragons here.

That’s part of the issue that’s been troubling me. Dragons, for all the castles and verbiage given to them here, have, little natural history or foundation. So there’s a magical incubator. Great! How does it work?why, other than the war basics, don’t we really know much about dragons here?

The mate ceremony is over before you know it . Which considering that it’s what all the drama and wars were/are fought over, wouldn’t you expect something more uh noteworthy? Here that’s the section that feels the most incomplete. When it should be the most uplifting and important.

And it was that way for both stories. So I see a pattern emerging here.

Great mage characters and their storyline. Lesser dragons characters with a rushed ending.

Thankfully Tori was so great that I really enjoyed his journey and thought Baldewin made a lovely mate for him.

Now onto the novella, Wish.

I’m recommending this because the characters are terrific and fantasy is always my jam.

Read them in the order they are written.

Scales ‘n’ Spells series:

✓ Origins

✓ Breath

◦ Wish: a Novella

◦ Blood

◦ Embers

https://www.goodreads.com › showBreath (Scales ‘N’ Spells #2) by A.J. Sherwood – Goodreads

A Mage’s List for Freedom:

1. Escape his evil, controlling clan.

2. Get a job.

3. Work magic on HIS terms.

4. Avoid all dragons.

Tori was doing great until sexy dragon Baldewin interfered.

Between the little gifts, constant protection, and the steadfast confidence from the overgrown lizard, Tori wonders if maybe that last step needs revising. He has no chance to consider it.

Not before trouble called Jaeggi REALLY hits. Now he’s on the road trip from hell to the one place he’d never thought would be a safe haven. A clan of dragons.

Assuming they make it, that is.

Tags:

Dragon shifters, mages, fated mates, hurt/comfort, enemies to lovers, not mpreg, interracial couple, road trip, No Flying, nope not even with a dragon, dwarf hunting in Poland, Tori needs allll the hugs, Baldewin is happy to supply them, dragons are ninjas, attempted kidnapping, mages being BAMF, insecurity, trust issues, Tori is an arse, Baldewin is adorable, Cassie is over it, virgin character, but not for long fufufufu, dysfunctional family, family of choice, magical realism, cuuuuudles, the authors regret nothing.

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