Category: M/M Fiction

Review:  Handy (Four Bears Construction Book 8) by K.M. Neuhold

Rating: 4.5🌈

It’s fantastic to be back in Fall Crosse, Wisconsin , the small town that’s the heart and home of K.M. Neuhold’s three interconnected contemporary romance series. Four Bears Construction Company launched them all and the author is keeping the series going and heartwarmingly fresh with the latest release, Handy. 

It’s the eighth book and it’s wonderful. While I’ll always love Stone and Dare’s romance because it’s just hilarious, Neuhold had me at park ranger and bird nerd with Ledger.  While there were other aspects of Ledger that had me sighing ( not in a good way, it’s the raccoon) , Neuhold represents his job (low pay, high knowledge, passionate) extremely well. Neuhold writes layered, believable characters. 

Griff too was a great character. One easy to emphasize with, as he’s in stasis, the loss of his husband, his own grief and inability to understand how to let go and move forward keeping him emotionally and in a way, physically isolated.  So well written.  We can understand this man and why he’s allowed himself to get mired down. 

Until Ledger, that human vibrating ball of fantastic positivity and bear crushing energy next door comes calling. Or maybe  more accurately his DIY house does. And his pet raccoon, TP.  

I will admit to the fact of someone, even a ‘Ranger’, having a raccoon as a pet is an issue for me because of past experiences that have not gone well for the animals. But the way Neuhold realistically describes the huge damage the raccoon does to the house (holes chewed constantly in the walls) and furniture as a fact of its every day life made this aspect of the storyline well documented.  Thank you for relating that wildlife comes with wildlife instincts. 

The relationship that develops between Griff and Ledger is one I adore.  They flirt, or Ledger does and Griff slowly moves forward towards acceptance that he’s ready for a new relationship and love.  They communicate, get sexy, Ledger imparts bird facts and together they become a couple who is engaging, realistic, and heartwarming.

Plus those are some truly special bird facts! I’d be won over. 

Ledger has a best friend who is also a park ranger, Jericho, a single man in search of his HEA. I suspect his story is coming.  Although it may be in the Ink Slingers series. 

I love the series and Handy is among my favorites here.  I’ve listed them all below as well as the two other connected series. 

Be sure to check them out. Highly recommended. 

Book and Cover design by Natasha Snow Designs

Four Bears Construction :

Caulky #1 (Ren and Cole)

Nailed #2 (Dare and Stone)

Hardwood #3 (Watson and Ev)

Screwed #4 (Ollie and Daniel)

Stud #5 (Sawyer and West)

Stripped #6 (Miller and Demetri)

Drilled #7 (Apollo and Ridge)

Handy #8 (Griff and Ledger)

Connecting sequel series, same town and crossover characters:

🔷Big Bull Mechanics (5 books to date series)

 🔷Ink Slingers (2 book to date series)

Buy link

        Handy (Four Bears Construction Book 8)

    

Blurb 

My new neighbor may be grumpy but he’s also hot, and very good with his hands…

I definitely overestimated my own handyman skills when I bought this fixer-upper. I have to say, the view from my new place is worth it though. Especially around seven o’clock every morning when my big, furry bear of a neighbor drinks his coffee shirtless on his back porch.

He’s dedicated to the bear thing too. Growly, grumpy, and as it turns out, he really likes belly rubs.

Am I a sucker for a touch starved grump? Yes. Am I sorry about it? Absolutely not.

Getting Griff into my house and into my bed is the easy part. Convincing him I’m actually interested in him is so much harder.

I didn’t mean to turn myself into his secret admirer, but if sending him anonymous presents and notes is the only way to wear down his gruff exterior, then that’s what I’m going to do.

Sooner or later he’ll realize he’s more than just my grumpy handyman, right?

Handy is a super low angst, high heat, romantic comedy featuring a grumpy “Bear” (not the shifter kind 😉 ), and his sunshiney neighbor who becomes his secret admirer. It can be read as a stand alone but the most enjoyment will be from reading it as part of the full Four Bears Construction Series.

  • Publication date: February 3, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 208 pages

Review: Coil of Boughs (The Underforest Duology Book 1) by Penny Moss

Rating: 4.5🌈

Once again, it’s a stunning cover that had drawn my attention to a book and author I hadn’t known about. Coil of Boughs, is the first in a two book dark fantasy series The Underforest by Penny Moss. It’s a fantastic read, full of complex, well written characters and great world building. 

The gorgeous cover gives the reader images of the characters and world inside but the imagery and fantasy elements that Moss creates are ones that make the story and themes of morality, redemption and love compelling and intriguing.

The description doesn’t really convey the breadth of this book.  It’s an epic dark fantasy adventure which starts with a world where the worst has already happened.  We work backwards, through memories, challenges , and conversations with others to explore the events that lead up to the current horrific situation.

It’s a fascinating approach, one where the reader isn’t always sure what to expect from Ryurikov, the complex, morally ambiguous main character whose redemption arc became the driving force for the narrative. Beside him is the magical, wonderful woods demon Awimak, who feeds on dreams. There’s a crafty, mysterious notorious witch who lives in a hut in a walking tree.  And so much more.  A endlessly burning land, terrifying creatures, and a world that needs saving. 

Also this is a dark fantasy so yes, there’s horror and bloodshed and death everywhere. Be warned. 

It ends not exactly on a cliffhanger but on the idea that another quest is about to start.  I can’t wait for this final book to be released.

Highly recommended for all lovers of dark fantasy.

“Cover Art by: Penny Moss”

Buy link

        Coil of Boughs (The Underforest Duology Book 1)

    

Blurb 

Skilled archer Ryurikov enjoys an unfettered life of thieving and debauchery. He wasn’t expecting to die at the hands of a witch while trying to steal from her. Neither did he expect to be revived by spirits with morally stringent demands. Or to be followed by a demon, hungry for his dreams. Luckily, Ryurikov has plenty of good dreams to trade in exchange for the demon’s help. He also possesses a wealth of denial about his past, his growing feelings for the demon, and the creatures slowly burning kingdoms to ashes. Too bad for Ryurikov, since he has no choice but to face all three.

  • Publisher: Penny Moss (June 1, 2024)
  • Publication date: June 1, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 312 pages

Review:  Rock and a Hard Place: An MM Alien Science Fiction Romance (The Little Ships #2) by J Evermore

Rating: 4🌈

The finale novel to the wonderful Head Above Water, I found I enjoyed reading this but it wasn’t as well rounded a story as its predecessor.  There’s so much that the author was trying to fit into this book and more importantly, more details about alien cultures and their world biology that was unknown to the series, but hugely influential to a major character. 

That’s usually interesting and a great way to explore new facets of a known main character’s storyline. Here it’s Sohven and Jace’s dynamic, not recovered from the past events of their spaceship crash.  That’s the drama Evermore uses to thread the layers of an intense, unsettled romantic inter-species relationship onto that of bringing it to Sohven’s interdicted planet, further stretching its boundaries.

For me, the author turns a predatory Sohven who fled his planet into a completely new character. One who doesn’t fit the same frame as the one we’re familiar with.  From over protective to removing himself from the protective nature he’s exhibited , and both lacking communication in the relationship. 

Jace, who’s apart from Sohven for much of the book, is taking part of trails, is still his own man. The most interesting part of the story, along with several side characters, like Vovu. 

That ending was climactic and everything I’d expect from the author and series. However, there’s Vovu and they ended up as a dangling storyline I’d have loved to see resolved here or in a side story. They deserve it. 

I expect Little Ships is a two book series and I loved the first novel better than its finale. However, it’s great to see a HFN in any series, and Sohven and Jace certainly got theirs. A definite win. 

Great cover again 

The Little Ships (2 books):

Head Above Water #1

Rock and a Hard Place #2

Buy link 

        Rock and a Hard Place: An MM Alien Science Fiction Romance (The Little Ships)

    

Blurb

Surviving a crash landing on an uncharted planet was supposed to be the hard part.
No one told me the real challenge would be the aftermath.

I have most of my memories back, I’m about to start my first mission since Sohven and I were rescued from Sannaveh-8B, and my crewmates aren’t half bad. Nothing to complain about, right?

Too bad nothing good ever comes easy. Since we’ve returned to our ship, Sohven’s been overprotective, paranoid, and on edge. No matter how well I carry out my duties, he just can’t seem to trust me to take care of myself, and I’m getting tired of being treated like a freak blow to the head means I’m incompetent.

Sohven’s solution seems simple. He wants to double-down on our commitment and make things permanent. He wants us to become mates—officially. That means a trip back to Lohnyal, a closed planet with a culture few outsiders ever experience. The trouble is, seven years is a long absence—long enough to leave Sohven on the outside looking in, too.

We do our best to respect his family and follow their customs, but when we land in his eyrie, we’re stepping into more than a straightforward mating ceremony. When Sohven’s family gets him back, they don’t want to let him go. It’s going to take all of my ingenuity to make sure we find a way off his planet. This time, he’s the one who needs to be rescued, and I intend to deliver.

Rock and a Hard Place is meant to be read after Head Above Water, the first book in Jace and Sohven’s story

  • Publication date: May 28, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 292 pages

Review:  Curses and Casualties (Hunters Hollow Book 3) by Arden Steele 

Rating: 4.5🌈

Hunters Hollow, a sequel series to Arden Steele’s ongoing terrific Blackhaven Manor paranormal novels, is a successful crossover world.  I’m really enjoying this series. I love the way Steele created new engaging characters, while maintaining the many established characters/couples it’s brought over from its original series.  

These characters, all well defined in terms of personality and history, as well as the shared universe beings that have continued impactful roles to play , like Hades, in the storylines, keep the books intriguing and exciting.

Curses and Casualties, the third book in this series, demonstrates all the best qualities of the two worlds, with the established mythology and a great murder mystery to investigate. 

Necromancer Elliot Church has a secret parentage and a familiar, Dax. It’s his father whose request for an investigation brings him first to New Orleans, then to Hunters Hollow. 

It’s where he meets his fated mate, Tenn, an incubus and retired bounty hunter for the Ministry.  Tenn, now a tattoo artist in Hunters Hollow, and Elliott have a great fated mate moment and start to a developing relationship.  I enjoyed that Steele has layers to them. There’s issues that need to be addressed.  Dax’ bond and Dax’s feelings as part of the dynamic for one. That’s just the beginning.  

The mystery is good although the villain is easily guessed at. Why they are so bad is a better story. 

And there’s other scenes and aspects of Curses and Casualties that will just tug at your heart.  Especially the ending that added just more things to think about and explore in this expanding universe. 

I look forward to the next chapter in this series and couple to get their fated mate HEA. 

Highly recommended!

Hunters Hollow:

Angels and Anarchy #1

Beauty and Bad Blood #2

Curses and Casualties #3

Buy Link

        Curses and Casualties (Hunters Hollow Book 3)

    

Blurb 

Fame is a curse. 

At least, that’s the way Elliot Church feels. A powerful mage with a gift for necromancy, he’s made a name for himself as a successful private investigator. And he fails to see how smiling in front of a camera or answering the same banal questions has any bearing on his performance.

It’s nothing more than a distraction, and one he doesn’t need, especially when strange things start happening in New Orleans.

There are dead Otherlings in the Quarter, their bodies mummified and their souls fragmented. A Reaper stands on every corner, and more are pouring into the city daily, which can only mean one thing. Mass casualties.

When his search for answers leads him to Hunters Hollow, the last thing he expects to find in the backwater town is his mate. Incubus and retired bounty hunter for the Ministry, Lysander Tennison—Tenn to the locals—is everything he never knew he wanted, but the timing couldn’t be more wrong. Yet, he can no more turn his back on the demon than he can ignore what’s going on in the city. 

Even when every road in front of him leads straight to hell.

  • Publisher: PECCAVI PRESS (January 26, 2025)
  • Publication date: January 26, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 260 pages

Review:  A Spark of Something (A Librarian’s Guide to Witchery Book 1) by Shelby Rhodes

Rating: 4.5🌈

It’s always exciting when Shelby Rhodes releases a new book, yet alone one that’s the start of a new series, but A Spark of Something (A Librarian’s Guide to Witchery Book 1) is exactly that. 

A new LGBTQIA paranormal romance thriller that has all the elements we hope to see in a Shelby Rhodes novel, it sets the foundation going forward with the characters and world building for the books to come.

It’s horrifying, sexy, otherworldly, humorous, and funny. And leaves plenty of room for exploration and expansion in this series.

It starts with a sweetheart of a person, Oliver ‘Ollie’ Cross, who lives above his family’s building, Cross Heritage Private Library.  He’s 30, orphaned from a wealthy family, and takes incredible pride and delight in sharing his love of books and the collection with children of his community and his diverse employees. And his irascible black cat, Red.

Who and exactly what Noble Vincent is, the man who enters Ollie’s life, is a major storyline and won’t be spoiled here. This is a two person POV, one of which is Noble’s. That’s important because of his type of character and history, only an inkling is implied.

Ollie’s employees are amazing and that library has wonders yet to come, I’m sure. It’s definitely got ghosts. 

I thought it was a little unbalanced in terms of character storytelling at the beginning. But that changed dramatically as the two characters met and their relationship created a new dynamic. And Ollie became aware of the otherworld. 

Noble’s element is horrifying and that, honestly, makes his quick relationship with Ollie a bit problematic for me. Rhodes has so many open opportunities for this story to move forward. And it’s just beginning to lay out the details of Ollie’s history and current situation. Nobles as well. Don’t get me started on Red and that book. 

So I’m extremely excited to see where this author goes next. Surprising, terrifying, sexy and amazing.  I’m there for it! 

Highly recommended. 

Fantastic cover design.

Cover Design: Tails Bee 

A Librarian’s Guide to Witchery:

  • A Spark of Something #1
  • Villain of My Heart #2 – Sept 30,2025

Buy link:

        A Spark of Something (A Librarian’s Guide to Witchery Book 1)

    

Blurb 

Hello there, I don’t think I’ve seen you here before. Well, if you are new, welcome. I’m Oliver ‘Ollie’ Cross, owner of the Cross Heritage Private Library, and I have a problem. Several actually. To explain the full weight of my conundrum, I feel I have to put out there that I am skeptical of all paranormal ‘things’, and always have been. Mostly, I just find the supernatural a bunch of nonsense. At least…I did…until ghosts started appearing…and my cat started talking to me… And if that weren’t enough, there is a book that constantly insults me, while claiming that I’m a witch!

So, as you can see, I have quite a conundrum on my hands, in that I…may be losing my ever-loving mind.

On a positive note, for the first time in my life, a man may actually like my tendency to babble, so…winning there? But then, Noble Vincent is perfect… Mysterious, but perfect. Though my cat doesn’t like him, and my best friend thinks he is hiding something. But if anything that’s happening is reality…my cat also lied to me my whole life…and my best friend usually thinks everyone is hiding something, so…opinions rejected!

Anyhoo, things are fine! I’m fine! What’s a few life altering events, some breakdowns, and…multiple people trying to kill me—hah… Things will be okay! I hope…

Author Note: A Spark of Something is the first book in the MM paranormal romance series, A Librarian’s Guide to Witchery, a series that is meant to be read in order. Please see inside or my website for content warnings.

  • Publisher: (January 29, 2025)
  • Publication date: January 29, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 375 pages

Review: Wolfsbane (Werewolves of Boston #1) by S J Himes

Rating: 3.5🌈

Wolfsbane is in the murky area that the characters and locations are familiar to those who have read The Beacon Hill Sorcerer series, and yes , that main character makes an important contribution here.  So while you might say it’s a standalone story, it’s also not really one as many elements crossover.

Wolfsbane (Werewolves of Boston #1) by S J Himes is also a series of one novel.  The characters themselves will make appearances elsewhere but this is it for them. 

Rael, a young person whose heritage has made him unwelcome in his pack (his mother is a werewolf and deceased father human).  He’s unable to shift, or show other otherworldly traits that would make him acceptable. 

The author sets up an emotional showdown at a pack meeting that goes unexpectedly sideways with Rael and his mother not leaving but instead Rael has a suitor.

This all comes together rapidly , and while Rael and Jameson Mercer, his suitor, agree on a set time to get to know each other, there no “feeling “ of them being able to communicate or interact because of the dramatic events that soon followed.

The short length rushes the narrative smartly along to the detriment of much depth of character or relationship development. It’s just everything falling into place. 

Drama. Romance. Villains identified. Help offered and accepted for various elements of the plot. New final surprise scene and wrap up. 

It’s lively, fun, and a fast paced read. The couple is cute and the mom wonderful.   For more than that it needs details, depth, and story length. 

For which I recommend The Sorcerer of Beacon Hill series. Just excellent. 

I do recommend it if you’re a fan of the series and author. I enjoyed it.

Werewolves of Boston (1 book series)

Related series/universe:

The Beacon Hill Sorcerer (8 book series) by Sheena Jolie writing as S.J. Himes

Buy link 

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comWerewolves of Boston (1 book series) Kindle Edition

Blurb 

Introducing a new series, Werewolves of Boston, set in the same universe as The Beacon Hill Sorcerer!

Rael Morrow is a human-werewolf hybrid, and he’s about to be kicked out of his pack. Unable to transform, Rael is left with few options. He can accept the Alpha’s ruling and be banished, pulling his mother with him—or agree to a courtship with Jameson Mercer, heir presumptive of their Boston Southside Pack and the object of Rael’s longtime unrequited crush.

If he mates with Jameson, he can remain in the pack, and he and his mother won’t have to suffer the indignity of being forced to uproot their whole lives. 

Rael reluctantly agrees to the plan. He’s been in love with Jameson since he was a kid, and there’s no way Jameson cares about him in the same way. Rael is afraid he’s setting himself up for a lifetime of misery.

But then begins a seduction that breaks down every preconceived notion that Rael had about Jameson, and he dares to hope. 

Of course, things are never that easy. Jameson is the perfect alpha, and Rael’s human heritage hides a secret that threatens his life. The Southside Pack is primed to fracture as power dynamics shift. And Rael is forced to reconcile who he always thought he was with who he could become.

WOLFSBANE is a 37,000 word novella set in the Infinite Arcana, an expanded universe shared with The Beacon Hill Sorcerer, but can be read as a standalone.

  • Publisher: S.J. Himes (July 25, 2020)
  • Publication date: July 25, 2020
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 140 pages

Review:  Deadly Deception : Necromancer Tales Book 2 by MJ May

Rating: 5🌈

Superlative. Once again May is building a suspenseful, dynamic, thrilling new series by introducing a villain that’s truly horrifying by its  truly threatening but yet unknown nature.  But first, a fantastic well crafted, compelling murder mystery, full of secrets, bodies, ghosts, another necromancer , more world building, and just a outstanding story. 

Have to wait until the end but by the scenes described, the reader can imagine the scope of its plotting. One so immense that’s been unknown,  whose power and potential to harm this series’  world and characters will hang over each story.

Fabulous.

It starts with May taking her Erasmus Boone and Franklin O’Hare out of their homes and comfort zone, away from their jobs, family, friends and the warmth of the Mississippi , back to Chicago and the Midwest where Detective Franklin O’Hare came from and still has ties. 

It’s a great way to start. It’s cold. The Chicago PD murder case is fraught with danger, both in terms of emotional distress and the likelihood of prejudice against Boone. And then there’s the question of Franklin’s family who wants to meet Boone for the first time as well since they became a couple. 

The characters May creates for the Chicago PD and at every other aspect of the story are just as well defined, beautifully executed as any that’s come before. Their personalities develop and grow as the cases and investigations become more complex, just as you would imagine. 

Series characters are also evolving. Aurelia the djinn is finding new facets to her personality, possible emotions to figure out, and those are her struggle with her increasing unpredictability.  May’s strength in writing otherworldly beings that are absolutely at their core non human make her books magical, powerful, and often terrifying.  For the reader and the characters in the stories.

I can’t wait for this series to continue. What an amazing, scary journey lies ahead.  Highly recommended!  And I love seeing crossover characters from the Pixie series make connections here!

This is a must read, as it the series before it. 

Another excellent cover design by cheriefox

Related/Preceding Series:

Perfect Pixie Series 

🔹Perfectly Imperfect Pixie 

🔹Perfectly Perfect Pixie: Peaches’s Story 

🔹Perfectly Charmed Pixie: Parsnip’s Story 

🔹Perfectly Perplexing Zombie: Wendall’s Story 

🔹Purrfectly Peculiar Pixie: Phlox’s Story—End

Necromancer Tales:

Deadly Lineage #1

Deadly Deception #2

Buy Link:

        Deadly Deception: Necromancer Tales Book II

    

Blurb 

Necromancer Erasmus Boone’s life is better than he ever imagined. Bucking the typical necromancer storyline, Erasmus has managed to carve out a life filled with love and purpose. With Halloween fast approaching, Erasmus is ready to enjoy his favorite time of year. Unfortunately, Detective Franklin O’Hare’s Midwestern past has other ideas.

Covered in blood and found wandering the streets surrounding Chicago, a necromancer is being accused of murder—the victim and circumstances unknown. Mentally unstable, this unfortunate necromancer is in jeopardy of being railroaded for a crime he may or may not have been involved in. Franklin O’Hare’s former captain doesn’t want to witness another victimized necromancer. Aware of Franklin’s association with Erasmus, he calls on them for help.

Now headed for chillier climes, Erasmus and Franklin need to figure out if a crime has been committed, and if there’s one thing Erasmus excels at, it’s finding where the bodies are buried. Only Erasmus doesn’t just fine one victim; he finds several. When the souls of the departed blame their deaths on a long dead bogeyman, it becomes clear the local sheriff has a problem and a necromancer accused of murder is just the tip of the iceberg.

Between bringing back the dead, dealing with local prejudices, and meeting Franklin’s family, Erasmus has his plate full. Add on a worried warlock father and more than one attempted assassination, and Erasmus is more than ready to pack it up and head back to the warm Mississippi breeze. 

Deadly Deception is the second book in the Necromancer Tales series and should be read in order. This series is a spin-off of the Perfect Pixie series and takes place in the same world but can be read as a stand-alone series. Deadly Deception is a m/m romantic fantasy mystery with an unusually sane necromancer just trying to make a living, a humble human detective attempting to keep his necromancer boyfriend alive, an arrogant but redeemably overprotective warlock father, a deceptive killer, a questionably moral all-powerful djinn, a kitten who can’t figure out how it wound up in a backpack, let alone staring through a plastic bubble, humans—some redeemable and some not, a chilly Chicago fall, and a playfully bloodthirsty vampire. Deadly Deception has a HFN ending as it is part of an ongoing series. 

Mentions of violence, murder, souls brought back from the beyond, spaciest bigotry, and a few characters of questionable morals and sanity.

  • Publication date: January 21, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 335 pages

Review: Reckless (Luckless Book 3) by Cari Z

Rating: 4.75🌈

“Evan Luck was a dragon rider with no dragon. Now he’s got Lee, a rare and powerful dragon who can take the shape of a man or a dragon with equal ease. However, the fight to keep Lee’s son Jason safe, as well as the city of Forge protected from the monsters that roam the Front Range, will test Evan and Lee’s bond to the utmost, and send them on a quest that they might not come back from.”

Reckless is the finale story for Cari Z’s tremendous urban fantasy series, Luckless. And it’s been so great and so well written, that it’s short length and imaginative elements that have been left unexplored just make me more than a little frustrated with the author. 

I want this to double in length or at the very least offer additional stories in the series.

This novel picks up from the surprising events of Dauntless, where Jason’s crisis came to a dramatic resolution with new characters arriving from the city of Chicago with devastating news. 

Chicago has been spoken of as a veritable fortress city of multiple dragon pairs and a successful defense against the monsters. But the news brings a different reality.

It’s one that necessitates Evan and Lee leaving Forge and their son in search of answers about the increasingly complex and deadly monsters their city is facing and what happened in Chicago.

For a short story, this packs a shocking emotional punch. It’s got unexpected elements and a very powerful plot twist that, of course, is so great that this book could be twice it’s length and still not dive into this plot line’s full potential. It’s that intriguing.

Which brings me to the conclusion. It’s satisfying in a way yet not. With all the traumatic events that’s happened, it’s felt simplistic. Lovely, HFN, and heartfelt but missing something. 

I truly wish Cari Z would revisit this series and universe and give it and us an update. So tremendous a world that this series and the characters deserve it. 

Highly recommended! 

Cover Art by Vivid Covers

Luckless series:

Luckless #1

Dauntless #2

Reckless #3

Buy link

        Reckless: Book Three in the Luckless Series

    

Blurb 

Refugees have been streaming into the city of Forge from around the country. Monsters are coming down from the mountains and staking out new hunting grounds. Even as the dragons of Forge grow stronger and more numerous, the challenges they and their riders are facing are only increasing, and there’s only one place to look for answers.

Chicago is the strongest remaining city in the Midwest, home to thousands of people and protected by powerful dragons … or at least, it was. By the time Evan Luck and his dragon, Ladon, arrive there, it’s clear that something’s gone terribly wrong. People are starving, dragons are dying, and nobody knows who’s behind it all.

It’s something they’ve never faced before—something they thought didn’t exist, yet that’s terrifyingly familiar. It’s up to Evan and Ladon to stop it … or lose their city, their son, and their lives.

  • Publication date: April 26, 2022
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 124 pages

Review:  Deck the Fire Halls (Hartbridge Christmas Book 5) by N. R. Walker 

Rating: 4.25🌈

I have looked forward every Christmas to N. R. Walker’s new Hartbridge Christmas story, and was delighted to see Deck the Fire Hall this year.

Hartbridge, Montana is that snowy, Hallmark like small town with a beautiful view and endless charming Christmas decorations .  Plus something else. Where a visitor that arrives in town at Christmas will meet his true love in town and find forever happiness. 

That’s happened through four magical, heartwarming stories, each building upon the other. So that couple by couple, Hartbridge is becoming a real place that anyone would love to live or at least visit. 

Now it’s time for the Firefighter Captain Soren De Silva we’ve come to know to get his own HEA. Soren has come close but now a burned out doctor just moved in next to him.

Doctor Robinson O’Reilly is a lovely character. Walker really gives us the sense of a man who has been through some serious mental and physical stress. And has needed a severe change.

The relationship is sweet, adult and develops, as is the case with these stories, quickly. Doc Reilly and Soren De Silva were a wonderful couple and if Deck the Fire Halls ends the series, it’s a heartfelt way to see it go out. 

Charming, funny, sweet and just a lovely read about a great town and wonderful people. What a pleasure!

Just some thoughts. 

Some things struck me as odd. This is definitely part of a series. Yet, it’s been removed as one and you would struggle to find the other books if you didn’t know they existed or the order to read them in. Very strange. 

Also, I was missing the lovely map of the town that’s been a part of the series and shows where all the shops and couples live. If you’re interested, look at Holiday Heart Strings where I saw it last, a great book too. 

Hartbridge Christmas:

  • Tic-Tac-Mistletoe #1
  • Christmas Wish List #2
  • Merry Christmas Cupid #3
  • Holiday Heart Strings #4
  • Deck the Fire Halls #5

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comDeck the Fire Halls (Hartbridge Christmas): 9781923086388: Walker, N.R.: Books

Blurb 

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comDeck the Fire Halls (Hartbridge Christmas): 9781923086388: Walker, N.R.: Books

Blurb 

Doctor Robinson O’Reilly is burned out. Exhausted, jaded, and disillusioned with the bureaucracy of his profession, he’s ready to throw away his entire career. Convinced to take a part-time position in a small town instead, he packs his medical bag for Hartbridge, Montana.

Who knows, maybe the change of pace and mountain air will do him good.

Firefighter Captain Soren De Silva moved to Hartbridge two years ago. He loves the town, the people, his job. What he doesn’t like is the lack of queer men. Well, the lack of available queer men. There are a few queer couples in town whom Soren can only look at with envy.

He wants what they have.

There’s a new doctor in town; not Soren’s usual type, but there’s something about him that Soren can’t ignore. A friendship sparks between them and Soren can’t help but wonder if that Hartbridge Christmas magic the others joke about is real.

Because a spark leads to flames, and this is not a fire Soren wants to extinguish.

  • Publisher: BlueHeart Press (November 22, 2024)
  • Publication date: November 22, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 288 pages

Review:  Barbarian (Jericho’s Boys Book 3) by Onley James

 

Rating: 4.75🌈

I honestly don’t know any authors who do this trope and type of character and dark psychotic romance as well as Onley James.  Each one has its own unique take on the dark side of these characters , insights into their damaged psyches, horrifying backgrounds, and whatever maybe their stabilizing influences. Or who.

Having been through Jericho and Atticus’ aka Freckles fantastic romance (and don’t think this won’t be sending me back to reread their story, because it will), I have absolutely loved these novels about Jericho’s found family of lost boys. 

Each story flows from the last, a narrative smooth transition as all the boys, now young adults, live together or in close proximity. They’ve also become part of the larger Mulvaney family when Jericho married Atticus. 

The Mulvaney family, its many members make multiple appearances here, but Jericho’s boys remain the main story. Here it’s Nico Michaels, his years under mother’s negligence and abuse as child, which have left him scarred emotionally and physically for relationships. It’s also Malachi Mizrahi, gender fluid, neurodivergent, and psychotic. Older brother to Shiloh, and someone who has been a constant companion to Nico since they met. 

These two are among my favorites. How they slowly redefine their relationship. One discovering that he’s not been aware of the reality of that relationship, the other letting the layers of the emotional connections they share adjust in their own recognizable patterns. It’s wonderful writing. It’s realistic, tough, funny, dark, and raw. Between two young men who have been through monstrous events and had heinous experiences.

The crimes and mystery is fascinating. It brings a whole new element and energy into this universe with the Chinese Triad community. As with the Mulvaney family, the Chinese Triad organization has as a diverse group of characters, just as intriguing. I hope they will continue to pop up in future stories. 

There’s a kinky sexual aspect to their relationship, one that’s more developed towards the end. This element is slowly built up into their story and makes sense. And will continue forward as part of the next book as they grow and help another one of their own journey into their own relationship. 

I adore this book and couple. The series has me wanting to reread the original books and start this over again. 

If dark fiction and romantic love along these lines are your thing, then these books aren’t to be missed. Highly recommended.

The seven dark fantastic books of the Necessary Evils series are the foundation which then leads here to Jericho’s Boys. They aren’t to be missed. 

Jericho’s Boys :

Paladin #1 (Arsen and Ever)

Rogue #2 (Levi and Shiloh)

Barbarian #3 (Nico and Mal)

Ranger #4 – March 2026

Buy link 

        Barbarian (Jericho’s Boys Book 3)

    

Blurb 

Nico Michaels pretends to be carefree, avoiding anything serious, especially relationships; his chaotic past has taught him that love only complicates things. He’s content with one-night stands and his close-knit group of friends, including his roommate, Malachi Mizrahi.

Neurodivergent and gender-fluid, Malachi wakes up each morning with a whole new personality, but one thing remains constant: his love for Nico. They clicked perfectly from day one, sharing a love of everything from anime to nature documentaries. They even share a bed. Platonically, of course.

One night, the lines blur when they share a kiss, but before things can go further, a desperate call from one of Mal’s dance students throws them into a missing person’s case that leaves them with more questions than answers. To complicate matters, Mal reveals he’s been quietly orchestrating Nico’s whole life without him even noticing. Nico is shaken to his core, his perception of their relationship shattered.

As they navigate the perilous world of a vicious Chinese triad, their bond deepens, and Nico begins to see that Malachi is not only the perfect friend, but the perfect man to fulfill all his needs. Together, they must face their past and survive their present if they want any chance of a happy ending in their future.

Barbarian is a friends-to-lovers, dark romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features a masochistic vigilante with ADHD and a video game addiction and his sadistic and controlling best friend who worships the ground he walks on. As with any Onley book, you’ll find dark humor, steamy sexy times, and gratuitous violence, but only against people who totally deserve it. This is book 3 in the Jericho’s Boys series. Each book follows a different couple. 

  • Publication date: January 21, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 459 pages