When a story contains the phrase âFor Bone Daddyâ and its uttered by a army of skelebabies in the middle of a rollicking bone rattling battle, well, you just know the book is going to be epic.
For all its short length, Sherwood packs a ton of high quality action, snarky humor, dubious necromancer goings on, and an ever- widening search for the bones of a sentient skeleton dragon called Steve.
Iâm so committed to this series and found family of absolutely glorious people, young sorcerers in training in tow included. Itâs hilarious, sexy, stunning and entertaining on every level.
I canât wait for the pirates.
Dive into the series right at the beginning and then follow along. Itâs all fabulous.
Love these covers.
Series and side stories
đĽHow I Stole the Princess’s White Knight and Turned him to Villainy-6 books
đĽHow Tan Acquired an Apprentice
đĽHow I Took the King on a Bone-a-Fide Quest of Piracy, Piemu, and Profit:Bone
Do you wish to deploy the necromancer to fight? (YES) (no)
Niran: The leg boneâs connected to the ~ leg bone. The leg boneâs connected to the ~
Tan: Sword hilt~ the sword hiltâs connected to the bad guy~ hear the voice of the Steve~!
Steve: My boooOOOOoooone!
Tags:
Necromancers, fight!, itâs Niranâs time to shine, lawless city is our friend, onsen nookie, Steve makes a bad alarm clock, look at me, Iâm the captain now, stinky city, Sword of the Sea makes an appearance, Steve needs his fainting couch to clutch his pearls upon, ragdoll Steve
Fanged Mistakes is everything I love about an Alice Winters universe and series. Fanged Mistakes incorporates humor (high and low), relatable complicated family relationships, interspecies courtship, drama, murder, psychological trauma, and layers upon layers of emotional, often tragic back histories.
These are all further entwined with some of the most memorable, surprisingly written characters, ones which, during both the course of each book and over the series, make decisions that challenge the readerâs perceptions of what we thought we knew about them. Instead, we get another layer of depth and generosity of spirit we didnât see coming.
Itâs not just the main characters this happens to either. More than once, I saw a scene or moment reveal a characterâs real identity, one not previously seen. Itâs done swiftly and succinctly and with impact. I can name every scene it happens in. The writing is that successful and great.
Dire Straits and Entwined Fates charts the next stage in Julian and Casamirâs relationship. Julianâs family is adjusting, albeit maybe not his father, to their mating, and things are doing well.
Naturally, here comes the past to throw up the biggest challenges they have faced yet. This was briefly hinted at in Faked Dates and Fanged Mistakes but Casamirâs past is back in one roaring, fast paced, action packed, emotional thriller of a ride.
Winters manages to keep all the heavy elements like Julianâs PTSD from his past attacks, the continuing emotional fallout, the devastating impact the return of his past is having on Casamir, the changing dynamics of their relationship, all of this raw material, is kept real and believable.
But interwoven into this is moments of hilarity, scenes of wonderful silliness and outrageous fun with their found family. Itâs an eclectic group of friends and family formed of human detective, vampire sidekick, poodle, and a surprising newcomer. This allows a break from the tension and drama. And gives us some truly heartwarming scenes.
The ending and villain of this story are as compelling and complex as the themes and narrative calls for. Itâs thoughtful storytelling that makes this a fantastic novel and these memorable characters.
I really need more. Thereâs that pesky question that keeps rearing its head of what exactly is Julian? No one seems to have the answer. More books please.
Iâm highly recommending this and the series but read them in the order they are written for the events and relationships.
When did fake-then-real dating an ancient vampire become the easy part?
Casimirâs ridiculously sweet now that heâs conquered âthe art of the flirt,â as he calls it. He tries hard to fit in with my familyâif we forget about those silly threatening chocolates he sent my fatherâand he even makes me popcorn⌠okay, he tried. I know, I know, Iâm just bragging at this point.
Everything is perfect until we stumble upon a half-dead vampire who is being hunted by someone. And Iâm afraid the person hunting him knows all about Casimirâs history. Casimir has fought so hard to drive the darkness away, but we both know that he needs to bury his past⌠one last time.
Casimir
I never saw myself in a relationship, let alone with a pesky werewolf. Heâs funny and sweet, has questionable friends, and phenomenal taste in dog bandanas. After five hundred years, I think Iâve finally convinced myself that I deserve this.
However, someone else isnât quite certain I do. Julian has assured me that itâs time to move forward, but when thereâs a masked man waiting in the shadows for me, I find it hard to ignore my past mistakes.
But I have something I didnât have the last time I faced him.
Someone who loves me.
Dire Straits and Entwined Fates has a cheerful werewolf who seems to have an aversion to clothes; a vampire leader who overuses speedy delivery services; board games with a little too much exhibitionism; and animals that are too cute to be eaten.
R.L. Merrill has a new contemporary MM romance out, Forces of Nature book 3: Earthquake Ethan.
The Earth shook the morning actor Ethan Bradley arrived in Los Angeles looking for a second chance. He hoped his former producers Reese Matheson and Toby Griffiths meant it when they said to look them up if he were ever in LA because he had no other options. The pictures the paparazzi took at the wrap party for their London show made sure of that. What he wasnât counting on was the reception he got from their manager, Arthur Frye. He was absolutely the kind of together guy Ethan wished would notice him, and for more than his pretty face and talent. Too bad Arthur only sees Ethan as a complication.
Arthur Frye has his hands full with his best clientsâand best friends. The last thing he needs is another diva to care for, especially one who has a reputation for causing trouble. He has a strict rule against getting involved with the talent, no matter how pretty they are. Only Ethan Bradley shines for real, and when Arthur realizes his nice-guy innocence is genuine, heâs ready to do anything to help Ethan get his career back on track and get him out of LA. Heâs too much of a temptation, and Arthur canât afford to lose focusâŚnot even for a chance at happiness for himself. Especially not when his star clients are about to risk their professional and personal happiness with their newest creation; a musical about two boys falling in love in the 1960s featuring music written by Reeseâs grandfather, whose health is in decline.
Ethan Bradley shakes things up wherever he goes, and Arthur Frye is afraid heâll be left in the wreckage if he gets too close. Can these two opposites find love on solid ground?
Warnings: implied sexual abuse off page
About the Series
Forces of Nature follows a group of talented men who are natural disasters, and the men who love them.
The morning after Ethan Bradley landed at LAX the earth shook. Literally. Being from Iowa, heâd always been afraid of earthquakes. He remembered watching footage when he was a little boy of the one that hit Northridge and it stayed with him. Heâd even turned down a part in the film San Andreas because he was terrified of the real thing.
Plusâat the timeâheâd wanted to be considered a serious actor, and accepting a role in a Hollywood disaster blockbuster didnât fit in with his professional goals. Instead, heâd ended up going to London to film a clever romantic comedy. Then came the stage and more accolades at the age of twenty-six than heâd imagined possible.
When his hotel room rattled his first morning in LA and sent him diving under the desk in the early hours, heâd wished heâd stayed.
But London had nothing to offer him after the paparazzi ruined his life, and he couldnât go home. So there he was, back in the states, and ready to grovel before his former producerâand crushâfor a role, any role, that would allow him to get back to doing what he lovedâŚacting, singing, performing.
Love was a strong word. It was what he knew, what he was good at, where his God-given talents lay.
Heâd come to LA with a plan. Sort of. Go see Reese Matheson. Pray he opened the door and took pity on him. And that he didnât hold a grudge.
He plugged the Malibu address heâd gotten from his London managerâs office into the Lyft app and went outside to wait for his ride. And prayed.
If Reese wouldnât see him, he had a plan B.
Heâd go to see Reeseâs business partner Toby Griffiths. Which was probably a terrible idea, but the best he had.
Because there was no plan C.
He had exactly fifty dollars cash on him and a credit card dangerously close to being maxed out. Rock bottom was flying up to meet him fast.
The Lyft driver dropped him off at the end of a long driveway leading to a quaint little house that backed up to the Malibu shoreline. He knew nine oâclock on a Sunday morning was early, but the earthquake had shaken him so much, he couldnât wait to get out of his room at the Holiday Inn. Heâd been to LA before to promote his films, but heâd never felt comfortable among the glitz and glamour of Hollywood and Beverly Hills.
Malibu had the scenery people thought of when they imagined Southern California. Palm trees, mountains that broke off into the sea, miles of sand with beautiful people jogging along the waterâs edge. It was picturesque, and sometimes clichĂŠ. For Ethan, it represented his last hope.
He climbed the steps, cleared his throat, reached for that enthusiastic confidence that used to come so easy for him once upon a timeâ
The door opened before he even had a chance to knock.
The short Filipino man standing there in a pair of scrubs had one eyebrow raised and a hand on his hip.
âCan I help you?â
His tone didnât come across as helpful, despite his words.
âYeah, sorry. Iâm looking for Reese Matheson? My name isââ
âI know who you are.â The manâs raised eyebrow turned into a frown. âJust a minute,â he said before closing the door with a little less force than a slam.
Breathe. Itâs fine. Reese is a good guy. He wonât be angry that I showed up. Heâs a generous, kind personâ
Author Bio
R.L. Merrill brings you stories of Hope, Love, and Rock ‘n’ Roll featuring quirky and relatable characters. Whether sheâs writing about contemporary issues that affect us all or diving deep into the paranormal and supernatural to give readers a shiver, she loves creating compelling stories that will stay with readers long after.
Winner of the Kathryn Hayes âWhen Sparks Flyâ Best Contemporary award for Hurricane Reese, Foreword INDIES finalist for Summer of Hush and RONE finalist for Typhoon Toby, Ro spends every spare moment improving her writing craft and striving to find that perfect balance between real-life and happily ever after.
She writes diverse and inclusive romance, contributes paranormal hilarity to Robyn Petermanâs Magic and Mayhem Universe, and works on various other writing and mentoring projects that tickle her fancy or benefit a worthy cause. You can find her connecting with readers on social media, educating Americaâs youth, raising two brilliant teenagers, trying desperately to get that back piece finished in the tattoo chair, or headbanging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area! Stay Tuned for more Rock ‘n’ Romance.
Yuri and Dixon and the rest of their family are back in this absolutely adorable, perfect short story by Jordan Castillo Price.
The ABCâs of Spellcraft is a series that just gets better with each new chapter in Yuri and Dixonâs lives. Here they are scrambling to get each otherâs gifts at Christmas, with all the glorious events you might imagine, including drama and the magic!
It ends appropriately with another move forward in their relationship and a HFN. And the realization for me that this is a series for every season for the excellent writing and fabulous characters.
Iâm recommending this and the series. Itâs magical ride! Binge read for your pleasure!
The ABCâs of Spellcraft series:
â Quill Me Now #1
â Trouble in Taco Town #2
â Something Stinks at the Spa #3
â Dead Manâs Quill #4
â Last But Not Lease #5
â Donât Rock The Boardwalk #6
â What The Frack? #7
â Present Tense: A Spellcraft Christmas short #8
Christmas is a festive time of year, one filled with food, family and traditionâDixon Pennâs ideal holiday. Too bad Spellcrafters donât celebrate Christmas.
Dixonâs parents have always been strict about their no-present rule, reluctant to entrap anyone in an âendless cycle of reciprocal obligation.â
Yuri Volnikov was not raised in the Craft, but Dixon has made sure he understands that for Spellcrafters, Christmas presents are verboten.
No gifts. None. Nada. And everyone is on the same page in regards to presentsâŚ.
Or are they?
The ABCs of Spellcraft is a series filled with bad jokes and good magic, where MM Romance meets Paranormal Cozy. A perky hero, a brooding love interest, and delightfully twisty-turny stories that never end up quite where youâd expect. The books are best read in order, so be sure to start at the beginning with Quill Me Now.
This holiday short is set after What the Frack? and contains series spoilers.
A Vampire Called Leander wraps up Michelle Frostâs trilogy about a Paranormal Councilâs arranged matings between paranormal beings and humans in order to unify their world.
Itâs been a while since I read this series but it was easy to fall back into the universe and characters. At only 90 pages, Frost gets immediately into the storyline, the first meeting and mating of the two characters.
The short length doesnât allow for much background or depth of culture, but the characters are engaging and the nature of their mating process intriguing.
Itâs a fated mates without the buildup of anticipating or the recognition by one that normally occurs. Thereâs an ongoing conflict by a Human only faction thatâs a series element and a fabulous side character, Ammon, whoâs a bodyguard of both Leander and his human mate, Merrick.
The ending sets the stage for a sequel series to come. I can only hope that one of those characters that gets a story will be Ammon.
Vampire Called Leander (Mated to a Human Book 3) by Michelle Frost is highly entertaining and I recommend it and the series. Read them in the order they are written to understand the events and characters.
Can an uptight vampire and a free-spirited human find some common ground?
Merrickâs family name is one of the oldest and most influential in Solston, but maintaining an empire has never interested him. He prefers his books, the company of his cat, and to his surprise, his new prickly vampire mate.
Leander refuses to take part in the Councilâs arranged matings until the most alluring scent catches his nose. Once their mating is finalized though, he finds he has no idea how to meld their two lives together.
A Vampire Called Leander is the third and final book in this fast-paced novella series where the paranormals are all deliciously protective of their humansâŚno matter what type of trouble they get into. Series is best read in order.
Itâs hard to rate exactly which of Sherwoodâs many series are my favorites, but The Sorcererâs Grimoire is, even at two books, among those I hold dear.
Itâs in the universe sheâs created, so recognizable and yet not, magical, imaginative and with our histories carefully bound together. Itâs in the beautifully crafted, multidimensional characters sheâs created and then given such emotional histories that, as readers we canât help but attach ourselves to them, investing in their lives and stories.
Whether itâs the boys, Julian and MacMallin, and their horrific start on the streets before Adrienâs rescue or Adrien himself and his abysmal family life, thereâs so many backstories to these characters. The strength and wonder of this dynamic that builds between the three of them is such a heartwarming element. The boys each develop into young men with their own unique powers and interests while gaining confidence in themselves. The same goes for Adrien and his new relationship with Hugh.
Thatâs Sir Hugh Quartermain, a businessman, engineer extraordinaire, and someone whoâs coming to love Adrien, despite all the barriers heâs raised. And in a time and land when homosexuality isnât legal.
The tapestry on which these relationships play out is a magical trip to Brazil to a manganese mine. Thereâs jungle monsters holding up the mining, killing the workers, and Hugh needs their help.
Itâs everyone off to an epic adventure! The first one abroad for the boys and an old enemy and a meeting with even older friends for Adrien.
Sherwood even gives us some major drama on the home front which will lead into the next book.
I will say that I was surprised but happy to see that Adrien and Hugh were able to move forward with their relationship. I thought Sherwood was going to stretch out the romance into a really slow burn. But it makes sense given the context.
The boys are such an amazing aspect of this series. They show such growth in their personalities and interests, yet retain the same fears still that the horrors of the street instilled in them. Julian and MacMallin are truly unforgettable young men. So are their Masters, Adrien and Hugh. I need more of all four plus their dog, Darby.
Iâm highly recommending this book but read the series in order to understand the universe and the relationships.
The Sorcererâs Grimoire:
â A (Non) Comprehensive Guide to Sea Serpents #1
â Dealing With Mapinguari and Dogged Engineers #2
As Shakespeare once said, the course of true love never did run smooth.
Since parting with Adrien after their first case, Hugh Quartermain has committed himself to one fact: he wants Adrien. With the monthsâ long trip to Brazil ahead of them, Hugh should have no problem confessing, right?
The problem is the universe seems determined to thwart Hugh. Between creatures terrorizing his worksite, bothersome Americans, and not having any alone time with Adrien, Hughâs foiled at every turn. When Hugh does get Adrien one-on-one, his advances always hit the wall Adrien refuses to lower, but the rare flare of desire in Adrienâs gaze motivates him to keep trying.
Come hell or highwater, Hugh will confess to Adrien. He just has to figure out how first. Tags:
Adventures in Brazil, commence!, magical AU, friends to lovers, healthy communication, Hughâs genius saves the day, confessions in unusual locations, apprentices being awesome, Prince Henry to the rescue, and yes he quite enjoyed that, portals, fights, and shenanigans, oh my!, monsters are always in the most inconvenient locations, romantic getaway in Thailand, oh look relationship development, pesky Americans, romantic getaway, cheeky apprentices, minor home renovations as a romantic gift, Darby is best girl.
What a wonderful story and fantastic way to send off the series and this team.
The interactions between holdover player, defensive end Deacon Harris and the new owner of the Charleston Condors, security industry billionaire Grant Green, has been a subtle but significant part of the series and teamâs dynamic. It was always clear that the two men had a strong connection and attraction to each other. But, throughout each book it was clear that they never actually had acted on it due to their roles in the organization. And we wanted them to have their romance.
The Play returns us to the beginning of their history together, back in college as student tutor and college football player needing help. The chemistry thatâs never acknowledged but present is cut short by choices made for career reasons that will quickly separate them until years later. Because of the realness of these scenes we feel every bit of the pain and frustration of this unexpected change in this new relationship. And the startling moment when they meet once more.
Boldenâs writing has never been better. Her characters go from uncertain college youth with the future ahead of them to seasoned men who have been living full lives. One, Grant, now at the pinnacle of his career and the other , Deacon, ready to retire after a shattering year of betrayal and disappointment. Each has made big impacts in their professional careers but their emotional relationships havenât been as successful. The reason is because they have been only interested in one person.
How Bolden works the past and present together, weaving the emotions that never left either man back together into a tight layered narrative of sports, team dynamics, partnership, and a deep bond between them is a read that canât be missed.
We get the present day run for a playoff spot, as intense as can be and fantastically realistic. Bolden gives us boardroom NFL drama such as what might be likely to be played out across CNN and sports coverage alike, and then while all that is happening, layers into the story, all the human drama we love.
Grant and Deacon trying to find a way to each other in an organization where Grant is the owner and Deacon a player, albeit a retiring player who wants to continue to work with the club. This is a complicated situation thatâs believable and loving. They are great, they communicate, and we love them.
And finally, as if I hadnât just bawled my eyes out over Jason Kelceâs retirement speech, here comes another. Deaconâs speech was a fabulous second. And all the players from the other series who meant so much to the readers are there as well as the important individuals from this series. Itâs a testament to Boldenâs ability to create great characters and deeply moving moments that everything about the scene is beautiful and real. And I was bawling again.
Tissues had a workout this week.
Read this book. But not without reading the stories that come before. Itâs a great series. And Boldenâs an auto read for me. The Play is simply another example why.
Charleston Condors:
â The Star #1
â The Game #2
â The Score #3
â The Play #4 – finale
Boldenâs connected Football series in order they are written:
Last year, defensive end Deacon Harris witnessed the very worst of the Charleston Condors. After everything he and the team went through, he promised himself heâd walk away from football. But before he can retire, the team is sold to the last person he ever expected to see again.
Deacon stays because the Condors are going into major rebuilding mode. New owner. New coach. New players. New rules.
But one rule hasnât changed: donât fall in love with the owner of your football team.
Grant might be brilliant and a billionaire, but Deacon only remembers Grant as his tutor in collegeâand as the one who got away.
In all his dreams about reconnecting, he never imagined that Grant would end up as his boss. Both his downfall, and also his salvation.
Or that theyâd be forced into confronting the Condorsâ most difficult challenge yetâbut that theyâd face it together, hand in hand, tackling their critics and proving once and for all that love doesnât take sides.
âHanahaki: A fictional disease popular in the fanfiction community. According to the lore, a person develops Hanahaki when they fall in love with a person so deeply that they canât live without them.â
Well, this was just adorable. From the cover to the predictably cute HEA ending, Fated was a quick fun fantasy short .
Zile Elliven is a new author for me and immediately introduced me to the fictional disease of Hanahaki. Lovesickness in all its floral glory. Or is it gory? Hmmm.
Anyway. Max and his gamer friends are instantly recognizable, cheerful and funny. Maxâs fated mate? A glorious fantasy that has been waiting for him.
And itâs even got a cute dog too.
Iâm definitely seeking out more from this author and recommending this for all lovers of fantasy fiction.
Me? In love with a fictional character? Of course not! So why was I coughing up flowers every time I thought about the fictional character from my favorite video game?
Areth was a sexy, badass monster and utterly perfect, but none of that mattered because he wasnât real. If I really was in love with him, I was going die, and there was nothing I could do about it.
This story contains:
⢠Unrealistic size difference resolved by magic
⢠Fated mates
⢠A very small dog
⢠Monster love
⢠Dimension hopping
⢠Wanton destruction of furniture
⢠So very many flowers
Fated is a ridiculous 16,000-word novella with super heckin’ gay monster sexy times.
I had real trouble arriving at this rating. Matrimonial Merriment is the last Valor and Doyle book by Nicky James. Itâs a 7 book series that I found incredibly strong and emotionally compelling at the start, only, imo, to chart a very strange path for the characters and their various storylines.
This story has its strengths and its weaknesses, much like its characters.
Quaid Valor was a tragic character. His young sister had been kidnapped while he and his father were âin chargeâ of her during a parade. But he was a child himself and his father was a policeman at the parade occupied with security. It destroyed his family and him emotionally, as his mother left them shortly afterwards, abandoning him. Also the devastating betrayal by a man Quaid thought loved him. These events reverberate throughout the series, including finding out how the events happened and who the kidnappers were.
Then thereâs Anslan Doyle who has his own personal demons to fight. That includes his professional reputation, the on the job abuse of alcohol, his alcoholism, his emotional recovery on and off the job. He is the opposite of Quaid. Where the Doyle clan is loud and boisterous, itâs just Quaid and his now retired father, quietly playing chess in a house thatâs frozen in time.
The journey that takes them through the start of their relationship, the beginnings of understanding of each otherâs faults , severe struggles and strengths , all while solving missing persons cases and murders, thatâs what makes the series and this couple.
But then as the author wove their personal histories and solved their mysteries into the cases each book was featuring, certain things started to unravel. The very strengths and failures that led to them becoming more powerful and complete individuals were starting to be forgotten in parts of their dynamics . In their interactions the forward movement in overcoming certain obstacles or challenges now seems stalled or even moving back towards what they were in the books that were written earlier.
Especially the penultimate book when Aslan actually caused Quaid to have an emotional breakdown over a poorly thought out proposal. In fact most of that book came close to a DNF as it felt like the author had backtracked the relationship between the two characters and their understanding of each other. The astonishing lack of communication and understanding that brought about a crushing emotional breakdown of Quaid should have been unthinkable by this point in their relationship.
Now comes the finale story and a couple of different issues. Both seen here, one of word choice and another again of authorâs characterization. The word is one thatâs shown itself increasingly throughout this series.
Imagine a story where the author uses the term âpurple orbâ every few sentences. Or at least, ten times a page when speaking with regard to a character. Now how distracting would that be?
Sneering is Jamesâs purple orb. Itâs everywhere. Itâs a feature of Quaid. He sneers constantly. He even smiles sneeringly. It should have been retired. The âsneeringâ. The overuse of this word is beyond tired. It starts in the first book as a part of Quaidâs common facial expression.
âCan you bring the binder?â
âWhat binder?â
I stalled and sneered at my phone. âPlease tell me youâre joking. It has been attached to my hip morning, noon, and night for a week.â
âGross. Save it, Valor.â Jordynâs sneer won a solid silver medal on the sneer-scale, but it would never surpass the masterâs.
Quaid sneered backâproving my pointâthen closed his eyes and let me continue to work.â
So many sneers.
Also, although I get why, James turns Quaid from a thoughtful interesting layered character with issues to caricature bridezilla. For the majority of this book heâs beyond frantic over the wedding planning process . All due to the fact that Doyle decided they must be married before Christmas.
Solution? Donât get married before Christmas. No one is forcing them to do this, except a whimsical decision (by Aslan and the author). But no, per the authorâs storyline, it increases the stress on Quaid to the point he lands in the hospital, again.
Yet, itâs never acknowledged that at least some of the issues lie with the fact that the short deadline was his partnerâs choice and could be changed.
Itâs all on Quaid, here. The imbalance is stark. And while the push to have Quaid seek therapy is a good sign, thereâs also another side thatâs being ignored.
From men who fought to get a deep understanding of each other and their relationship dynamics to people who seem to forget they know each other and each otherâs foibles.
Thereâs good elements here. The gardenerâs who marrying them. Quadeâs relationship with Ruiz, something that has greatly evolved over the series has Ruiz will talk about here. Thatâs a remarkable and heartwarming thread.
Itâs also setting up the new sequel series, which will feature Ruizâ cousin and a ex police officer.
So this raises the question. The rating. Itâs a finale book. Yes, the final part of the story with Aslan and Quaid finally getting married was heartwarming and satisfying. I think it was the best part of the story and made me happy to see this come to an end. It was time.
The narrative before was a mix of lovely bits of storytelling that reminded me why I loved this series and couple entwined with sections of scenes and moments that made me want to stop reading, remembering why I thought it had lost its charm.
So read it for all the above. To finish the series, to see the couple off, and, if youâre curious, get an introduction to the new series to come.
Quaid Andrew Valor and Aslan Ronan Doyle cordially invite you to be an honorary guest as they join their lives in matrimony. The ceremony is set to take place at Strongwind Castle on December 23rd. Save the date!
Time is short. Quaid has less than three months to plan the wedding of his dreams. A wedding that happens to land two days before Christmas. Donât be fooled. It is not a Christmas weddingâat least not if Quaid has anything to say about it.
The wedding binder is fat and the list of things that need to be done is long, so when the department decides to implement a mandatory team-building Secret Santa event that will take up every one of Quaidâs available Saturdays, he is livid. There is no time for nonsense on his tight schedule.
When Aslan sees what the stress is doing to his fiancĂŠ, he calls in the cavalry to help plan the wedding. What could possibly go wrong with Ruiz and Torin on their side?
Relationships grow deeper. Friends and family come together to celebrate. And Quaid and Aslan finally tie the knot.
**Matrimonial Merriment is the seventh book in the Valor and Doyle series. Unlike the other books, this one does not contain a mystery and is wholly focused on our two favorite detectives finally getting married. It was meant as a bonus book but somehow came in at over 100k words. Oops. More of them to love.**
One of these days by Ofelia Gränd is going to surprise me and deliver a full length novel and I wonât know what to do. Iâll be overwhelmed and overjoyed, of course, but still. Someone will have to pick me off the floor first.
Until then, Iâll settle for these short tales of whimsical romance or whatever she decides to call them. Her mind is a decidedly different and wonderful place.
Here it has created a bar on an unknown world, The Ruby Tooth, a place where all the species can have a drink and mix, but under the most rigid rules that only the doorkeepers understand.
How I love how weirdly quirky Grandâs imagination is. The Ruby Tooth is divided into two bars, a good side and those that belong on the bad side. The veritas, the doorkeepers, with their intense glaze that see into the soul, say left or right, good or bad. And thatâs where the beings go for their side of the bar, unable to switch for the night. The veritas give no clues or rationale for their actions, just the words. Left or Right.
Which is all the more intriguing when two widely different beings, one human (Iâm assuming) and one a werewolf bounty hunter, each end up on the wrong side of the bar. Thats approximately where the authorâs short story begins.
But itâs full of boundless possibilities, wild elements , fanciful ideas, and great characters. Honestly, why is Ilya Lewis the only one in an Elf costume and why does that bring immediate dislike? I need to know!
And donât get me started on his friend who ends up with two bear shifters. Nope.
But even better is the new fated mateâs romance thatâs a âtake it slowâ road romance. What a great change of pace.
Thereâs even more going on. Fast paced action, heart stopping fights, and a happy ending. All well done in 45 pages.
Sigh. I need a full length book so badly!
Read this quirky, imaginative paranormal romance and enjoy!
I highly recommend this author in all her flights of narrative fancy.
Ilya Lewis is gonna kill his best friend Vera. She not only persuaded him off his couch and into the creepiest nightclub in the city, she also didnât show. When Ilya learns the bar is split into two halves, and heâs been let into the wrong side, it doesnât make things any better. Once the doorman determines which half to let you into, he won’t let you into the other.
Ulric Moon hates the Ruby Tooth. But as a bounty hunter, he must go where the trails lead him, and tonight itâs landed him in the worst nightclub in the universe. All he wants is to catch the vampire heâs hunting, but despite trying to convince the veritas doorman examining his soul that he needs to be let into the good side of the club, heâs shown to the bad. As if that wasnât enough, his destined mate somehow manages to sneak into the bad side where he doesnât belong.Ilya finds a way to the other side of the bar, but one look at the patrons there has him regretting ever leaving his apartment. When he tries to leave, a scary-looking man who does nothing but growl follows him.
Ulric knows heâs freaking Ilya out, but Ilya has inadvertently caught the interest of the vampire Ulric is hunting, and he has to protect him. How will Ulric keep Ilya safe when he doesn’t believe Ulric is a bounty hunter? And how do you tell someone theyâre your mate when they donât believe youâre a werewolf?
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 