Category: M/M Fiction

Review: You Can Do Magic (Carnival of Mysteries) by R. J. Merrill

Rating: 4.5🌈

I wasn’t aware that You Can Do Magic was a part of author Merrill’s Summer of Hush series when I began reading but it’s not required knowledge for enjoying the story. Much of the background information is offered up throughout the book on the characters and relationships between the series couples that I wasn’t even familiar with the fact this was tied to another universe until the end notes.

You Can Do Magic has so much to offer on own as a standalone book. That starts with how fabulously Merrill uses the central theme of the Carnival of Mysteries. With its cast of circus characters and sideshows as a major part of the narrative here, time and again, it’s woven into the narrative pulling all the plot threads together. Starting with the power of the Carnival to protect and provide shelter to those in need, until the mysterious Ames feels it’s time for them to move on.

Kallos Alexandrou, the Carnival’s magical calliope player, is being told he’s healed and his time with the Carnival is over. What a beginning! It’s haunting, shrouded in secrecy and pain, with a young man who can’t remember, being told he’s got a new life ahead of him. How incredibly scary.

Music is the key for Kallos. To his past and his new journey forward as well. Merrill does a fantastic job in creating in Kal a person who feels like an innocent out of time , yet someone we can still emotionally connect with.

Dumped with a wallet and the ability to have within what he needs (read the book), it’s a music festival that starts his journey. And a couple of bands.

One Ryan Wells, lead singer in the metal band Backdrop Silhouette. He’s also released from prison and in recovery from substance abuse, facts that are well documented and a source of contention within the band. Especially since the cause is a serious accident which tragically changed their lives.

Merrill gets us into the head and emotions of Ryan in the tough moments back when it’s obvious he’s not going to be able to retrieve the friendships and relationships he had with the band before the accident and prison time occurred.

We get a mixture of emotional distress, connections, a sense of wonder at new things from Kal and puzzlement from Ryan and deeply moving shared experiences that build their relationship.

All while keeping an otherworldly sense that something or someone is helping to guide these events.

The closure for Kal on his past history was emotional as far as his family but a tad lacking when it came down to that which caused his pain and suffering. I thought that could have been more a more fully resolved or explained element. I was left with more questions than answers.

As for Ryan, the Carnival left him with some very serious thoughts about his future life. As the story ends on a HFN, I wonder if the author intends to do something further with this couple in mind. I’d be interested in reading more about them.

You Can Do Magic (Carnival of Mysteries) by R. J. Merrill is one of the highlights of this series. Merrill does an excellent job in incorporating the series theme into the storyline all the way through to the end. The characters are extremely well executed and the relationships are easy to connect with. Just marvelous!

And one more great cover in a group of beautiful images.

Don’t forget to check out the music link for the author’s playlist for the book. Absolutely amazing.

If you haven’t already guessed, it’s a yes recommendation.

Carnival of Mysteries series:

✓ Crow’s Fate by Kim Fielding❤️

✓ Step Right Up by L.A. Witt

✓ Magic Burning by Kaje Harper ❤️

✓ Night-blooming Hearts by Megan Derr

✓ Go For The Company by Ander C. Lark❤️

✓ Roustabout by Morgan Brice❤️

✓ Assassin by Accident by E.J. Russell❤️

✓ Dryad on Fire by Nicole Dennis ❤️

✓ The Extraordinary Locket of Elijah Gray by Kayleigh Sky

✓ Smoke and Mirrors by Elizabeth Silver

✓ You Can Do Magic by R.L. Merrill♥️

◦ Sting in the Tail by TA Moore – October 4

◦ Gods and Monsters by Rachel Langella – October 25

Buy link:

You Can Do Magic: Carnival of Mysteries

Blurb:

From the author of Foreword Indies Finalist Summer of Hush and BookLife Prize Quarterfinalist Brains and Brawn comes a new installment in the series, a contemporary gay romance with a side of time travel and magic.

Musical prodigy Kallos Alexandrou has played his calliope for countless visitors at Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, but his one-year residency has come to an end. Scars from a terrible tragedy in his past are the only explanation he has for his loss of speech and memory, but it’s time to move on, so when a music festival sets up next to the carnival, Mr. Ame sends him off with identification, a bottomless billfold, and a set of new clothes. Outside the carnival’s perimeter, Kal finds himself in an unfamiliar world surrounded by strange instruments and vibrant people like nothing he’s ever seen.

Ryan Wells is the troubled and celebrated lead singer of the metal band Backdrop Silhouette. He’s brought more than his share of baggage on the last cross-country Warped Tour, including harsh restrictions placed on him by his parole officer and the band’s label, but it’s the treatment from his bandmates that have him feeling unsettled. After a tough morning, he spots a strange young man playing carnival music on a keyboard backstage, and the sound takes him back to a particularly vulnerable time in his youth. Intrigued, Ryan asks the young man’s name, but he flees only to appear later as a replacement stagehand for the tour.

An invitation from the band Hush to ride on their bus gives Ryan and Kal a welcome distraction. They find the camaraderie and support they’ve both been craving…as well as a little magic and a fresh new romance. But personal secrets and the music business make relationships difficult to maintain, and when the tour ends, Ryan and Kal will have to make a choice: move forward together on an uncertain path, or let fear keep them from trusting that sometimes you really can have everything you desire.

You Can Do Magic is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains a Depression-era calliaphone, a Ouija board with a purpose, and tour bus hijinks that will warm your heart and make you gigglesnort. Reading Summer of Hush and Brains and Brawn before this book will give you the full Warped Tour experience, but You Can Do Magic can be read as a standalone as well as the other books in the shared universe. Recommended 18+

Review: A Star So Dark and Peculiar (Tears from the Sky Book 1) by Cyan Crowe

Rating: 4.5🌈

A Star So Dark and Peculiar , the first in the Tears from the Sky series by Cyan Crowe, is also a first novel by the author for me. I’m all about storytelling that involves multiple types of shifters, mating bonds, paranormal species , and exploring the mythology that will build on their past in the series arc.

Crowe is giving the reader all that and more here. The series is dark fiction and characters that feel engaging and real are often treated as expendable, meeting their True Death unexpectedly. One at least I wasn’t prepared for. But it’s in keeping with the characterizations and relationship dynamics Crowe is developing.

Cyan Crowe does several things that are notable, most fantastic and one not so great.

First is the fact that our introduction into the world is a confusing one. That window into the past with the Crown Lords and Oracle didn’t work, at least for me. I felt that any information gleaned from those scenes could have been imparted in other ways throughout the storyline. In fact the entire book only really came together one we got into the present day.

That’s where everything starts to gel. The characters are strong, exceedingly well written, and while the reader doesn’t yet have a solid understanding of the world building, it’s parts are added as the characters interact and the narrative becomes more complex to give a larger perspective on the mystery and universe surrounding them.

It’s a brutal world overlaid with an air of civility, animalistic with a skin of humanity. Cell phone technology with fang and claw death in tandem. The author realistically portrays a divided paranormal society, literally separated by fortified walls and gates, each ruled by a different species with a similar structure and name. The immortal Crown Lion, Crown Wolf, and Crown Gryfalcon, each at the head of their respective species, then they have their Blades of the Crown. A unknown person who is close to the Crown, carries out their orders/duties as they see fit, an assassin if need be. The Blades are old and said to have some of the immortal blood in them.

This is just part of the intriguing mystery and information that the reader gathers from the narrative as we meet Gage Declan, Alpha Wolf of the City (wolf territory although other species live there). He’s considered young for the job position he’s holding but powerful in his role to easily manage his team. Gage’s character and history is a complex one, and becomes even stronger and fascinating as the book progresses. He starts off strong but the author builds on layer after layer, giving Gage remarkable depth and high intelligence while not diminishing his raw brutality .

To balance such a compelling being the author had to craft an equally complicated, magnetic personality. Crowe gives us Alpha Ethan Odin Vinci, new Alpha Lion of the Fort (Lion shifter section with other species residing). But Ethan is ancient, mysterious, and perhaps more. So they begin at a combative level to sort out a mystery plaguing both their sections and separate species.

Additionally, same sex relationships or activities are illegal and considered unnatural by law and the cultures. So events that occur are fundamentally shocking to both.

This is a great element and the way it’s handled on both sides makes sense for the two men involved from both personal and political perspectives. This is a core sea change that can, given both Alphas status and power, fundamentally change society.

Given this fact and the type of being each person is, Crowe stays true to the heart of the narrative and world the author is still rolling out in showing the reader the complex, often contradictory, intense, sometimes feral or savage behavior that resides within them, often after seemingly being pleasantly civil.

This is exciting stuff. We have a whole vampire element here that’s probably not what it appears to be. Right now they are the very big bad though.

Plus there’s things like the TEARs, a fatal illness no one knows how or why it occurs but that there’s no cure or antidote. The scenes involving people in the final stages are moving and heartbreaking.

Crowe has also assembled an excellent cast of characters surrounding the main personalities, and that seems to be expanding as well to meet the needs of the revelations of the storylines. The plot lines, many that they are, flow so fluidly through the story, picking up speed as it arrives at the main climatic battle and the jumping off point towards the next book.

Which honestly can’t come soon enough.

Except for that stumbled start, A Star So Dark and Peculiar (Tears from the Sky Book 1) by Cyan Crowe is a fantastic read. It’s exciting, full of new multidimensional characters, and imaginative storytelling. I can’t wait for it to continue.

I’m highly recommending it for all lovers of paranormal fiction and dark romance.

Tears from the Sky:

◦ A Star So Dark and Peculiar #1

Buy Link:

A Star So Dark and Peculiar (Tears from the Sky Book 1)by Cyan CroweBook 1 of 1: Tears from the Sky

Blurb:

It’s time to embrace the night and show the true might of the stars so bright…

My name is Gage Odysseus Declan.

You could say I’m a complicated man with uncomplicated needs. I’m Alpha Wolf for the City, charged with protecting my kind. I enjoy law and order, sexy times at Circus, and being left alone.

Step too close, and I’ll cut you down.

But I’ve stumbled upon a kitty cat that smells like a raging storm, a dark and peculiar chaos that I want to dominate and cuddle.

His name is Ethan Odin Vinci.

I suspect he’s the Blade to Crown Lion. The cat lives in the Castle, is crazier than anyone I’ve ever met, and is way too devious for that vain head of his.

And he’s just as alpha as me.

That’s…a problem.

The Lady Moons connected two men together, an utter blindsiding Bond. This has never happened before—it’s not our way.

Yet here I am. Here he is.

Here we are under the sky and the stars and the night, circling each other like we’re moonslit prey…

While bloodthirsty vampires take root in the City, and our people continue to die from TEARS.

But I’ve got this under control.

I am that good.

Get ready to twinkle twinkle, bitches.

The night is going to shine.

*This novel is approx. 150,000 words. This world does not contain MPreg.

*TW: Violence.

Review: Drive the Net (Delay of Game, #1) by Hannah Henry

Rating: 3🌈

Hockey romances are my jam so when I see a series by an author I’m not familiar with I’m sure to pick it up , starting with the first novel.

Drive the Net (Delay of Game, #1) by Hannah Henry Is that first book in Henry’s hockey’s romance series and it’s a sweet one. For readers looking for a quick, uncomplicated sweet romance with an adorable dog character, Drive the Net is that book. You don’t need to understand or especially like sports to enjoy this couple.

Which is part of the issue I have with this story. But let’s starts with positives.

The main characters are likable, cute together and the romance sweet

It’s extremely low angst

Well integrated dog character (yes, that’s important because so often it’s not a well done element)

It’s a HFN and quick sweet read

Issues:

The age gap (10 years) isn’t noticeable because of the personalities. Ryan Cosgrove at thirty two doesn’t come off often as much older than the twenty two Jackson Harper in their actions and dialogue. He should as a senior player but he doesn’t.

This age gap should bring up significant questions and discussions. For Ryan about his hockey longevity at his age and prospects about being traded. Same for Jackson if he does well. He’s at the beginning of his career and Ryan is starting towards the end. Is any of this discussed? No, granted they are in the beginning of the relationship but they are hockey players and things like that are foremost in every player’s mind.

Then there’s the entire aspect about Ryan being “closeted “ but suddenly he’s in a relationship with a teammate. There’s no discussion about that with the team, coach or PR staff, which is unrealistic. Even with the coaching staff being supportive. This element is ignored.

Jackson’s emotionally abusive relationship with his mother and dysfunctional one with his father.

This is a big part of his storyline until it’s dropped without further explanation. If an author wants to make a character have this sort of family history and include it into their narrative, then realistically they should carry through with it in a satisfying and meaningful manner. Abandoning it by saying Ryan told him not to take the calls, then nothing about this demanding parent who had no boundaries? Unrealistic and makes this aspect of his character seem like just another example of how not to write a storyline.

Then there’s the hockey. Most of it happens off the page. There’s no on ice excitement, no thrills, no adrenaline rush to be had. We’re told someone got a score or didn’t. This might as well as been any sport . Plus a reader new to hockey won’t understand anything about the sport here, what league this team is in, trading, and there’s no realistic team dynamics involved to give a better understanding of the game other than a bare minimum about a line coming together. For someone new what’s that even mean exactly? Give them an opportunity to see it. We get more dog action (love Lola btw) than we do hockey.

I’m going to check out the others to see if there’s a difference in how the sport is approached . The other books involve different teams in other states (from the descriptions ) so I don’t expect to see any carryover from novel to novel. Could be wrong.

I’ll see how far I get.

For readers looking for a quick , low angst , uncomplicated sweet romance that’s a HFN this just might fit the bill. Sometimes that’s all a reader may want. Not me but someone.

Delay of Game:

✓ Drive the Net #1

◦ Off-Ice Behavior #2

◦ Draft Bust #3

◦ Empty Netter #4

◦ Offensive Edge #5

◦ Home Ice Disadvantage #6

Buy Link:

Drive the Net (Delay of Game Book 1)

Blurb:

Jackson Harper had barely gotten his feet wet in the NHL before he was traded from LA to The Minnesota Northern Lights. It’s hard not to take it personally, but he is going to make the most of being the only out gay hockey player in Minnesota. He’s going to play so well that everyone is forced to talk about his hockey instead of his sexuality. Plus, if he focuses all of his effort on his game, he can ignore his freshly broken heart.

Ryan Cosgrove is thirty-two, which means he’s practically a geriatric hockey player. He won a cup a long time ago, and now all that’s left is his empty house, his golden retriever, Lola, the tail end of his hockey career, and the weight of loneliness as everyone in his life pairs off to start families. It’s hard to put effort into a personal life when you’re closeted, but since he’s the only vet on the team without a partner or kids, it’s obvious for Ryan to give Jackson his guest room for the season.

Their friendship is fast and easy, budding into a legendary bromance, if The Northern Lights’ social media is to be believed. Ryan is calm and steady, an anchor when Jackson needs one. Jackson’s magnetic personality pulls Ryan out of his shell. But despite the best of their intentions to keep their relationship friendly and professional, their feelings keep slipping into romantic territory.

Ryan has been down this road before. He can’t make the mistake of falling for a teammate again. Plus, Jackson is ten years younger than him. Jackson needs to focus on hockey, healing his recently broken heart, and doing even one thing his parents will be proud of him for. Getting into a relationship in the middle of the season with his liney and roommate is a recipe for disaster.

But despite all the best intentions, Jackson keeps finding himself in Ryan’s arms. Will their feelings blow up in their faces, or can they figure out a way to have a real relationship?

Drive the Net is a low-angst, age-gap, MM hockey romance.

Review: A [Non] Comprehensive Guide to Sea Serpents (Sorcerer’s Grimoire #1) by A.J. Sherwood

Rating: 5 🌈

I’m never quite sure which way one of Sherwood’s series is going to go , whether it’s a bit dark or lighter in tone, but I’m always excited to dive in for the journey .

A [Non] Comprehensive Guide to Sea Serpents could have gone dark so deeply with our introduction to how Sorcerer Adrien Danvers rescued not one but two young street boys who will become his apprentice and found family. There’s Julian, who’s extraordinary unschooled powers drew Adrien to him and MacMallin, a streetwise kid with a love for machinery, two kids who have endured heartbreaking pasts in their young years which led to the horrible/life threatening conditions that Adrien found them in.

Usually there’s some great humor or hilarity to be had in a Sherwood novel, but this series and its time frame doesn’t really lend itself towards that. From the scenes of rescue, the themes are serious, and heart heavy to immediately engage the readers.

Sherwood puts us into a scurvy, dirty alleyway in an English locale, London to be precise, around the 1930’s. Magic is real and regulated. There’s an alternative history so some of our history is along the same timeline. What’s also important to note that homosexuality is illegal, with consequences varying according to class and support groups.

The reader absorbs all that information just as much as they concentrate on the emotional scenes on the page. We will connect to the broken boy, Julian, and then his “brother “ by choice, MacMallin, as Adrien saves them. And then slowly learns how to let all three of them adjust to their new surroundings and relationship.

So, so many scenes that are well done and thought out that show exactly how much damage each character has suffered in their lives, whether it’s long or short. The cast of characters includes other sorcerers, twin siblings ,Cynric and Anastasia, who are fabulous. And there’s Huge, a terrific main character, who will be the romantic interest of this slow burn love story over the series. I am so excited to see how Sherwood is going to develop their relationship as it’s built into magical mysteries and a great understanding of Adrien’s wounded heart by Hugh.

The author has also given us two rough collies as characters, an ever growing number of different magical beasts to fight as well as human criminals to battle. Epic encounters and high sorcery are extremely powerful to escape into but Sherwood never forgets that it’s the people, their deepest fears and hopes that the reader really cares about. And so the author delivers moving emotional moments that have both the characters and readers in tears .

This is a very slow burn romance so nary a kiss to be had, and it’s quite wonderful that way. Every small step towards a recognizable flirtation is a remarkable journey and one I can’t wait to see more of. And these boys are growing so fast, physically and mentally.

I fear we won’t see book 2 until 2024 with all the series this author is juggling, but it will be well worth the wait.

I’m highly recommending A [Non] Comprehensive Guide to Sea Serpents (Sorcerer’s Grimoire #1) by A.J. Sherwood for its excellence in characterization, plotting, and just making me feel like I wanted to both hug these people and join them on their adventures.

Fabulous!

Sorcerer’s Grimoire:

✓ A [Non] Comprehensive Guide to Sea Serpents (#1)

◦ Dealing with Mapinguari and Dogged Engineers #2 – TBD

Buy Link:

A (Non) Comprehensive Guide to Sea Serpents (The Sorcerer’s Grimoire Book 1)

Blurb:

Two new apprentices. One charming engineer. A potential battle with both sea serpents and evil sorcerers.

When Sorcerer Adrien Danvers takes on a job that leads him into the slums of England, he never imagined he’d end up with not one, but two apprentices. Despite his doubts in himself, he’s the only chance the two pre-teens have to escape their hellish life.

When Sir Hugh Quartermain contracts him to deal with the mysterious circumstances surrounding his home on the Isle of Man, Adrien finds the more time they spend together, the more his walls come down around the beguiling engineer–an unusual occurrence and a terrifying prospect.

But as it turns out, this case is about to take a turn–a battle with both beast and man, the ultimate test of Adrien’s willingness to accept help. When he does, Hugh proves to be a fierce protector and friend, more so than Adrien could’ve ever bargained for, and he finds himself longing for something he shouldn’t.

Falling for his new friend is not a complication Adrien needs. (His matchmaking apprentices disagree.)

Tags:

Magical AU, Adrien’s way of dealing with bad days is to curse things, repeatedly, fortunately lots of targets keep presenting themselves, Hugh has precisely zero chill where Adrien is concerned, as people will learn the hard way, here we have Extremely Competent MCs because that is my jam, set after WWI, but no worries, I can’t write angst to save my life, curses, magic, bit of mystery, apprentices are acquired, something of a slow burn, Hugh’s a sweetie, right up until you endanger his boys, then he’s your worst nightmare, man’s a knight in multiple ways

Review: I Went on an Adventure and All I Got Was This Barbarian Orc: Crack Fantasy Adventure Chapter 2 by Jennifer Cody

Rating: 5🌈

I Went on an Adventure and All I Got Was This Barbarian Orc is a 5-chapter serialized fantasy story by Jennifer Cody. It’s one that, if you ever wondered how an author plots a storyline, here she cheerfully notes this one’s by dice throw. Rolls one way, and oopsy, the current battle may not go in this character’s favor! Fun chaos ensues.

There’s a powerful necromancer (Lawton) that’s comes in a adorable compact size, a green half orc with a mean soul hammer and a love affair with his mead (Bertlak) , a clumsy paladin with a dark god as a dad, an assortment of fascinating fellow adventurers with mysterious pasts , all on a epic journey to save the kingdom.

We meet more of this intriguing group of characters that are accompanying Prince Lawton and Bertlak out into the country. To start there’s two more women warriors as well as a bumbling paladin with dark parentage with the face of an innocent who added just before they leave, a traveling band already assembled of mixed paranormal beings.

Cody adds in additional world building along with character growth and scenes of action and magical derring do! Here there be nasty spiders galore and necromancy battles.

It’s fun, it’s sexy, and five chapters will probably not be near enough time for me to have these characters in my life. I’m enjoying this series that much.

Bring on chapter three! Roll those dice.

I’m absolutely recommending this!

Adorable cover.

Buy Link:

I Went on an Adventure and All I Got was This Barbarian Orc: Crack Fantasy Adventure Chapter 2

Blurb:

Berklak:

Starting an adventure is always an exciting time. I’ve gone on a few by myself, but nothing compares to gathering a full party and seeing how everyone will mesh. We might have a clumsy bard and a chaotic paladin, but with everyone working together, we’ll figure out what’s happening in Fasgard. We may have to break a few laws to do it, but I don’t think there’s anything an orc would change about that.

Well, I might change how quickly I’m getting attached to the necromancer, but there’s nothing to be done about that now; he’s mine.

Lawton:

I’m finally getting out of the palace, and I even manage to do it without breaking too many laws! Only, like, two, maybe three depending on your interpretation of “smuggler” and “spy.” My adventuring party is amazing. They like me, don’t flinch when I touch them, and are genuinely interested in my magic, and I don’t know if a necromancer could ask for anything more.

Well, except for maybe a few more hours of alone time with his traveling companion; I could definitely get behind (or rather in front of) that idea.

I Went on an Adventure and All I Got Was This Barbarian Orc is a five chapter serial fantasy adventure with a light-hearted, fun TTRPG vibe. Expect big magic, lots of cuddles, plenty of steam, and a team of characters that might not get a natural 20 on every roll, but they make up for it with creative solutions to both magical and mundane problems.

Review: The Head Game (Relationship Goals #2) by Brigham Vaughn

Rating: 5🌈

The Head Game is the latest in Brigham Vaughn’s terrific hockey romance series. Centered in the AHL team, the Toronto Fisher Cats, we’ve already had an amazing story about the team’s captain and a former Olympic figure skating champion. Great characters, incredible elements, and real depth. Set the bar high for the next book.

But The Head Game easily rises to those same heights in some similar ways and some very different ones. The couple this time is referee August Manning and D-man Nico Arents. Arents is a figure from the first book, as is much of the team. The trope here is fake engagement/fiancé just as the first book’s was “woke up married “.

And Vaughn has shown , as she did in The Husband Game, that a popular, much read theme can feel fresh and exciting if given the right creative choices made in elements, layering, language,and chemistry .

The Head Game has all that in abundance.

Each book looks to start with a common trope, and featuring one of the characters with a deep personal issue that arises that needs to be addressed and resolved, together. And often the other person has a past history that brings a realistic perspective to the dynamic and their relationship.

Vaughn’s ability to bring the reader immediately into the lives of these men is remarkable. From August’s heartfelt pain over his ex marrying someone else to the excruciating minutes on the ice when Nico is hit, not once but twice, the reader feels every bit of those moments.

And don’t even get me started on those scenes with the doctor and Nico at the hospital. Bring tissues. Which brings us to the huge aspect of this story. That’s the brain tumor, surgery, and slow recovery that Nico undergoes here. It’s realistically portrayed, from the beginning headaches to the seizures to the frustrations that come with a body that’s slow to heal. I felt like I was going through it along with Auggie and Nico, it was so well done. But for some, it might be an element that might be too raw, you need to decide for yourself.

I loved how Charlie (The Husband Game) was included to talk about recovery (his story involved anorexia, as well as other aspects) and acceptance. A wonderful piece of work.

Plus we have the absolute heartbreak of one man’s loss of a career. That devastation is a part of this story I wasn’t expecting to feel as deeply or was so stunning an element. But it was an emotional part of this journey as was the physical part for Nico. Amazing execution on this author’s part.

So much of this novel is written so beautifully that it’s easy to read and overlook the smallest details. There’s the family members of Nico’s, described warmly and lovingly, August’s brother Julius, Nico’s pregnant friend Sky, and all the members of Toronto Fisher Cats. We are getting to know each of them in greater depth with each book as the author sets them up for the new romance to follow.

This series is turning into a comfort read for me. I love it when that happens. And when I can rec not one but two books so easily as I can hear? Perfect!

Stay tuned for The Waiting Game!

Relationship Goals:

✓ The Husband Game #1

✓ The Head Game #2

◦ The Waiting Game #3 – Feb 29, 2024

◦ The Home Game #4 – tbd

◦ The Blame Game #5 – tbd

Buy Link :

The Head Game: An M/M Hockey Romance (Relationship Goals Book 2)

Blurb:

Nico Arents Rushed to Hospital After In-Game Fall—Mystery Beau Revealed?

The Fisher Cats defenseman is conscious and in stable condition following a seizure that occurred during the recent game against Buffalo.

Updates indicate that while still hospitalized, he’s hopeful for a quick return to the ice.

The incident raises serious questions after referee August Manning was spotted in the same hospital shortly after Arents was admitted.

Recent rumors have swirled around Arents’ involvement with someone within the league. Could Manning be the mystery man?

A credible source claims the two are engaged. “He has been so doting! He’s barely left Nico’s side.”

Tongues are wagging as their off-ice involvement throws Manning’s on-ice impartiality into question.

How will the league react? Thus far, they have declined to comment but given the new Code of Conduct, there will be some tough questions to answer for these men to keep their romance and their careers.

TRIGGER WARNING: Contains non-graphic scenes involving brain surgery and discussions about brain tumors and cancer. HEA guaranteed but please reach out if you have further questions.

Review: Smoke and Mirrors (Carnival of Mysteries) by Elizabeth Silver

Rating: 2.5🌈

Smoke and Mirrors is the first book I’ve read by Elizabeth Silvers and I had quite a few issues with it, starting at the beginning.

It’s a two-person point of view narrative. The first voice the reader is introduced to sets the stage in many ways for the story to come. But Smoke and Mirrors stumbles immediately when it’s Justus, who lives on another planet with magic. He’s telling us about a magical explosion, citizens of Arcania, some Aquaspire Mountains, a town of Lumia, and how he joins the Luminere Squad. Honestly, right there, the author is losing me. I’m picturing dancing candlesticks, watery mountains, and all things Disney.

Not what Silver had in mind, obviously, but , there’s a lesson there in how not to name things if you’re creating another world. Don’t do that!

It gets progressively worse when the author delivers up the next main character. That’s Xander back on Earth. We met him as he’s bemoaning his terrible taste in men, while preparing to go on a date with someone who’s got a reputation in his office for, wait for it, treating people badly. This is “Dorian, the hottie from accounting who no one seems to like.” He will go on for pages about how he knows this won’t go well but he’s going to do it anyway.

Yes, immediately, we have a TSTL character that’s making me think this is a DNF story. At 3%. Honestly, I’ve had as much of the TSTL character in my books as I’ve had billionaires recently asking people for money. Both need to go.

Plus the author has made Xander (another quibble of mine, pls find another name) someone with dyslexia, which is not a problem by itself. Only issue with this is his dyslexia is such that Xander can’t read at all for reasons we will find out later. It’s so bad he has had to tattoo left and right on his hands as a guide. (except for he can’t read) . So what’s his job? He went into Library Science and does reference. The dyslexia is less a real problem than an element stuck on purely out of necessity for the storyline .

Spoiler: How a reader might feel about a deeply serious learning disorder being treated as merely a mild case of “oh look I’m an alien “ is up to each individual. However, I find it a tad insensitive.

Silver just doesn’t seem to have a good handle on the logical flow of her storyline. Xander goes from not reading, to no magic to THE magical power . All without much training. I won’t go into the holes the dot the narrative landscape here but it’s a veritable pothole Main Street of storytelling.

Justus and Xander are all very cute and instant love in their relationship. There’s a secondary relationship that’s one dimensional and comes out of nowhere. As do several agencies, agents, and frankly, most of the world building.

As to the Carnival of Mysteries element? Blink and you will miss it.

Even what happened to the villain was unsatisfying. He was an intelligent delusional mass murderer so,yes, let him go somewhere else . It’s not like you gave him a personality transplant. What harm could he possibly do? SMH.

Like I said, it’s choices like these that Silver makes that leave a reader confused and frustrated instead of wanting more.

No recommendation.

Even that cover is off. If that’s Xander, and I’m sure it is, he’s in his early twenties in the book. One of the few misses in a group of fabulous covers.

Carnival of Mysteries series:

✓ Crow’s Fate by Kim Fielding❤️

✓ Step Right Up by L.A. Witt

✓ Magic Burning by Kaje Harper ❤️

✓ Night-blooming Hearts by Megan Derr

✓ Go For The Company by Ander C. Lark❤️

✓ Roustabout by Morgan Brice❤️

✓ Assassin by Accident by E.J. Russell❤️

✓ Dryad on Fire by Nicole Dennis ❤️

✓ The Extraordinary Locket of Elijah Gray by Kayleigh Sky

✓ Smoke and Mirrors by Elizabeth Silver

◦ You Can Do Magic by R.L. Merrill – September 27

◦ Sting in the Tail by TA Moore – October 4

◦ Gods and Monsters by Rachel Langella – October 25

Buy Link :

Smoke and Mirrors: Carnival of Mysteries

Blurb:

Two things I know for sure: Magic isn’t real and never date your coworkers.

Xander knows for a fact magic belongs solely in the realm of fiction. But fate has other plans when he finds himself reluctantly going on a date to a mysterious traveling carnival. Little does he know that this seemingly harmless outing will thrust him into an entirely different dimension, where magic is very much a reality—though its practitioners label it as science.

As Xander navigates this extraordinary new world, he finds himself accompanied by distractingly attractive government agent Justus Farhill, whose good looks and honest heart make it challenging to keep those pesky emotions in check. Their undeniable chemistry grows the more they work together, and even though he knows he should be fighting to find his way home, Xander instead finds himself with one heck of a reason to stay.

But amidst the blossoming romance, the veil of tranquility over this strange realm has begun to fracture. A cataclysmic battle decades in the making looms on the horizon, where the balance of power between science and magic threatens the very fabric of existence if the wrong side gains control.

As alliances shift and loyalties are tested, Xander finds himself questioning what’s real… and what’s really worth fighting for. With the fate of multiple dimensions at stake, both Xander and Justus must confront doubts and insecurities about themselves and where they belong.

Even if that means sacrificing everything in the end.

Smoke and Mirrors is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains a roller-coaster ride of magic, science, and heart-pounding romance—are you ready to take the plunge?

Review: Casting Light (Shadow’s Lure Book Two) by Alice Winters

Rating: 4.5🌈

Casting Light ends the duology or two-part series, Shadow’s Lure by Alice Winters. I both loved this and had my frustrations with this end novel, all of which stem from the author’s typical style of storytelling.

Starting with the wondrous, that would be the narrative elements. They are imaginative, incredibly complex, especially with the light and dark magic themes embedded into the characters and many plot lines. The shades, the Casters, the dark history of the characters and their world that’s revealed, layer by layer, as the story unfolds, is thrilling. By turns, suspense filled, humorous, highly entertaining, or strewn with blooded bodies filled with magical rage, the plot is complex and contains quite a few twists to keep the reader engaged.

The characters are well written but are also where I have my frustrations with the novel and author’s writing style, one I enjoy by the way. The secondary characters end up being the most interesting ones simply because they are less chatty, unencumbered by paragraphs of conversations filled with what feels like overly cutesy dialogue or just so unendingly smirky. That’s Andras, by the way. He’s a tragic figure but his dialogue often makes him annoying rather than funny. It’s the wonderful way Winters has with this type of character and snappy dialogue but taken a tad too far. It’s the stage where it feels repetitive and that’s the place where it’s irritating, at least to me.

Andras and Bastian are a good match with each other’s stories and magical backgrounds. Bastian especially is a favorite of mine, so endearing and emotionally layered. Even the shade snake works for me incredibly well here when it comes down to the fighting and battle with The Hooded Man. That too was an excellent choice by Winters and a fabulous moment.

Oliver and Ronan, they were both great and their development throughout the series was a huge success. It’s one of the things this author does well with secondary characters, making them so important and necessary to the reader and the narrative that we need more of them.

Casting Light contains many chilling, suspenseful scenes and dramatic moments to make this a great read and way to finish off Shadow’s Lure. I was happy to see how the characters were able to get on with their lives, and satisfied with the explanation of the new status quo.

I’m definitely recommending this but read the series in the order that they are written, otherwise it won’t make any sense.

Shadow’s Lure (complete)

✓ Cast In Shadows #1

✓ Casting Light #2 finale

Buy Link:

Casting Light (Shadow’s Lure Book 2)

Blurb:

Bastian

When life dragged me down, I assumed I’d never get back up. I never guessed that Andras—the dark magic user I was always told to fear—would not only give me a helping hand but draw me into his arms and protect me from those who wished to harm me.

I never imagined that Andras and his “danger noodle” would be there to make me laugh, to care about me, and show me what it means to be loved. But now, the two of us have to prove to the Casters that we won’t be knocked down. Not when we don’t know who we can trust… and when there’s something darker coming for all of us.

Andras

As the hunt for the book that started all of this comes to a head, our enemies are getting closer, but so is the truth of what happened when my light magic was taken years ago. While they’ve fought to tear us apart, they’ve done nothing but draw us together as well as nearer to the truth.

I’m determined to finish this so I can get my happy ever after with the man I love and show him all of the little things he missed out in life. Oh, and so he can make me more chili.

Casting Light is the thrilling and humorous conclusion to the Shadow’s Lure duology.

Review: The Nightingale Prince (The Songbird Princes, #1) by Zack Bel

Rating: 3.5🌈

The Nightingale Prince is a first novel from author Zack Bell and it’s a wonderful jump into the world of paranormal fiction.

Bell is establishing a universe that’s full of mythological elements, deeply rooted in a past history and past lives of the beings we’ve barely met and just gotten to know. The author has chosen a main character who’s just as ignorant of the world around him as the reader as our guide through the story, a format that allows both the reader and the person the same distance from the events as they occur.

Bell is creating such a vast, complicated arc and universe that at moments within their narrative it becomes a bit unclear as to what the characters are actually thinking, what their motivations are, and where they actually came from. This series is one where the characters have many rejuvenations and their past lives and actions are currently reverberating through the present day.

Confusing? Yes, but interesting? Very.

The romance between Toby who thought he was human ( he’s not, he’s a reincarnated Fae), and the ancient nature Fae, Amaethon, who’s living on the grounds of the magical house Toby has inherited, is a weak aspect to the story. It starts off as an instant love without much connection between them to back it up, so it’s hard to invest in it initially.

Does it get better? Yes, as does the other threads, but there’s so much more going on that Bell needs to lay down in terms of knowledge or drama, that the emotional connections are oftentimes dropped. Or not connected enough because our attention is everywhere.

But the cast of characters? Intriguing. The drama? Well done, including the battle scenes. The more I read about certain sections of the universe and mythology, the more I want to know about the pieces that aren’t laid down yet or fully.

Bell gives the reader and characters a cliffhanger at the end of The Nightingale Prince to set up the next story to come, The Lyrebird Prince.

I think Zack Bel did a great job with their first published novel and I’m looking forward to reading the next one in the series.

Buy Link:

The Nightingale Prince: An MM Fae Romance (The Songbird Princes)

The Songbird Princes:

✓ The Nightingale Prince #1

◦ The Lyrebird Prince #2 – TBD

Blurb:

The crown of a Fae Prince is a dangerous thing

Toby’s boyfriend just kicked him to the curb, so when he inherits a decrepit mansion in the remote Aussie bush, he jumps at the chance for a break. He finds a charming little town full of big personalities, and a handsome, mysterious gardener. But Toby will soon discover that everything he thought he knew is a lie. He’s not even human.

The Fae are real, and he’s one of them.

The ancient nature Fae Amaethon has buried the pain of losing his lover a century ago. These days, he finds plants easier to talk to than people, but Toby pulls him out of his shell so easily. When the same evil that took his lover returns, he’ll fight to protect Toby and the chance to love again.

An ancient magic is reawakening, and Toby is the heir. To make matters worse, Fae hunters want him dead, and they’ll destroy this quiet town to stop the Nightingale Prince from rising.

Amaethon and Toby will have to fight together to survive, and failure means the end of all Fae kind.

The Nightingale Prince is a paranormal MM romance with a touch of the gothic. Book 1 of The Songbird Princes, each book follows a different main couple with a HEA, but the series must be read in order. May contain: Lots of chocolate chip cookies, a crumbling mansion with a library to put Belle to shame, an eccentric old lady who might’ve given King Arthur his sword, a magical housekeeper, and a badass witch librarian. It contains explicit content. Check the copyright page for content warnings.

Review: Scepters & Scrolls: A Cozy Fantasy (Illyrian Tales) by S.R. Meadows

Rating: 3.25🌈

In Scepters & Scrolls, S.R. Meadows has , unfortunately, set herself up for criticism and anticipatory story attacks by the inclusion of the word “cozy” in the title. Scepters & Scrolls is many things but a cozy read it’s not.

Meadows’ on a cozy. Each book in the series gets a similar note.

“Author’s Note: This is a full length cozy fantasy novel with a low stakes adventure and a sweet romance. Get cozy and escape to the world of Illyria where contentment is key and coziness is a must!”

That’s not a cozy. Not by definition at least. A cozy , often a mystery or murder mystery, is a long beloved trope, defined by several elements. It’s lighter in atmosphere, is comedic, and is often comforting in tone. Its focus is on the relationship between two people with the drama being outside of their dynamic, usually the mystery. If it happens in a quirky village, all the better.

But the author seems to think a cozy is about having cozy feelings after or during your reading experience. Hmmm, no. That’s Dr Phil not The Oxford English Dictionary.

This story is a fantasy adventure. It has a bored librarian who goes in search of a missing book, find orphaned children in need, a not so lovely Prince who does some nasty things because they are necessary, and tons of political stuff that is layered on. There’s some cool maps, one that shows planets, which, curiouser. Portals, ghouls, and things which did not make any sense.

The relationship between the magical librarian, Sanev, a character I thought had promise, and the Prince, Hamon, who wasn’t well developed. Hamon was too one dimensional. He had one personality until the end where he made a complete switch in his attitude and actions, all off page.

From rigidity in his beliefs and behavior, which we witnessed, to someone who was completely comfortable with his change of heart and where it left his position within the kingdom . A sea change that the author had laid zero foundation for. This was a very shaky part of the story.

Meadows has some very interesting things going on but keeps bouncing around, unable to find a narrative thread that fits or one that flows well through the story. The girls are cute and we started to get to know them but then we switched off to another area. Then it’s espionage and a moonstone we have no idea what it does. Then apparently Sanev is able to portal around places like a lively baby goat so is dangerous situations even a thing? No idea.

Like I said, it’s more a series of questions attached by nice elements and some characters that have potential. All of which ends on a cliffhanger of sorts.

No, definitely not a cozy. Someone please explain it to the author.

Maybe not even a fantasy romance as they don’t seem to have a relationship but hold hands at the end. What is this? Fantasy/scify adventure series. That’s the closest thing I can come.

There’s 4 books written within this universe but I’m not invested enough to go check them out.

Illyrian Tales:

◦ Potions & Pints – m/m

✓ Scepters & Scrolls -m/m

◦ Talismans & Tailors – m/f

◦ A Snug Sanctuary – f/f

Buy Link:

Part of: Illyrian Tales (2 books)

Blurb:

The open road calls our name, but home is always waiting.

Sanev, a magical librarian’s assistant in the south, embarks on a journey to retrieve a lost book. It just so happens to be with northern Prince Hamon, who is embarking on the scariest journey of all: parenting three orphaned water elves with a penchant for trouble.

When their two paths intertwined, Sanev finds himself teaching a reformed goblin how to cook and training the three girls how to tame their wild powers.

But in the evenings, he finds himself drawn to the lonesome, brooding Prince Hamon…and wondering if he should help him too – in conquering his siblings and claiming the throne.

Sanev’s first journey away from his library in the small town of Sunfall brings more than he could have ever imagined, and a choice he isn’t sure he’s brave enough to make.

But more than that, it brings a family he’s never known.

Author’s Note: This is a full length cozy fantasy novel with a low stakes adventure and a sweet romance. Get cozy and escape to the world of Illyria where contentment is key and coziness is a must!