It almost hurt to write this review because it wasnāt the one I was really expecting to write. I have loved this series since Rachel Reid began it. And a diehard fan of Shane and Ilya since they premiered in Heated Rivalry, a favorite novel among many here.
So like so many readers and fans of both author and Game Changer , Iāve been eagerly anticipating the series finale and the novel which would bring some closure to the 11 years long closeted romance of Shane and Ilya.
What I didnāt expect was that I felt the first 25 percent of the book, perhaps more , was such a slog, that I came close to putting it down completely.
The characters I had connected with were missing. Chemistry gone. Shane was the one I had the most issues with. Self involved, complaining, non communicative. Other than sex, I couldnāt see what Ilya saw in him. The relationship and dynamics from Heated Rivalry had dimmed and the sparks doused.
I couldnāt believe this was it.
It wasnāt until the halfway mark, when dramatically the narrative picked up, and their relationship became energized once more that I was invested in their lives, romance, and the story.
There had been serious elements introduced. Depression, family history, suicide. But it was one-sided narratively speaking. And it served to only connect us to Ilya and his shaky emotional status. Leaving Shane in a removed story bubble, away from the relationship and the feelings connecting us to Ilya.
The emotional ties only reached back out after the story was halfway through.
Then we got safely back on established familiar relationship ground. One we recognized from Heated Rivalry, but with personal growth accounted for.
Shame it took that long because the remainder of the story was excellent. It wove plot threads from Role Model into the storyline here, making terrific use of those characters and elements.
Reid also found the missing humor, to intersperse with the serious issues of LGBTQIA+ athletes acceptance in sports, outing, and, the stress of being a pro athlete on relationships.
The last section of The Long Game was everything Iād hoped for and wanted for this couple. It turned into the perfect way to send them off.
I just wish it had happened sooner. That the book was a complete Gordie Howe Hat Trick instead of a one goal win.
But Iāll take it. Iām sorry to see the series end. Just as I am to see the end of every hockey season.
Iāll look forward to the next Rachel Reid with the same enthusiasm as the start of the new season and run for the Stanley Cup as well.
If youāre a lover of hockey romance, contemporary romance, and the works of Rachel Reid, this series is for you. Iām highly recommending it.
Game Changers Book 1: Game Changer Book 2: Heated Rivalry Book 3: Tough Guy Book 4: Common Goal Book 5: Role Model Book 6: The Long Game
The sequel is finally here! Shane and Ilyaās story, first seen in Heated Rivalry, continues in this long-awaited hockey romance from Rachel Reid.
“Everything you could want from this magnetic couple! A passionate, sexy, emotional sequel that grips your heart! Shane and Ilya forever!” ā#1 NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely, author of Hopelessly Bromantic
To the world they are rivals, but to each other they are everything.
Ten years.
Thatās how long Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov have been seeing each other. How long theyāve been keeping their relationship a secret. From friends, from familyā¦from the league. If Shane wants to stay at the top of his game, what he and Ilya share has to remain secret. He loves Ilya, but what if going public ruins everything?
Ilya is sick of secrets. Shane has gotten so good at hiding his feelings, sometimes Ilya questions if they even exist. The closeness, the intimacy, even the risk that would come with being open about their relationshipā¦Ilya wants it all.
Itās time for them to decide whatās most importantāhockey or love.
āāOkay, I understand.ā āGood. I take my leave now.ā āThanks for coming.ā āI will always come when you ask. Iāll see you soon.ā āYes, you will see me soon.ā The cat disappears into a slight mist.ā
ā The Witch’s Power Play (Covens of Eaton Falls Book 2) by Mia Monroe
Thereās just so much I want to like about this series and story. Monroe is pulling together a interesting history of interwoven supernatural mating and wars, of inter-species bonding and Gods intervention.
All so fascinating that I really want to know where the author is taking the series.
But to navigate through the process of untangling the story threads, a reader must decide whatās their tolerance for characters whose dialogue is either so stilted or so overblown as to take a reader away from the story.
Leo and, here, Presley, the witches, are constantly āgiggling ā. That word is ever present. They had their heads together, giggling. He giggled. They giggled. Nonstop giggling. They also twirl, and just have personalities that, frankly, swing from varying degrees of maturity.
The vampires verbiage is oddly both a combination of something that supposedly sounds āold ā while also trying for hip. If you know what I mean. A strange unwieldy thing that doesnāt work.
Plus they go around carrying their witches as though they were young women from a bodice ripper.
The characters themselves have real promise. Presley and Beto? Great dynamics and background. But you need to basically put them on mute after a while because itās just to much. Thereās a nice element of D/s here that is unexpected. But also a eye roll bit with the color pink . So for every one good thing that gets included, thereās bound to be another thatās zany.
Thereās also a villain called The Beautiful One.
So. I breezed through this. Next time , if I continue, Iāll have to find a way to mitigate the dialogue and words that seem to populate like bunnies.
In the meantime, for those of you who adore this author, Iām sure youāll have read it or itās on your TBR list. It does have some really interesting themes going forward.
Want to know how itās going? Check it out!
Covens of Eaton Falls:
š¹Never Trust a Guy With Fangs #1
š¹The Witchās Power Play #2
š¹Vampireās Make Bad Roommates #3 -July 14,2022
š¹Cosmic Spells and Vampire Lairs #4 – January 11, 2023
š¹A Traitor Shows His Hand #5 – March 9, 2023
Note: didnāt that last title seem a bit spoilery? So now we know the traitor is a guy. Wouldnāt it have made more sense to have said A Traitor Shows Their Hand? Hmmmm?
How to tame a vampire isnāt in any of my spell books.
My life changed forever the night my coven was attacked. I was scared and alone until my bestie Leo showed up. I trust him with my life. Good thing since he dragged me to the home of a notorious vampire. Even worse, another equally terrifying vampire is in charge of keeping an eye on me.
I did my best to comply and keep my distance from the stoic, domineering man who I shared a room with. I may have tried to flirt with him a couple times, a totally dumb move considering vampires arenāt exactly fans of witches. It didnāt work anyway. Once I was able to get away from him and back to the safety of my coven, I hightailed it out of there. I thought I would quickly forget him. I was wrong.
When we reunite, Beto letās a surprising secret slip, leading me to make a decision that we both might regret. Who am I to deny a man his need to submit? Will Beto decide to trust me with his desires? Can I learn to keep a vampire in check? Donāt know, but Iām up for the challenge. If the war doesnāt tear us apart first.
The Witchās Power Play is an MM paranormal romance featuring a subby vampire who just wants to be good for someone, a sassy witch embracing his toppy side, a supernatural war causing havoc, a bunch of really annoying demons who show up at the worst time, and so much pining (at first). It is book two in the Covens of Eaton Falls series. Each book features a different couple with an ongoing conflict and therefore should be read in order.
āShe couldnāt see the bigger picture. She looked at the twins and saw a problem. Thomas saw an opportunity. A divine creation. He was raising a legion of psychopaths.ā
ā Mad Man (Necessary Evils Book 5) by Onley James
Mad Man (Necessary Evil #5) by Onley James is Avi Mulvaneyās story, the other half of the mirror twins referenced above.
And every issue I had with Asaās (the other twinās book) is resolved here, the reasons for thatās storyās lack weirdly reflected in Aviās nature and the fact heās literally whatās missing from Asa. Asa has those qualities Avi will never have. Only together are they one person.
The prologue is the second half ( naturally) of how they were found and adopted. It adds those last minutiae to them as children.
Asa is the total aggressor, absolute control, all mind, and yes, cruelty. Loves to inflict pain. The perfect sadist. Thatās his half. Avi is emotion. He enjoys being hurt. Heās the masochist to Asaās sadist. Heās dependent on their twin connection. While Asaās mean in his remarks, Aviās kind, if thatās possible for a psychopath. Heās impulsive.
That Avi is āfeeling ā the loss in their separation more deeply or able to express his spiraling makes sense given which half he is. It also makes him more relatable as heās definitely more likable, even though heās still very much a killer.
Jamesā mirror twins comes with built in narrative issues demonstrated by their stories. Asaās such a undeniably alpha personality, a sadist whoās only weakness is his brother who carries those other character traits for him. Asa huntās everything, including the man heās obsessive over. Heās even able to shut out or down temporarily his link with his brother when Avi questions his decision.
Thatās unthinkable to Avi. A loss of link? Never. So while that stays true to Asa , by losing Avi, that story loses the reader to an extent.
Now in Avi , weāre back and we get another fabulous character as well. One weāve been previously introduced to. Felix Navarro. Baby brother to Jericho, now husband to Atticus.
Felix is delicate,,gender bending, highly talented fashion designer , and extremely lethal in his own right.
Heās also forceful, possessive, and supremely intelligent. In a way perfect for the man heās been crushing on. Avi Mulvaney, fashion designer and head of his own clothing empire company.
Felix is a complicated personality, with a family history of loss (Jerichoās story), his outlook and passion mask a fear of being left and insecurities over his background. Indeed, heās strong and commanding but soft and in need of a family dynamics where heās able to feel completely safe.
The two stories, Aviās and Asaās, actually fit together like the twins do, giving us a full portrait of the amazingly synergy that comes into existence between Avi&Felix&Asa&Zane. Itās not 2 + 2 but actually a whole of four. Thatās the completed āoneā at the end.
Avi woos Felix, and Felix (already a member of the Mulvaney family by way of Jericho) really learns who Avi is and understands his needs, with and away from Asa. Itās such a wild well written story.
We also get to know Felix intimately as well. His rages to his fears. His passions and aggressive side. Heās perfect. For Avi.
The mystery starts off in a startlingly different manner, with a nice twists. Thereās several cases here that the family is involved in.
Plus the ongoing Aiden/Thomas drama.
I loved this book, and it reminded me that Asaās was really a lead-in to this which, like the Prologue, completed the story for both men.
Except for the complications of length, it should have been one novel.
Together, itās outstanding the more you think about all the elements, and aspects of each mirror twin and the men theyāve chosen, who are in fact, mirrors themselves.
Stunning.
Thereās also the tiny fact thatās whispering along each story that all these characters and acts have been directed by the man who gathered them together as one large experiment.
Surely something has to come of that?
At any rate, Iām highly recommending this book and series. Heed the trigger warnings about violence. This is dark fiction and romance. The men are psychopaths.
Avi Mulvaney is many things. Son. Twin. Owner of the fashion label, Gemini. Murderous psychopath. Together, he and his brother, Asa, make one brutally efficient monster, ridding the world of predators who victimize the innocent. History proves Avi and Asa donāt do well apart, but their father has decided to test that theory.
Felix Navarro knows exactly who he is. Baby brother. Fashionista. Vigilante. While heās not happy that his big brother married a Mulvaney, the union has its perks. Like a paid internship with Gemini. But all good things come with a cost and, for Felix, thatās enduring Avi Mulvaney each day, which inevitably leads to thinking about him every night.
Felix doesnāt like Avi. Heās cocky, condescending, overbearing, and inappropriate. Heās also sexy, brilliant, and twice as lethal as Felix. Still, Felix loathes him. Even if he keeps letting him kiss him. And touch him. Even if he slipped just once. It was still hate sex, and it would never happen again. Ever.
Except, Aviās being sent to help take down a dangerous crime ring and heās ordered Felix to come along. Felix has vowed to stay strong. To remember he hates Avi. But theyāre trapped together and thereās only one bed, and itās so hard to hate Avi in the dark when heās whispering how Felix belongs to him. Felix belongs to no man, but Avi is determined. He has one week to prove to Felix that heās the exception to his rule. After all, who says no to a Mulvaney?
Mad Man is a scorchingly hot, intense, enemies to lovers, psychopath romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features a dirty talking, brutally vicious killer and a sharp tongued murderous fashionista who are both too stubborn for their own good. As always, thereās gratuitous violence, very dark humor, enough blood to film the final scene in the movie Carrie, and enough heat to melt your panties. This is book five in the Necessary Evils series. Each book follows a different couple.
Cowboy Haven by B. A. Tortuga is another one of this authorās kids nā cowboys stories that she has been writing lately, some with author Jodi Payne. And Cowboy Haven is one of my favorites of the trope sheās calling cozy cowboys.
Itās located in New Mexico, on a ranch. One of the main characters is a former rodeo champion, with an enormous family of mixed heritage. All of whom live in and around him. So we gets lots of local foods, easy family interactions that feel free and believable, and ranch life, up early, coffee onā¦ ranch hands in for food between duties. Tortuga has this down perfectly.
The other? A Texan, damaged past history, painful divorce, and now single father with 2 month old triplets.
How he got to his present situation is also made to feel extremely realistic and desperate. Heath Barron has our attention and empathy from the get go, as they say. Plus the babies, each as individual as Tortuga could make 2 month olds, are adorable.
Kolt Cordova, former rodeo champ and rancher, with his extended family, is believable as both rancher and rodeo cowboy who, with all the wear and tear , knew when it was time to quit. He was ready for something steady and a home. Heās a very well defined person and when heās rescued Heath and the babies, the fall into a relationship and love actually feels like the next step.
Ever know someone who decides they are ready to settle down? Then next thing you know you hear their engaged , then married? Happily so?
It happens that way sometimes.
Here Tortuga makes that into a excellent romance. With a drama inserted for that extra oomph.
Heath is a terrific character that you just enjoy reading about as is his love for his children. They, all three, are an absolute delight. The romance, including all the Cordova family and one terrifying mule, make this story.
I would love for a sequel sometime down the road!
If you love cowboys and children, absolutely lovely romances, then Cowboy Haven by B. A. Tortuga is one for you.
Note: There are some typos that should have been caught by the editor. But not as many as Iām seeing in lots of books these days.
Synopsis:
When Heath Barron leaves Texas for Northern New Mexico, he thinks he’s getting a luxury house rental for a steal, getting away from his ex, and finding a home for his newborn triplets. What he finds is a broken down trailer, a freezing winter, and the feeling that he’s at rock bottom in his life. Again.
Former rodeo champ Kolt Cordova has a good life. He has a ton of family, good land for cattle, and if his joints hurt when it’s cold, then so be it. But when he finds Heath living in an abandoned place on the place next to his, he knows his life is about to change. He just has no idea how much.
Heath feels like Kolt is offering him everything he’s ever wanted when he invites Kolt to come and stay, and Heath gives Kolt a sense of belonging, but as they get to know each, and maybe love, each other, danger from Heath’s past rears its head to try to harm them all. Can they find a way to face their fears, and this threat, together?
This book is a gay cowboy romance and has an ex-rodeo cowboy, baby triplets. a nosy family, and a loving freelance writer with a past.
I really debated about that rating because this is an fantastic series and , from a overall perspective, it deserves a 5 rating.
However, this collection has a few elements that, as a group I feel tended to take away from the anticipation and potential of a powerful finale.
Give Him Hell, Hellhound Champions #3, is actually my favorite of the three. Nickās story has it all. A traumatic adolescence, a damaged man whoās history has given him a mission in life thatās as much mystery as he is. Itās full of found family, magical beings, a great relationship, and , really, a huge amount of character growth.
Nick and Hellhound Jedrek are perfection. And now I understand all Nickās Alpha appearances in the other series. This book is that foundation.
Now to the rest.
Nothing Gained and Stop at Nothing are the two books that essentially tie up Sawyerās Chosen One storyline. Sawyer needs to complete his circle of Guardians, get his guide, figure out how to defeat his brother , and win the war.
So huge! Right? There are some fantastic elements here. Ones that mix mythology, spirit animals and communication, even past lives to a very fascinating degree. How does someone correct past mistakes if past knowledge has been purposefully erasedā¦ by them? Interesting , deeply complex questions. With equally labyrinthine answers. That takes two books to unravel.
Great stuff.
Other beautifully crafted sections? That regarding the wounded, wary Guardian Dakota. He was so well written, so intriguing that you wanted more. Of his history and that of the family we got introduced to. They were all so interesting and unique.
And that was a issue with the last Guardian. All the other great Guardians had powers, some had wounded backgrounds, fascinating personalities, and, honestly, a visible reason to be a part of the Guardian circle. And not just because each represents a Element. The last missing Guardian? Cute as a button but made no sense other than as a āplug-in ā storylight character, whoās aspect could go comedic āhigh maintenance twinkā or āadorable boy toyā. No history. No layers.
Even his āanimal ā had me scratching my head in the manner he called it/them.
But even that part , as one dimensional as it is compared to all the other Guardians, doesnāt seem as overdone as all the ongoing multi-partners sex scenes.
When they started, it was sexy and a way to cement the polyamory relationship between Chosen One and his Guardian mates. It made sense.
But here, as the danger grew overwhelming, the partners were wounded, tired, even hospitalized, the orgies never abated. Research continues around them, or on top of them. People get called away from them and return to them.
It makes them less sexy. More like slot A into Slot B type of activity when the amount of sexual activity exceeds story plot. It was almost at that level. A āreally.. again?ā type of sex scene.
A lightweight major character , too many sex scenes seemed to slow the narrativeās forward motion as it moved towards its tumultuous and scary series finale.
Blake does a outstanding job with formatting that momentous battle into something truly heart stopping and highly suspenseful. From that battle onward itās a careening, wild ride to the finish. A very satisfying one too.
The epilogue is the only aspect, that has , again, just a few things that bothers me. The Guardians and Sawyer have their happy ending. But a character, whoās played a huge part in this series, and was involved in a traumatic incident, gets written off with a sentence. That struck me as all sorts of wrong and , frankly, undeserved, given his status within the group. More about his situation was definitely called for. The reader was invested in him. As was Sawyer and the group. I donāt get it.
Other characters also just disappeared. I donāt know if itās Into future storylines and novels but precious time was spent here getting us involved in them so donāt we deserve to know more?
I think what was missing overall in the last Chosen One stories is a sense of narrative flow and emotional balance. Sex scenes over plot and character resolution. A rush story wise because so much went forward quickly , narratively speaking.
And this is why I had issues with the rating. I read them together, and whether that made the issues I had more glaring or not, I wonāt know. The whole series is incredible. The maxed out battle and finale absurdly fantastic! A true āIām crying, hold your breath ā battle!
Then thereās Sweet Spot.
The fourth is a standalone novella , about Guardian Eduardās widower father, Augustus, and the young man he meets on a island getaway. Itās a second chance at love, age gap sweet story with a slice of kink. I love it.
Iām highly recommending this series. You would be reading the last Chosen books in the order anyway so you might as well read them in this collection and get the wonderful other books as well.
The other series in the Chosen One Universe are ongoing which Iām thrilled about. Thatās Magical Mates and Chosen Champions. Stay tuned for more Chosen goodness.
For the first time, Macy Blakeās two bestselling paranormal fantasy series are being published in a three-volume mega-verse box set!
Each volume will feature three full-length MM novels with dragons, hellhounds, vampires and more, with never before published bonus material. All in reader-requested chronological order.
Volume Three:
Give Him Hell: Hellhound Champions Book Three
Nick Smith is a man with a mission: find the place where heād been held captive as a child and discover what happened to the kids he left behind. He needs answers, especially since he discovered he can shift into a lion. Instead he finds a huge Viking of a man with flaming eyes who threatens Nickās shaky hold on his control. When Nickās past collides with a powerful, evil force causing havoc in the supernatural world, Nick races to find who is responsible for the current rash of dark magic. With a hellhound at his side, what could go wrong?
Nothing Gained: The Chosen One Book Four
With the truth finally revealed that Sawyer is the son of a powerful goddess, Sawyer must find the strength to fix the broken magic in his world. Thereās only one problem: he has no clue how to do it. Even with six of his eight mates at his side, Sawyer doubts he has what it takes, especially as he is growing weaker by the day. With his newest guardian hiding in the shadows, Sawyer has to find the answers before itās too late, for both him and his mates.
Stop at Nothing: The Chosen One Book Five
Rising forces of darkness are attacking faster than Sawyer and his mates can mount a defense. Itās time to fight, but Sawyer has too much to lose to risk disaster. The final pieces of the puzzle are falling into place, but they leave him with more questions than answers. He heads into the final battle without the knowledge…or the powerā¦to win. Sawyer only knows one thing: he will stop at nothing to keep his mates safe.
Includes bonus short story:
Sweet Spot
When the goddess tells Augustus Eastaughffe to go to the mountains to find what he needs, he’s more than happy to comply. The billionaire griffin is in the midst of a deepening mystery and expects to find some of the answers he seeks. Instead, he finds a captivating human who proves to be sweeter than any he’s ever met.
The second volume of Chosen One books is where I realized they werenāt being grouped according to series but in a reading order.
Series broken up and interspersed with each other, along with single stories, to give the overall Chosen One plot arc a flow with the characters, relationships, and events as they occur inside each novel.
So with Volume Two we get:
š¹Hell On Earth: Hellhound Champions #1(already reviewed)
š¹Next to Nothing: The Chosen One #3
š¹Hell to Pay: Hellhound Champions 2
š¹Double or Nothing- extra bonus about Sawyerās brother, Mikey.
All four books, in that order, keep setting up the reader and the characters for the ever developing arc and multiple relationships of the Chosen One and the battle heās facing.
We get new Guardians, new mates for characters who will , if they arenāt already, hugely important to the safety of the Chosen, and his mission to find that being responsible for all the black magic and devastating events his evil has caused.
Blakeās writing brings us into multiple lives here. Those of the severely damaged children, of the traumatized adults that still carry all the pain and damage within and on them from those years of captivity. Damage thatās carved into them and is able to make us empathize with them completely.
When bear shifter Ben cries out, itās not just his siblings that feels his anguish, but us too.
Thereās fierce battles, high suspense, and lots of very hot sex , with mates who canāt get enough of their men.
Thereās also some very funny elements as well. Need those to mitigate the dark moments that are becoming faster and more severe.
All the characters are amazing as is the multi storyline development. Itās getting increasingly complicated. Blake is upping the game, adding in mythology as well as new beings, layers of history as well as new people and their mates . Itās a lot to track as each is so important to the overall picture but it all meshes.
I hadnāt anticipated this type of collection but itās great. It makes sense and stops a person from having to jump around from series to series. Love it!
So onto Volume Three! Iām picking up speed here! This is a binge readerās paradise!
For the first time, Macy Blakeās two bestselling paranormal fantasy series are being published in a three-volume mega-verse box set!
Each volume will feature three full-length MM novels with dragons, hellhounds, vampires and more, with never before published bonus material. All in reader-requested chronological order.
Volume Two:
Hell on Earth: Hellhound Champions Book One
As alpha of the hellhounds, Meshaq is tasked by his goddess to be the police of other creatures. When he meets the mysterious Drew, a human on the run, Meshaq is drawn to him in a way he doesnāt understand. His duty is clear, but his feelings for Drew have him longing for things he canāt have. Magical forces collide, beginning a battle that will require all of Meshaqās skill as the goddessās champion. He may be the enforcer of the supernatural world, but Meshaq is in danger of losing his heart.
Next to Nothing: The Chosen One Book Three
Sawyer is closer than ever to fulfilling the ancient prophecy of the Chosen One, but the bonds between him and his newest guardians are giving him doubts. With his reluctant hippocamp and an egotistical fae prince, Sawyer has his hands full in more ways than one. The rules are changing, and Sawyer has to adapt quickly if heās going to keep up, especially after heās whisked away to the land of the fae, a place with cryptic customs. One misstep could very well lead to his death.
Hell to Pay: Hellhound Champions Book Two
Hellhound beta Solomon has no complaints. Life is fine. His pack and his goddess-given duties as a protector of the human realm are enough. So what if heās a little bored and a smidge lonely? His scheme to get to know his human pack mate comes at the worst possible time, especially as Cody is convinced he works for a group of elite mob enforcers instead of the protectors of the supernatural world. When a magical attack draws Cody into the supernatural world, can Solomon convince Cody to join them in a dangerous mission to defeat a terrifying creature bent on raining destruction on them all?
Includes bonus short story:
Double or Nothing
Mikey Smith lives with what he calls his “flickers”. When he’s out in the world, sometimes other people flicker and change into something terrifying that no one but him can see. He’s been diagnosed with epilepsy, but part of him knows what he sees is real. When two men walk into his coffee shop, his world is turned upside down when they transform into something else… and they know he can see them. Asher and Quillon aren’t expecting to add a third into their mix… but neither of them are opposed to the idea either. When they meet Mikey, they’re drawn to him from the first moment. He’s a human exposed to their world, though, and the consequences are severe. Can Asher and Quillon protect their new human mate from the forces that threaten him?
I canāt begin to tell you how much Iām enjoying these adorable supernatural romances by Arden Steele. They go by so quickly and smoothly. Although each is a fated mates trope, Steele manages to put such a interesting spill on every new coupleās story and matchup, that I eagerly anticipate what Iāll find with the new tale!
Emerys Whitehill, part pixie and part Fae, has been a staple of all the stories so far. Heās a gorgeous, genuinely happy , blue-haired, bartender with a mysterious predilection for anticipating the future. I love Emerys!
So great heās getting his mate, especially when he was part of a mystery in the last storyline. Itās resolved here , btw.
Thatās when his mate shows up in a totally unexpected role. Cyrus Rathbone, Hellhound and employee of the MOA. Thatās the de facto Otherlings Judge/Jury/Jail/Execution Organization who handles all the affairs between species and races.
Seems sweet, adorable Emrys has been accused of multiple murders and his newly revealed mate is there to take him in.
Delicious.
Itās a fabulous story. Exciting, romance on the run, a relationship thatās growing through communication and discovery of remarkable talents. Steele incorporates characters from Grin and Bear It, as well as our usual beings.
Pixie Little Liar is one romantic entertaining, engaging romp. I adored every bit of it.
This series and characters are a real joy.
Meet Emrys and Cyrus. Enjoy their romance and relationship! Iām highly recommending them!
Thereās a heaviness to the air, the kind that makes the hairs on the back of Emrys Whitehillās neck stand on end. Something is going to happen. Something big. Something that will change him forever. Despite his powers of precognition, however, a hellhound walking into the hotel to arrest him for a crime he didnāt commit is the one scenario he never saw coming.
As a seasoned bounty hunter, Cyrus Rathborne thought he had experienced it all, but realizing his most recent target is his mate throws him completely off his game. While he canāt deny the connection, Emrys is wanted for the murder of a royal, and he wonāt let those big innocent eyes deter him from doing what is right. Yet, the more he gets to know the sweet pixie, the harder it is to shake the feeling that the guy might actually be telling the truth.
He should have trusted his instincts.
It soon becomes clear that someone is determined to make Emrys disappearāpermanentlyāand the only thing standing in their way is him. Transforming from hunter to protector, Cyrus will risk everything to keep his mate safe, because what started as just another job is now the one mission he canāt afford to fail.
The Bachelor and the Cherry is one of my favorite V.L. Locey stories. It also takes place in a series and universe thatās shaping up to be up among the very top of those as well. Which is pretty amazing, considering how much I adore her hockey series and romances.
But the Campo Royale , with its strong air of being everything from a great performance hall to a sanctuary for those stumbling in from the harsh reality of a world of family rejection, disownment, religious intolerance, and abuse, becomes that place you donāt want to leave.
Presiding over it all, is the fabulous, beautiful, and sharp tongued Mother Sitka Patel. Drag Queen Superior, owner of Campo Royale, and at the moment, still in withdrawal from the last devastating relationship.
Outside of drag, heās Jordan Stevens, 50 years of trying to escape the effects of aging and the results of some very bad relationships. Jordan/Mother Sitka is such a magnificent character. I could see her clear as crystal, from her sarcastic wit to the warmth with which she embraces her girls and club. The wealth of the years of experience that Locey layers into her makes Sitka/Jordan such a powerfully emotionally complicated individual that your belief in them never falters.
Yampier Perez is equally strong as the naive, hopeful southern boy, determined heās got talent to make it, no matter how many times someone beats him down. Or up.
Even if itās his Cuban family whoās fists are flying.
So many Yampier Perez out there. Runaways, throw awaysā¦ so few lucky enough to end up outside of a Campo Royale. Heartbreaking.
The extended Campo Royale cast of found family , the Queens, their friends and boyfriends, the other employees, everyone contributing such warmth, genuine layers of humor and snark, that adds such richness here.
The relationship, friendship, and then romance is such a satisfying journey to read and watch develop. I just curled up and was so invested in this story that I couldnāt put it down.
A Drag Queen is that very embodiment of fierceness, bravery, courage, and strength. Someone, at whatever level, whatever gender, is expressing their truth for all to see! Itās beautiful, and fabulous!
The Bachelor and the Cherry (Campo Royale #2) by V.L. Locey allows us a glimpse into a slice of that world.
Iām highly recommending it. And the author if youāre not familiar with her!
Is he brave enough to stop hiding behind his persona and give love one final try?
Jordan Stevens has crammed a lot of living into his fifty years. Some of those years have been good, some bad, and some he would just as soon forget. The world isnāt always kind to an aging queen. Lovers begin to scamper into forbidden fields, your padding tends to slip, and you spend more time with egg whites than most pastry chefs. Heartache is nothing new to the man who embodies the acid-tongued Sitka Patel on stage every night, which led Jordan to vow to never trust another man under eighty again. He has his club, his drag family, and his Bombay cat Heckle. Who needs the hassle? That philosophy had served him well, until a stunning young thing with dark chocolate eyes shows up at the back door of Campo Royale with a suitcase, a sad story, and a dream.
From the time he was old enough to spell the word sequin, Yampier Perez knew that someday heād be wearing them. One of three children born to Cuban immigrants, Yampier was always a little glitzier than the other neighborhood boys. His love of fashion design and performance arts was barely tolerated at home and even less so in the hallways of his rural Georgia high school. Yet, Yampier never let his light be doused, not even the day his older brother caught him modeling his sisterās prom dress. Beaten, disowned, and on his own before graduation, he found himself having to work seedy jobs doing even seedier things, until he saved enough cash to head to the Big Apple. That money has now run out, leaving him stuck in Wilmington with no food, no place to stay, and no family. Little does he know that stumbling into the Campo Royale Club, half frozen and weak from hunger, is about to bring him everything he has yearned for.
The Bachelor and the Cherry is a gay age gap romance that features an aging drag queen, a virginal newcomer, lots of sass, wigs galore, hurt/comfort, family found, and a richly sequined happy ending.
Book #1 – The Viking and the Drag Queen – All Buy Links
Is he brave enough to stop hiding behind his persona and give love one final try?
Jordan Stevens has crammed a lot of living into his fifty years. Some of those years have been good, some bad, and some he would just as soon forget. The world isn’t always kind to an aging queen. Lovers begin to scamper into forbidden fields, your padding tends to slip, and you spend more time with egg whites than most pastry chefs. Heartache is nothing new to the man who embodies the acid-tongued Sitka Patel on stage every night, which led Jordan to vow to never trust another man under eighty again. He has his club, his drag family, and his Bombay cat, Heckle. Who needs the hassle? That philosophy had served him well until a stunning young thing with dark chocolate eyes shows up at the back door of Campo Royale with a suitcase, a sad story, and a dream.
From the time he was old enough to spell the word sequin, Yampier Perez knew that someday he’d be wearing them. One of three children born to Cuban immigrants, Yampier was always a little glitzier than the other neighborhood boys. His love of fashion design and performance arts was barely tolerated at home and even less so in the hallways of his rural Georgia high school. Yet, Yampier never let his light to be doused, not even the day his older brother caught him modeling his sister’s prom dress. Beaten, disowned, and on his own before graduation, he found himself having to work seedy jobs, doing even seedier things, until he saved enough cash to head to the Big Apple. That money has now run out, leaving him stuck in Wilmington with no food, no place to stay, and no family. Little does he know that stumbling into the Campo Royale Club, half frozen and weak from hunger, is about to bring him everything he has yearned for.
The Bachelor and the Cherry is a slow burn gay age gap romance that features an aging drag queen, a virginal newcomer, lots of sass, wigs galore, hurt/comfort, family found, and a richly sequined happy ending.
USA Today Bestselling Author V.L. Locey ā Penning LGBT hockey romance that skates into sinful pleasures.
V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, Torchwood and Dr. Who, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a pair of geese, far too many chickens, and two steers.
When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in one hand and a steamy romance novel in the other.
Iāve sort of been skipping around this wonderful contemporary collection of LGBTGIA+ hockey romances by various authors, reading one, and then forgetting to come back to it until I see a title that jars my sieve-like memory.
Guarding Garrett (Hockey Allies Batchelor Bid Romance #1) by R.J. Scott is actually the first in this collection by five authors.
The series hits so many of the elements I love, hockey romances, various tropes from mystery (here) to second chances at love, and much more. An absolutely terrific smorgasbord of hot men on ice and true love.
Guarding Garrett , is as the title indicates, about a top level, highly skilled and popular hockey player on the fictional NHL Burlington Dragons hockey team. Garrett āHooleyā Howell has been getting threatening texts, packages and more, until the team decides to get a bodyguard to protect him until they can investigate whoās behind the threats to their highly valuable player.
Thatās a believable plot given the extent of the media most players engage in with the public and their fans. Stalkers are reported on daily.
Garrett and Jason develop great chemistry over the course of their time together. I enjoyed watching their relationship move from an antagonistic stage to one of attraction and friendship. The instant love was perhaps less realistic for me as I felt the story didnāt give us or them enough layers or time from stage one tension/rejection through to the āI Iove youā statements.
These arenāt long books so the author has crammed a lot into a shorter length. In addition to a full romance, thereās the mystery of the stalker and a full blown suspense-filled event at the end to contend with.
Plus the auction that all the novels have as a center feature.
My other quibble? I lost patience with Garrettās behavior after Jason Dearing, co-owner of Seamax Security, had been hired. I can understand a certain amount of exasperation at the loss of personal freedom. But, Itās was explained to Garrett his life was in danger. This was a corporate decision. He had said repeatedly, he himself didnāt want to put his job with the team in jeopardy. Yet here he was making his bodyguardās job incredibly difficult. Acting like a immature juvenile over a decision made by your team, your team owner, that impacts your career.
Which Garrett acknowledged. While not stopping.
It made me less invested in this character because I couldnāt relate to this element. Garrett Howell is a top NHL hockey player, one whoās owners have built a team around him. Heās respected. Heās supposed to be a highly talented, disciplined athlete. Someone used to a highly restricted diet, a long training schedule, with the ability to adhere to that tight regimen for years to achieve a goal. Yet here heās whining like a toddler over supervision for several days to save his life.
A case needed to be made for that mentality by the author and I donāt think it was. A few mentions of a broken family until he was sent to Kyle Pressgrovesā family to live as a young hockey player. But thatās not enough history to excuse pages of frankly poor behavior.
Luckily, the behavior stopped and I could start appreciating Garrett from another perspective.
Despite some aspects of the story I found issues with, itās fast moving, the main characters have excellent chemistry, and itās has a satisfactory HEA.
No hockey however really. I do missed my āon the iceā scenes.
Kyle is part of this story as heās Garrettās best friend. His story is Keeping Kyle #3 by Jeff Adams. Iāve listed them all below.
They make for wonderful hockey romance reading. Iām recommending this and them.
A hardworking, competitive, and skilled hockey player, Garrett is the cornerstone of the Burlington Dragons hockey team and one of the leagueās most popular playmakers. Blessed with a face that delivers millions in endorsements, he has a legion of fans, and a future so bright that he is the envy of many.
When his internet fame puts him in danger, and a stalker threatens his life, the team hires Jason, a quiet but deadly former marine, to protect him. Danger is always close, but forced proximity means sparks fly, attraction burns, and somehow, resentment turns to love.
When Garrettās stalker ups their game at a charity bachelor auction, there is a real chance it could mean the end for Garrett, but Jason refuses to leave his side whatever the risk.
These two stubborn men will have to fight to walk away from this alive, but their newfound love is worth every sacrifice.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 