Category: M/M Paranormal Fiction

Review: Royally Flocked (Blackhaven Manor #10) by Arden Steele

Rating: 4🌈

It’s been a while since I dove into the Blackhaven Manor series. I’ve been enjoying the sequel series , Hunter’s Hollow, so seeing this release brings me back to the original foundation and characters.

If you’re a fan of paranormal fated mates, this series is a great read for you. It’s instant recognition for each being that the one in front of them is their mate. No questions. Boom. Mine. And wonderfully, Steele is able to capture the essence of the moment and passion of meeting one’s fated mate. No matter the species or timing.

With this series, there’s a feeling of building upon the previous story, so that when those characters appear or events are mentioned, the knowledge of who they are and what’s behind the plot is there already. Like former Guardian Thorne McIver , a bear shifter, and his adorable mate, Wren Covey (Grin and Bear It). This pair, a favorite of mine, pop up everywhere. As they do here.

That’s a lot of the fun of the series too.

So Royally Flocked’s fated mates goes straight to the elven court heir, Prince Orrin Nightstar who’s been having nonstop trouble keeping his Guardians because they end up happily mated off his service.

That’s a major problem for the one in charge of the Guardians, one Erus, also known as Cerberus, Guardian of the Underworld.

This is a delightful romp through both the human realm and the underworld, with a scheming Hades nearby. And two fated mates who sexily and happily find themselves together forever.

Royally Flocked (Blackhaven Manor #10) by Arden Steele reminded me why I enjoyed the original series so and that I may have missed a book or two. Going back to remedy this now.

These are terrific paranormal romances, especially if you’re a fan of the fated mate trope. They are quick smooth reads, with interesting plots and great characters. Start with the first one, if you’re new to the series. Enjoy!

Blackhaven Manor:

✓ Purrfect Harmony #1

✓ Night and Fae #2

✓ Dragon It Out #3

✓ Grin and Bear It #4

✓ Pixie Little Liar #5

✓ Dead Over Heals #6

✓ Silent Knight #7

◦ Pain in the Ice #8

◦ Walking a Tight Rope #9

✓ Royally Flocked #10

Sequel/adjacent series:

Hunter’s Hollow:

✓ Angels and Anarchy #1

✓ Beauty and Bad Blood #2

Buy Link :

Royally Flocked (Blackhaven Manor Book 10)

Blurb:

Heir to the throne of the elven court, Prince Orrin Nightstar has enough on his plate without an everchanging Guard. Having lost a record number of Guardians to the wiles of love, he’s beginning to think he might be cursed, doomed to lead others to happiness while never finding it for himself.

It could be worse, though. He could be mated to the Guardian of the Underworld.

Erus—not Eros, thank you very much—hasn’t guarded the iron gates for millennium. It’s cold. Dark. Lonely. And frankly, boring AF. Besides, why should he limit himself when he can outsource the job? Instead, he devotes his time to overseeing the Guardians who protect the royal families.

And someone is screwing up the system.

He never expected that someone to be his own mate. Nor did he foresee the chain of events their meeting would set into motion. After thousands of years of playing by his own rules, the consequences of his arrogance are finally catching up to him.

Now that he has Orrin, the stakes are even higher, and unless he can restore order to the Underworld, his new mate will be the one to pay the price

Review: A Beginner’s Guide to Christmas Miracles by Shannon Mae

Rating: 4.5🌈

It’s the holidays and time for Shannon Mae’s Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures to go all things Christmas! What an absolute blast and ho ho ho happy romance this is!

Mae gives us her version of the Santa origin story this time around with a touch of chaotic demonic energy and angelic joy combined to create happiness and love for children at a certain time of year. That had serious ramifications for one Nachielus (not Nicholas).

I absolutely loved seeing Nach return to the human realm. Mae’s ability to make the reader see the joy and wonder of the season, the warmth and happiness he’s able to bring, is a marvel of its own.

That carries over to the other characters, Beckett, a human, whose love for Christmas is deep and abiding as well as his roommate, who adds to the holiday spirit.

Together, we get a portrait of two beings who are soulmates, completely compatible in every sense of their being. It’s sexy, fun, but also filled with the joy and excitement of the Christmas spirit.

Happily, we get appearances from another important couple too. That’s the frosting or maybe tree topper on the Christmas tree here. As well as hints for a new book and identity of a character that’s been around in the background of the preceding stories.

All in all, a fabulous time was had back in this universe and I have another Christmas story to recommend.

Great cover again!

Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures: (Paranormal Romance) :

✓ A Beginner’s Guide to Death, Demons, and Other Afterlife Disasters

✓ A Beginner’s Guide to Mistakenly Summoned Demons and Other Misadventures

✓ A Beginner’s Guide to Revenge, Chaos, and Other Absurd Escapades

◦ A Beginner’s Guide to the Care and Feeding of Demons (A Novella)

Buy Link:

A Beginner’s Guide to Christmas Miracles30Kindle Edition$0.00or $2.99 to buy

Blurb:

Nachielus (not Nicholas) may have gotten into a bit of trouble over unsanctioned miracles, ending up on the upstairs’ naughty list. Sure, maybe he’d gotten a little carried away with the whole Christmas thing, but he hadn’t meant to become a part of folklore, and surely that wasn’t a reason to bury him in centuries of paperwork. Banned from topside and missing his favorite holiday, he gets a push from a certain demon to pop up and have a look around. When he meets Beckett, a Christmas-loving elf enthusiast who mistakes him for the Santa hired for a fundraiser, how can he say no? Next thing he knows, Nach is in over his head again, because this is one human he can’t resist.

Beck’s Christmas is merry and bright, especially after he encounters Nach, the hottie in questionable Santa attire. Nach’s kindness, generosity, and charm have Beck falling faster than a snowflake. With no place to stay, obviously Beck needs to bring Nach home with him. Beck never believed in love at first sight before, but there’s just something about Nach that calls to him, and it isn’t long before he’s trying to figure out to keep this sexy Santa all to himself.

Tags: Beck is living his own Christmas rom-com, complete with a meet cute and lots of Christmas kisses; Nach never means to cause trouble—it just seems to find him (and the reindeer thing was definitely not his fault); Nach has a very loose definition of what constitutes a miracle; corporate Scrooges try to suck the fun out of Christmas (but don’t worry, they don’t succeed); Nach is an angel of joy of fulfillment, so expect plenty of joy… and fulfillment (wink, wink).

A Beginner’s Guide to Christmas Miracles is a 30k novella bursting with laughs, holiday spirit, and a Happily Ever After that even the Grinch would approve of. Get ready for festive chaos, Christmas kisses, and a love story weirder than Grandma’s fruitcake.

— A Beginner’s Guide to Christmas Miracles by Shannon Mae

• Publication date: November 27, 2023

• Print length: 118 pages

Review: Brewtiful’s (Culinary Creatures Book 4) by L Eveland

Rating: 5🌈

Brewtiful’s is the heartwarming, wonderful finale story in L Eveland’s fantastic Culinary Creatures series. I’m so sorry to see this series end.

Bluz, the preceding novel, is a small masterpiece of storytelling that combined a old musical sounding style of Appalachian dialect , a vanishing American mountain voice, with a vivid location, mouth watering BBQ and layered memorable characters. It remains a top tier book for me.

Now Brewtiful’s, with characters, especially one, that could have been written as tragic but end up as triumphantly beautiful and with a joyful ending that brings this series to a satisfying conclusion.

Why have I fallen in love so quickly with this story? I’ll start with one of the main characters. Tripp Powers.

Tripp Powers has the emotional power to move the reader to tears but it won’t be immediately evident why. The clues, his halting words as he assembles his thoughts and sentences to give voice to his own inner feelings. It’s those beautifully written scenes that will carry Tripp’s sometimes jumbled excited messages that will melt the reader’s heart and that of Nicola Lightwing, a mothman he meets in Las Vegas.

You see Tripp is suffering from an injury that comes from being a ex-NHL hockey player. He’s got head/brain trauma from taking a hit. He’s in forced retirement, has memory issues, migraines, and more. He’s lost his passion and focus. But in an extraordinary way, found a new one.

Tripp is real, heartbreaking, and inspiring. And he wakes up married.

To a mothman.

Yes it’s a wake up married, bi-awakening, hockey romance in a paranormal world with antennas and it’s fabulous.

Tripp has a well written bi-awakening journey along with finding true love. Done with another character, Nicola Lightwing, a mothman. We met Nicola before in Bluz but he comes fully into his own here. He’s a successful agent who sacrifices his private life for his clients and now , because of an impulsive decision, has the potential to make changes for himself and Tripp.

Eveland’s story weaves a gentle reminder that sometimes the simplest thing can bring the best possible outcome to a person’s life. A cup of coffee, an act of kindness, a smile or even a positive saying to start the day with. Or find true love and happiness.

The author gives the characters depth of personality, intelligence, interesting uses of otherworldly sexuality, love in all its forms, and as always, a fabulous recipe at the end. Never miss out on those.

L Eveland’s Culinary Creatures is four books and I’ll always regret it isn’t more. But those four books are on auto reread for me, the last two in particular. The entire series is a must read for just splendid storytelling.

Pick up the series today and prepare for some joy in your day.

Culinary Creatures with great recipes at the end of each story:

✓ Brimstone #1

✓ Beefcake #2

✓ Bluz #3❤️+

✓ Brewtiful’s #4 ❤️-finale

Buy Link:

Brewtiful’s: A High Heat, Low Stakes MM Monster Romance Novella (Culinary Creatures Book 4)

Blurb:

They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas…unless you accidentally marry a mothman.

My name’s Tripp Powers, former NHL star, notorious playboy, and aspiring coffee connoisseur. My plan? Open a chain of coffee shops to brighten everyone’s day. All of that was going according to plan until I woke up in bed with a man.

And not just any man, but Nicola Lightwing, a mothman!

It’s a mistake we’re both keen to undo as fast as possible until we realize we have a lot in common. Nicola is smart, suave, and almost as obsessed with coffee as I am. With his help, I might even be able to make my coffee shop dreams into reality.

There’s only one problem. Until today, I was sure I was straight. Yet I can’t help but want to drink Nicola up, especially when he’s promised he’s good to the last drop.

Can I resist his bold advances? Or is a lifelong romance brewing?

• Publisher: Grim Cat Press LLC (November 15, 2023)

• Publication date: November 15, 2023

• Print length: 138 pages

Review: At Odds with the Gods (a Mythmatched/Purgatory Playhouse crossover story) by E J Russell

Rating: 2.75🌈

E J Russell’s latest release is a book that should have worked for me. It doesn’t. Spoilers ahead. It’s all about a certain element, folks. Consent.

I love both of the series it mashes up, the Mythmatched and Purgatory Playhouse series, two hugely popular and entertaining universes. The theme of redemption and starting over is a great trope, full of emotionally charged elements for all characters.

But it depends on how it’s handled by the author and the framework for the redemption process. That’s part of why I feel that this book should come with a trigger warning.

At Odds with the Gods storyline deals with a previous tale where the gods from Mount Olympus are cast down and have to pay for their many crimes. One main trait of all the Gods is their inability to understand consent.

Note: In talking about my issues with the book I’m writing about some spoilers. If you don’t want to know, stop reading.

If you’re familiar with Greek mythology, and the Greek pantheon in particular, then you know how horrific their stories were. Abductions, forced marriages, rape, death, suicides, murder. Many coming out of arrogance or spontaneous decision making on the Gods end. Even Eros didn’t give people consent as is mentioned in the narrative. Just shot the arrows.

Ganymede, the son of the King of Troy, is a well known legend and figure in Greek mythology. A beautiful man who was abducted and sexually assaulted by Zeus who then carried Ganymede off to be his cup bearer/unwilling lover in Mount Olympus. For thousands of years.

Here, Russell’s given Ganymede a new life as a young “human” baker, released from Mt Olympus when the Fates handed down their verdict. Russell’s portrayal of Ganymede is that of a young man who is struggling with his years of captivity as a victim of sexual abuse/assault. But Russell’s treatment of this aspect of the character is flawed, imo, for many reasons. Ganymede is a tragic figure. Only strange tidbits of his time with the Gods is shared, certainly not the traumatic events or experiences he must have endured or seen during his time there. There’s no page time to discuss the topic, and the tone of the tale’s too light.

Russell’s story has elements of real darkness that aren’t being throughly explored or examined for what they are. The biggest issue being that of control/consent/non-consensual actions.

Ganymede has opened a bakery he loves. He’s happy. He’s got a crush on a werewolf (the other main character, and a great one). He’s ignorant about the supernatural world around him. Ok, for me that absolutely an odd thing about this world. He’s from Olympus but they don’t know about Supes? Anyway, who starts meddling in truly awful ways with his new life, his bakery, and trying to abduct him? A terrifying prospect, over and over. The Olympic Gods. Still not on board with the concept of consent, and ruining his life is ok if they win a game. On a get back to Mount Olympus app with quests. Red flags dropped for triggering elements.

We need more of what we aren’t getting, the sweet romance story between a werewolf trying to recover from his own personal redemption arc (best part of the story). There’s sweet Gany , trying to get the courage to kiss Finn after his abusive history, true. However , for 80 percent of the narrative , the rest is the Gods trying to abduct Gany with no remorse to the ramifications on his life. That’s 80 percent. But what is more frustrating is that Gany has an outlet to stop his harassment and doesn’t use it.

A horrible message to send in a narrative. Someone who has been through a horrible experience, is undergoing it again, has a method to make it stop, and doesn’t use it.

All Gany has to do is call the Fates. Let them know the Gods have been at his house, have harassed him, broken the rules, and let them handle it. Instead, it’s a sort of juvenile “I’m gonna tell them if you don’t stop, no, really this time, gonna tell.” Which in tone and manner of that response negates the atmosphere, crime, the levels of seriousness, and basically everything else that Russell has established about the situation.

The author could have had her story continue on as planned, which had many people from the series showing up, and a moment from another series being viewed from a different perspective. Which was all very neat and entertaining.

But that whole situation about the Gods and Gany and consent? I just feel it went narratively sideways. Either use a totally different character, one not as tragic, although, yes, that’s tough given the Greek pantheon. Or maybe leave a game element out of it. Or Zeus. Because no one ever believes in Zeus and consent. It just doesn’t work.

The romance was sidelined and I thought they were terrific, along with the dogs. Too many ingredients did ruin the storytelling here. Too bad.

Trigger warnings for those who have issues with consent, non-consent, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and abduction.

Honestly, no recommendation. That’s the biggest surprise for me.

Buy Link:

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Odds-G…At Odds with the Gods: A Mythmatched/Purgatory Playhouse crossover eBook …

Blurb:

The road to redemption is long, rough, and steep. Bring snacks.

Finn Lassiter is a werewolf without a pack. Or a roof over his head. Or more than five bucks to his name. He’s exhausted every lifeline except the one that makes him want to howl: begging his cousin, the supreme alpha, for charity. After the way Finn behaved for their entire lives, it’s entirely possible he’ll be turned down flat or banished forever when he makes that call tomorrow. So today he’s blowing his last dollar at Nectar & Ambrosia—he needs one more smile from the bakery’s beautiful owner to weather the bleak years ahead.

Ganymede, former cup bearer to the Greek gods, is reveling in his new life as a restaurateur in Portland, Oregon. He’s finally free of the Olympians and their extremely tedious menu options. Finn, the cute customer who’s haunted the corner table in his bakery since opening day, is just icing on the cake.

When the gods stage an encore, however, attempting to weasel out of their Fates-mandated atonement labors, Gany’s new livelihood isn’t the only thing at stake—Finn’s safety and freedom are at risk, too. Of course Gany invites Finn to stay with him until the danger passes! It would be irresponsible not to. Right?

Although with all the baggage he’s carrying from his past, that idea just might be only half-baked…

At Odds with the Gods is a friends-to-lovers Mythmatched/Purgatory Playhouse crossover featuring secrets on all sides, empowered former victims, misbehaving deities, three large, rambunctious pups, and cake. Lots and lots of cake.

Review: Two Thousand Dreams (Kings of Chaos Book 1) by Jocelynn Drake

Rating: 4.75🌈

Two Thousand Dreams Is the first in Jocelynn Drake’s new Kings of Chaos series. This is the third connected series with overlapping characters within the same universe.

The main character, Moon Mullins, is a blood witch, a rarity among all witches. Moon is a member of a small all male coven that consists of two earth witches and a necromancer. Readers following the author met this coven in the series, Princes of Mayhem, which focuses on the powerful necromancer’s adventures in love and the group’s support. They are best friends after all.

Now it’s Moon’s turn and, much like the other series, a major crossover event is coming. Once every 100 years, a portal opens up between the Fae realm and the earthly kingdom, and the Fae come through. The consequences of Coming Day are never good, especially for earth witches.

But it’s the new characters Drake is introducing that’s going to bring the biggest impact on the universe in expanding it beyond its current form.

It’s a clan of two thousand year old Chinese vampires who’ve come from their native homeland on a rescue mission. Both their backstory and current lives are threaded through with loss and grief. It’s a fantastic new element and I can’t wait for more of their stories to come forward.

The first book combines Moon with the frustrated, tense Chen, whose character is searching wildly for answers in an unfamiliar setting. Moon and Chen are a great example of chemistry in an opposites attract trope. The way in which Moon maneuvers himself through the inner circle of the clan, assessing the situation, and his new emotions about Chen just kept this reader connected at all times.

Also that, as we stayed focused on the core group of Moon and Chen and the clan, all the other important characters, like Moon’s best friends/coven weren’t forgotten. Instead, they were brought into the narrative as needed as well as in dramatic moments that highlighted their role in Moon’s life.

If I had a small quibble, it would have been that Drake allow more of Moon’s extraordinary powers as a blood witch to be evident throughout the story as opposed to sacrificing them to Chen’s role.

The end of the story is as dramatic and heartbreaking as any one could imagine. And it sets up the next book perfectly. No cliffhanger. Just the frustration of having to wait until next March for the release date.

Until then, I’m highly recommending Two Thousand Dreams (Kings of Chaos Book 1) by Jocelynn Drake. It’s a fast paced, incredibly detailed, fabulous read.

And if you’re not familiar with the other series, I’ve listed them for you below. Check them out!

Buy Link:

Two Thousand Dreams (Kings of Chaos Book 1)

Kings of Chaos:

✓ Two Thousand Dreams #1

◦ Two Thousand Tears #2 – March 22,2024

Blurb:

The Blood Witch Has Changed Everything.

Chen traveled to the US with his clan, hoping to rescue his kidnapped brother from the fae.

They just need a witch to find the exact location of where the door between the human world and the fae world will open.

The one thing Moon can’t do.

Chen grabbed the wrong type of witch.

That’s not stopping Moon from clinging to Chen as he guides them through a new territory, introducing them to the witches, shifters, and vampires who can help them.

The longer Moon remains at Chen’s side, the more he hopes the witch might consider staying with him always.

Except that the king of the fae might have other deadly plans for Chen.

Two Thousand Dreams is the first novel in the Kings of Chaos series, which is a spin-off from the Lords of Discord series. This book contains one very grumpy vampire falling in love with a very perky blood witch, shifters, overprotective witches, other non-human surprises, snark, angst, found family, brotherly bickering, magic, chaos, vampire cuddles, and an endless love that grows stronger with each kiss.

—————

The Kings of Chaos is a spin-off series from the Lords of Discord and Princes of Mayhem series. Binge both series and get your fill of vampires, witches, and the adorable men they love!

Lords of Discord:

Claiming Marcus

Saving Rafe

Waking Bel

Embracing Winter

Healing Aiden

Visiting the Variks: A Short Story Collection

Princes of Mayhem

How the Necromancer in the Gold Vest Ruined Saved My Life :

Disaster #1: Fun with Family

Disaster #2: Pet Problems

Disaster #3: Date Night

Disaster #4: Who Woke the Dead?”

The Kings of Chaos:

Two Thousand Dreams #1

Two Thousand Tears #2

— Two Thousand Dreams (Kings of Chaos Book 1) by Jocelynn Drake

Review: Ghostly Target (Ghostly Book 5) by E M Laya

Rating: 4🌈

The Ghostly series continues with Ghostly Target, a book about a killer targeting police officers. This plot switches the focus from the normal plots where the bodies have been found to the detective team of Angus and Franks, and a suspenseful investigation.

One officer down, that’s the first body but the killer is shooting at officers, randomly it seems picking targets. So immediately Laya has a strong narrative full of fear, anger, and frustration from all the characters involved. This is not just Angus and Franks, the officers fearing for their own lives but dealing with the death of one of their own, but Lance, and the co workers, and all the ghosts who make up their found families .

It is also the ghost of the first officer who was shot, and dealing with the aftermath of his death. This element is always such a great aspect of this series and is a strong one here. The author is very good as portraying a person’s confusion and frustration at being dead and denied access to the life and people they love.

All the ghosts are so memorable and their roles in the investigation and events just make them more interesting.

Lance and Angus’s relationship is gotten more committed, obviously as they are talking about moving forward with one house. But so much of the story, naturally, has to be about this killer and their investigation, that I felt their relationship development was lost.

I need more of Frank actually. Frank’s a fascinating character and deserving of his new life, maybe a dog or something. His personality is crying out for another storyline.

There’s no indication if there’s to be a new book or if the author considers this a finale. It doesn’t read like one to me.

I enjoy the series and this new novel. Wonderful investigative plot and use of the ghosts!

Ghostly series:

✓ Ghostly Awakening #1

✓ Ghostly Findings #2

✓ Ghostly Envy #3

✓ Ghostly Claus #4

✓ Ghostly Target #5

Buy Link:

Ghostly Target

Blurb:

When someone starts killing police officers in the city, Detective Angus Young prioritizes finding out who’s attacking those he works with. He’s determined to take down the killer before any more officers are targeted.

Having the skill to speak to the ghosts of the dead is usually helpful to a medical examiner, but not when the ghosts can’t identify who killed them. Keeping Angus safe is Lance’s first priority as he does everything he can to try and help fit the clues together and bring peace to those who have died.

Working together, Angus and Lance put everything else on hold as they follow the leads to find a cop killer. With the help of friends both living and dead, the puzzle slowly starts to fit together, but once they have all the pieces, can they find the killer before another officer is shot?

Review: Exiled Heir (Empty Throne Trilogy Book 1) by Kai Butler

Rating: 4.75🌈

After finishing the absolutely stunning San Amara Investigations series by Butler, I was almost hesitant to start with this because that other series set the bar so high in every aspect. There’s other factors too. San Amaro, a complex, almost labyrinthine tapestry of fantasy storytelling ended up involving ten books total, including prequels and a few adjacent/side stories. That depth of storytelling in terms of themes explored, and overall development (characters, plots, elements) that the larger story narrative gives an author versus a three book trilogy can’t be overlooked.

So while I was excited to read Exiled Heir, I was apprehensive about approaching a narrative that wasn’t going to have the time and length for the exploration and expansion I was used to from a Butler experience.

This is a first person perspective, told from the POV of werewolf Miles Castillo, who is a great emotional pathway into the deadly situation the story opens up with . Miles is a believable, damaged character who becomes even stronger as the story develops.

I’m a definite fan of a two person pov because having both characters thoughts on the events that occur and foundation of the narrative often supplies the reader with a greater sense of the world building of the story/series. But this format is certainly a familiar one to readers of Butler’s novels.

It a dire situation for Miles that opens up the story. The reader only gets a partial picture and explanation for Miles situation, how he arrived in such a state. It’s instant high drama, magical suspense, other main character introduced , and the game is on!

In a way , the reader, along with Miles, is being given the Cliff Notes version of why he is wanted, what’s happening, by Cade Bartlett, the

mage prince. The fuller details slowly emerge as they tentatively set parameters within the contract , and the strained dynamics when they enter the Bartlett Estate.

Cade is a lot to unpack. He’s a morass of emotions and magic. A tattooed mage swamped by feelings of survivor guilt, PTSD, grief, fear, trauma, anger, and dealing with a host of damaging family issues, it would have been interesting to have heard his voice but it’s also intriguing to compile a portrait of this mage from Miles’ observations alone.

I’m a bit fuzzy on the world building here, especially the mage/werewolves dynamics. That’s probably intentional. There’s an “old school “ version that’s been outlawed and a new shiny one that’s got some flaws. The entire werewolf community/werewolf aspect of this story feels like a driving force of the narrative. It’s where many of the most powerful and the mysterious plot twists emerge from.

There’s quite a lot of characters to explore as shifting pack and family loyalties set off the swiftly changing dramatic events of this novel. I love how Butler keeps the suspense high and the emotional tension between the all the characters stretched tight because of the many different storylines, hidden and known.

The mysteries continue to change in complexity , evolving with the narrative and relationships, for good and bad.

I throughly entertained and absolutely invested in these characters and this world they are fighting for. I only wish I didn’t have to wait as long for the next book to be released.

I’m highly recommending Exiled Heir (Empty Throne Trilogy Book 1) by Kai Butler . It’s going to be a fabulous trilogy as this is an amazing read. It’s up to you whether you want to read it now or wait and binge all three together. They are listed below with release dates.

The Empty Throne Trilogy:

✓ Exiled Heir #1

◦ Contested Crown #2 – Feb 26,2024

◦ Ascendant King #3 – June 17,2024

Buy Link:

Exiled Heir (The Empty Throne Trilogy)

Blurb:

Without him, I’m a dead man, but if he knew who I was, he would kill me himself.

Miles Castillo has spent his entire life running from the crime his parents committed. He’s an alpha without a pack, and a son whose very name is poisoned. When two werewolf hunters catch him, he has to choose between a man who wants his head mounted on a wall and Cade Bartlett, the mage prince who doesn’t realize who Miles is.

The icy prince has a job for Miles, one that will keep Miles’s head on his shoulders: become Prince Cade’s consort and find out who is trying to kill him.

As Miles delves deeper into Cade’s court, he begins seeing the truth beneath Cade’s chilly exterior. The more the prince trusts him, the closer he gets to seeing under Miles’s mask as well.

What will happen when Cade realizes the secret Miles holds puts both of their lives at risk?

• Publisher: (October 23, 2023)

• Publication date: October 23, 2023

• Print length: 473 pages

Review: Fated Mates and Where to Find Them (Fated Mates #2) by A J Sherwood

Rating: 3.75🌈

Fated Mates and Where to Find Them is sort of odd to begin with in that it’s book two of Sherwood’s Fated Mates series but book one hasn’t been released yet. And we get the couple from that first book in this novel in an interesting manner but what it does is highlight how much of the series world building is actually missing.

I did enjoy Fated Mates and Where to Find Them. I liked the couple, several of the secondary characters, and how fast paced the plot was. This story just flew by.

But it wasn’t supported by a strong foundation. I didn’t get anything as to the world structure. Vampire ruling class system? Human secondary status? Blood slaves? Where’d that come from? I’d have wanted more an idea of an overall portrait of the world in terms of paranormal development. I even knew who the villain was and what the dramatic event would be. How it would play out, no. But the general idea? Yes.

So really a just a tighter overall plan. Maybe that’s coming in the next book, which is book one. Normally it’s where we get a series foundation. I’m looking forward to seeing what Sherwood has in store for the characters we’ve already seen and how the author is going to handle a world where we’ve already been a visitor to.

Live fated mates, and vampires and humans as couples, this is a series you should check out.

Fated Mates:

◦ Fated Mates and How to Woo Them #1 – Dec 8,2023

✓ Fated Mates and Where to Find Them #2

Buy Link:

Fated Mates and Where to Find Them

Blurb:

Zander is in an auction house for the sole purpose of getting someone to sign a contract. He doesn’t have any interest in owning a blood slave—until he lays eyes on Max. That, he must have.

Max is there for reasons of his own, mostly desperate reasons, and he’s braced himself for a year of hell. Which doesn’t seem to be forthcoming.

Someone needs to explain to this vampire that he’s supposed to use Max, not spoil him. Zander doesn’t seem to get it.

Tags:

Paranormal romance, blood slave contract thing, except Zander doesn’t actually know how to own someone, I’m pretty sure he’d break out into hives if he couldn’t spoil Max, Max has no idea what just hit him, he just knows he’s somehow the responsible one, it’s definitely not Zander, sexy times incoming!, Zander is a walking green flag, sass, so much sass incoming, light angst, mostly as an excuse for cuddles, stubborn to lovers, part time soulmates, full time problem, whole story is just mindless violence and fluff, the summary really doesn’t get across how much sex is in this but it’s also not wrong, cinnamon protection squad, assemble!

Review: Wolves Always Bite (Willow Lake Supernaturals Book 2) by Lori Ames

Rating: 4.5🌈

Lori Ames has a definite hit with her Willow Lake Supernaturals, a series that just got better with the release of the second novel, Wolves Always Bite.

Most of the winsome nature and endearing qualities of this story are embedded in the character of human Jeremy. BFF to fire mage Ash of Hellhounds Never Lie, Jeremy isn’t aware of the paranormal world or his bestie’s real identity. Instead, he’s a wannabe writer trying to finish his first M/M book, keep a job, and try not to feel like a failure. He’s adorable and the person who draws the reader immediately into the storyline and his perspective on the events as they happen.

Currently, he’s an assistant to a grumbling ill-tempered owner of an antiques/odds and ends shop that mostly sells at open markets. That new job is where we find him at the start of the book. An oblivious human surrounded by supernatural beings, including his shady goblin boss.

Jeremy’s Etch a Sketch sort of mind is a wonderful place to be. Curious, self deprecating, full of book plots he’s jotting notes for, every moment the reader spends with him just makes connect to him even more fully.

While Jeremy’s life is becoming more complicated, Ames introduces a new group of beings that includes the other main character. It’s a traveling supernatural police force that’s got a hot werewolf, Adrian, on the trail of lost artifacts.

This is why reading the books in a series in the order that they are written is so important. Because we know or have an inkling where these artifacts came from because of that introductory book that laid out the foundation for the series.

Now Ames starts her expansions of the series arc and mysteries as well as cast of characters. All roads continue to lead back into Willow Lake, that multi paranormal species town that oozes magical powers.

Jeremy is outright hilarious in his own introductory series of scenes with Adrian and his Supernatural Council law enforcement team of mixed beings that include a demon boss. Wannabe writer needs to know things if he’s going to write MM PNR romances !

Ames does a great job of weaving poignancy along with the humor into her narrative. So there’s Adrian’s traumatic family history to go along with the effervescent questioning and acceptance by Jeremy.

Wolves Always Bite has other wonderful elements. Fated mates, magical mysteries, high suspense, and a author who does a terrific job of continuing the overall arc themes and storytelling from one book to the next, weaving the plots together without necessarily lessening one for the other.

If there’s a quibble, it’s in the “bargain” aspect between Adrian and his boss, demon Gage. While there’s a built in consent clause to the contract, it’s not as valid I find when the person finds a mate. That means to some extent that the initial agreement or its parameters have been altered. At least to my mind.

That’s not addressed in the plot. Maybe it will in the future storylines as Jeremy and Adrian are fully mated with a new path ahead, but uncertain as to what that will be.

The mystery is still evolving, the new group of characters is a great addition, and Willow Lake is looking better than ever.

On to Oracles Always Win in the start of next year. Can’t wait. I’m highly recommending this book and series. It’s exciting, hilarious, and quirky. A definite winner.

Willow Lake Supernaturals:

✓ Hellhounds Never Lie #1

✓ Wolves Always Bite #2

◦ Oracles Always Win #3 – Feb 15,2024

Buy Link:

Wolves Always Bite (Willow Lake Supernaturals Book 2)

Blurb:

What’s a simple human to do when he discovers supernatural beings are real?

Ask a lot of questions, take a lot of notes, and try to seduce a werewolf, of course.

Jeremy has always wanted to befriend mythical creatures, play with forbidden magic, and meet his fated mate. Okay, okay. He knows the difference between fiction and real life; he is an author after all… Or he would be if he ever got to “The End” on one of his stories. So he realizes his desire to live inside a fantasy romance novel is a touch unrealistic, but where is the joy in living a life that is boring and predictable and overwhelmingly blah?

At least that’s what he thinks until a hot AF werewolf saves him from his freaky boss and turns his whole life upside down. And his boss? She isn’t the weird old lady he thought she was, but how could he have guessed she is a grumpy goblin with a reputation for selling black-market magical artifacts? Now Jeremy is determined to know everything about the supernatural world, and Adrian, his swoon-worthy werewolf hero, is willing to answer all his questions, even when they make the big guy blush.

But when his former goblin boss kidnaps his cat to convince Jeremy to return the items she thinks he stole, things get serious fast. Now in between plotting his next MM romance and seducing the beautiful werewolf (and not just for research purposes), he needs to stage a cat rescue. Life is definitely not boring now.

Tags: MM Paranormal Romance with Fated Mates! Jeremy has sooo many questions, Adrian tries to answer them even when they make him blush, no cats were hurt in the writing of this book, an obscene number of ‘80s music references, his best friend is a lying liar who lies, his book bag is his weapon of choice, don’t touch the demon’s dimples, supernaturals have magical everything, small towns aren’t so bad, especially when they are full of supes.

No arcs as I paid for my books.

Review: Forever Together (The Undead Detective Agency book 4) by Shelby Rhodes

Rating: 4.75🌈

Forever Together, the book in which Shelby Rhodes emotionally glitter bombs the readers with a roller coaster of a finale plot for vampire Octavius Evander and his now zombified hunny bunny love, Turney, and the rest of the Undead Detective Agency family.

I was wondering how Rhodes was going to pull all the wandering plot threads together and give this series and couple the finale they deserve. Especially after all they’ve been through to get to this point in their undead lives. Does it come together? Absolutely, in a well written and exciting manner!

It’s Halloween in the story (and date of release), so naturally Octavius has gone completely over-the-top batty in planning out his Halloween party for the house, his family and his love. It’s an extravaganza of glitter, exuberance and shocking horror. Not surprisingly, and to Octavius’ dismay, most of his crew isn’t happy about the results. That includes Turney.

Imagine a toddler on about a 18-wheeler’s worth of sugar high, and that’s a realistic description of Rhodes’ Octavius. It would be easy to get irritated by this character if not for his traumatic past history and death which is absolutely terrifying. That darkness and the psychopath who killed him has been a black thread throughout the narrative. That knowledge has balanced the childishness and chaos that Octavius sometimes brings to this storyline. It’s his way of dealing with that trauma and part of his life that’s never left him and what happened to parts of his family. And that aspect of his personality allows us a better understanding of him as a whole complex individual.

Turney, an excellent character, is still reeling from all the changes he’s undergone as well as the guilt he feels about surviving when others have been lost. The trauma of his death, being brought back to life by Scarlett, adjusting to his new status, it’s so much emotionally and physically for Turney at the moment. And Octavius isn’t aware of his issues.

I think if I do have any quibbles about this, it’s Octavius’ lack of awareness about Turney’ feelings. Whether it’s to his new status as a zombie or that he really dislikes being scared by the tricks laid out by his vampire partner, it takes someone else to make Octavius look at what he’s doing or not noticing about Turney. That wasn’t a satisfying aspect of this relationship for me. It’s their own type of relationship that’s unchanged since the beginning but certain events here have highlighted that more.

The side relationships for Scarlett, Henry, and the others are just as important and well done. Especially Scarlett who’s been through so much and who’s independence means more to her than anything.

Honestly, Rhodes has written more than one heartbreaking scenes here, amidst some fast paced action packed sequences. With glitter!

Gots to have glitter.

Did I wish the villain , Dayan, had gotten an even better or say worse send off? Perhaps. Honestly, he was so awful Rhodes could have dedicated a page to his death scene to make it really gory.

But dead he is, happy we are.

And per Rhodes, there will be more stories for the side characters and Agency as well to come. Be still my heart.

So Forever Together (The Undead Detective Agency book 4) by Shelby Rhodes gives us a great finale and launching point for more stories to come. I’m extremely satisfied and looking forward for more mysteries and murderous glittering mayhem.

Not familiar with this series and characters? Start at the beginning and read all the way through for the complete journey of Octavius and Turney. It’s one wild and wonderful adventure.

The Undead Detective Agency:

✓ Get It Together #1

✓ Keep It Together #2

✓ In Death Together #3

✓ Forever Together #4 – finale

More stories to come in other related series!

Buy Link:

Forever Together (The Undead Detective Agency Book 4)

Blurb:

Octavius Evander here. I suppose you have come to see how it all ends. Well, ‘ends’, as in, we’ve reached the end of this part of my story. It wouldn’t be proper of me to move on until we finish it all off, right?

As this is the last book in this series, I feel it is my duty, to end things with a bang! A glittery bang. By bang, I mean, a giant, super cool, Halloween party. And what a party it was… Costumes, decorations, family, frenemies, scares, Turney screaming and clinging on to me—fun times! Not so fun was the interruption to said party. It really was unfair to me. I was on vacation from real murder and mayhem—case related mayhem only—yet somehow, someone had the audacity to be murdered. Inconsiderate people all around!

But you didn’t all come here just for the Halloween party. I know that. There is a certain someone you are waiting to hear about, I’m sure. A certain horrible, maggot of a person. Well…you won’t be disappointed. That issue will be solved, once and for all. The question you may be asking yourselves now is, how will it be solved? All I’m willing to say is, it happened in an unusual and extremely unprepared way. While, you shouldn’t worry too much, as my story, my precious Turney’s story, has a happy ending…it may be good to keep in mind that happiness sometimes shines brightest right after despair.

CONTENT WARNING: This is an M/M paranormal romance book. There will be blood, violence, gore, mention of SA (no on-page details), and death. Please do not read if you find any of the previous situations triggering.