âRomily asked me to do this, and I would do anything for that cute, fiery ball of optimism and silver linings except share him. Heâs mine and I will fight you for him. No exceptions.â
â Fox Recruits a Mute Boy (And Falls in Love): A Short Story MSMD 1.5 (Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees) by Jennifer Cody
This cute short story is wonderful to read right after The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer #1. Whereas that story is narrated by Romily, this is narrated by Arlington Fox, with interruptions by Romily. Itâs a quick look at their beginning, and soulmate connection, from Foxâ perspective.
If you were wondering why Fox was so quick to go along with Romily on all those occasions? Hereâs your answer!
Love it! Recommending it. Need the other book to know whatâs going on.
Itâs also available free if you subscribe to the authorâs mailing list.
Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees series to date:
â The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer #1
â Fox Recruits a Mute Boy (And Falls in Love): A Short Story MSMD #1.5
â The Trouble With Trying to Save an Assassin (Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees Book 2)
Romily: Are you wondering what meeting me was like for the love of my life, Arlington Fox? Well, as Fox tells it, it was magical. Obviously.
Fox: Romily asked me to do this, and I would do anything for that cute, fiery ball of optimism and silver linings except share him. Heâs mine and I will fight you for him. No exceptions.
Fox Recruits a Mute Boy is a 5k word short story as told from Fox’s point of view about how he met his soul’s mate. Content Warning: blood, gore, flying limbs, and ridiculous requests from polyamorous fathers.
âââ-
Unless itâs noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.
What we have here is a paranormal murderous romance farce as narrated by a snarky mute with a bent for sparkly jewelry and competent killer men so outstanding it brings out the heart eyes.
The author states in her notes she wrote it for fun and it reads that way. Itâs absolutely entertaining, a one-sided narrative from a mute character, Romily Butcher, whoâs bloody, dark short history absolutely prepares him for the supernatural/ paranormal death fest thatâs Arlington Fox.
And it all starts with
âOnce upon a time, a mute boy fell in love with an unapologetic murderer.â
â The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer (Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees Book 1) by Jennifer Cody
From the beginning of their meeting in the diner, itâs a chaotic bloody romantic snarky funny mess. One that allows the narrator to peal back his own devastatingly awful personal history even as his new one is rolling out before us. Itâs full of cherubs, demons, organizations that help with the balance of good and evil, magical agents and agendas galore , all served up with mystery and sarcasm!
Bad things happen. Lots of people die. Itâs high action, kidnapping, murder, hijinks, and terror amidst the humor and romance. So while itâs fluffy in parts, itâs hellish fluffy.
Which, depending on how the author executes the story and frames out their characters, Iâm a fan of. I really like how it works here. Itâs a interesting combination of mythology, crime family dynamics, romance, and farce.
A note, traumatic and semi-traumatic events are given glossy or brief, succinct treatments here in the book and series. Maybe thereâs a mention of a few tears but thatâs generally it. Iâll let Romily spell it out as he does at the beginning of the book.
A NOTE FROM ROMILY
Dear Reader,
Iâm a sassy, brave, beautiful boy who happens to use humor to cope with an unseen disability. If that bothers you, maybe you should consider expanding your horizons about how disabled people make life bearable when weâre surrounded by the oblivious.
Sincerely, Romily Butcher
PS: Thereâs a dub-con scene in this book. Shhh, itâs ok. Iâm fine.â
â The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer (Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees Book 1) by Jennifer Cody
Yes. As I said bad things happen. But theyâre always happened to him. And they happen repeatedly throughout the book, to others all around him. Itâs that series and those types of characters.
You know if youâre the type of reader that this will pose a issue for. Pls take that into consideration.
Meanwhile, Iâm recommending The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer (Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees Book 1) by Jennifer Cody. Thereâs 3 stories out now with plenty more planned. That is great incentive for me if Iâm enjoying a series so far!
Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees series to date:
â The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer #1
â Fox Recruits a Mute Boy (And Falls in Love): A Short Story MSMD #1.5
â The Trouble With Trying to Save an Assassin (Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees Book 2)
Third timeâs the charm, right? At least thatâs what I tell myself when I witness the same hot guy commit mass murder three times in a few days. Iâm either the luckiest mute boy ever or possibly the unluckiest. Who knows, maybe him kidnapping me will turn into the greatest love story ever told? Hey, it could happen! You never know how these things will turn out. I happen to believe in love and soulmates, and if nothing else, Arlington Fox doesnât treat my disability like a nuisance. Itâs not everyday you find someone who just gets you, and Iâm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth even if the horse in question is a man so good at killing people that I should probably introspect a bit about why that skews my moral compass and possibly my kinks. But câmon, competence is sexy, amiright?
The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer is an MM Paranormal Romance with lots of sass, humor, a ridiculous 3000 year age-gap, and an inordinate number of tables.
Praise for The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer:
“Arlington Fox is so smexy, but if he accidentally gets blood on one of my suits again, we’re going to have words.” âRomily Butcher, aka the narrator.
“I’d never accidentally get blood on any of his suits.” âArlington Fox, aka Future Husband
âââ-
Unless itâs noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.
E. Broom is a new author and I picked up this novel based on the reviews. Itâs basically a light, humorous supernatural fantasy romp.
Nothing to take too seriously, but it has fun with its characters, using the typical trope of witch/werewolf instant mate elements, along with a hint of fairytale overlay!
Low on the angst, quick on the action and relationship, and itâs warm-hearted to boot.
Thereâs a bookstore thatâs the center of a small village with all sorts of magical goings on. Naturally.
Ernest Turnball gets fired from one job then decides a change of career is needed. He answers a ad for help needed in a bookstore and finds himself in Cadenbury. A quaint village full of welcoming if a bit odd people and a terrific job at The Crazy Bookshop.
In the matter of one day, his perception of the world goes sideways and upside down. What a marvelous thing to happen.
Ernest is rather unflappable. Heâs kind, and rather funny.
And it turns out heâs got a rather unique set of connections to Cadenbury. Not the least of which is the sparks going off between him and the hunky Mayor!
Thereâs a mystery, lots of magical fun, family, and a growing cast of characters to enjoy.
I found the story very entertaining and a quick read.
Thereâs a second novel out so Iâll head over to see what the author has in store for Titus.
If you like all the above elements mixed together for light fun fare, this might be the book for you.
Who knew when I threw a latte in my boss’s face, my life would change forever?
After being fired from his job for Gross Misconduct, Ernest Turnball decided to try something different and applied for a job at The Crazy Bookshop.
Starting his new life as a bookshop assistant, Ernest meets some interesting characters, like Mollyanne, who looks like the wicked stepmother from Snow White, when she turns into the crone, but without the big nose. What she does have is a crow, owl, fox, and German shepherd. One of whom is always with her. Or his new boss Alfred, who reminds him of an excitable puppy.
A prediction from one of the town witches puts the town on itâs guard, but strange things are still occurring. It seems someone is spell casting and causing havoc to the town and its people.
Having found out he is a witch, Ernest is determined to find out who is behind spells, and if the town mayor and Alpha wolf shifter, Adhan Stone, wants to help him, who is he to say no?
With the town looking on, scorecards at the ready, can Ernest and Adhan save the town, and reach a perfect ten score?
âââ-
Unless itâs noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.
I was so excited to see the new story as Iâve been waiting to dive back into the fascinating world of Mannix Estates with its amazing group of characters.
That it includes a powerful medium in love with a blacksmith, a found family of ghosts from an assortment of eras , each with their own quirky personalities, as well as a staff thatâs endearing and fascinating on their own, makes it a universe you can dwell in for a very long time.
The first book, Spirited Situations, introduced us to Josh, the medium, as he found his way to the very haunted Mannix Estates. It was also home to a 50 some odd year old open gateway, a beacon for trouble.
The ramifications from opening that gate continues into this story as the combined found family of Mannix Estates, alive and ghostly, need help to handle more trouble coming through that open gateway.
Masters builds upon a already lively and unique cast of amazing characters we come to love by adding several new people. One weâve gotten to know anonymously by text when heâs helped in the last book. He acquires a name here. Thatâs Connor.
And his best friend, Gabe. And a paranormal enforcement agency.
So Masters is expanding her universe to include the growing series new topics, romances, and mysteries sheâs threading through her storylines. Itâs such an exciting element, one that lends a real sense of anticipation towards each new book and plot thread.
While thatâs happening, thereâs additional character growth in terms of power and romances.
Connor and site manager, Kieran, are the main couple working through their romantic impulses while dealing with demons, ghostly matchmakers, and, the everyday occurrences that comes with guests at a living history event sight.
The paranormal and the mundane, the magical and the murderous are all perfectly balanced for the most entertaining reads. I read right through!
And unfortunately now it looks like Iâll have to wait until 2023 for the next in the series.
Until then, Iâm highly recommending the first two books in this fantastic series. Read them in the order they are written, to understand the relationships and theme storylines.
Wanted: one demon hunter. Beware the matchmaking ghosts.
After years managing a haunted hotel and estate, I thought things were good. Sure, the ghosts can be a handfulânosy, opinionated, interferingâbut theyâre also friendly and fun. We have a system. Everything was under control.
Cue hysterical laughter.
But after a minor blip with a demon in the basement and a vortex to the spirit world, the ghosts swear they have no more secrets. The danger is gone, and weâve done everything we can to make the vortex safe. It should be fine. Nothingâs come through it for fifty years.
Itâs never that easy at Mannix Estate.
Lucky for us, the demon expert we met online is willing and able to help us out. Iâm so grateful, Iâd willingly kiss his feet. Until he arrives and opens his mouth.
Connor is… a jerk. But heâs a sexy jerk whoâs doing us a favor, so Iâm going to be polite no matter what. Even when he makes me mad. When he flirts hard. When the roof falls in and we have to share a bed. When we realize the vortex upstairs is just the beginning.
Suddenly, Connorâs real strengths shine. Beneath the smoking hot yet annoying surface is a heart of gold, and I donât think I can hold out against it⊠or that I want to.
ââ-
Unless itâs noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.
ââWhat a ridiculous question. Do I look like I have a book on how to reanimate a cadaver? I have enough problems with the living customers without adding dead ones. Go next door.ââ
â The Sceptic by Lily Morton
Thatâs a terrific start to a new paranormal series by Lily Morton. And it dives immediately into what is sure to be one of my favorite elements as well as series center, Arcana Books. One of two adjacent bookstores, only this one is full of the weirdness, the magical, the lore or whatever supernatural or paranormal literature youâre searching for has lured a customer there.
It also has , as an occult bookshop would, a Madame Hecate reading tarot cards, if her morning gins havenât kicked in too much, or the lure of the nearby pub hasnât been ignored. Itâs vastly intriguing, full of wildly imaginative clients and itâs employees, include Will, whoâs The Skeptic of this novel.
Tarquin, the Viscount Ingram, who owns the occult bookstore, Tom, the owner of the other more mundane one( a mentor to the psychic Blue) are characters that are pulled from a previous series.
That would be the Black and Blue two-book series, introducing characters such as cartoonist Levi Black, Blue Billings, a psychic, his boyfriend, in two stories of paranormal mystery and horror.
Blueâs background and found family includes Will Buchanan, a gentle giant with whom Blue spent early years that left both with damage they are still dealing with.
Part of this connecting group is Jem Dawson, a well known photographer, whoâs also a best friend to Levi Black.
So as you can tell, if youâre like me, and came into this novel not having read those books, youâre missing a substantial amount of important background information.
Morton tries to fill in background for the new reader as best she can, but thereâs really no replacement for the foundation those books supply in terms of relationships and events that occurred. Take it from me, read those stories first.
Now having said that, this is still a very good ghost story.
The investigation into what is causing all the issues at the familyâs house and the chilling occurrences that help to ramp up the suspense are spread out just enough to give us a lull before smacking us with something to make the goosebumps appear.
And while the paranormal activity is being investigated, thereâs a relationship and tentative romance building between two commitment phobic men. Thatâs something thatâs both frustrating and fascinating, because itâs where the missing history is most needed.
Willâs that is. The hints to his lack of trust, the map to the emotional location to his trauma is there but not the details. I expect thatâs in Black and Blue.
But thereâs enough heft to the menâs internal dialogues with themselves about their feelings, trust issues, as well as the current dangers they were facing to give the reader a excellent window into the menâs personalities and how things were developing between them.
Thereâs secondary characters in the âghostbusters â group that I wasnât quite as fond of. Not sure if thatâs because I think they werenât as layered or with everything going on with the ghostly elements, just didnât get as much development as possible.
The main characters, and Blue , who made an appearance towards the end supply the weight for the book and plot. They make it work.
As the first in a series, I wonder how it will go forward. If it derives from customers from the occult bookstore, then I canât wait!
Until then, read Black and Blue before arriving here at The Skeptic.
If paranormal romances and ghostly horrors are you thing, then this is the book for you. Iâm definitely recommending it!
As the best friend of a psychic, Will Buchanan canât help but believe in the dead. Itâs the living that he finds to be problematic. However, after a spate of betrayals, he finally has the chance of a new life within his grasp, and heâs not going to risk it for anyone or anything. Staying safe is the name of Willâs game.
Jem Dawson defines the word temporary. A talented cameraman, heâs here today and will undoubtedly be gone tomorrow chasing adventure and danger. But, while heâs in York, heâs made it clear he wants Will, and Will canât help liking the charming daredevil.
This inconvenient attraction results in Will accompanying Jem to the site of a notorious poltergeist outbreak. A malevolent spirit has targeted a family, and now the ghost hunting team for whom Jem does camerawork are going to be locked down in the house for three days.
The house is strange and filled with sinister and violent undercurrents. One by one, the group experiences threatening incidents, and as events escalate, Will has to ask himself if he’s risking not just his heart but also his life with this impulsive gesture.
This is the first book in the Arcana Books series featuring characters from the bestselling Black and Blue series
A combination of adorable cover, new author, and fun title lead me to How To Summon a Boyfriend by Aja Foxx . It was everything I had hoped for.
Foxx actually had me at the idea of someone summoning a potential fake boyfriend but throw in the moniker Herby for the cute guy in need ? Iâm all in.
A two person POV, we get a wide-eyed Herby who definitely sees things through a uniquely wonderful âHerbyâ perspective as well as a bored Hades, whoâs role as the Ruler of the Underworld had gotten a tad tedious. Itâs Herby whoâs arrival shakes things up fundamentally.
The characters are well done, the dialogue snappy and the plot extremely well paced.
Thereâs so many terrific secondary characters from Lionid, to Abigor, Cerberus, and other figures of mythology.
I wish there was a bit more about Herbyâs family, and those books. But itâs shorter length works against that.
Iâm still so happy to have read this book. It was entertaining, a fun romance, with an exciting storyline.
I look forward to reading more from this author.
Iâm recommending How To Summon a Boyfriend by Aja Foxx !
Herby I needed a boyfriend to keep my father from marrying me off to a man handpicked by him. What better way to get one than to summon a demon? When I found a book of shadows in my grandfather’s attic, I knew I’d found the answer, but something went wrong. Instead of summoning a demon, I ended up in hell. What was I supposed to do now?
Hades Judging souls was boring. Ruling the underworld was boring. Everything was boring. I needed something to happen to keep me from going insane. I never imagined the fates would answer my unspoken prayer by dropping a human into the underworld, and I’d certainly never met a human quite like Herby. He confused me, amused me, and drove me crazy. Why else would I agree to be his boyfriend?
Note: This story was originally part of the Fate’s Call Anthology – Manlove Edition. It has been revised and extended by 21,000 words.
Warning: Gay erotic romance. The material in this book contains explicit sexual content that is intended for mature audiences only. All characters involved are adults capable of consent, are over the age of eighteen, and are willing participants.
Unraveling The Threads of Fate by Alice Winters is an excellently written, highly suspenseful tale that contains a lot of moments of extreme anxiety and dread. It stretches over the all events that should be happening to the people in the universe here.
I say should because a major element is that one character, Alex Coleman, school teacher, has a gift. He can see invisible threads stretching from person to person. Red threads ties a person to their soulmate. But the black threads he also sees ties them to the one who will kill them. Itâs a talent heâs had his entire life and one heâs hidden.
In this universe, those with special gifts are tested and tracked, starting at a early age. But Alexâs abusive childhood with a destitute drug dealer allowed him to evade it.
Bishop King, scion to a wealthy businessman, once was the only friend Alex had growing up, until a horrific event drove them apart.
Bishop too has a special talent. He can walk in peopleâs dreams. But in Alexâs dreams, heâs got the power to do more, see more.
When they meet again, at Career Day at Alexâs school, they set off a set of events that have a rippling effect for a multitude of characters as Alex and Bishop fight to find and change their fates, pulled along by the threads Alex is seeing.
Winters, in her inimitable manner, with wry, sarcastic, haunting, and heartbreaking dialogue and scenes gives us a scary and thrilling tale of fate altered at breakneck pace, a murderer on the loose, and two find trying to outwit both a murderer and plot they canât understand, and deal with a abusive past that threatens them.
With alternating flashbacks that are chilling in their cruelty and ability to deliver the blows that continues to be felt in the future, and a present where dreams are nightmares of blood, black threads, and death, that the author manages to bring romance and fun into this is amazing.
All the characters are fantastic. It includes Alexâs sister, Cali, who he raised. Her friends. Even the adults the surround them, good and bad.
Itâs a vile and fascinating mixture.
But watching them trying to figure out how to change the date of each person and event, itâs thrilling and scary and heart racing.
Alex Some people are born lucky. Then thereâs me, destined to be loved by the man who knows my darkest secret. My gift has followed me my entire lifeâthe ability to see the threads of fate. I can see the red thread tying together two people destined to love one another. But my gift has another side to it. A darker side. I can also see a simple black thread tied to the fingers of those who arenât aware of it, connecting them to the person destined to kill them. And when I look down at my own finger, I can see the red thread stretched over to Bishop King. The man who is my soul mate.
But then why is the black thread also wrapped around our fingers? Bishop is sweet and caring, and I canât stop my heart from loving him. I just need to thwart fate before it separates us forever.
Bishop I swore to never let myself be drawn back into Alexâs world, but the man is funny and charming and the moment weâre together I fall back into the familiarity we shared as teenagers. I know this time is different; heâs hoping that I can help him walk through his dreams to figure out how an innocent girl is going to die.
While his dreams tell of the future, mine allow us to find the truth. But what happens when we save a life and change fateâwill it affect our own future? I canât keep myself from falling for Alex, but what if helping him leaves one of us dead?
Unraveling the Threads of Fate is a standalone romance with action, mystery, humor, and a happy ending.
ââOkay, I understand.â âGood. I take my leave now.â âThanks for coming.â âI will always come when you ask. Iâll see you soon.â âYes, you will see me soon.â The cat disappears into a slight mist.â
â The Witch’s Power Play (Covens of Eaton Falls Book 2) by Mia Monroe
Thereâs 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 whatâs 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 âgiggling â. 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 âold â while also trying for hip. If you know what I mean. A strange unwieldy thing that doesnât 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 itâs just to much. Thereâs 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, thereâs bound to be another thatâs zany.
Thereâs also a villain called The Beautiful One.
So. I breezed through this. Next time , if I continue, Iâll 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, Iâm sure youâll have read it or itâs on your TBR list. It does have some really interesting themes going forward.
Want to know how itâs going? Check it out!
Covens of Eaton Falls:
đčNever Trust a Guy With Fangs #1
đčThe Witchâs Power Play #2
đčVampireâs Make Bad Roommates #3 -July 14,2022
đčCosmic Spells and Vampire Lairs #4 – January 11, 2023
đčA Traitor Shows His Hand #5 – March 9, 2023
Note: didnât that last title seem a bit spoilery? So now we know the traitor is a guy. Wouldnât it have made more sense to have said A Traitor Shows Their Hand? Hmmmm?
How to tame a vampire isnât 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 arenât exactly fans of witches. It didnât 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 letâs 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? Donât know, but Iâm up for the challenge. If the war doesnât tear us apart first.
The Witchâs 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.
Mia Monroe is a fairly new author for me, having discovered her in a charity anthology. The cover and title humor of Never Trust A Guy With Fangs had me grabbing this book to see what the author was plotting for her series, Covens of Eatons Falls.
This is a paranormal romance between a vampire and a witch, with the start of a overall series thread about a larger multi-species storyline. Thereâs suspense, action, murder, and more romances to come.
Stretching over 5 books total I believe. See list and note at bottom.
The characters are nice at the beginning and luckily get stronger as the story goes on. Thereâs a two person pov, but we start out with the blank slate of one. To my mind it have been more interesting to have gotten the perspective of the one being ,at least ,who had a semblance of a foundation, so the readers had a grounding.
No, we and Leoâs âuh , where are we? Oh, the bed of my enemyâŠâ narrative just doesnât seem to pull us really into the story. The dialogue runs along the edge of head smackingly idiotic and pearl clutching.
It keeps on in the same way. Hi you going to kill me. No. You going to kill me. No. You smell good. I think I love you. Me too. But weâre Romeo and Julian of the paranormal world. Np. Love is it!
This story and author has some terrific ideas and promise to it. Thereâs a lot here that , once you get to it , is interesting enough that you want to see how it plays out.
But thereâs also enough plot holes (Leo: I can hide whatâs happened, oh wait my eyes changed color! Never mind , the bad guys will never notice),silly florid language, and just plain nonsensical elements like the example above. It just interrupts whatever connection you might have had with the characters and storylines. And makes it that much harder to get it back.
The second book features another couple, another witch and vampire bonding that I think has far more chemistry then this pair. It seems to be one with a slight D/s aspect although howâs that going to play out when the witch is a scattered thinking healer (D) and the (s) is a huge vampire guard. Huh.
I love a great paranormal story and series. While this has potential, thereâs so much that will put a lot of readers off . So this really isnât it for me.
But if you adore instant love romances, almost campy dialogue, mustache swirling villains along the line of âyou canât keep him from usâ, combined with some interesting elements, then I have a book for you.
Covens of Eaton Falls:
đčNever Trust a Guy With Fangs #1
đčThe Witchâs Power Play #2 -May 6,2022
đčVampireâs Make Bad Roommates #3 -July 14,2022
đčCosmic Spells and Vampire Lairs #4 – January 11, 2023
đčA Traitor Shows His Hand #5 – March 9, 2023
Note: shouldnât the author have said A Traitor Shows THEIR Hand? So ok now we know the traitor is a guy?đ€ŠđŒââïž
Waking up in my enemyâs bed is just the start of my problems.
The first rule of being a witch: donât trust the vampires. My entire life has been filled with stories of our warring covens. We tenuously coexist in the New England city of Eaton Falls, where the locals think weâre merely the stuff of fairy tales and horror movies.
We live life as the mortals do, keeping our magic behind the scenes. Everything is fine until the day I wake up inside notorious Eaton Manor, in the bed of none other than the sexy and terrifying head vampire, Augustus Rainier, with no memory of how I got there.
His presence makes my skin tingle and my heart beat just a little faster. I know the inherent danger of associating with violent, often unpredictable vampires. Iâve got bigger problems, though, when I discover my coven is in hiding, leaving me on my own.
When danger shows up at Eaton Manor, it becomes clear itâs not only the witches in trouble. Both covens need to decide: do we fight separate battles against the same enemy or break every rule in our history and join forces to defeat a common foe? The other major questionâwill possessive and domineering Augustus let me go when this is over?
Never Trust A Guy With Fangs is an MM paranormal romance. It is book one in the Covens of Eaton Falls series featuring a rebellious twink of a witch with eternal optimism, an edgy vampire with a strong mistrust of witches, two stubborn and quirky covens, a threat from an unknown enemy, and a dangerous desire that could tear apart tradition, all in a beautiful New England backdrop. It is not a standalone.
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. Nickâs story has it all. A traumatic adolescence, a damaged man whoâs history has given him a mission in life thatâs as much mystery as he is. Itâs 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 Nickâs 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 Sawyerâs 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 erased⊠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 âplug-in â storylight character, whoâs aspect could go comedic âhigh maintenance twinkâ or âadorable boy toyâ. No history. No layers.
Even his âanimal â 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, doesnât 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 âreally.. again?â type of sex scene.
A lightweight major character , too many sex scenes seemed to slow the narrativeâs 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 itâs 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, whoâs 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 donât get it.
Other characters also just disappeared. I donât know if itâs Into future storylines and novels but precious time was spent here getting us involved in them so donât 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 wonât know. The whole series is incredible. The maxed out battle and finale absurdly fantastic! A true âIâm crying, hold your breath â battle!
Then thereâs Sweet Spot.
The fourth is a standalone novella , about Guardian Eduardâs widower father, Augustus, and the young man he meets on a island getaway. Itâs a second chance at love, age gap sweet story with a slice of kink. I love it.
Iâm 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 Iâm thrilled about. Thatâs Magical Mates and Chosen Champions. Stay tuned for more Chosen goodness.
For the first time, Macy Blakeâs 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 heâd 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 Nickâs shaky hold on his control. When Nickâs 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. Thereâs 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 itâs 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. Itâs 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 powerâŠto 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.
