I love a good fantasy fairytale romance and Yours, Forever After by Beth Bolden definitely fits that category.
It has young royalty fleeing great evil that wants their blood. It has a Prince who will lose his kingdom if he doesnāt get help. And it has magic.
Those are the basics that Bolden uses to build a grand emotional journey for two men towards a HEA for themselves and two kingdoms. And perhaps one magical being.
It contains anger, loss, betrayal, issues with communication, and all the usual barriers that occur with new relationships under stress. Also sword fighting , cause fairy tale!
Itās main characters under go personal growth and change into men determined to make their commitment to each other and their people work.
I was connected to Gray from his perilous flight away from his castle as a young boy and then to Rory as his true nature slowly reveals itself to Gray as they tackle obstacles together. They figure out how to communicate.. eventually. As the story and their pursuit of justice., for themselves, and to rid their lands of the evil battling against them, everything about their roles and their relationship feels real.
I love them so much . And was delighted with the promise of a continuation of their story with a sequel to come.
Itās a novel Iāll eagerly await.
Until then, if you like fantasy romance and fairytales, this is a story youāre to enjoy. Well written, terrific plots and characters I love. Iām definitely recommending it.
Synopsis:
Fifteen years ago, Prince Graham of Ardglass barely escaped from the ancestral castle with his young life. Rescued by a magical creature and spirited off to a faraway valley, he grew into a strong, capable manānever shirking his duties on the farm, but forever bitter over his fatherās betrayal. But just when he has finally come to terms with being lost and staying lost, a visitor arrives in his valley and changes everything.
After a lifetime spent lost in his beloved books, Prince Emory awakens to find his villainous aunt working to usurp the throne of Fontaine. When she sends him on a dangerous quest, heās certain the journey is a trap, but heās not willing to accept defeat without a fight.
But a fight is something Rory is unprepared and untrained for, until heās saved by a handsome, unassuming farmhand and his snooty, smug, and surprisingly talkative unicorn.
Yours, Forever After now includes an epilogue novella, completing Gray and Roryās magical quest for true love.
Holigay is a term that denotes someone who is gay or gay curious just for a holiday vacation. Once again home, they return to their safe sexual orientation.
Holigay by K.M. Neuhold is a sweet best friends to lovers, sexual discovery holiday romance. Itās frankly adorable.
It helps that the men involved have known each other all their lives and their dialogue reflects that long time familiarity and deep love for each other. For it to move from one type of love to a romantic, sexual love felt easy and natural.
Matt, large, gentle and learning that Caspian isnāt merely his oldest and best friend but also the person he loves and wants to spend the rest of his life with? Itās a journey of joyous awakening as well as sexual pleasure. Itās as though everything finally makes sense. And for Caspian, it does finally as heās long loved his best friend.
This is a sweet, absolutely romantic, low angst holiday romance. I adored this couple and story.
You will too.
Synopsis:
Iāve been in love with my best friend for almost as long as I can remember. The only problem is heās straight. At least I thought he was.
But when he gets me to Fiji for Christmas, heās suddenly looking at me in a way Iāve never seen before. Could this all be real, or is he just HoliGay?
Ah, time for that all important second book in a series review. So many questions and weighted hopes hangs on this follow up novel if the author is continuing an overall series arc.
Is there continuity and character growth? Does it flow somehow out from the events of the first book? Does it empower not only the characters but our imagination in the same manner the original launches us into this journey?
Hmmm, with Spellbound, the answers are a bit mixed.
Letās tackle them one by one.
Plots.
The storyline that takes up the majority of this novel is wonderful. It contains so much depth and emotional layering that I expected. Thereās a serious mother/daughter flawed relationship built on lies, love, and a great tragedy. Eden, the daughter is so relatable in her anger, pain, and apparent maternal abandonment. Her rage is both poignant and deeply frightening. We get it. This aspect of the novel, and everything that surrounds Eden is absolutely terrific. With an exception.
Eden is a high school student. At the end of this story, sheās found herself in a serious permanent as in forever relationship. With a ancient being. Now while we are all smacking our heads over that flag, I will say the author has several characters bring up the illegality of that issue as well as the idea that sheās not emotionally ready. Ok good.
But thereās no real resolution. So perhaps thatās to be addressed in upcoming novels but Eden clearly deserves a more defined finish here. Sheās a marvelous character and so is this entire element of the arc.
Which brings me to
Series Arc plots .
As best I can tell, Salinger is slowly adding bits of pieces to her overall arc mosaic much like a 1.000 piece table puzzle . You fit a bit in here, several snap in together there. So hopefully, Eden and her new Dryad Prince are part of the huge battle group that will be needed to fight the Evil whoever who is trying to do whatever. Still not a clue. But Salingerās strengths are in her ingenious storylines and layerings. She knows how to build a suspenseful scene, and then top it off with high action.
However , this didnāt move the overall arc along hugely. Did confirm new information about our main characters though.
That brings us to the aspect of characterization. What I thought worked and, frankly, what I felt didnāt.
Edenās group and storyline. Those characters were new , including her BFF Lois and her family. All the beings that gravitated around Eden and her drama? They really worked as far as realistic emotional scenes and reactions to her dilemma. Again great job.
But, unfortunately, in what should be solid, continuing .character growth for Cassius and Morgan, our main couple and the series biggest heart as well as mystery? It felt as though we got a stripping off of layers instead of a depth of dimension.
In the first story, we saw the ages of wisdom, the compassion and pain coming through for Cassius. Now heās a pouty, insecure lovesick being? What happened to the serious character of the other novel? He seems to have vanished, replaced by a boyfriend of Morganās. Who occasionally transforms into something cool. Morgan too is undergoing a bit of a metamorphosis, although into what exactly is anyoneās guess. But the gravity of these downright elemental or idk other worldly transformations seems to be missing.
Idk maybe they should actually stop having sex for a moā and figure out if this pertains to their missing memories, and maybe even the bad guy! Good grief.
Definitely not the same beings I liked in book one. They need to regain their gravitas, their focus, and personalities.
Almost missing main character. You all know how I feel about this. Here itās Loki the magical cat, a main player in book one and the series arc. He lives with Cassius now. When do we see and here about him here? When the book is about 74% complete. Then Loki is mentioned as part of the growing mystery so , yes, he has to be trotted out in one scene so everyone sees heās still around. Thatās it. Done. He disappears again back into the apartment not to be mentioned again. It fed or whatever. So Loki could have starved because heās not seen or mentioned even when they are back in the apartment. A huge change from book one when heās a constant presence, weaving catlike around the feet or in their laps. SMH. Continuity and consistency!
All of which finally brings me to my last bit of griping. Since I had time to notice all the above, then the issues I had with the repetition of adjectives and certain authorās fondness of terms definitely continues on here.
Pls, someone either tell her about how to find and replace a word within a document, Thesauruses our old friend , (and edit) or point a great editor her way.
We are back to muscles jumping in every characterās face and often. Adrianne is saying things āleadenlyāagain. I pity poor Adrianne. No sex and the worst lines. A couple of female characters always āsmile softly ā.
Thereās also a lot of āshe___fill in the name___snarled,ā āso and so hissedā,
Lots of hissing and no they arenāt snake shifters.
Also āgrowling ā. Cedric growled. But it could have been and usually is another.
Plus a host of clenched whateverā¦ jaw, fistā¦ whatever can be clenched.
You get the idea. Salinger once she uses a word or term in a certain manner, it stays used. To the detriment of the story. And the readerās, at least this readerās concentration.
And thatās a shame, because the plots? Both one the book and overall series arc scale are imaginative and layered. They have grabbed my attention and the potential for a really great series shows everywhereā¦.
But thereās some definite tidying up to be done. Both in the major characters personalities and language. I look forward to see what book three brings.
High marks mostly for Eden and her journey.
Fallen Messenger series:
Unbound #0.5
Fractured Souls #1
Spellbound #2
Edge Lines #3
Oathbreaker #4
Synopsis:
Can Cassius and Morgan overcome an elusive enemy and save a young girlās life?
Eden Monroe has spent her entire existence believing she has no magic. Shunned by her mother Brianna and the magical bureau Hexa, she runs away from home when she is forced to embrace a future she never chose, only to fall into the hands of ghastly monsters from the Nine Hells. After being rescued by a mysterious Dryad with secrets of his own, Eden realizes there is more to her past and future than she could ever have imagined.
When San Francisco PD asks Argonaut to assist them in solving a series of strange bank robberies, Cassius Black and Morgan King uncover a disturbing plot that points to an unknown artifact hidden somewhere in the city. Their investigation soon has them crossing paths with a desperate Brianna, who seeks their help in finding her missing daughter. When the witch reveals the shocking circumstances surrounding her daughterās birth as well as the deadly magic sealed inside the young girlās body, the Argonaut agents realize their case is linked to Eden and the weapon of devastating power the bank robbers are after.
Can Cassius and Morgan defeat the malevolent organization behind it all and save Eden from her cursed fate? Or will the young girl suffer a destiny worse than death itself?
Spellbound is the second novel in the gay urban fantasy romance series Fallen Messengers. If you like your paranormal adventures full of action, magic, snark, and a host of steamy angels and demons, then youāre not going to want to miss this jaw-dropping, fun-filled ride!
Fractured Souls is the first book Iāve read by author Ava Marie Salinger but it definitely wonāt be the last, if for no other reason that Fractured Souls is the first in a series.
But after reading this imaginative and gripping fantasy story (non-stop btw), Iām ready to rush headlong into the second round and more in this universe and series.
Salinger starts us off in a world where a cataclysmic event has already occurred hundreds of years ago. Then a tear in the void between worlds saw demons, angels and a host of otherly beings from all Realms fall to Earth. After much warring a peace was brokered and all species co-exist, tentatively side by side.
Thatās the interesting basis that the author then starts really building her edifice upon. Salinger does so through her strong characters as they navigate her incredibly dark and complicated storyline, which includes murder, sacrifices, humor, action, surprise revelations, and just plain great plotting.
Much like her universe, we get a basic understanding of who her characters are and then the author proceeds to show us thatās just a mere outline sheās using to create something astonishing. Not just for one major character but for many as the revelations, small and large, stumble out .
Whatās more remarkable is that not only is the reader highly surprised by each change or new element with regard to the characters but the characters themselves are shocked!
Yes The Fall wiped out most memories of past existence for those who survived it. Talk about a great concept! So both the readers and characters find out the new details about themselves at the same time. Love it.
Salinger has so many great details here to go along with a heinous murder spree. A series arc thatās delicious , devious, and dangerous in its own right. And characters that are just memorable in every way.
If I have a issue here itās with the language or descriptions. While Salingerās plots are stellar, the writing sometimes gets a little less tidy. Some characters get the same words used to describe them repeatedly.
Poor Adrianne. She comes to mind the most.
Adrianne said dully.
Adrianne said leadenly. (She does this a lot)
Adrianne snarled.
Thereās also a lot of āmuscles jumping in cheeksā of both sexes when upset. Including Adrianneās. Itās as though the author knew she didnāt want her characters muscles to ātickā so they ājumpā. Often, sometimes in the same paragraph. SMH. Anyway.
The plot kept my interest glued as the pace is fast and the events occurring are action packed. Had that not been the case, verbiage like those examples above would soon drag your attention out of the storyline.
Luckily, a great concept and enough mystery keeps your mind centered on the characters.
Here thereās no demons versus angels but all factions actually work together. More or less, power struggles not withstanding. Nice change that.
Cassius Black and Morgan King are perfect for each other. And their chemistry grows along with their complicated relationship.
All the support characters are equally strong and have the potential for more growth in the future. They make up a great team, one you connect with and invest yourself emotionally in.
Iām heading now quickly over to book 2 in the Fallen Messengers series. That would be Spellbound.
Iāll let you all know what I find. This was an terrific , exciting, sexy fantasy novel. And a great start and introduction to a new author and universe.
I canāt wait for my journey to continue with both.
Definitely recommended.
Fallen Messenger series:
Unbound #0.5
Fractured Souls #1
Spellbound #2
Edge Lines #3
Oathbreaker #4
Synopsis:
Humans are dying in San Francisco. The most shunned angel on Earth may very well hold the key as to why…
When Cassius Black moves to San Francisco for a fresh start, the angel’s hopes of staying below the radar of the supernatural organizations that oversee the otherworldly and magic users in the city are dashed when he stumbles across a dead body in the sewers. His grim discovery soon puts him in the sight of the Argonaut Agency and Francis Strickland, the bureau director who knows his darkest secrets.
Morgan King and his team of Argonaut agents have been hunting for the culprits behind a series of gruesome killings that have rocked the city all summer. Killings that bear sinister hallmarks of sacrificial rituals where the victimsā souls have been ripped from their bodies. When Fate brings Cassius in Morganās path, he realizes the angel everyone likes to call The Devil may very well be the only person who can help them track down the murderers.
Morgan and Cassius soon find themselves chasing down a sect of black magic sorcerers and cross paths with a mysterious warlock whose actions evoke disturbing echoes of an incident from Cassius’s past. As rumors of a potential plot to tear the Nether reach their ears, Cassius and Morgan must work together to defeat their common enemy and save the city from destruction, all while fighting their growing attraction for one another.
Fractured Souls is the first novel in the MM urban fantasy romance series Fallen Messengers. If you like action-packed paranormal adventures with romance and snark, then get this pulse-pounding book today and enter a world you wonāt want to leave!
Ghost of Lies was a great read. A scary thriller of a ghostly murder mystery with a side of romance to spice things up.
As if it needed it.
Alice Winters certainly knows how to write a messy murder detective mystery. This was terrific, amping up our anxiety and suspense as the body count increases along with the suspects.
However, Winter added ghosts and the paranormal to this and the scary became horrifying. I LOVED this!
Hiro, Medium bookstore owner whoās surrounded by ghostly companies is seeking the killer of his brother ( whoās still very much a part of his lifeā¦ non corporeal state not a issue). Along the way heās assisting other ghosts to move along, and that brings him up against Def. Grumpy.
Maddox keeps running across this strange guy at his crime scenes, and his explanations for being there and disrupting the scene just donāt add up. When a serial killer strikes again, the man, Hiro, is there.
The characters twist and combust, especially after Hiro reveals his ability to talk to ghosts. Uh yeah.
Things are exciting, funny (ghost strippers and ravens), horrific (malevolence off the scale), great plot twists, pathos, and a very rewarding romance.
If I got a tad annoyed with Hiroās manner in which he dealt with issues, then he absolved himself later on.
This had a surprising resolution which I didnāt see coming. Absolutely enjoyed that.
I canāt wait to see how this partnership continues. Next book out in January.
So if you enjoy mysteries, detective stories, ghosts, and romance? I got just the thing for you! Great characters, outstanding plots, swoon worthy romance. Scary stuff. There you go.
Highly recommended.
Medium Trouble series:
ā¦ Ghost of Lies #1
ā¦ Ghost of Truth – coming in January 2022
Synopsis:
Hiro
Though I was born with the ability to see the dead, I struggled with it until my brother was killed and his ghost was left behind. Now, Iām determined to figure out who is responsible for his deathā¦ the problem is that Detective Maddox Booker, the one working the case, is a grumpy and stubborn man who wants nothing to do with me and definitely doesnāt believe in ghosts. It doesnāt help that I keep finding myself looking ridiculous in front of the detective, thanks to interfering ghosts who enjoy laughing at my expense. Still, the more Iām around Maddox, the more I realize that beneath that surly exterior is a kind and caring man who will do anything to help.
Maddox
When another man dies, I know we have a serial killer on our handsāthe same murderer who has remained elusive for a year and a half. To add to my frustration, I keep running into Hiro at crime scenes only to hear him claim that he can talk to ghosts. The words of the dead could lead us to the serial killer and even tell us who is next, but ghosts? Thereās no such thing as ghosts. Hiro is determined and charming, and no matter what I do, I canāt stop letting him get involved. He’s definitely snagged my attention, but when he nearly winds up dead, I know he’s getting closer to the truthāand if I donāt do something soon, he might be next.
Ghost of Lies is full of action, mystery, humor, and romance. Though more is planned for this couple, the mystery is solved and there is a happy ending.
Five Dead Herrings is the first in a new paranormal series by E. J. Russell. And like many of this authorās other series, itās part of a connection of characters and storylines that runs or rubs up against each other constantly as they share the same foundation and universe.
Matt Steinitz, human PI and employee at Quest Investigations has turned up as a secondary character in other books, briefly referenced here. Russell now takes the time to build out Mattās personality and let him show a depth of character not seen previously. We get the flashes of insecurities, the humor, the joy of learning, and the terror and newness of his situation.
And the start of a new romanceā¦
Thereās a mystery involving dead fish, a grumpy gorgeous Selkie, a new adorable werewolf secondary character of boundless energy , and a ton of supernatural beings from books and series we loved to get reacquainted with.
In short, itās a whole lot of fun. And ends with one mystery solved but some major loose ends needing to be dealt with. Which will lead us straight into the second book in this series.
Quest Investigations Series:
Five Dead Herrings #1
The Hound of the Burgervilles #2
Synopsis:
Somethingās definitely fishy about this caseā¦
On my last stakeout for Quest Investigations, I nearly got clotheslined by a grove of angry dryads. I expected my bosses to reprimand me, but instead they handed me my first solo assignment. Me! Matt Steinitz, the only human on the Quest roster!
Okay, so the mission isnāt exactly demanding. Obviously, the bosses wanted to give me something they think I canāt screw up. Iām determined to show them what I can do, however, so I dive right in with no complaints.
At first glance, it looks as simple as baiting a hook: A selkieās almost-ex-husband is vandalizing his boat with unwanted deliveries of deceased sea life. All I have to do is document the scene, tell the ex to cease and desist, and present the bill for property damages. Boom. Mission accomplished, another Quest success, and as a bonus, I get to keep my job.
But then things getā¦complicated. Suspicious undercurrents muddy up my oh-so-easy case. Nothing is as clear as it should be. And the biggest complication? My inappropriate attraction to the client, who may not be as blameless as he claims.
Turns out those dead herrings arenāt the only things that stink about this situation.
Dammit.
Five Dead Herrings is the first in the Quest Investigations M/M paranormal mystery series, a spinoff of E.J. Russellās Mythmatched paranormal rom-com story world. It contains no on-page sex or violence, and although there is a romantic subplot, it is not a romance.
Trial By Fire is another cowboy nā kids story similar to that group of books I recently talked about when I reviewed another similar novel by this author.
Two cowboys, this time one is from a large cattle station in Australia. Kid element is a baby whoās parents were the siblings of both cowboys, also a frequent pairing. And the siblings have just died in some accident, in this case a plane crash.
Here the story deviates as the men squabble over rights to the children (versus pulling together), warring parents, and almost immediate action and angst brought on by plot threads that seemed to arise out of nowhere. This on top of a surplus of storylines that just didnāt feel smooth and relatable.
That includes the romance between Holden Sheffield and Aussie Lachlan McCoughney. While both characters, indeed all the characters here are finely crafted, the author never really developed any real chemistry between the men. I never believed in an immediate attraction, let alone a ālove at first sightā dynamic.
Iām not sure if the issue was that Lachlan was a Aussie and missing that bone deep knowledge Tortuga has of her Texas/New Mexico/western cowboys .That entire Australian section,, from people to tiny things meant to be āAussie ā fell flat against a Texas sky.
Especially since some of the other secondary characters were fully realized, including one whoās death and funeral elevated this story for its sheer poignancy and depth of feeling.
That romance? It felt rushed and unrealistic, while there were so many other elements piled on top almost as distractions.
Another real issue for me was the nonchalant way the author treated the characters future plans. The 6 months in Australia or in US, with a baby whoās a US citizen with one openly gay parent who is the legal guardian. Then casually mentioning marriage and adoption for the Aussie boyfriend/partner. All without taking into consideration Australian visas, LGBTQIA marriage laws with regard (and consideration for) the LGBTQIA community there. Were there any then considering this is a re-release?
LGBTQIA marriage, adoption, and Australian laws has been written about more widely and in depth by Australian authors. Usually accompanied by pain, frustration, waiting, and angst. Same about visas. So this lack of research was puzzling and seemingly showed a lack of care towards this serious topic imo. Realistically not going to be the āsmooth sailing ā itās made out to be here, even for the wealthy.
This story has some solid elements, some wonderful characters but together itās never solidified. Just felt forced.
I love this author and have other books of hers to recommend. Iām just not sure this is one of them.
Great cowboy funeral though.
Synopsis:
One Aussie. One Texan. One baby. One hell of a fight.
When his sister and her husband are killed in an accident, Aussie cattle station owner Lachlan McCoughney rushes to Texas to rescue their infant daughter, Chloe. He expects to find his niece living in squalor with the Sheffields, a rodeo family.
Instead, Lachlan finds Holden Sheffield, a salt-of-the-earth cowboy running a huge business operation. They want to explore their mutual attraction despite the many problems thrown their way, and together, they must find a way to give Chloe a new family and find a love that spans thousands of acres and two continents
B.A. Tortuga writes a whole group of books I fondly call her cowboy nā kids stories. They contain usually a cowboy, maybe two, oneās possibly a rodeo man. One or both with a loose connection to a passel of kids or just one in need of a family.
Throw in some adorable animals, wide open spaces out West to serve as a background for a simmering passion between these men and path to love for each other and, boom, you have the main elements for this heartwarming and sweet bunch of romances.
Of which Cowboyās Law is one. One I really loved. As I do just about all of these books.
Found families is a trope thatās a top five favorite genre. This author excels at this.
Her knowledge of cowboys, that hard scrabble ranch lifestyle and rodeoing is almost cellular at this point. As is her vernacular. Her dialogue is so spot on, so localized to the area, and type of people it helps the book sing with life.
Same goes for the small town lifestyle of Friday night high school football, band dadās jobs, and near constant family schedule demands. Of 4H, dance class, homework, and home chores. The tears, the laughter, the Wonder Woman bandaids, and the love that holds everything and everyone together.
Thereās nothing about this book, from the kids to the weary men that reads anything less than flat out real and downright human.
Tortuga even covers the injured soldier here in Low and friends. Another group she pulls in and understands so well. The mixture of the cowboy and vet is perfect and their romance and path to love and family is a story you will want to read.
I donāt know if BA is figuring on giving Hunter his own story but I hope so. He too deserves a HEA. As does Win and Moose.
Meanwhile, if you love found families, cowboys and weary ex soldiers looking for love, you look no further then Cowboyās Law.
Iām definitely recommending it.
Synopsis:
When rodeo cowboy Sethās best friend dies unexpectedly from cancer, he finds himself taking on a ranch and a bunch of his friendās younger siblings, because they have nowhere else to turn. Seth loves those kids like theyāre his own, and he settles in well to his new life, which is why heās pretty wary when his buddyās older brother finally makes it home from a long stint in the military.
Law knows he might get a chilly reception at his brother Pistolās old ranch, even if the kids living there are his half-siblings. He didnāt make it to his brotherās funeral, after all, but to his credit, he was blown up trying to come home to do just that. Heās fighting injuries and insecurity, but when Seth welcomes him to the family ranch, Law knows heās pretty much in love. Even if he thinks Seth was his brotherās lover. Can these two find a way to let their emotions out before tragedy strikes their family again?
Iāve been thinking about this book, itās elements, and my review.
Why? Because it contains that one element guaranteed to bring me back to a basic argument I have, as a reviewer and for myself as a reader. Simply put, it is how do I feel about the cliffhanger?
Yes, Tide of Tricks, book 2 of Shadows of London, a fantastic tale of magic and mystery, has the most outrageous of all cliffhangers and THE key series/story revelation all at the same moment. Right at the end of the story! DO NOT READ the ending first. You wonāt even understand it anyway.
This is a heartbreaking, mindblast of a problem for several reasons, at least for me. I trust it will be for you all as well.
And I can tell you , if we were talking over tea or coffee? The expletives would be flying!
So let me dive into the why this cliffhanger is going to be so mind boggling awful.
It starts with Ariana Nashās character of John āDomā Domenici. His character, his personality and background is so densely layered, like a ābloom inā onionā as it were. The author has crafted Domās past with bagged filled hidden years that get revealed only through times of immense stress or threatened violence, that the reader and his associates never know whatās coming. Dom is a man whoās means of escaping his crime-filled East End childhood was to join the Army. That also turned out to be something far more torturous and disturbing (Iāll leave that to the book). Tragically from his start in Pretty Twisted Things , we now watch a man weāve come to greatly care about, slowly destabilize. With devastating results. And someone has planned this.
Nash has written a terrifying authentic example of a man being driven almost to the brink by forces unknown. We will feel every bit as helpless as Dom is to stop the events around him.
The people who work with him who we āthinkā care for him realize the dangers but thereās multiple targets. No one knows whoās the mastermind. And those who are acting on the mastermindās orders?
A shock or two there.
This is a veritable Minotaurās labyrinth of a plot and series arc. Bodies are falling, shadows are everywhere, magical objects of destruction of appearing all over London to destabilize people like Dom, and revelations about the primary characters start to pop like narrative gun fire. Nothing can be counted on except that everyone is in danger. And we have no real idea who everyone truly is.
Cliffhanger. In a beautifully written, outstandingly executed and almost flawless book.
Second stories are almost always a bridge book. They carry the plot and characters safely over from the foundation novel to the third book, which might be the end or even penultimate story in the series. Here Nash not only shoots out the lanterns our characters are carrying to light the way across the bridge but Nash is stranding them there before they reach the end. The bridge is going to break and all is darkness.
The third book in the series? Trial by Fire? Doesnāt come out until next May 2022. Ffs. Yup. Next year.
So back to my ongoing dilemma. When it comes to series and cliffhangers, do you (if given advance notice, clearly not here) wait until you have the entire series and read right through?
Or do what Iāve done, repeatedly, give in and read the book 1 in series after series, hopefully not to see a cliffhanger, and just go with it.
Knowing full well that come next May Iāll have to reread books 1 & 2 before diving back into this series, because the author has made it just that involved and convoluted. My mind will just not be able to hold onto all the details of this arc and plot and multiple characters until May 2022.
Sigh. Itās a old argument. Iāll probably still plow onwards. This author has me so hooked itās unreal.
So yesā¦ absolutely read this book and series. You decide when. If you want to wait until the series is complete, then read all the stories go for it. Read them as they come, waiting along with me? Ok weāll suffer together.
Either way, put it on your TBR list. Iām highly recommending it.
Shadows of London series:
ā¦ Twisted Pretty Things #1
ā¦ Tide of Tricks #2
ā¦ Trial by Fire #3- coming May 31st, 2022 argh! The wait will kill me!
Reeling from recent revelations and forced to lie for Kempthorne, the unthinkable happens: Dom fails the latent competency test. One more strike and heāll be deemed unstable, have his registration stripped, and the life he’s come to love at Kempthorne & Co will be over.
If that weren’t bad enough, someone is stalking him, taunting him. Someone who knows what Dom did all those years ago.
While Dom juggles Kempthorne’s lies and his own shady past, latents are being murdered. The police won’t help, so it’s up to Dom, Kempthorne & new-recruit Kage (Hollywood) to find the killer, before they strike too close to home.
Dom soon finds himself at the heart of it all with his control slipping, his trick breaking free, and the shadows rising.
He’s coming undone. And for unstable latents, there’s only one way outā¦..
Please note, this is an adult urban fantasy, so there are multiple swears, some darker themes and scenes, and on-page sex.
I have long needed another urban fantasy author (can never have too many) and now I have one. And a great new series to boot!
I stumbled upon Ariana Nash when I found this urban fantasy story, Twisted Pretty Things. Itās the first book in her Shadows of London series and itās a grand adventure and showstopper of a stage to a series.
It has a overall series arc of maze like proportions, continually looping back onto itself, then threading through the most obscure of narrative keyholes to keep the readerās mind throughly boggled and trying to see where this intriguing plot and deeply layered characters will lead us next.
Ah these insanely wonderful characters. All smoke and mirrors, deceptions laid upon deceptively clever and devious personalities. Just when you think you have one completely figured out, wham, thereās a complete turnaround in what you perceive in character.
I love that. Pull that emotional rug out from all of us repeatedly.
All it does is deepen our connection in an odd empathetic way to the people in front of us instead of pushing us away. We need to know more about these obviously tormented individuals and the paths that brought them here.
And the horrors that are about to come. For they are indeed coming.
All the main characters such as the cockney born John āDomā Domenici who now, through a convoluted journey, to his boss he works for , the elegant, wealthy Alexander Kempthorne , everyone here is fascinating and evolving.
The company, Kempthorne & Co, the main jobs revolve around retrieving magical objects imbued with dangerous powers. However, nothing is even that simple, as serious as it seems.
This story is steeped in British history and culture, including some of its most brutal and painful historical eras.
The authorās talent in using just a few phrases to telegraph something wordlessly barbaric is incredible. Itās used here to great emotional impact over and over.
The characters need to be read to be appreciated. Their growth, the revelations that are sprung on you as a reader cannot be put into a review yet itās so much a part of them and this increasingly fantastic urban fantasy tale of romance and a fight for survival.
But against what?
Thatās whatās coį¹ingā¦..
I was up late finishing this story and immediately grabbed up the next in the series. Itās plain addictive.
I can see several sleepless nights ahead.
Iām absolutely recommending this author and stories.
Start here! Itās a must read!
Synopsis:
Something wicked is moving in the shadows of Londonā¦
In the underground world of glitzy illegal auctions, fast cars, and stolen magical artifacts, John āDomā Domenici knows heās out of his depth. But he needs the job at Kempthorne & Co like he needs to breathe. The alternativeāgoing back to the organized crime gangs of Londonās East Endāis unthinkable.
So when Alexander Kempthorne, boss of Kempthorne & Co Artifact Retrieval Agency, wants him on a special case to track down an illegal artifact dealer, Dom canāt say no.
It shouldnāt matter that Kempthorneās world is full of deadly secrets. It shouldnāt matter that the billionaire is sexy as sin, and it really shouldnāt matter how thereās an American agent stalking Dom, an American who knows more than he should about Domās case, including the real reason Alexander Kempthorne hired Dom.
The only thing that really matters to Dom is solving the case and finding the artifact dealer. Because there are worse things in London than a conflicted billionaire and a trigger-happy American. Something wicked is stalking Londonās streets, and if Dom doesnāt stop it, its shadows will rise and consume them all.
***
Twisted Pretty Things is the first book in the all-new Shadows of London MM urban fantasy series. Action, mystery, and MM romance combine in this fast-paced adventure from the author who brought you the award-winning Silk & Steel series and the best-selling Prince’s Assassin series. Coming August 2021.
Triggering content: mention of past mental and physical abuse.
Please note the Shadows of London series is set in London and the characters are all British (so is the author). Although the series has been edited in US English for the larger US market, to include US spelling and grammar, many English slang words and spelling remain as part of the character of the work
Shadows of London series:
ā¦ Twisted Pretty Things #1
ā¦ Tide of Tricks #2
ā¦ Trial by Fire #3- coming May 31st, 2022 argh! The wait will kill me!
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 