Review: Smoulder (Drake Security Book 2) by Mika Nix

Rating: 4🌈

It’s that cover! Couldn’t resist. So while I wasn’t really buying into some of the themes the authors (K.M. Neuhold and Mia Monroe are Mika Nix) created in book one, I went on and picked up the second novel in the series, Smoulder.

Turns out, it’s missing most but not all of the elements I had issues with and I found this entertaining and a fast, enjoyable read.

For starters, this dragon brother’s character is one that I really found interesting and more nuanced. Whereas Nico was all hot headed , action without thought, Hemingway is almost his opposite. A collector of antiquities, gems, and, most importantly, books, Hemingway is a thoughtful and layered personality.

Dempsey Ryan, Drake Security’s newest client and Hemingway’s future mate here is a terrific character in his own right. In his early forties and a collector of rare and unusual items, especially books and jewels, his personality and interests are crafted by the authors to mesh well with Hemingway’s so their chemistry and instant attraction to each other makes sense on multiple levels.

The readers just like them together and we just get it. The strongest part of this story is the romantic relationship, with Hemingway’s attitude towards and attempts at wooing Dempsey.

The mystery that has Dempsey needing protection is probably the weakest part of the narrative. It builds backwards, filling in facts just when the reader is asking questions about where that aspect of the story came about. It feels hurriedly filled in instead of part of a plot. And the ending was anticlimactic for all the events and drama building up to it. While it was a nice surprise and added a new powerful character to the group, it wasn’t the ending that fit the storyline that lead up to it.

Smoulder finishes with a wedding, a new start for a couple I throughly loved, and a hint as to who’s going to be next in line for their mate and novel.

As much as I enjoyed this I’ll be heading into the next episode to see how it all goes down.

I’m recommending this book and romance.

Drake Security:

✓ Hot Head #1

✓ Smoulder #2

Buy Link:

Smolder (Drake Security Book 2)

Description:

I was hired to protect him, but will our smoldering attraction ignite into love?

When my hot headed brother found his fated mate, a deep, aching desire opened up inside of me for my own. Everyone knows dragons are covetous, jealous… possessive. I am all of these things, but never more so than when I set my eyes on Dempsey for the first time.

Beautiful. Awkward. Sweet. Shy. Perfect. My dragon wants to wrap himself around him the moment he bumps into me outside of his antique shop. Dempsey, however, is not as keen on that idea as my inner beast is.

He hired Drake Security for protection, and he needs it even more than he realized. Unfortunately, we specialize in brute strength and burning sh*t to the ground, and the problem Dempsey has is way out of our league.

Is he my fated mate or am I just so desperate for one that I’m falling for him too fast? Either way, I’ll move heaven and hell to protect him, even if the forces that are after him are unlike anything I’ve dealt with before.

I’ve spent thousands of years hoarding books and storing their words close to my heart. Will the love stories that live inside my soul be enough to woo him? Is it too much to hope that fate has chosen him for me?

**** Smolder is book 2 in the Drake Security series and has a reluctant fated mate, dragon shifters, book swooning, ancient mysteries, and magic. Each book can be read on its own, but is so much better if read in order. The series is all dragons, NO MPREG.

Review: Lust and Other Drugs (Mythos #1) by T.J. Nichols

Rating: 4.5🌈

Urban Fantasy is a automatic read for me and when you throw in dragon shifters, well, I’m so there!

Lust and Other Drugs by T.J. Nichols satisfies both my book cravings and then some by also being a great start in a new urban fantasy series that has as one of the main characters a dragon shifter.

Nichols, whose world building is always layered and imaginative, throws readers into a place where humanity and mythological creatures aren’t exactly in a equal standing with each other. There’s a toxicity and outright hostility or speciesism apparent in every aspect of the relations. It’s a fascinating and believable state.

As a result of a scientific experiment, barriers between our world and the Mythos world collapses with horrific consequences, causing mythological beings, creatures we’ve only known through legends and myths to flee to our world as refugees. As we know that never works out well. The fear of the unknown, the different cultures and beliefs and beings makes things worse for the refugee situation. Including experimentation.

It’s a dark, grim and fascinating world full of possibilities and worlds of mythology Nichols is continuing to create.

Jordan, a gay cop who’s inwardly sympathetic to the mytho beings, rides the edges of his own life by taking a Fae drug called Bliss and frequenting Fae bars, something that could get him fired. Edra, a dragon, has been assigned to the San Francisco Police Department as a liaison for Mythological Services, a agency that works for all the supernatural creatures.

A case that involves murder, the illegal drug Bliss, coverups, lead to a dual team investigation with Jordan and Edra. Nichols weaves a intriguing interpersonal agency relationship with a complicated dynamic that starts to emerge between Edra and Jordan. Each with their own fears and prejudices, rife with past histories and cultural conflicts.

All this overlaid with a very neat , and complex police procedural that has to go forward with investigations into drug smuggling and murder.

Once you get into the complex storytelling and detailed narrative of Lust and Other Drugs it’s hard to emerge until you are finished.

And then you’re are onto the next. Luckily, they are all available for reading.

I’m highly recommending this story. It’s a fabulous book and start to a new series.

Mythos Series:

✓ Lust and Other Drugs #1

◦ Greed #2

◦ Envy #3

◦ Vanity #4

◦ Sloth and Other Delights #5

◦ Wrath and Other Troubles #6

◦ Gluttony and Other Hungers #7

Buy Link:

Lust and other Drugs: gay dragon shifter urban fantasy (Mytho)

Description:

Police officer Jordan and dragon shifter Edra might have to work together, but they don’t trust each other—even if sparks do fly between them.

If anyone finds out Jordan’s a mytho sympathizer, it could kill his career. No one can know that he frequents the satyr dens and uses the drug Bliss. A dead satyr might not get much attention, but two dead humans who appeared to overdose on Bliss? That shouldn’t even be possible.

And it might not be an accident.

Edra, the Mythological Services Liaison, has been covering up mytho crimes to protect the community’s reputation. With a mayoral election looming, the last thing his people need is a scandal.

To get a murderer off the streets, Jordan and Edra will be spending a lot of time together, and it won’t be easy to keep up with their deceptions… or to keep resisting each other.
~~~
Lust and other Drugs is the mm urban fantasy romance you’ve been waiting for; rich with creative and engaging world building, complicated characters, and an exploration of the intricacies of dragon mating rituals, Nichols gives a captivating and sensual touch to gay paranormal romance.

Book 1 in the gay urban fantasy series that follows Jordan and Edra as they solve crime and figure out how to improve Mytho and human relations. For readers who like dragon shifters and forbidden romance.

Review: Roommate (Vino and Veritas) by Sarina Bowen

Rating: 4.75🌈

I can always count on the Vino and Veritas series to bring me a new engaging contemporary novel to dive into, this time by Sarina Bowen.

Vino and Veritas (now on its second series) is written by a revolving selection of authors and the novels are loosely based in and around Burlington, Vermont and the unique gay bookstore and bar, Vino and Veritas.

Roommate takes us back to the nearby home of the widespread Shipley family, of the famous Shipley cider, in Colebury, Vermont. Bowen has written about the Shipley clan before but it’s not necessary to know anything about those stories to get involved in the lives of the people you’re going to meet here.

It’s a hallmark of this series that the authors, including Bowen, deliver a thoughtful and layered storyline when developing their romance. So each man is depicted as dealing with a multitude of issues that are deeply embedded in his life history and need to be resolved in some manner in order for each to move forward with their own lives and as a couple.

I can’t begin to tell you how much this approach to her storytelling I appreciate. It involves some serious issues with each man, including parental rejection due to sexuality, a termination of a relationship because of a closeted partner, deeply rooted family secrets, insecurities and fear of the loss of identity.

That’s such a realistic heavy burden that Bowen lays upon the shoulders of her main characters yet she weaves a great amount of love and laughter into them as well through shared experiences and food.

I loved how well crafted all the characters are here. From the main characters of Roderick and Kieran Shipley, to the amazing women who own the bakery, to the stress-filled, close mouthed farming Shipley family of Kieran so full of secrets. Every single one was as real as day. You could feel the anguish, the pain, and the tension.

The flow of the narrative is believable, as is the decisions each man makes along the way. Small steps toward a larger growth.

Overall a fabulous romance, a great job of storytelling and characters I hope to see again in future novels.

One thing.

I’m so sorry I didn’t have a bunch of great pretzels, or bagels, or babka to knosh on while reading this because, frankly, reading what Roderick was baking had me drooling. So take this as a hint and stock up before you start.

I’m highly recommending this. And check out the other books in the two series while you’re at it.

Vino and Veritas:

Roommate by Sarina Bowen

Featherbed by Annabeth Albert

Headstrong by Eden Finley

Heartscape by Garrett Leigh

Aftermath by LA Witt

Undercover by Eliot Grayson

Booklover by JE Birk

Flipcup by Kim Hartfield (F/F)

Unguarded by Jay Hogan

Buy Link :

Roommate (Vino and Veritas)

Description:

Wanted: One roommate to share a 3-bedroom house, split the rent, and ideally not be the guy I can’t stop thinking about.

I’m a man with too many secrets, so the last thing I need is a new roommate with a sexy smile and blue eyes that see right through me. Eight years ago, Roderick left town after high school. We’re not friends. I owe him nothing. But back then, I let one of my secrets slip, and he’s the only one who noticed.

Part of me knows I should run far, far away. But the other part wants him to come upstairs and spend the night. But if I let him in, I could lose everything.

Seeking: a room to rent in town. I’m tidy, have no pets, and I will feed you homemade bread.

I should probably add: Gay AF, and has no filter. It’s no wonder my new landlord is so wary of me.

A smarter man would ignore those hot glances from Kieran Shipley. The broody lumberjack wants more from me than another homemade pretzel, but if I push my luck, I’ll end up back on the street.

Too bad I’ve never been smart with my heart…

Vino and Veritas (19 books)

by Sarina Bowen And various authors

Review: Maniac (Necessary Evils Book 7) by Onley James

Rating: 4.5 🌈

Maniac brings Onley James’ Necessary Evils to a close as you’d expect from a series about a family of psychopaths and their partners. It’s ends on an assassin’s revenge, death, and a bang on conclusion that brings the entire Mulvaney clan, extended family and friends together for one last murderous investigation and romance.

The Mulvaney storyline and romantic drama features the head of the family, Thomas Mulvaney with an emphasis on his past, and the odd adopted “child” of the Mulvaney brood. That’s Aiden, who came into the family as a young teenager from a well connected family who pressured Thomas to take him.

Here we learn the details of Aiden’s adolescent, the events that led him to Thomas and the Mulvaney family. And what’s been behind the bitterness and sadness that’s kept Aiden and Thomas apart for years.

Unsurprisingly, we’re dealing with a tragic and traumatic childhood. One rife with parental abuse , intentional cruelty, and malicious neglect. All of which have had consequences in the past as well as present a variety of ways.

James brings in several new characters like Lola who works with Aiden as well as familiar ones like Calliope, her son and his partner, Atticus and Jericho’s adopted “kids”, who soon will get their own series.

If there’s one issue, and it can’t be helped, it’s a surfeit of characters. You have all the original Mulvaney children, and now their partners/ fiancées/husbands, plus children/grandchildren, the nanny/baby mother, computer genius Calliope, her son and his lover, and any extra cast we’ve had thrown in along the way. It’s a lot to ask of the reader to remember each couple’s relationship dynamics, their stories, and even how the unique personalities and special groups play out within the family structure.

All that on top of a messy emotional connection that’s in need of resolution and balance between Aiden and Thomas.

I haven’t even begun to touch on the blackmail that the launching point for all the events and emotions (from those that are capable of them) within the family business and structure.

Basically a family of psychopaths go to war! It’s that simple and it’s extremely complicated.

Did I enjoy it and appreciate the nuances that James brought to Thomas and the various perspectives on his upbringing? Absolutely. From Thomas’ viewpoint of himself as the one responsible for certain events, to , even though he was a child without support, his own family’s clear vision of Thomas and his role within the past.

Reminder that this is dark fiction and it’s subject matter, although not necessarily with elements that “happen on page” are full of issues that might be considered triggers for some people. Rape, torture, manipulation, child abuse and neglect are key topics. So be aware.

So as a finale , things are pretty well sorted and done for each couple by book’s end. We know where each couple is as a family and within the Mulvaney’s as a whole unit. It feels complete.

And James assures us that we haven’t seen the last of them as they will continue their secret life as assassins. It won’t surprise anyone to see them appear in the upcoming spinoff series that starts with Jericho’s Boys. They are a group already adopted into the inner circle of The Mulvaney family.

For more information, see below. Until then, for lovers of dark contemporary fiction, I’m recommending this. Read the series in the order that it is written.

Necessary Evils series:

✓ Unhinged #1

✓ Psycho #2

✓ Moonstruck #3

✓ Headcase #4

✓ Mad Man #5

✓ Lunatic #6

✓ Maniac #7 – finale

Two upcoming spinoff series, The Watch and Jericho’s Boys, the first of which Paladin #1, is coming April 30, 2023

Buy Link:

Maniac (Necessary Evils Book 7)

Description:

Thomas Mulvaney was just a child when an error in judgment cost him everything. He vowed then that he would do anything to atone for his mistake. And he did. He never strayed from the right path. Until Aiden.

Aiden Mulvaney doesn’t exist. He’s a lie created by the father who disowned him and by Thomas Mulvaney, the only man Aiden had ever begged to love him. But that was years ago, when he’d still believed in fairytales. Before Thomas rejected him.

Thomas has spent years trying to have Aiden in his life while keeping him at arm’s length, but Aiden’s done with half-measures. He’s done with Thomas the martyr. He’s just done. So, he’s kept his distance. Trouble is, now, someone is threatening to expose a secret that affects them all.

No, not that one. A secret so shameful, Thomas won’t even utter it out loud. Can he and Aiden revisit the past and keep the family name intact, or will they both be buried beneath the weight of their memories as their old feelings resurface?

Review: Playing Deep (Miami Piranhas Book 5) by Beth Bolden

Rating: 4.75🌈

A finale book is a hard one to read and I imagine, extremely hard for the author to write. For a reader, especially a fan of the series, expectations are high to see how the writer can send off the characters and close down the arc in a way which satisfies us and makes sense.

Much the same as it must be for the author who’s been writing and creating these characters and their stories over a period of time. If it’s a series like the Miami Piranhas, where we had an entire NFL football team and a whole bunch of couples, well that makes the finale that more challenging.

So I liked that Bolden chose to make her two last characters and couple in this series , men at crossroads in their lives, whether they realized it at the time. Men with doubts and thinking about their own life choices. On and around a team that’s newly reformed and establishing themselves and their own identity in the NFL. It’s looking like a a fresh start or beginning will happen but there’s to be a ending first.

So logical and well planned. While the story didn’t go into detail about some elements, it brought full circle so many aspects of this series (as as as another), that it led me back into the other series to begin again.

The character of prickly journalist Julian Anderson, who has quite the journey of emotional growth and professional development, is one I got. He is layered with the believable qualities of someone who’s experienced deep loss and abandonment, and now has the barriers to show for it.

His chemistry and relationship with Kenyon Ellis is real, emotionally fraught with issues and the tough facts of each person’s profession and painful history.

Kenyon Ellis. What an incredible man and character. Bolden shows her deep love and understanding of this sport in Ellis. His love for his team, his divided attention, his guilt, everything that preying on his mind and heart at this time of his life and career. He’s painfully, beautifully real in every aspect of his personality and my favorite character.

All the others from the team make impressive supporting roles here to come together as a team and as friends.

No spoilers this time. Just a white knuckle ride and a highly entertaining and deeply thoughtful show, that ends as it should.

I’d give a trophy for them and this. And I hope to maybe see them again someday. You never know in a Bolden book .

Yes, I’m highly recommending this and the series.

Miami Piranhas series:

🔹Playing For Keeps #1

🔹Playing The Player #2

🔹Playing By The Rules #3

🔹Winning The Season #4

🔷Playing Deep #5 – Series Finale

Buy Link:

Playing Deep (Miami Piranhas Book 5)

Description:

Kenyon Ellis knows getting involved with Julian Anderson is an enormous mistake—but from the very first night, he finds him annoying, intriguing and ultimately, irresistible.

One, Kenyon is a player, and Julian is a reporter, so hooking up with him, no matter how spectacular the nights are, is a terrible idea.

Two, he’s falling for him, even if Julian continues to be prickly and impossible. But every time Julian’s walls shift, Kenyon sees the real man behind the attitude, and he only wants more.

Three, between the Piranhas and the charity work he’s committed to, Kenyon really doesn’t have the time for a relationship—but a relationship with Julian turns out to be exactly what he wants.

Maybe even exactly what he needs.

But when Julian starts calling out his performance on the field, the last thing Kenyon expects is to feel betrayed. But is it betrayal? Or does Julian simply see something in Kenyon he’s lost along the way?

The answer leads him not only to love, but to the biggest crossroads of his life.

The fifth and final Miami Piranhas book.

Review: Prince of Lies by Lucy Lennox

Rating: 4🌈

I’m really all over the place with Lucy Lennox’s newest book Prince of Lies. The premise concerned me because I’m not a fan of relationships that start with deception. Unless you’re a spy, member of a law enforcement agency, or assassin where lying is actually in their job description , then I’m a fan of people who have adult realistic relationships in contemporary romance.

So it took me a while to get into the story with Rowe Prince lying his way through the beginning pages, even chapters, but eventually this character’s engaging personality won me over. It helps that Rowe is absolutely horrible at deception and the situations he gets himself into or bumbles about in are hilarious.

With the terrific Sebastian Dayne as Prince’s foil , we marvel as the real life comedy of the absurd plays out over corporate intrigue and painful past betrayals.

With Bast as “straight” man, pretending to be the PA to imaginary Sterling Chase’s that Rowe Prince is cluelessly trying to be, whether it’s high society social circles or upper echelons of the business elite, Rowe is a wildly windmilling dreamer trying to maintain his balance and the façade he’s taken on. It’s a white knuckle ride that’s filled with suspense, humor, and more than a bit of pathos.

I was completely entranced by the dance Lennox created for her characters as they romanced, figured out the truth in their identities and how they were supposed to be able to move forward with life together if certain issues weren’t resolved.

Their story and romance was supported by a fascinating crew of characters. Silas, Kenji , Zane, Dev, Landry on Bast’s side. Joey, the Burrito Bandito bestie on Rowe’s. The author writing fun stories or traumatic experiences for each to make the reader want to know more.

So adorable characters with a wonderful supporting cast within a engaging storyline.

I did laugh a lot and liked the relationship. So it’s all a win for me. I’m recommending it.

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com › showPrince of Lies by Lucy Lennox

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Prince-…Prince of Lies – Kindle edition by Lennox, Lucy. Romance …

Description:

Rowe Prince is a lying liar who windmills into my life in full color, claiming to be Sterling Chase, a quirky, eccentric billionaire… and founder of the company I created.

Two can play at the lying game, though, and I’m not about to let some burrito-delivering, floppy-haired virgin from Indiana best me at a game I was born to play.

So I do him one better and pretend to be Sterling Chase’s new assistant. I’ll teach him a lesson that will hopefully wind us both up in bed… with nothing but the truth between us.

But it turns out his shameless lies are enchanting… unintentionally hilarious… and make it all too easy to forget the truth…

Until I learn that this cutie’s intent is to defraud the company I’ve spent years building. I have to choose: risk the company or say goodbye to the man I’m falling for. A guy who just might be…

The Prince of Lies

Review: 2 Dead Fish Named Kevin by L. A. Witt

Rating: 4🌈

2 Dead Fish Named Kevin by L. A. Witt is a short sweet contemporary holiday romance. It’s built around the idea of a zoo that , as a holiday fundraiser, sells different zoo food for their animal exhibits with the people being able to name the food (fish, crickets, etc) before whatever animals are given them to eat!

Here Witt creates a entertaining situation with two men who each name a fish Kevin after a toxic ex for the Bears to eat. In a highly amusing way, and with help from the zookeeper, they discover it’s not just a name they have in common.

From there we follow as the men get to know each other and share their stories about their experiences with the ex and hopes for the future. All while visiting various animal exhibits at the zoo.

It’s charming, realistic, and engaging.

I liked the men, I enjoyed the relationship they were building , and that there was no immediate instant love but a recognition of like and wanting to see where it goes. Very believable and grounded.

And that made the epilogue that much sweeter.

I’m definitely recommending the very adorable 2 Dead Fish Named Kevin by L. A. Witt. It’s not just for Valentine’s Day but for anyone who enjoys contemporary romance.

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com › show2 Dead Fish Named Kevin by L.A. Witt

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › 2-Dead-…2 Dead Fish Named Kevin – Kindle edition by Witt, L.A.. Romance …

Description:

“Help raise money to improve our habitat! For a small donation, we’ll name a fish after your ex and feed it to the bears on Valentine’s Day!”

For Garrett Mitchell, who just found out his butthead of an ex-boyfriend cheated on him, that donation is money well spent.

And Tristan Waverly was just unceremoniously dumped by a man who is absolutely worthy of being tossed to hungry bears, so he’s more than happy to buy a fish.

As the bears chow down, though, everyone’s wondering the same thing—is it a coincidence, or are both fish named after the same guy?

There’s only one way to find out.

But when Garrett and Tristan come face to face, suddenly the last man either wants to think about is Kevin.

2 Dead Fish Named Kevin is a light, fluffy, and short Valentine’s Day romance (22,500 words)

Review: Aisle Be There (Runaway Grooms Book 1) by Charlie Cochet

Rating: 4.75🌈

I know I’m in for a fabulous time when I’m cackling at the very beginning of the story! Just pages in and my sides are hurting from laughing over the outfit and situation Gage Kingston finds himself in. It’s hilarious, realistically anxiety producing, and so well written that we’re drawn into Gage’s story and comedy/drama elements of his love life instantly.

So as we start, this is how we continue on! A breakneck rumble of a romantic contemporary love story that encapsulates the best elements of second chances at love, lovers reunited, and best friends who became lovers all into one singular book. One I adore.

I didn’t realize until later this was part of the Four Kings Security Universe. I don’t think you have to have read one or all of those to get with the characters and setting here. It’s narratively well laid out and Cochet’s foundation for the Runaway Grooms is very solid.

Each main character has a different but similar feel to them in that they’re both multidimensional and have depth in their respective histories. Gage with his large family, including cousins and their partners and Jett with his found family of his father’s band members.

Each person has been given aspects of their history to blend with their personalities to make them feel believable. As Jett still grieves and works through the loss of his father, we understand those emotions and actions. When Gage panics and flees when faced with a reality he’s just recognizing? We get that too. The mixture of sadness and humor, loss and love, all so human, endearing, and real.

If I had a quibble, it was that the bad guy/villain of the piece felt a little one dimensional next to all the other characters. But honestly, that was it.

Ok more more quibble. We have to wait almost an entire year for the next book in this series. Sigh. January to be exact. Oh well.

This was such a fantastic read that I’m highly recommending it. For those that like a complete read list, Cochet has a Four Kings Security Universe one at the beginning of the book and on her website. But anti don’t feel it required. I’ll leave that decision up to you.

Runaway Grooms series:

✓ Aisle Be There #1

◦ To Have and Withhold #2 – Jan 9, 2024

Aisle Be There (Runaway Grooms Book 1)

Description:

They say your wedding day is the beginning of your happily ever after.

But I’m pretty sure they never stood on a sweltering Florida beach getting ready to promise forever… only to change their mind at the last minute and be assaulted by a crustacean while fleeing the scene.

Once upon a time, I was a respected Navy officer. A guy who made a career out of managing chaos.

Now, I am the chaos, a groom on the run from my ex-fiance and his dad’s goons. Oh, and the guy driving the getaway car? That would be my ex-boyfriend, Jett.

Gorgeous. Brilliant. A guy I couldn’t help falling in love with twelve years ago.

The guy I realize I’ve always loved.

Did I mention he’s also a famous rock star on a sold-out summer tour?

This situation has disaster written all over it. But if I can manage the chaos, maybe I’ll get my happy ending after all.

———-

Four Kings Security Universe

Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts

Love in Spades, Four Kings Security Book 1

Be Still my Heart, Four Kings Security Book 2

Ante Up – A Four Kings Security Short

Join the Club, Four Kings Security Book 3

Diamond in the Rough, Four Kings Security Book 4

Kept in the Dark, Black Ops: Operation Orion’s Belt Book 1
(This series is standalone and can be read on its own.)

In the Cards – A Four Kings Security Short

Stacking the Deck, The Kings: Wild Cards Book 1

Raising the Ante, The Kings: Wild Cards Book 2

Sleight of Hand, The Kings: Wild Cards Book 3

Aisle Be There, Runaway Grooms Book 1
(This series is standalone and can be read on its own.)

Review: Conduit Crisis (Ghostly Guardians #3) by Louisa Masters

Rating: 4.25🌈

I admit I wavered here with the rating. Conduit Crisis ends on a cliffhanger. A really good one, but still a cliffhanger which isn’t my favorite way to end a book. Unless I know the series is complete and I can binge read each novel through to the finale.

That’s not the case here.

Conduit Crisis is building the series storylines to a sense of overwhelming dread with the portents of imminent doom. Masters interlaces the gathering of paranormal facts about whatever incoming dangers the characters (human, spirits or whatever) are facing with a romance between Spiritual Conduit Skye and the manor’s living history farmer, Daniel.

Long time friends, Skye has been nursing a crush on his straight friend, something Daniel is clueless about.

Skye and Daniel’s relationship turns into a romance that includes a bisexual awakening along with a touch of fake boyfriend element before they settle into a HFN partnership. It would seem rushed except for the fact that these men have been in a steady solid relationship with each other since the beginning of the series.

So it’s a matter of a change in perspective which is believably written by Masters and grounded by their actions and words leading up to this story.

The newest paranormal biggie introduced is fascinating. I can’t wait for the rest of his/it’s story to fall in the upcoming Gateway Catastrophe.

Until then, I’m recommending Conduit Crisis. But make sure to read all the stories leading up to it. This series must be read in the order they are written in order to understand the events and character development.

Ghostly Guardians:

✓ Spirited Situation #1

✓ Vortex Conundrum #2

✓ Conduit Crisis #3

◦ Gateway Catastrophe #4 – June 21, 2023

Related to the series:

◦ Eternal Luck, the prequel

Buy link:

Conduit Crisis (Ghostly Guardians Book 3)

Description:

Being in love with my straight friend isn’t easy…

I thought pining for Daniel was an epic tragedy, but then I found out I’m a conduit—someone who can communicate with beings from the otherworld—and my unrequited love for one of my best friends seems less of a problem.

So when a spirit is destroyed while trying to warn me of an approaching disaster, it makes sense for Daniel to step up and help me search for more information. Or it does until my mom turns up twenty years after abandoning me and Daniel turns into Mr. Protective. One thing leads to another, and somehow the whole town now thinks we’re dating.

As if all that isn’t enough to deal with, Daniel’s having a bisexual awakening, and he’s looking to me, his gay friend, to guide him through it. I’d do anything for him, but the thought of being with him and then watching him move on to another guy… I don’t know if my heart can take it.

But I have to toughen up and get on with it, because whatever’s happening in the otherworld is spilling over to here, and it’s going to take everyone we’ve got to keep humanity safe… if we can.

Review: The Solstice Kings by Kim Fielding

Rating: 3.25🌈

I was excited to see a book by Kim Fielding published by Tin Box Press, which meant I would be able to read and review it. Unfortunately, this fantasy tale is a bit of a mixed bag.

There’s so many potentially interesting elements here, ranging from the main character’s adopted family and it’s magical “castle” ancestral home to the lore that Fielding’s narrative inhabits so well.

But the issues start immediately with the main characters. One, Miles Thorsen, adopted son of the strange Nordic Thorsens, is not particularly likable. From the beginning he’s a bit self centered, passive, and the minute he arrives home, rude and disrespectful. So, not someone I really wanted to spend time with.

The next was Remy. Fielding made such a odd choice here regarding an aspect of his character . It’s hard to tell you all what my issues are with him without major spoilers but it’s so not in keeping with the idea and mythology that Fielding is building here to mix into her climatic point at the end. Not that we hadn’t already guessed by then. It had been telegraphed heavily by so many bluntly written clues. You are left wondering how and why he fits into this exactly . Why this form? Why not something Scandinavian? From Odin’s mythology? Just doesn’t add up.

True Fielding’s mixed Paranormal beings, beliefs, and myths before to a successful storyline but here it’s just weird. Off putting.

The story winds up as a HEA but we are left asking questions, or at least I was. Just too many holes and ill fitting narrative pieces for this to fill like the Fielding story gems I look forward too and love.

Read it if you’re a fan of the author.

Amazon

Description:

Miles Thorsen’s adopted family is… unusual. But that’s not why he fled after graduating from college. Now, after ten years of restless wandering, he returns home for the winter holiday celebration. The solstice is a time of change, and perhaps it’s time for Miles to face who he is, who he loves… and who he’ll become.

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