Lost and Bound has to be one of my favorites of this series so far. Itās got a horrifying beginning. We get dropped into a nightmare where a character previously thought dead is imprisoned, tortured, and experimented on.
Jared Armitage, a problematic character whoās caused no end of heartbreak and issues for his own family and pack is now close to dying. Heās cognizant that heās made many wrong choices to get where heās is but doesnāt want to die.
I like that Graysonās creation of Jared reflects the fact that Jaredās made enormous mistakes and that he realizes exactly why he made them, the flaws in himself that made his betrayals possible. Jared is such a tortured , damaged soul but his acceptance of his guilt lays the way towards his forgiveness and acceptance.
Calder is a striking figure. From the first dark, fearsome impression of a starving monster to the being that we continue to see grow beyond our understanding, heās such a formidable force. And my favorite.
Watching these two together, as they work through traumatic events, family disputes, and further emotional devastation, well, itās gripping, sexy, and deeply satisfying.
More about these two please because I feel their story is far from over.
Arik and Matt, Ian and Nate make strong appearances here. But the book belongs to Jared and Calder.
Iām highly recommending it. The series too. Read them mostly in order . Skip First Blood. For many reasons.
Kidnapped, imprisoned, and experimented on for two years, Jared Armitage has lost the will to live. When his captors give him to another prisoner, one who can and probably will take Jaredās life, he comes face to face with the most terrifying thing of all: hope.
Calderās warlock captors meant to turn him into a monster, and they nearly succeeded. Starved, desperate, and filled with rage, Calder hasnāt cared about anyone in years. Until Jared. Together they have a chance at escape and Calder has someone to fight and kill for. To cherish. Someone he doesnāt want to hurt.
Life after captivity isnāt easy. Jared never wanted a mate like Calder, but he craves Calderās intense attention, his ability to take Jared apartā¦and then put him back together again. Even if their mate bond is only temporary.
But Calderās made a promiseāone heāll die before he breaksānever to hurt Jared or let him be hurt. Unexpected enemies are lurking, targeting Jared, Calderās one weakness. Their intense bondāand maybe even loveāare worth everything, and they’re both willing to fight for itā¦or die trying.
Lost and Bound contains dubcon and graphic violence. It also includes a monster who torments his mate by being too gentle, the werewolf who canāt stop craving him, and knottingāand a guaranteed HEA. The book has new main characters, but it is best read in series. This series does not contain mpreg.
Beyond The Veil series continues itās excellent journey into the macabre and magical with The Bones in The Yard. KM Averyās series is slightly divided into sections of three, each focusing on a specific main character and couple.
The Bones in The Yard is the second of the group of stories about the elf detective, Valentine āValā Hart. Val, now private investigator with Beyond the Veil , a firm owned by Mason and Ward , a orc witch and human warlock who deal in all things magical, arcane and the dead.
Averyās book picks up after the events in The Dog In The Alley, the story that introduces Val to Taavi Camal, Xoloitzcuintli shifter who is a rare born Arcanid. Taavi, in a fascinating twist, spent much of that story and their time together in his dog form (through trauma) , which prompts a lot of mixed emotions and deep questioning from Val over how to deal with Taavi on different levels. Itās a great element and one whose impact continues through to this story.
Avery has ,through five books, demonstrated an exemplary ability to craft believable traumatized characters, ones so complex and compelling that we can understand all the layers of denial they are putting between them and the reality of their existence. These are brutal books, dealing with death through evil, horrific acts. Some from past history that Avery brings tragically, furiously to life through the ghosts Ward talks to. Others through the vicious, ruthless events of modern life, from the magical world or against it.
The Bones In The Yard attacks the seemingly unflappable elf on every level. Avery uses this book to narratively open up Val emotionally, flay him for his own introspection about his life, and the shifter heās not sure how to love. The same shifter whoās trying to get Val to see that Val is showing all the signs of some who has PTSD. Which Val does. Most of the beings here are under constant threat of violence or have been physically / mentally/ magically assaulted. Or been somehow effected by it. Itās a very harsh reality.
The shifter, Taavi Camal, a Xoloitzcuintli dog (among those commonly known as Mexican hairless) , has been recently injured and Arcanids are being ritually murdered, another scary fact for him and Val.
Avery layers on fascinating Maya and Incan mythology to go with terrifying discoveries and murders. All the marvelous found family of the Beyond the Veil is highly visible and involved as well as Valās best friend from Wisconsin.
Elliot is important because a huge
part of Valās identity is his Wisconsin family and heritage. Heās still that nondescript , 5ā7ā brown haired boy that no one wanted to date. The one that likes his baked goods and family before the Arcanavirus changed him into a 6ā2ā, gorgeous elf with long silver hair that continues to grow. Thereās a constant struggle between the being heās become , how heās now perceived as this luminous beauty and the real person heās inside. Again, a great element of this story and series. The new beings created , the ones that survived, by the Arcanavirus and societyās response to them.
Avery is constantly expanding this universe, coming back to the original threads which made it so imaginative. Here Taavi is a rare born Arcanid, instead of someone changed. Heās never been anything else, with implications for that. He doesnāt understand what itās like to be human.
Iāve been distressed, constantly amazed, frustrated, appreciative, totally invested and always looking forward to the next chapter in the lives of the beings here.
Iām highly recommending this book but this is a series that must be read in order for the reader to understand the characters, the events that happened to them.
Beyond The Veil :
The Ghost In The Hall #1
The Boy In The Locked Room #2*
The Skeleton Under The Stairs #3
The Dog In The Alley #4
The Bones In The Yard #5
ā¢ Pls read reviews and trigger warnings about book 2 and Chapter 19, a chapter which deals in a sexual assault.
I know. Whoād have thought that a jaded ex-cop elf would have problems with emotional commitment and self-esteem?
Yeah, me, too.
Iām trying to work on that. Iāve also got a new job, new boss, and a pile of bones Iām trying to identify while not stepping on too many official police-business toes. To top things off, it looks like the Antiquus Ordo Arcanum arenāt the only murdering cult making my life a living hell.
Iām in the middle of a battleground between not one, but two cults and a group of people who think that witches, warlocks, and people like Ward and me shouldnāt exist. And as if that werenāt enough, Iām struggling to find time to work on self-improvement and maybe manage to go on a date or two in the mean time with a certain shifter who is just way too adorable for words.
Iām pretty sure heās going to dump my ass. But I really, really, really hope he doesnāt. At least not before I can solve these murders and get my life a little more together than it currently isnāt.
āI, Detective Octavius Evander, continues! To start off on a positive note, prepare to be amazed my precious human, Turney,ā
The adventures and romantic journey of the ancient vampire Octavius Evander and his human companion, the wonderfully named Turney Pimms, continues in Keep It Together.
This series starts with Octavius deciding to open a paranormal detective agency, with nothing but money, whimsy and time behind it. As the first book progresses past a strangely endearing flyer, The Undead Detective Agency begins to accumulate its unique employees and accept cases. Among its employees are Turney Pimms, Cormac the werewolf ,Scarlett the zombie , and Min-ji the powerful witch. Each finds their way to working for Octavius in an most unlikely scenario.
But itās Octavius himself whoās the paranormal puzzle at the heart here. Heās ancient, incredibly intelligent, lost more knowledge than anyone around while accumulating more powers, and yet heās still not the figure youād expect.
And this is where Shelby Rhodes does the hardest work narratively and the best thatās threaded through out the series to date. Itās in creating a character so lovable and endearing that we pay little attention to the darker aspects of his story the authorās hinting at.
Honestly Iād pay just for the fabulous sketches of the character of Octavius at the beginning of each chapter. Heās just that winning a personality, especially in his costumed fruit bat form.
So as Octavius runs around chasing his favorite types of glitter, or between cases, has sexy romps with his Turney, the author starts to smack the reader with a clue. Then itās back to silliness. Then a harder smack to make us pay attention, then notice something about Octavius, then everything isnāt quite so simple or silly anymore.
That perhaps itās deep trauma and a shattering experience thatās brought about a need to shy away from looking at things too hard and instead concentrate on glitter and scrapbooking. Suddenly the character of Octavius takes on another troubling aspect and damaged perspective of someone whoās been abused.
The ending is both something the author is preparing the reader for and is still unexpected. Itās a cliffhanger.
I have such a deeper appreciation for the layers the author is writing into the story and characters here that I wasnāt aware of in the first book. Iāll be rereading it again soon to see what I missed.
Iām highly impressed by the story and plots . Iām recommending it. Thereās a character death. Thatās not a spoiler as itās mentioned in the description.
Part of me thinks that there should be a trigger warning for trauma but I canāt think of how Iād word it at the moment. Itās that sort of story.
Back again, I see. Well, you are in luck, for the story of, I, Detective Octavius Evander, continues! To start off on a positive note, prepare to be amazed as my precious human, Turney, falls into my hands!
Okay, technically, I already had my hands on himāall of himābut that didnāt make him mine, mine. But now it is time to show how I captured his heart with my lovable personality! No doubt my adorable and sparkly new hobby had something to do with it as well!
But enough about the gooey emotions. On to the cases! There will be a new adventure or two with my team to entertain. Though the adventures this time, well, not all end as pleasantly as one might hope. While I would say to prepare for the return of old faces, none of you have seen them before. Just know that their reappearance in my life leads to an unfortunate event. But in the paranormal world, fun and death go hand and hand, does it not?
CONTENT WARNING: This is a M/M paranormal romance book that ends on a cliffhanger. There will be violence and a main character deathāa temporary death.
How To Date A Dragon is a short cute prequel to Louisa Masters Here Be Dragons series. This quick romance between Hagen, a dragon, and real estate agent, the vampire Jaiden is about 88 pages long. That doesnāt allow much time for character or relationship development. It comes with the expectation that the reader is already familiar with the characters and the world building behind it.
The purpose of Hagen and Jaiden meeting is to find the location for what will become in the series Here Be Dragons, the seat and home of the dragons on Earth. They meet hot and heavy, go on a couple of romantic dates, and then the epilogue flashes forward to find them into an established relationship.
Itās sexy, the couple engaging, and the entire thing short. Definitely a story that could benefit from more exposition and length. But itās a cute addition to Louisa Masters series and dragons.
Tip #1 for dealing with dragons: be prepared for anything
My whole life, I thought dragons were majestic, wise, and fearsome creatures. Not to mention fictional. Itās been less than a year since that last belief was debunked. Dragons are real, theyāre now living among us, and Iām the lucky realtor who gets to sell a house to their leader. I just have to impress his representative first. No problemāIām a professional.
Except the dragon rep turns out to be the guy I hooked up with last night, and heās fast disproving everything I believed about dragons. Unless āwiseā actually means āaddicted to glitterā and āmajesticā is a euphemism for āovergrown frat boy.ā
Hagen might actually be the most annoying person Iāve ever met, yet I canāt resist going on a date with him. One thingās for sure, someone needs to write me a how-to guide for dating a dragonā¦ glitter not included.
I picked up Pressure hoping by reading the first of the Lunar Wolves books Iād get a better understanding of the universe and setting for Burrellās stories and characters.
Unfortunately, the answer is not really. I still donāt know if the world the events take place in belongs to humans AND lunar wolves originally, or if lunar wolves came later.
Also unanswered is the question of how and why the solar and celestial wolves clans or species came to this world or dimension. And who they are exactly. They appear to have, at least the solar wolves do, a very specific and rigid culture.
But this is a lunar wolf series. Whereās their rich background? Are there other series Iām missing?
At any rate, once again, I enter a story with a incomplete picture of the world and itās cultural history and current affairs. That lack of information will have the reader try to piece together essential bits of storylines and failing because we just canāt make sense of them.
If you can toss aside the backstory and concentrate on just the relationship of Axe Landry, Chief of LCEA, and Caden Borealis, only son of a isolated witch clan, then the story is very interesting. I like the main characters as they met and finally agreed to mate. A messy path indeed.
Axe has a hidden secret (one the reader doesnāt know until later), but he must obtain a mate to continue on in his job.
All wolves ,apparently, must mate with a witch, due to The Sacred Pact. Thatās actually spelled out for the reader and Caden. Otherwise, they go primal, lone, and wild.
So arranging for a mate is a common practice among clans of witches and wolves.
Caden is a different sort of person. Heās headed towards being a drug dealer, with a sleazy boyfriend and loser attitude. I like how this turns out.
Burrell could have spent the entire storyline on the adjustments both Caden and Axe had to make to each other, to the surprises inherent in their relationship and mate bond. Also to Cadenās reaction to Crescent City and the paranormal world. It would have been a excellent time to get those pesky things like background elements and foundation building in.
But instead thereās a mystery and murder to investigate too.
For myself, that took away from character development and pushed the story toward more threads than it could possibly handle.
Did I enjoy Pressure? Yes. Did I feel I had read a story that had a firm foundation of its universe set out for its readers? No. Likable characters and romantic relationships are engaging but within a story where we donāt have a complete picture of the world around them.
Thatās a tad frustrating. Where did those solar wolves come from?
So if youāre a Burrell fan and have the answers, then Iām sure you will be picking up this book. All others make your own choices.
Axe Landry is the disgraced heir of a defeated Alpha. He craves law, order, and stability, but he’s clinging to his position of Chief of the Lunar Council Enforcement Agency, the protectors of Crescent City, by a thread. If he doesn’t find a mateāa witch mate, at thatāby the next full moon, he’s bound for a life of ridicule and isolation. And to Axe, that kind of humiliation is a fate worse than death.
Enter Caden Borealisāwild, reckless…and irresistible.
Caden hasn’t made much of his twenty-three years on earth. His dysfunctional family and traumatic past sent him on a five year bender, but when his grandpa gets sick, Caden knows he needs to take care of the only person who ever cared about him. Caden’s life is a mess, though, and he desperately needs money if he wants to save his grandpa’s life.
A deliciously indecent proposal.
When Caden first hears Axe’s proposal, he can’t believe Axe is serious. All he has to do is pretend to be Axe’s husband and Axe will give him half a million dollars? There has to be a catch. Sure, Axe is a little strict. And yeah, there’s a list of rules Caden has to follow. But he can play the obedient pretend husband for as long as it takes for his grandpa to get better.
Unless it’s all real…
When werewolves start to go missing in Crescent City, Caden realizes he might be in over his head. He’s never let himself rely on anyone before, but Axeāolder, gorgeous, steady Axeābecomes his rock as he learns to navigate this newfound world of witches and werewolves. But as the lines between real and pretend blur, Caden can’t always remember that he’s only acting like he’s in love. He needs to keep his head in the game, but it might just be his heart that’s calling the shots now.
Pressure is the first book in the Lunar Wolves series. It is a paranormal gay romance with mystery, suspense, a stern and sexy wolf, and an impulsive twink who maybe shouldāve actually read that contractālike Axe had instructedābefore he signed it.
Scorched by Kiki Burrell is my first visit into this authorās Lunar Wolves series. It is described as a standalone novel so I approached it from that perspective, wanting to see what sort of story comes from such a interesting melding of elements.
Much of the above doesnāt come with much explanation or foundation. I cobbled that together from things mentioned throughout the book. So I really donāt think this exists as a standalone except perhaps if the author is talking about the couple.
And we need more here because the Wolves society seems to be a very rigidly conservative group at the highest levels, with a cultural outlook and ingrained values ,that to outsiders and those of status below them , seem not just imperious but richly oppressive. That seems to include a witch society too, but Iām not sure.
The two main characters of Scorched are from widely different backgrounds as well as cultures. One, Magnus, is a struggling human alchemist. Heās overwhelmed with bills, family obligations, and a adolescence full of secrets that heās still carrying around.
The other is Calore Fier, first generation Solar, billionaire, retired at 45. Powerful, restless, and sure heās discovered his mate in a human that wants nothing to do with him.
Burrell does an good job with the characters but she starts out with too many elements and then just doesnāt have the narrative time or space to carry out on these aspects. So they get dropped.
Thatās not a bad thing. Just something I noticed. In the case of Magnus, early on the author said his upbringing had instilled a need for āhumiliation and submission ā.
That need for submission is started to be addressed in the first stages of a relationship with Calore. But any need to be humiliated is forgotten. And then submission aspect is relegated to a tiny corner of the development of the story.
Burrell has so many good ideas and storylines to work through that other threads started get lost. Like the ones above. Thereās a shattered peace between races? Not sure. Issues with building the gate? I donāt know. Do witches and wolves have to mate? Donāt know. None of those things are certain or anything but hints here.
The ones that remain are wonderful and really require more page space. Magnusās family, the painful loss of his mother, his fatherās health and stance against the supernatural, and all the warm-hearted scenes with Magnus, Calore, and the siblings. Yes, pls. Couldnāt get enough. They were so well written with the characters, children especially, being fully fleshed out.
Scenes with Calore trying to adjust to Magnus and the opposite, also felt like a couple making tentative moves towards a mutual goal.
But for all that well developed narrative, Burrell gives us scenes with Lunar Wolf society which pulled the exposition rug out from under the reader. Suddenly we meet a āclose friend ā of Magnusā whoās a Solar/Lunar ? wolf too ( not sure how he fits in other than heās a scientist), unheard of grandparents suddenly appear, we get a mating ceremony we have no idea about, as well as references from the gathered high society about the Solar Wolf world, which apparently still exists. Why everybody is on Earth Iāve no clue. Plus thereās hints some do want a gate home and others not so much. But that too disappears, another thread gone.
The characters were very good. As I said, Burrell didnāt have the chance or space or , to be honest, need, to follow through on all the character traits she intended for Magnus. It worked out fine. He was overloaded and we didnāt get enough of the man the alchemist, especially as he was so famous for his skill. I wish that had been explored more.
Same for Calore. We didnāt get enough of him personally. More of his background, his personality, his interests. He wasnāt anywhere near as multi dimensional as Magnus was. Only in the scenes with the family did he become a person with depth.
So how to sum up a book I very much enjoyed but got occasionally frustrated with? Donāt treat this like a standalone. Iām going to have to go back to the series and get more of the world building to get answers the the questions this book raises.
If youāre a fan of Lunar Wolves, you should be fine. And youāre probably going to enjoy the story as I did. More so because you have the background I was missing.
Iām recommending Scorched (a Lunar Wolves novel) by Kiki Burrell with some asterisks.
Magnusās human family would despise him if they found out how deep heās fallen into the supernatural world. The witching world had been nothing but cruel to his late mother and now his human family wants nothing to do with it. But with an ailing father and siblings who need his help, Magnus doesnāt have a choice. He canāt make enough outside the magic world to support them but he refuses to watch them suffer over something as stupid as money. Heās lucky to live safe and isolated in Crescent City among other witches and werewolves where he has a steady stream of both income and men to call when he needs to let off steam. Magnus never lets himself become overly attached to any one partner, his life is stressful enough without the addition of emotions.
Calore Fier is a billionaire werewolf with his sights set on Magnus. The sexy witch calls to him in a way no one ever has, except, Magnus is resistant to Caloreās charms. He claims he canāt feel the draw that Calore canāt ignore but he didnāt build his empire by giving up. Calore will find out why Magnus is holding back and heāll tear down those walls until nothing stands between him and his mate.
Every second near Calore is a mistake. The older wolf is pure desire and Magnusās body aches whenever he is around, but they could never become more. Calore has no idea who Magnus really is or the baggage he carries, and as a solar werewolf, Caloreās life is about elegance and luxury. He wouldnāt understand Magnusās generic brand upbringing, his need to hide his magic, nor his penny pinching ways. Besides, if his family ever found out heād embraced the witching world, theyād hate him more than Magnus would hate himself.
Scorch is a standalone novella in the gay, paranormal romance series, Lunar Wolves. It features a sarcastic, proud witch and an arrogant wolf who won’t stop until he gets what he wants.
Other books in the Lunar Wolves series: Pressure Tension Force Thrust
If youāre in the mood for a cute kinky adult bedtime story, Iāve got a new trilogy for you! Author Charity Parkerson is offering up a trio of short adult paranormal tales, a mixture of fang, kink, and love done weird vampire style.
Little Pestās unique bag of elements include BDSM Daddy play, amorous tiny bats fielded by a fly swatter, a lonely ancient vampire who loves Vegas, and a sad young man who picked the wrong night to be brave and find a Daddy.
As odd a group as this sounds, as a short story, it comes marvelously together. Even if Daddy play or BDSM isnāt a trope you read, the way itās written is done well and easy for a reader to understand why it fills such an emotional need for Tate.
The ancient vampire? Draco, lonely in Las Vegas and unaware of how his long undead life is about to change. A terrifyingly good vampire and terrific character. I always suspected magicians were vampires anyway.
Tate is, uh was a vulnerable young man with a short unhappy life behind him. Parkerson creates in Tate a character of such bravery, self knowledge, and honesty that itās impossible not to root for him and love him. Onesie and all.
And turns out heās actually perfect for Draco, if only he can get past the ancient fears.
Little Pest is a quick fun Paranormal romance. Itās quirky, gives the reader a new slant on types of vampires (pesky young things), and mild kinky romance.
Iām looking forward to the remaining two tales. They look to be equally weird , different, and daffy while fangy and romantic. Gotta love that!
Draco is the oldest vamp around. Tate is the newest and possibly the most annoying. Theyāre the perfect pair.
As one of the oldest living vampires, Draco has seen a lot of history. Heās also extremely powerful. With that power comes an allure that draws younger supernaturals to him like flies, hoping for a taste of hisā¦ expertise. Draco wants none of that. He lives a quiet life as a magician at a casino in Vegas. Itās a fun gig for a retired vamp with no real responsibilities left to his name. Then Tate flies into his life. Now nothing is the same.
Tate is a little hapless. Heās a little everything, actually. In fact, that pretty much sums up his personality. Heās a Little. At least, he was before some dude bit him in a nightclub and now Tate is stronger than ten men, can control minds, and turn into a bat. He has no clue how heās doing any of that. No one taught him how to be a vampire. In fact, he doesnāt know how to survive. Without Dracoās help, he wonāt. If it means Tate has to make a pest of himself to get Draco to notice him and teach him the how-tos of his new life, then so be it. Falling in love, that was just another one of Tateās little mistakes, but it might be his best one yet.
Little Pest is the first book in Charity Parkersonās Once Upon a Bite series. These books are meant to be short, fun paranormal romps to brighten your day.
Stitched Under Fire takes place relatively close to the ending timeline of the first book, Faeted Under Fire. Thatās where the formerly human Det. Tristan James died, becoming reborn as a phoenix shifter and federal agent in the Paranormal Investigative Service, aka P.I.S. Yes, the series has a sense of humor.
He also gained a new perspective on paranormal beings heād been phobic about, gained a partner and boyfriend in fellow Agent Maddox Smith, half orc/half Fae.
We dive back into their world where Tris has become acclimated enough to consider his new Agent Pod/group friends and heās moved into a house with Maddox, getting ready to met the parents.
The authors do such a great job in creating the paranormal experience for Tristan James. Heās new to everything so we get to see and learn about it along with him. Honestly, the human side pales a bit by comparison.
Tristan is thriving even if heās at level one with regard to his shifter abilities and new identity as a phoenix shifter. The fact that phoenix shifters are rare means that even his own teammates and boyfriend arenāt exactly positive about what Tristan can do , other than the vaguest ideas.
OāConner and Lyn are on a slow path here with Tristanās shifter transition. Iām not sure how many books they have planned for the series, but at this point, for Tristan to gain full access to his phoenix abilities, it will be at book 10. But oddly, the cases become so big and the victims so important, that Tristanās shifter journey can safely be relegated to a lower storyline status without hurting the character or the book.
It becomes all about the characters, the relationships, the realness of their lives and the pain of their loss. Thatās what we feel as does those investigating the cases.
The side storyline about , Tallie,the young teenage prostitute whoās basically family, Maddoxās mom, and Silas, the Fae father , is heartwarming and a wonderful element that helps ground Tristan in this new world and relationship.
This book and series is one Iām enjoying so much for its well developed characters, well plotted storylines, rich world building, and expanding new information into the exploration between human and paranormal phenomena and physicality.
Bring on book 3. Iām highly recommending this and the series. Read them in the order they are written to understand the events and character development.
Paranormals left for dead, parts of them missing. When bodies start piling up, the agents of Paranormal Investigative Service quickly realize the killings aren’t random and they are escalating.
Life is never dull as an agent of P.I.S. but Tristan James didn’t expect his fourth week as a newly turned phoenix shifter and federal agent to be spent hunting for the person who was dissecting paranormals. If that weren’t enough, he was also moving in with Maddox, his partner at P.I.S. and he had it bad for him.
Maddox Smith was going monogamous. If that weren’t shocking enough, Tristan was also moving in with him. Add to that the man of his dreams was still getting used to being a shifter and getting over old prejudices about their kind. Taking it slow was never in Maddox’s vocabulary before, but Tristan was worth the wait. A new case was exactly the distraction he needed.
They have to work quickly to stitch the pieces together if they want to stop the madman hurting their kind.
Book 3 ‘Taken Under Fire’ releases June 8th, 2023 and continues Maddox and Tristan’s story.
Shifter Scoundrels is a wildly imaginative , heave everything the multi era/trope sink has to offer into the adventure/romance world as conjured up by Charlie Cochet and Macy Blake. Part paranormal universe, it also includes such features as a Regency era monarchy, a royal society with the accompanying aristocracy events. To say nothing of the Regency societal laws such as rigid dress codes to go with the peerage rankings. All of these adopted by the Dragon Shifter King and the rest of the shifter world that lives invisibly along side the human one. Itās so marvelously descriptive and realized.
All of that serves as a foundation for mystery, murder, and magical mayhem as well as romance from book to book, with each novel featuring one couple involved in and investigating the overall series arc mystery. That being the murder of Prince Brandr, the son of the King.
I enjoyed the Regency relationship , romantic gameplay and subterfuge of the first story. It was all very in keeping with the theme and types of storytelling that the genre does so well.
But Dangerous goes in a different direction, romantically speaking, with its couple. And while it kept some of the Regency parameters intact, it also borrowed from the contemporary genre too. The combination is one is I found engaging and wonderfully entertaining. Because this other main character is oh so human, and comes with a very serious heart condition.
Jason Reaves is a surprise in every way. Jason has POTS, Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. He also has a wonderfully realized service dog, a German shepherd, Mouse, whoās a great character. The authors, both of whom own GSDs, show us exactly how Mouse helps Jason with his disability and their partnership in letting Jason lead a wider life. This is such a superb element of this book and itās worked so perfectly to elevate Jason as a multi-dimensional character including great backstory. As is Mouse whoās so much a part of him.
Cormac Donegan, Duke of Everard, is bringing heavyweight Regency energy here to his part of the relationship. Cormac is in recovery from a traumatic event, the losses which still haunt him. Weāve seen this event and connected events in the first book (which is running concurrently in terms of timeframe). So we have some knowledge about whatās happening and the details around the events.
Cormac and his team of valets/soldiers are absolutely fantastic characters. Cormac as he starts to understand Jasonās predicament and fall for the human heās bound to protect. Vega and Sillian ,the manservants , who are fabulous in their roles as foils for each other and for Jason as he becomes part of the household and their world.
The mystery and fast paced action is fantastic. The narrative runs along at near breakneck speed to match the scenes unfolding on the pages.
Thereās humor, some pathos, passion, and action, along with great support cast and main characters.
I honestly couldnāt put this down.
The setup for Scandalous, the third installment and romance is smoothly executed. Now to wait until next year.
Iām highly recommending this story but read the series in order first so you understand the events and backgrounds as it all comes together.
When Jason Reaves is nearly killed in a house fire, it becomes clear that someone is trying to murder him. With his already fragile health deteriorating, Jasonās only hope is to call in the debt a stranger owes his fatherā a favor that promises safety, protectionā¦ and marriage.
Jasonās escape leads him and his service dog, Mouse, to an impressive country estate. Heās expecting the older man whoād made the promise, not his ruggedly handsome sonāwho happens to be a Duke, as in rich and royal.
Will this Cinderfella find his happily ever after in the arms of a dashingāif somewhat irritableāduke? Or will Cormacās secrets prove to be more dangerous than the shifters hunting him?
Chosen Champions exists within Macy Blakeās extended and ever expanding Chosen universe. Consisting of five bookās total when complete, Scoutās story is full of revelations about the series mysteries, the characters, and pushes everything forward towards the series finale coming in book five.
The Chosen Champions is one of my favorites among a group of connected series. The characters are strong and interesting, and come with well developed personalities and backgrounds. Scout is a wolf shifter weāve followed from the very beginning when he and his siblings were rescued and adopted by Sam and Alpha Vaughan Jerrick (Sweet Nothings). Readers have watched through many stories, as Scout and his other 5 siblings grew up, establishing themselves as strong pack members and individually memorable characters .
Scout has achieved special status as being the only one to have become a part of two packs. One his family pack with his dads and now the Chosen Champion pack with Logan as a Alpha.
Heās so easy to connect with because if youāve read any of the books in this universe, youāve heard or are already aware of Scout. Maybe are very fond of him.
Coal Volsunga is a dragon and teammate of Scoutās. Both characters are connected to The Chosen by way of marriage through Henry (on Scoutās side) who is married to Draco, Coalās cousin. Itās all very complicated and intertwined.
Thereās strong repressed sexual tension happening between Coal and Scout that neither feel can be acted on, until , of course, they do.
Thereās a overall arc mystery here that now narrows the focus on who the big mastermind is behind the attacks on the Champions and other weres.
A FYI trigger warning, thereās a torture scene and mention of previous kidnappings that happened as children.
The story is full of suspense and horror as Blake heads the series towards the final book to come.
I found this excellent and the romance engaging with all the family members and allies involved in the events and subsequent fallout.
Plus Ben. Ben is just being so extraordinary and showing off such growth in terms of personality development.
This isnāt a story to come at cold. A reader needs the knowledge of the previous storylines as well as a good understanding of The Chosen One universe to fully grasp the events that are happening here.
If you have such a background, then you will love the book. And more importantly the series. I do and I do.
And canāt wait for the final book to be released.
Coal Volsunga is a dragon convinced heās better off aloneā¦
As alone as a dragon who is part of a pack can be, that is. Although he loves the work, his feelings are starting to get involved, especially for a wolf entirely too involved with pack life for a loner like Coal.
Jack āScoutā Jerrick is a wolf with two packs, but only one heartā¦
Dividing his time between his fatherās pack and his new one hasnāt been an issue for Scout. Heās learning to protect the secrets of the shifter world and the innocents involved in a dangerous war over magic and power. But when he develops feelings for the cantankerous dragon in his new pack, things begin to get a whole lot more complicated.
After Scout is kidnapped by the mysterious threat hunting their pack, Coal realizes being alone isnāt his lifeās mission after all. If he and Scout are able to survive, they must
ā¦put aside their preconceived notions and work together to save their pack,
ā¦learn to love and heal when nothing is as it seems,
ā¦and realize when it comes to being mates, thereās nothing they wonāt do to save each other.
