Category: Vampires

Review: Jaeger’s Lost and Found by Ofelia Grand

Rating: 3🌈

Grand’s affinity for writing quirky, offbeat characters is evident in her paranormal novella, Jaeger’s Lost and Found. It’s in every main character and all the secondary characters as well. Their personalities are so different from the mainstream, even the paranormal ones.

What makes them so unusual is both easily understood and vaguely explained, a dichotomy of traits that’s a hallmark of Grand’s. That quicksand of characterization, while making the beings interesting can also make them less connectable.

It starts with Archibald Jaeger, the last of the famed Jaegers. The bloodline has become so weakened in him as he’s the last that the famous gift of the family, to be able to find anything, has become weakened as well. It no longer works as it should and his livelihood depends on it as does that of his partner.

Archie’s got his own deep quirks outside of a gift gone wonky. He hates to leave his establishment but the author refuses to call it agoraphobia. He’s got a certain way he’s got to dress and act (won’t step on cracks in the pavement) but again there’s an outright decision on Grand’s part not to label him as OCD or anything else behavior related. But those odd mannerisms add up, continuing to pile on top of one another. Plus he’s otherworldly, just what we don’t know. It’s a constant lack of definition here and it’s frustrating.

His partner is slightly better. She’s a naga. Or considered part naga because of an inability to shift. This changes towards the end of the story. We get fangs and venom and the fact she’s an unwelcome species but not much else. Just that as outsiders, she and Archie have stuck together.

We really need so much more world building than we get here.

There’s some really great stuff here. Like Archie needing to suddenly veer off and find lost things because they call to him. Love that aspect of the narrative.

But instead the main storyline goes to a vampire who’s behaved so poorly to his coven they’ve cut him loose. We get to meet the vampire equivalent of entitlement. Oh joy.

Gael Murray is another one of those characters that I can’t get invested in. His backstory for one isn’t that type of story that makes one immediately root for him. Yes he’s dying. But, he’s been living his life away from the coven, hasn’t stayed in touch with them, preferring the company of people. Now he’s whining about lost contact. Hmmm, ok. Yes. Got it.

There’s an actual romance that makes no sense and has no foundation laid down for it Or little chemistry between them. And the journey to find the coven is that of hardly going anywhere.

I think the solution for Gael’s problem the author came up with and the descriptions involved ,was again, one of the better elements here.

So, in the end, I found the story interesting and certain elements fascinating, but the romance made no sense, and many of the other things were absolutely frustrating.

Read this because you’re a fan of the author and genre. It’s short enough that the interesting aspects are worth it.

Buy Link:

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Jaegers-…Kindle – Jaeger’s Lost and Found eBook : Gränd, Ofelia

Blurb:

Jaeger’s Lost and Found is the only finder shop to be had on the whole of the west coast. The problem is, Archibald Jaeger, the last of the Jaeger line, seems to be defective. A result of too many generations of crossbreeding with humans. But Jaegers are finders, and there’s nothing to be done about it.

Gael Murray has lost his connections. A vampire can’t survive without the energy exchange he has with the members of his coven through mental links. And, as of this morning, they’ve all vanished. Gael will die if he doesn’t reinstate his connections through a blood exchange. And his only hope to find the other members of his coven is to hire a finder.

Even a terrible finder is better than none at all.

Together Gael and Archie set out to save Gael’s life, but what was an already difficult task becomes nearly insurmountable. And Archie, who can never find what he’s looking for, finds himself falling in love with a man he’ll be hard pressed to save.

• Publisher: JMS Books LLC (June 1, 2019)

• Publication date: June 1, 2019

• Print length: 107 pages

Review: Beauty and Bad Blood (Hunters Hollow Book 2) by Arden Steele

Rating: 4.5🌈

Arden Steele’s Hunter Hollow series continues with Beauty and Bad Blood. With some characters transplanted from the original series, Blackhaven Manor, we now have more paranormal stories about romance, mystery, and murder to get invested in.

This time, our new location is Hunters Hollow, owned by one of the Dragon siblings, and its township of mostly Otherlings. They tend to work for Ministry of Otherling Affairs in various fields. Now a new case has emerged and investigation team has been formed.

Among that team, newly arrived vampire, Agent Rogue. He’s among a team of MOA Otherlings agents assigned the task of finding what or who are killing young people , leaving them drained of blood.

Human Dylan Murray, true crime podcaster, is having a personal crisis. His best friend, Braeden, mate of nephillim Inspector Zarrik Cox, has been constantly telling him to come stay with them until he knows what he’s going to do next.

Two totally different personalities, one coffee shop, and one unassailable attraction. And several horrific murders to solve.

Steele’s narrative once again brings dramatic storylines to the fated mate trope. Dylan made an impression in Braeden’s book and he becomes an even more engaging, vulnerable character here. The author gives Dylan that layer of armor formed by parental negligence and emotional abuse that feels realistic along with a very real sense that he could still somehow get the love he wants.

Rogue’s backstory is not as fully explored but he’s a powerful character in the present. Especially as it pertains to his quickly evolving feelings towards Dylan.

Dylan’s reaction to Rogue and his actions, and how each handled their dynamics in developing their relationship was a good touch. Each side was open to communicating with each other and with other people. Absolutely beats the no communication approach in other situations.

I thought the mysteries and the murders were interesting but could have used further context or explanation. But that dramatic scene? Heart breaking, emotionally. No way around it.

Nothing that came later could take away from the power of that moment. And frankly, from there, everything was anticlimactic. I enjoyed the rest, but it was already over.

I can’t wait to see what and for who the next book is for. I’m sort of rooting for the new head elf Bastille. You never know. Steele keeps surprising me.

In the meantime, if you’re not already familiar with this universe, you can catch up by reading these in order . See below. Or go all in and go way back to the original series, read all nine books and join in the migration to Hunters Hollow!

I’m highly recommending them all.

Hunter’s Hollow:

✓ Angels and Anarchy #1

✓ Beauty and Bad Blood #2

Connected To:

Blackhaven Manor series-9 books

Blackhaven Manor9 booksArden Steele

Buy Link:

Beauty and Bad Blood (Hunters Hollow Book 2)

Blurb:

When a young woman turns up dead on the banks of the river with half her blood missing, vampires are the obvious suspects. Rogue Masters, however, doesn’t think the case is all that open and shut. As a special agent for the MOA Intelligence Division, it’s his job to find the truth. To do that, the last thing he needs is distractions.

So, of course, the most tempting distraction he’s ever seen strolls through the door of the local bakery, not just flipping the script, but rewriting it completely.

Stuck in a rut and drowning in his own insignificance, Dylan Murray needs a change. For starters, he needs to make a clean break from his selfish and demanding mother. It’s also probably a good time to swear off men, at least until he can get his life back on track. Spending some time in Hunters Hollow with his best friend is exactly what he needs to turn things around. The small town is quiet, a little boring, and completely free of the drama that plagued him in the city.

Now, if he can just stop thinking about a certain sexy vampire with penetrating eyes and a devilish smile, everything would be perfect.

Navigating the ups and downs of any new relationship is challenging. Doing so while searching for a killer will test more than just their commitment. When the worst happens, and Dylan joins the list of humans to mysteriously vanish from the French Quarter, Rogue will do whatever it takes to get his new mate back safely.

Even if that means becoming the very monster he’s meant to be hunting.

Review: Angels and Anarchy (Hunters Hollow, #1) by Arden Steele

Rating: 4.25🌈

If you’re a fan of this author and the series, Blackhaven Manor, or if you just enjoy an entertaining paranormal mystery, then this is the book for you.

It’s a terrific otherworldly thriller with a fated mates romance that has characters from that connected universe and references dramatic events that saw the creation of Hunters Hollow.

Now that one of the three Maddock dragon siblings has established a town and new hotel called Hunters Hollow as a sanctuary for the otherworldly community, the author is set to place a new set of fated mates romances inside the warded township and hotel.

It starts with Angels and Anarchy and a serial killer on the loose. A dead vampire Councilman brings together human waiter/bartender Braeden Burke and nephilim Detective Zarrik Cox . One as a witness , the other as an investigator.

Steele does an excellent job in defining the characters, their personalities, the magical bond that makes them gravitate towards each other, and the messy investigation that follows the murder.

I normally have a issue with couples that don’t communicate but, as friends and family point out, on top of an immediate bond, there’s a serial killer racking up the body count that’s taking up most of Zarrik’s time.

I wish that Braeden had been more open to the idea of therapy than he was, considering that as written, he comes across as severely traumatized by his experience. That was dropped as an element and not addressed again, a weak point here in an individual who has a number of great qualities.

In fact, Steele has potentially so many wonderful storylines threaded in here that not all could be fully realized or explored in the length given. I can only hope that the author will pick them up in the books to come.

The relationship ,once the communication ,begins is wonderful, the chemistry is warm and believable. They make a terrific couple.

The mystery, the dramatic finale, is exactly what you want to see and what the author delivers. With a bit of an unexpected twist.

I can’t wait for the next one in the series. Im definitely recommending Angels and Anarchy (Hunters Hollow, #1) by Arden Steele, it’s a winner.

Hunter’s Hollow:

✓ Angels and Anarchy #1

◦ Beauty and Bad Blood #2

Connected To:

Blackhaven Manor series-9 books

Blackhaven Manor9 booksArden Steele

Buy Link:

Angels and Anarchy (Hunters Hollow Book 1)

Blurb:

Slinging drinks in New Orleans’ French Quarter isn’t the most glamorous job, but Braeden Burke loves the lights, the music, and the excitement. As a long-time believer—even before Otherlings had waltzed out of the paranormal closet—spending his nights flirting with gorgeous werewolves and smooth-talking vampires isn’t exactly a chore. His life is easy, colorful, and for the most part, free of drama.

Until fate throws him a curveball.

It was supposed to be his day off. Instead, Zarrik Cox is called in to investigate the murder of a high-ranking member of the Ministry of Otherling Affairs. Tracking down the only witness to the crime is easy. Discovering the vulnerable human is his mate is a complication he wasn’t expecting.

He might be a nephilim, but he’s no angel, and he’s damn sure no one’s savior. But with a killer on the loose, and Braeden caught in the crosshairs, there’s no limit to how far he’ll go to keep his new mate safe.

Review: Perfectly Charmed Pixie: Parsnip’s Story (Perfect Pixie #3) by M. J. May

Rating: 5🌈

May’s Perfect Pixie series just took a decidedly darker turn in an already beautiful and layered world. Much like the vibrantly colored, glittery pixies the stories have been written about, Perfectly Charmed Pixie has at its heart, one Parsnip, a well known social pixie, as famous for his unusual aquamarine color as he is for his cable television series.

But the truth is on the cover. Parsnip’s fabulous Aqua is a fake. In reality, he’s faded to a ombré grey shadow. The lack of color born of trauma and the fact he was a prisoner of a pixie dust addict for months who drained him.

Yes, this story has a pixie dealing with his ongoing struggles with depression, PTSD, anxiety, and the very real consequences of his past. All by staring in a mirror. Plus Parsnip is fighting multiple internal and external battles here. With his fans and the Network over the expectations for his appearance, his insecurities, and his real fears for himself.

May has really outdone herself here. Because the series themes and world building just expanded in several quiet horrific ways.

Addiction to pixie dust has been mentioned before in the previous books but now we see the consequences. And worse . Because Parsley, Parsnip’s brother, is running a recovery home for those pixies saved from trafficking operations. But that’s still a minor aspect of the narrative.

A huge one is the warlock, Vander Kines, a fantastic character. Guardian to a young brownie, Byx, Vander owns a small shop that makes magical charms and he’s barely making ends meet. Mostly due to the fact he’s got a strong moral compass and won’t take jobs he feels is wrong or unlawful.

Vander and his ward, Byx, have a warm family relationship with a loss of a loved one that connects them. That beautiful dynamic carries over into the one that starts when Parsnips contacts Vander out of desperation.

Vander and Parsnips emotionally exist, at the beginning, outside of the circle of friends who form the basis of the strengths of the strange pairings here. But the subtle similarities in Parsnip’s relationship and personality bring them together with pixies Phil and Peaches, along with their fated mates. I loved this journey and all the tiny elements that the author wove into it. Btw? Those hair clips of Byx’s are incredible!

May’s attention to detail, however, is never lost by the sheer texture and depth of the new storylines being added into the universe, the darkness that is now so much closer to the characters than we thought, and new awareness of old dangers brought to light.

The different Pixie relationships are loving and unusual, the many beings who are important to the inner circle are expanding their storyline, and a new realm has opened up.

There’s so many key issues that May puts into play at various stages in the narrative that it’s chilling watching how they slowly develop into something more complex and threatening than has ever been hinted at before. It happens with whispers and the occasional nod from the characters that something is definitely amiss and will need to be investigated. Or something even more serious.

I got delicious shivers and a whole new appreciation for this author’s style and craftsmanship in this book and series.

The fourth book has a title. Is it part of a new series or this one? It’s most definitely connected. I needs it now I do.

Not familiar with this author? This is a fabulous place to start, with this series. But they really must be read in the order they are written in because of the relationships and events that occur that are building the foundation.

If I could give higher ratings I would.

Perfectly Charmed Pixie: Parsnip’s Story (Perfect Pixie #3) by M. J. May is a must along with the prior stories!

Absolutely gorgeous covers!

Perfect Pixie:♥️

✓ Perfectly Imperfect Pixie #1

✓ Perfectly Perfect Pixie #2

✓ Perfectly Charmed Pixie #3

Next: and part of this series/universe

◦ Perfectly Perplexing Zombie: Wendall’s Story – late fall/winter 2023

Buy Link:

Perfectly Charmed Pixie: Parsnip’s Story (Perfect Pixie Series Book 3)

Blurb:

Youthful arrogance and misplaced trust left Parsnip’s once beautiful aqua colors little more than shades of muted gray. As a social pixie and host of a popular TV show, Parsnip desperately needs to fool everyone into believing he’s that same, stunningly colorful creature. Warlock-made charms are all Parsnip needs to keep up the rouse. But the financial cost is high, and each activated charm steals more of his life force. Despite this, Parsnip’s willing to pay any price. After all, who would want a faded pixie?

Everyone knows warlocks have no moral compass. But if that’s true, why does Vander Kines turn down more commissions than he accepts? Barely able to keep a roof over his head, his shop open, his brownie ward fed, and beer in the fridge, Vander should jump at the large sums of money clients are willing to throw in his direction. But no amount of cash is worth the cost of his soul, and his only true concern is keeping the young brownie safe.

When a magical mishap with Parsnip’s warlock sends the pixie through Vander’s door, Vander refuses his request until he discovers Parsnip is his one and only. Now, he will go to any lengths to make Parsnip happy—even trading his own life force in place of Parsnip’s.

Unfortunately, Parsnip isn’t fooling everyone, and a witch with a vendetta is determined to expose his secret, and she’s willing to kill Vander and hand Parsnip over to his worst ogre nightmare to get what she wants.

True, unvarnished love is hard to find and sometimes even harder to accept. Having found it, Parsnip’s willing to do anything to keep it safe…even if that means giving up his charmed life.

Perfectly Charmed Pixie is the third book in the Perfect Pixie series. It can be read as a stand alone but would be more enjoyable if the first two books in the series are read first.

Perfectly Charmed Pixie contains beautiful pixies—no matter what their colors, an ornery yet clever brownie, a morally sound warlock, pixie dust addicted ogres, good and bad witches, a questionably reformed siren, more honeysuckle mead, magic, and finding your perfect, other half.

Review: A Star So Dark and Peculiar (Tears from the Sky Book 1) by Cyan Crowe

Rating: 4.5🌈

A Star So Dark and Peculiar , the first in the Tears from the Sky series by Cyan Crowe, is also a first novel by the author for me. I’m all about storytelling that involves multiple types of shifters, mating bonds, paranormal species , and exploring the mythology that will build on their past in the series arc.

Crowe is giving the reader all that and more here. The series is dark fiction and characters that feel engaging and real are often treated as expendable, meeting their True Death unexpectedly. One at least I wasn’t prepared for. But it’s in keeping with the characterizations and relationship dynamics Crowe is developing.

Cyan Crowe does several things that are notable, most fantastic and one not so great.

First is the fact that our introduction into the world is a confusing one. That window into the past with the Crown Lords and Oracle didn’t work, at least for me. I felt that any information gleaned from those scenes could have been imparted in other ways throughout the storyline. In fact the entire book only really came together one we got into the present day.

That’s where everything starts to gel. The characters are strong, exceedingly well written, and while the reader doesn’t yet have a solid understanding of the world building, it’s parts are added as the characters interact and the narrative becomes more complex to give a larger perspective on the mystery and universe surrounding them.

It’s a brutal world overlaid with an air of civility, animalistic with a skin of humanity. Cell phone technology with fang and claw death in tandem. The author realistically portrays a divided paranormal society, literally separated by fortified walls and gates, each ruled by a different species with a similar structure and name. The immortal Crown Lion, Crown Wolf, and Crown Gryfalcon, each at the head of their respective species, then they have their Blades of the Crown. A unknown person who is close to the Crown, carries out their orders/duties as they see fit, an assassin if need be. The Blades are old and said to have some of the immortal blood in them.

This is just part of the intriguing mystery and information that the reader gathers from the narrative as we meet Gage Declan, Alpha Wolf of the City (wolf territory although other species live there). He’s considered young for the job position he’s holding but powerful in his role to easily manage his team. Gage’s character and history is a complex one, and becomes even stronger and fascinating as the book progresses. He starts off strong but the author builds on layer after layer, giving Gage remarkable depth and high intelligence while not diminishing his raw brutality .

To balance such a compelling being the author had to craft an equally complicated, magnetic personality. Crowe gives us Alpha Ethan Odin Vinci, new Alpha Lion of the Fort (Lion shifter section with other species residing). But Ethan is ancient, mysterious, and perhaps more. So they begin at a combative level to sort out a mystery plaguing both their sections and separate species.

Additionally, same sex relationships or activities are illegal and considered unnatural by law and the cultures. So events that occur are fundamentally shocking to both.

This is a great element and the way it’s handled on both sides makes sense for the two men involved from both personal and political perspectives. This is a core sea change that can, given both Alphas status and power, fundamentally change society.

Given this fact and the type of being each person is, Crowe stays true to the heart of the narrative and world the author is still rolling out in showing the reader the complex, often contradictory, intense, sometimes feral or savage behavior that resides within them, often after seemingly being pleasantly civil.

This is exciting stuff. We have a whole vampire element here that’s probably not what it appears to be. Right now they are the very big bad though.

Plus there’s things like the TEARs, a fatal illness no one knows how or why it occurs but that there’s no cure or antidote. The scenes involving people in the final stages are moving and heartbreaking.

Crowe has also assembled an excellent cast of characters surrounding the main personalities, and that seems to be expanding as well to meet the needs of the revelations of the storylines. The plot lines, many that they are, flow so fluidly through the story, picking up speed as it arrives at the main climatic battle and the jumping off point towards the next book.

Which honestly can’t come soon enough.

Except for that stumbled start, A Star So Dark and Peculiar (Tears from the Sky Book 1) by Cyan Crowe is a fantastic read. It’s exciting, full of new multidimensional characters, and imaginative storytelling. I can’t wait for it to continue.

I’m highly recommending it for all lovers of paranormal fiction and dark romance.

Tears from the Sky:

◦ A Star So Dark and Peculiar #1

Buy Link:

A Star So Dark and Peculiar (Tears from the Sky Book 1)by Cyan CroweBook 1 of 1: Tears from the Sky

Blurb:

It’s time to embrace the night and show the true might of the stars so bright…

My name is Gage Odysseus Declan.

You could say I’m a complicated man with uncomplicated needs. I’m Alpha Wolf for the City, charged with protecting my kind. I enjoy law and order, sexy times at Circus, and being left alone.

Step too close, and I’ll cut you down.

But I’ve stumbled upon a kitty cat that smells like a raging storm, a dark and peculiar chaos that I want to dominate and cuddle.

His name is Ethan Odin Vinci.

I suspect he’s the Blade to Crown Lion. The cat lives in the Castle, is crazier than anyone I’ve ever met, and is way too devious for that vain head of his.

And he’s just as alpha as me.

That’s…a problem.

The Lady Moons connected two men together, an utter blindsiding Bond. This has never happened before—it’s not our way.

Yet here I am. Here he is.

Here we are under the sky and the stars and the night, circling each other like we’re moonslit prey…

While bloodthirsty vampires take root in the City, and our people continue to die from TEARS.

But I’ve got this under control.

I am that good.

Get ready to twinkle twinkle, bitches.

The night is going to shine.

*This novel is approx. 150,000 words. This world does not contain MPreg.

*TW: Violence.

Review: Fated Mates: an MM Paranormal Romance Charity Anthology by Kiki Clark, Mia Monroe, et al.

Rating:4.75🌈

Anthologies are always a great place to find a new author, get reacquainted with a writer you haven’t read in a while, or just plain enjoy a story from a favorite author of yours. All centered around one theme so a reader can see if they take a different or similar approach to the topic.

In this case , it’s the popular theme of fated mates in paranormal romance.

Fated Mates, a charity anthology, offers 20 stories by 20 authors, on the subject of fated mates. Clearly, a reader will be able to find a story to enjoy out of such a wide variety.

Story Format Key:

🟦Authors who wrote standalone stories, no connection to another series

🟪Authors wrote prequels to new series

🟩Authors used their series/universe here , including characters, prior or some knowledge required.

List of Stories:

🔹Aether and the Elements by Louisa Masters 🟪

🔹How to Survive a Summoning by Nikole Knight 🟦♥️

🔹A Werewolf Called Ammon by Michelle Frost 🟩

🔹A Squirrel Gets His Nut by Kelex🟪

🔹Fated Kiss by Mia Monroe 🟦

🔹Inferno by Kiki Clark 🟪

🔹Black and White by Vinni George 🟪♥️

🔹Violent Secret by Ariana Nash 🟩♥️

🔹 Wounded Mate by Lee Colgin 🟩♥️

🔹Shiny Things by Kelly Fox 🟦♥️

🔹The Crow King’s Mate by Jennifer Cody🟦♥️

🔹Fate’s Treasure by Grae Bryan 🟦♥️

🔹Deader Than Dead by H.L Day 🟦🔹Words Not Necessary by Lisa Oliver 🟩🟪♥️

🔹As the Raven Flies by Meghan Maslow 🟩♥️

🔹Curse of Silver & Blood by Sheena Jolie 🟩♥️

🔹There’s A Bat in My Room! By Michele Notaro 🟩

🔹The Demon and the Librarian by Chloe Archer🟩

🔹A Scent Like No Other by JP Sayle🟪

🔹True Mates and Where to Find Them by AJ Sherwood🟦

———-

1. Aether and the Elements by Louisa Masters – this story, which is a prequel, has a nice twist and interesting premise. Ends abruptly but as the author intends to go into a series with these characters, it’s fine.

2. How to Survive a Summoning by Nikole Knight-Demon Lyn and human Jamie are #couplegoals and this is a fabulous tale w/ great depth and characters. Love this Demon, they are adorable.❤️

3. A Werewolf Called Ammon by Michelle Frost – part of an existing series, instant maté storyline.

4. A Squirrel Gets His Nut by Kelex- terrific little story about a squirrel shifter finding his mate. Prequel to a new series. Fantastic.

5. Fated Kiss by Mia Monroe-instant mate/love vampire story that was one dimensional, plot holes.

6. Inferno by Kiki Clark- a prequel to the author’s new Silver Oak Pack series, it’s a quick best friends to fated mates tale, via mixed up curse. Cute.

7. Black and White by Vinni George- this is another prequel to a new paranormal series, Orcas. It’s pretty terrific in that it sets out the characters, a great storyline, and foundation arc. Need more!

8. Violent Secret by Ariana Nash- part of the author’s Blackrose Brotherhood series, including the character. Well done. Terrific piece.❤️

9. Wounded Mate by Lee Colgin , set in Colgin’s Outcast Mates series, an incubus and a werewolf find true love (hurt/comfort, found family) in a well done story.

10. Shiny Things by Kelly Fox is a great read, complete with well crafted location, terrific characters and story line. Poe the Raven shifter with his avian characteristics is perfect.♥️

11. The Crow King’s Mate by Jennifer Cody is an excellent paranormal love story about a raven shifter and a wolf shifter dealing with past bad romantic experiences finding out that they are fated mates. Wonderful characters and plot.❤️

12. Fate’s Treasure by Grae Bryan is a story I wish the author would expand into a larger novel. It’s so well written with excellent plotting and terrifically detailed characters that the ending pops way up too soon. Gentle , sweet storytelling.❤️

13. Deader Than Dead by H.L Day, great elements but together they added up to a story that just didn’t work for me. Others might feel differently. Trigger warnings about death and suicide.

14. Words Not Necessary by Lisa Oliver -prequel to established series, Magic Users of Greenford Trilogy, knowledge of that is useful but not necessary. Neo the anchor and Rocky the High Magic User find themselves on a magical murder mystery case as well as fated mates in a terrific short story that will send me looking into the series.❤️

15. As the Raven Flies by Meghan Maslow . Forced proximity/fated mates and two of my favorite shifters Raven/wolf combos or dire wolf. Part of the Charm City series/universe, excellent tale in every aspect. Storytelling, hot chemistry, fabulous characters, and location. More !♥️

16. Curse of Silver & Blood by Sheena Jolie is part of the Infinite Arcana Universe by SJ Himes/Sheena Jolie. Werewolf and wounded Fae fated mate pairing that’s a prequel to a story coming out in 2024. I’ll be waiting to read it as I love this romance and need more about what happens next. ❤️

17. There’s A Bat in My Room! By Michele Notaro. This is part of the Ellwood and Brinnswood world series for those who are familiar with the universe. There’s an adorable bat shifter in trouble and his human fated mate who will help him, once he gets over his fear of bats and idea that the bat isn’t a vampire. Cute story with familiar characters showing up as support.

18. The Demon and the Librarian by Chloe Archer. Archer had me at the librarian but just continued to seal the deal with great elements that had me snort giggling at places. Fabulous characters and storylines. Part of the Monsters Hollow series, this is a favorite story and one I wish was at novel length. ♥️

19. A Scent Like No Other by JP Sayle, Enchanted Ink tattoo shop, Salem, Massachusetts, and three beings in search of their fated mates, one of whom of is a skunk shifter. Prequel and same universe as the story in the beginning of the anthology from Kelex.

20. True Mates and Where to Find Them by AJ Sherwood is a fantastic way to end this grand anthology. It’s a fated mates vampire romance with all the writing aspects associated with Sherwood’s storytelling. There’s poignant moments, humorous scenes, sexy intimacy and great characters. I seriously needed more than just the shortened ending. Love the universe and couple.❤️

All in all, a fabulous anthology, full of a wonderful selection of authors and stories to read and even new series to enjoy. And a charity that will be able to provide for the LGBTQIA community too with the readers help.

Buy Link :

Fated Mates: an MM Paranormal Romance Charity Anthologyby Kiki Clark

Blurb:

Fated Mates is a Paranormal Romance Charity Anthology from some of your favorite MM authors!

It features new, exclusive stories from Kiki Clark, Mia Monroe, Louisa Masters, Kelly Fox, Sheena Jolie, Jennifer Cody, Nikole Knight, Vinni George, Chloe Archer, Meghan Maslow, Lee Colgin, Kelex, H.L Day, Grae Bryan, AJ Sherwood, Michele Notaro, Lisa Oliver, Ariana Nash, Michelle Frost, and JP Sayle.

All royalties will be donated to the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund and the ACLU’s Drag Defense Fund.

Review: Hellhounds Never Lie (Willow Lake Supernaturals, #1) by Lori Ames

Rating: 4🌈

Hellhounds Never Lie is the first in a new series, Willow Lake Supernaturals, by Lori Ames, an author I’m not really familiar with. I really enjoyed getting acquainted with her writing with Hellhounds Never Lie. It’s location is the town of

Willow Lake, a mixture of humans and supernaturals living together, albeit unknowingly by the small group of humans. It’s considered a haven for supernaturals, a safe sanctuary for all , regardless of pack or political affiliation.

Into this comes a badly wounded fire mage looking for a new home. This is Ash, whose escape from a criminal ex, and a DV and DA situation , has left him with scars inside and out. Ash is a lovely character and one easily invested in.

Ames has created an entire community of characters here to carry over from book to book. Alpha werewolf without a pack that’s part of the entire series arc, a Hellhound police captain, a cat whose supernatural identity isn’t revealed, and on it goes. So many magical hijinks afoot here, especially in the bar that’s the watering hole and gathering place for the town.

Dillon, the new Hellhound the arrives seeking Willow Lake, but ends up a misdirected at the beginning, is also a good character. He fit in well with a wounded fire mage and they have great chemistry. It makes the fated maté’s aspect easy to accept.

Some of the elements here by Ames just telegraph their intentions too easily. As in certain characters might as well have narrative red arrows above them pointing downward saying “bad guy, something wrong here”. So when at the point in the storyline they , gasp, show up as , well, bad, you’re not surprised. That’s why the ratings not higher.

But Ames is able to make a reader feel connected to the town and enough of the characters that, even with the predictable aspects of the plot and some minor characters, the enjoyment isn’t lost. Plus I’m curious about Ash’s best friend on the other side of those texts and he gets the next novel! And there is the ongoing mystery left to solve.

So I’m definitely invested in this series and author going forward. The DV/DA (off page) was handled with sensitivity and the mystery is good. I like the characters and the relationships as they develop. So onward to the next!

And a definite recommendation for this!

Willow Lake Supernaturals:

✓ Hellhounds Never Lie #1

◦ Wolves Always Bite #2 – Nov 1, 2023

Buy Link:

Hellhounds Never Lie: MM Paranormal Romance (Willow Lake Supernaturals Book 1)

Blurb:

A mage without magic. A hellhound without a home. A greedy wolf pack in the hills.

Ash is technically a fire mage, but he can’t do much. Turning his bedroom lights on and off without having to get out of bed isn’t exactly awe inspiring, not when anyone with the right gadget could clap and do the same thing.

Worse, sometimes he senses something bigger and brighter lurking under his skin, and it feels so familiar he knows it has to be his magic, but then he burps or sneezes, and the feeling passes. So it’s probably just allergies… or gas.

Yeah… Not exactly brimming with magical oomph. Not anymore.

It sucks.

But things start to change when he finds Dillon, a hellhound, being chased through the woods by an angry wolf pack. He is instantly smitten and it’s like something inside him unlocks. What’s even crazier is Dillon seems to think Ash still has magic… and now Ash isn’t sure what to believe.

What he does know is he’ll do what needs to be done to protect his friends and the little supernatural town of Willow Lake from the dirtbag wolves in the hills. Even with his magic on the fritz he can help, right? And, with Dillon at his side, what could possibly go wrong?

Tags: a hellhound looking for a home, a fire mage without magic, a talking cat, a small town full of supernatural beings, size difference (BIG hellhound, small mage), fated mates, Ash has scars inside and out, Dillon wants to hurt people who hurt Ash, Ash is always cold (hello, big fluffy pink sweaters even in summer), and a curious human BFF who knows nothing about supes but has a very active imagination.

Review: Resurrection Reprise: A Soulbound Universe Novel by Hailey Turner

Rating: 5🌈

I love Turner’s Soulbound series and so wanted to see the author revisit this universe. I am thrilled it’s the complicated Spencer Bailey, a favorite in that series, who’s been chosen to get a new story.

The complexity that is mage Spencer Bailey and his relationship with his companion, Psychopomp ocelot , Fatima is a difficult task to describe in one story because readers of the series have gotten to know him over seven books. That goes for Fatima, the Psychopomp too, another layered character.

Not quite a necromancer that raises the dead but a soul breaker, that magical difference being the thing keeping Spencer from the death penalty in the world’s government’s opinions. His type of magic is considered so powerful and rare, so little understood, that most agencies would rather lock him away or kill him than take the chance on his magic working against them.

As with the other government agencies who don’t come off well in Turner’s series, filled with bureaucratic cliques, people’s willingness to take things at face value, it’s no surprise we immediately fall into Spencer’s side of things here as he starts his investigation into a missing artifact. He’s gone from one agency, the PIA (Paranormal Investigations Agency) who handles international investigations and doesn’t want him after that last big battle, to Supernatural Operations Agency, which is the agency that handles the investigations within the country’s boundaries. In other words, don’t leave the country after helping save the world.

Does it help to have read the Soulbound series. Yes. I really don’t consider this a standalone. You need to understand the relationships, events, and even the smallest of references to have a deep appreciation of this story and what happens to Spencer here. That includes the people that show up from the Soulbound series.

Even Spencer’s relationship with Takoma, the Master Vampire of Seattle, has a prior basis in his prior experiences with Lucian, a Master Vampire from Soulbound, unlike any other , and referred to here.

Hailey Turner took her foundational elements from Soulbound and used them as a launching point for an intriguing new story about a mysterious artifact that has gone missing from the federal vault with potential catastrophic consequences . Spencer is the one of the few people who’s had experience with this type of object and operation. The reasons why soon become clear.

The investigation, the events are suspenseful , dangerous, and vastly complicated. Takoma and Spencer have a great chemistry and a hot sexual relationship that makes them a fantastic couple. I would love to see one more story about them with Takoma,working with the New York God pack , removing Spencer altogether from all the federal agencies rosters completely and getting his new life outside of that one. What a tale that would be!

Until then, I’m ready to dive happily back into the Soulbound series, and start over again. Remembering the first time I met everyone, was astonished at the mythology, the labyrinthine storytelling, and the characters I still can’t get enough of.

Soulbound is fabulous stuff, absolutely always on my to be recommended list. Adding this to it.

Love the cover.

Buy Link:

Resurrection Reprise: A Soulbound Universe Novel76Kindle Edition$0.00or $6.99 to buy

Blurb:

Possession is nine-tenths of the law.

Spencer Bailey has spent his entire life under government oversight for something he can’t change: his magic’s affinity for breaking souls. After surviving the end of the world, Spencer joins the Supernatural Operations Agency with the intention of keeping his head down and his hands clean.

Tasked with tracking down a stolen artifact, Spencer wants to run his first case with the SOA by the book. The master vampire of the Seattle Night Court won’t make that easy. Takoma is demanding and possessive, used to getting what he wants, and he lures Spencer into his Night Court with the seductive promise of freedom.

In the Pacific Northwest, ghosts are crawling out of the woodwork, demons are on the rise, and Spencer can’t afford to make a mistake. Torn between the life he should lead and the one Takoma is offering, Spencer has to make a choice that won’t break his soul, but it might just shatter his heart.

Resurrection Reprise is an exciting new standalone novel set in Hailey Turner’s best-selling Soulbound Universe.

Soulbound Universe -Soulbound series:

✓ A Ferry of Bones & Gold #1

✓ All Souls Near & Nigh #2

✓ A Crown of Iron & Silver #3

✓ A Vigil in the Mourning #4

✓ On the Wings of War #5

✓ An Echo in the Sorrow #6

✓ A Veiled & Hallowed Eve #7

Review: Perfectly Perfect Pixie: Peaches’s Story (Perfect Pixie #2) by M. J. May

Rating: 5🌈

I fell in love with this universe and characters when I read M. J. May’s Perfectly Imperfect Pixie, which was the first book in this series. It was a richly detailed, vibrant tale, full of beautifully crafted with fantastic characters a reader could easily imagine and commit to. Vampires, pixies, werewolves, elves, sprites, zombies, witches and more in a lively landscape with a unique foundation and framework that was so solid it just felt right.

Now we’re back for Peaches story. We pick up shortly after the events at the end of Perfectly Imperfect Pixie, so yes, read this series in the order that it’s written.

Peaches, a nature pixie, has found his home in an orchard owned by a human couple. This is a complicated process, as pixies are actually a part of the life of the land itself that they call home. It was a big element in the last story and it remains one here. So well portrayed by May emotionally and descriptively. As is Peaches.

Peaches is golden. Golden pixie dust, gold like the sun. He shines so brightly in the narrative both physically and by his personality that he is almost warm when he appears on the page. That’s amazing writing.

So the reader can understand why a vampire would be so drawn to Peaches, a bit of sunlight they haven’t been able to see in hundreds of years or more. No matter what the mythology says.

The vampire being Lucroy Moony, King of the Southeastern nest in the United States, and owner of the bar, Dusk where Peaches’ friend, Phil, used to work. He’s also the being who saved Peaches life at the trial in book one. They have a starting point of a strange relationship. Lucroy is as dark as Peaches is bright. And just as well defined by his vampire powers , intellect, and age as Peaches is by his charm , bravery, and loving nature. In other words, they oddly match.

May builds a fantastic story here full of mystery, with our characters from the first story (and fast friends with Peaches), elements that have carried over that look to be a arc storyline, and new characters that will be revealed later on to have their own romances and roles within this arc expansion .

I was so enthralled that it was a 3am ending for me. Couldn’t put it down. May gave us sprites, a new ancient vampire I need to see more of, and a new take on social pixies that will make me stay up late again, I’m sure, in the upcoming book three.

And villains. Crazy, awful, and sometimes pathetic villains. I really love these books.

I’m highly recommending them but read them in them in the order that they are written.

Absolutely gorgeous covers!

Perfect Pixie:

✓ Perfectly Imperfect Pixie #1

✓ Perfectly Perfect Pixie #2

◦ Perfectly Charmed Pixie #3 – October 6, 2023

Buy Link :

Perfectly Perfect Pixie: Peaches’s Story (Perfect Pixie Series Book 2)

Blurb:

Peaches is a nature pixie. Fully bonded to his orchard, he can only leave his land for a finite time. Plants, soil, daylight, and every living thing Mother Nature has on tap flows like liquid sunshine through Peaches’s lively veins.

Lucroy Moony was born into his vampiric second life over six hundred years ago. King of the Southeastern nest in the United States, Lucroy is responsible for more than his bar, Dusk. Lucroy only comes alive when the sun goes down. The moon and stars are his backdrop—the sun the quickest path to a pile of ash. Death and darkness fill Lucroy’s body with borrowed blood.

Pixies and vampires couldn’t be more different, and yet, Lucroy and Peaches find themselves drawn together time and again. But vampire myth cautions that pixie blood is deadly, and Lucroy’s willing to put that tale to the test. Nothing that smells as temptingly delicious as Peaches’s blood can be toxic. Right?

Lucroy wants nothing more than to court fate with his pixie, but someone’s been whispering in the vampire council’s ears, and they aren’t pleased to learn Lucroy killed a werewolf to save a pixie. If the council decides Lucroy was in the wrong, his life is forfeit, and the nest he’s tried so hard to protect could be left in sadistic hands.

Lucroy needs to convince the council pixies aren’t toxic but precious creatures. And, more importantly, one pixie, in particular, is his beloved—his Perfectly Perfect Pixie, Peaches.

Perfectly Perfect Pixie has a HEA ending and contains a willful nature pixie, a smitten vampire bar owner, pixie dust eating sprites, and a smattering of dwarf, werewolf, and fairy intrigue. Other species come along for the ride, popping up here and there. Be warned, there is vampire violence and a few heads will roll. If that is offensive or triggering, this may not be your cup of tea.

Review: Patience (Damned Connections #1) by Lark Taylor

Rating: 4.5🌈

I was excited about this story and follow up series to The Reckless Damned . Ferry, aka Ferryman, The Grim Reaper, Charon, the being who ferried the dead souls across the River Styx was last seen leaving Hell on his way topside to the human realm.

Patience goes into Ferry’s tortured backstory, how he ended up as the Grim Reaper, and what he is doing back on Earth. Patience is a wonderful title for him and his ill- fated romance.

The other voice and half of this couple belongs to Leo, a human firefighter. Leo is a very good, very confused man. He’s aware that something has been missing from all his relationships but can’t pinpoint what it is exactly. He believes he’s straight but he struggles with feelings he doesn’t understand.

All with good reason. Leo has a history he’s not allowed to remember until he dies. And then only for one hour.

Lark has done a wonderful job with these characters and their poignant love story. One who remembers everything and one who remembers nothing. It’s a setup guaranteed to usher in huge emotions and a flood of memories and tears.

And it does, scenes upon scenes.

This series follows The Reckless Damned, which is its foundation. So those characters are important here as supporting players and suppliers of knowledge to Leo, as he navigates his way back to Ferry.

Plus there’s always a dramatic element above that of the personal challenges to the mate bond relationship. A outside force that needs to be overcome.

Here that aspect was a little bit easily figured out. But the rest of the story, which was ,in turn, humorous, poignant, sexy, heartbreaking, horrifying , and finally, incredibly beautiful, well, that was fantastic.

It made Ferenc (Ferry) and Leof (Leo’s) longtime love story one of my favorites. And the setup for the next with Leo’s younger brother and a certain enigmatic vampire has me really hooked for more. Need Justice now! But I’ll have to wait until next year.

In the meantime, I’m definitely recommending Patience. And The Reckless Damned if you haven’t already read those as well.

Damned Connections:

✓ Patience #1

◦ Justice #2 – Feb 1, 2024

Prior series:

The Reckless Damned

The Reckless Damned4 booksLark Taylor

Buy Link:

Patience (Damned Connections Book 1)

Blurb:

I paid the ultimate price when I took the gamble to save my mate’s soul.

Ferry

Ferryman. The Grim Reaper. La Muerte. La Pelona. Shinigami. Charon.

I’ve been called many names over the millennia, all thanks to my role in Hell.

Ferrying dead souls over the river Styx.

But few know the demon behind the legend, how I came to be here, or the freedom I sacrificed to save the man I love.

Now I’m free to find him again. The problem? He doesn’t remember me.

And he’s straight.

Leo fell madly in love with me once before. Will he fall again before it’s too late?

Leo

All my life, I’ve felt like something is missing. Neither my job as a firefighter, my brother Matty, nor my ex-girlfriends have been able to fill that hole.

When a mysterious stranger approaches me in a bar, I find myself captivated.

I’ve never been attracted to men before, but I can’t seem to resist him.

Why is it that spending time with Ferry feels so…right? So familiar?

Patience is a fated-mates, second-chance PNR romance. The first in the Damned Connections series, each book will follow a different couple as they find their HEA. Although better read in order, these books can stand alone.