A Very Armitage Christmas is a short holiday story featuring the two mated couples from The Alphaās Warlock and Captive Mate #2. Both characters are still trying to settle into their relationships , new duties within the pack, and recover from past events.
Plus here come the holidays.
The story is equal parts horror, humor, and romance with all four men working to make each other happy and safe amidst rising revenants and inflatable Santaās.
I found it entertaining and a smidge poignant when Nate and Arik find a typical Holiday family celebration so very scary and hard to relate to.
Itās a fun break from the angst and full out terror thatās usually part of the storylines in this series.
Iām recommending A Very Armitage Christmas (Mismatched Mates #2.5) by Eliot Grayson. Have a great read!
Mismatched Mates:
š¹The Alphaās Warlock #1
š¹Captive Mate #2
š¹A Very Armitage Christmas #2.5
š¹First Blood #2.6
š¹The Alpha Experiment #3
š¹Lost and Bound #4
š¹Lost Touch #5
š¹The Alpha Contract #6, only loosely connected to the above series
Itās two days before Christmas, and the Armitage packās getting ready for the holiday. Nateās decorating the driveway with dozens of light-up candy canes (well, bullying Ian into doing it for him, but details). Matthewās sitting through yet another endless pack council meeting.
And Arikās raising revenants in the herb garden.
When a plague of zombies and an infestation of in-laws hits on Christmas Eve, Nate, Ian, Arik and Matthew will need to pick up their machetes, put some Bing Crosby on the record player, and overcome their relationship issues if they want to make it to Christmas morning.
This book follows the same characters and refers to the events of The Alphaās Warlock and Captive Mate, and really should be read in series. Warning: Contains a modified inflatable Santa, a snowblower put to a really unusual purposeā¦and knotting. Because of course it does! This series does not contain mpreg.
āā-
Unless itās noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.
Captive Mate , second in Eliot Graysonās Mismatched Mates series, picks up after the events in The Alphaās Warlock. Wildly traumatic ordeals that saw Ian, a alpha werewolf and Nate, a warlock long imprisoned by his father, mated. And the Armitage pack under siege by mage and were.
And the worst was the betrayal by Matthew Armitage because of a curse.
Captive Mate begins with the pack dealing with the ramifications of Mathewās actions, Ianās assuming temporary leadership, and the shaman who worked with their enemies now their prisoner.
Arik, shaman , who cursed Mathew, the one responsible for pack deaths, and the near deaths of Ian and Nate, is one complicated character.
One of the two POVās, Arik is resolved to escape by any means possible. Heās not particularly interested in those heās hurting or may have hurt . Heās only interested in his survival. He knows no remorse, and shows little compassion.
Not a easy character to like. It takes time to see or understand that Arikās a long term abuse survivor. Heās still running and has no reason to trust anyone to help him. His actions and mentality come from a deep place of brokenness and pain.
And to the credit of Grayson, Arikās not fixed here. Whatās broken, is truly broken in a lot of ways. Tiny bits might be on the path to healing as the book winds it way down, but even in the next story, Arikās sharpness and pain whips out like a knife at a whisper.
Trying to balance Arik against the basic strengths and character of Matthew is a challenge for the author. Because the element of making Matthew seem weak under the manipulations of Arik might undermine the readerās connection to the coupleās romance.
Itās a tightrope to walk narratively speaking. One I think the author threads through exactly right.
All the extremely tough personalities that are having to negotiate new relationships while the pack is still under attack by enemies old and new.
Thereās major suspense. High action, great magic scenes, and real poignancy.
Captive Mate really balanced tricky characters, major themes, and complicated relationship dynamics. Just a fantastic book.
Iām highly recommending this story and series to date. Read them in the order they are written to understand the series plot progression and characters.
Mismatched Mates:
š¹The Alphaās Warlock #1
š¹Captive Mate #2
š¹A Very Armitage Christmas #2.5
š¹First Blood #2.6
š¹The Alpha Experiment #3
š¹Lost and Bound #4
š¹Lost Touch #5
š¹The Alpha Contract #6, only loosely connected to the above series
Arik is many things. Shaman, necromancer, a little on the snarky sideā¦no one could ever accuse him of being boring. But one thing he never intended to be was imprisoned by angry werewolves. Maybe casting that love spell on the sexy alpha pack leader wasnāt such a great idea after all.
Matthew Armitage has a problem. Several of them, actually. And the biggest one is Arik. The shaman canāt be trusted. Heās dangerous enough to get the entire pack killed. Matthew knows that. But knowing doesnāt make it any easier to keep his mind (and hands) off Arik. Surely everything heās feeling is a side effect of the spellā¦right?
Itās not long before enemies of the pack start circlingāincluding one intent on claiming Arik as his unwilling mate. If they have any hope of surviving, Arik and Matthew will need to work together. And if they want a shot at happily ever afterā¦well, theyāll just have to cross that bridge when they get to it.
If they get to itā¦
Captive Mate can (sort of) be read as a standalone, but works best when read in order as part of the Mismatched Mates series, beginning with The Alphaās Warlock. This book contains a vivid memory of a sexual assault, but the assault occurs in the past and off-page and is not between the main characters. This series does not contain mpreg.
Werewolves and mages just seem to be a great match! So I always gravitate to any story and series with these elements to check out what the authorās take will be.
The Alphaās Warlock (Mismatched Mates #1) by Eliot Grayson was a story I thought was very entertaining, and had characters I enjoyed reading about.
It certainly opens with Warlock Nate Hawthorne in the worst possible situation. Running for his life.
āIt had been years since I set foot in the Armitage pack’s territory, and I’d hoped to keep that winning streak going for a while longer. Of course, being kidnapped and cursed had a way of changing your plans.ā
ā The Alpha’s Warlock (Mismatched Mates Book 1) by Eliot Grayson
Immediately, we are seeing the story, and immediate scenario, from the perspective of a very human and hurting Nate. Heāll give us a lot of the history on the backgrounds of the beings we meet and their relationship dynamics.
For the most part.
The others are the Alpha werewolves of the Armitage pack. Head Alpha Matthew, who you initially think is the one referred to. And Ian Armitage, Matthewās brother, also a Alpha.
That I found really interesting, as other authors have packs as a one Alpha structure. Having 2-alpha pack, with brothers as a supportive structure is a great idea.
Thereās a huge discordant past relationship between Ian and Nate, one that never fully gets explored in terms of the misunderstandings and history. I wish we got a more layered picture of that weird start but I have the feeling the author may intend to use it in future books.
It means their relationship is always a little unbalanced in terms of equality. Thatās probably realistic in that Ianās a were, Nateās a human, while still a warlock. Itās a status that seems to be a element thatās a factor going forward that at least one is aware of, in terms of what they want in their future plans.
Nateās a character dealing with serious emotional and physical issues due to a traumatic past. Having to āmateā, his choice taken away is a topic thatās brought up and continues to be addressed. I appreciate that this wasnāt romanticized.
The themes of forced mating, the right of personal choice, trust. All not only big storylines here but ones used throughout the series.
Graysonās story gives us romance, suspense, elements of horror, touches of humor , and a great plot that leaves plenty of room to explore new territory and characters ahead.
Thatās certainly true for the way itās left for a main character here to lead into the next novel.
Iām on my way there.
If youāre a lover of shifters, magic, and paranormal romance, hereās a series and book to add to your list. Iām recommending this!
Mismatched Mates:
š¹The Alphaās Warlock #1
š¹Captive Mate #2
š¹A Very Armitage Christmas #2.5
š¹First Blood #2.6
š¹The Alpha Experiment #3
š¹Lost and Bound #4
š¹Lost Touch #5
š¹The Alpha Contract #6, only loosely connected to the above series
Cursed, mated, and in for the fight of their livesā¦
Warlock Nate Hawthorne just wants a cup of coffee. Is that too much to ask? Apparently. Because instead of precious caffeine, all he gets is cursed by a pack of werewolves who want to use him for his magic. Now the only way to fix the damage is a mate bond to a grumpy and oh-so-sexy alpha in the rival pack, who happens to hate him. This is so not how he wanted to start his day.
Ian Armitage never intended to take Nate as his mate. The Hawthorne family canāt be trusted. Ian knows that better than anyone. The fact that heās lusted after the way-too-gorgeous man for years? Totally irrelevant. Ianās just doing what is necessary to protect his pack. This whole mating arrangement has nothing to do with love and never will. Thatās his story and heās sticking to it.
Nate and Ian will have to work together if they have any hope of staving off the packās enemies and averting disaster. Thatās assuming they can stop arguing (and keep their hands off each other) long enough to save the dayā¦
The Alphaās Warlock is an explicit M/M paranormal romance featuring a snarky warlock, a brooding alpha werewolf, knotting, enchanted socks (long story), and a guaranteed happily ever after. This series does not contain mpreg.
Hell Breaks Loose (Hellhound Champions, #4) turns out to be my very favorite. Itās also the last of this series, setting up what I expect to be the next stage in this multi series universe, the Familiar Fated Mates series. Or whatever the author will title it.
Hell Breaks Loose takes place after Solomon has become the Alpha of the Hellhounds with Cody as the alpha mate. The Chosen One arc has been resolved with Meshaq and Drew set to a new path as Gods.
Achimās life is a frazzled one for a Hellhound. Instead of things setting down after the Chosen One and his brother battled it out, with the Chosen One winning, the magic has gotten more unstable. More beings have come through into the human realm, keeping Hellhounds busy 24/7 . Achim and the rest of his pack are exhausted. And their situation is getting worse.
Ozias, the Prince of Hell, isnāt having a good day. Horrible in fact. His magic isnāt working and heās being chased by his motherās hellhounds. When a human appears before him . In Hell!
Achim goes through a portal but the colors all wrong. Not the usual red. And ends up where he lasts expects to.
This is a marvelous romance and engaging story. The characters are so amazing and have such great personalities. Watching them navigate the intricacies of their developing relationship while handling the widening magical chaos in the human realm , which is also Oziasā first time there? Itās so deeply wonderful that you canāt turn away from it.
Itās funny, sad, horrifying, sexy , and all kinds of romantic.
This story brings us back into Nickās family and all the kids he and his mate rescued. We see Solomon and Cody. We also see another extraordinary couple with huge news to impact the entire universe.
Itās quite the story.
I read the middle novels as part of the Chosen Ones collection. It works but Iām glad I read this here. Iām ready for whatever Blake has next for us and this amazing collection of characters.
Iām recommending you read them all to understand how they all fit together and the events and relationships as they form.
Safe to say Achimās life wasnāt going as planned.
First, his mission for the fire goddess ended up with himāa hellhound whoād never actually been to hellābeing sent precisely there. Worse, he found himself stuck in the strange hellscape with Ozias, a guy whoās a) hotter than the fire of both suns in the hell-realm, b) really, really likable, despite his arrogance, and c) oh yeah, the actual prince of hell.
Their connection comes in handy, though, when a demon escapes into the human realm and Ozias is sent to track it down. With magic fluctuating wildly around them, the hellhound pack is run ragged trying to keep the supernatural world a secret from the humansā¦ especially since Achim is just a wee bit distracted keeping his mind and hands off the gorgeous-but-cocky prince.
But when the strange forces wreaking havoc on the human realm attempt to drive Achim and Ozias apartā¦ well, thatās when things get really messed up. Because if they think they’re gonna keep a hellhound from the guy who might just be his mateā¦
Silent Knight was totally charming. Low angst, sweet, and huge on holiday spirit. It should make everyoneās holiday seasonal reading list.
Simon Russell has been a staple in these stories for a while. But what type of being or who he exactly is has never been stated. Heās always been the sunny guy who hangs around the receptionist desk, or goes off to handle whatever requests have been handed out by the Manorās guests or itās Owners. Heās a good natured, gorgeous guy.
As the Manor gets ready for its holiday season, it also prepares for the arrival of its latest employee, Snow leopard shifter,Archer Knight.
Archer was part of the Guardians seen briefly in Grin and Bear it. Now Archerās been forcibly retired from the Guardians due to physical disabilities caused on the job. Heās been hired by the Maddox siblings to work security at the Manor.
Archer is one of the great characters in this series. A magical attack left him without the ability to verbally communicate and with a heavily scarred visage. Archer communicates with ASL. His background is not a happy one and is best left to the story.
Having his fated mate be Simon Russell , who comes from a large, loving family is perfect. And makes for a romantic relationship youāre going to love to read about.
The reveal about Simonās true nature is part of their mating bond. One more terrific element.
Silent Knight, a reference to the mute Guardian Archer once was is a lovely book about finding love and family when you least expect it.
Blackhaven Manor is a series of short romances that keeps surprising me with the wonderful stories and great couples.
Iām highly recommending you look into the series if youāre not familiar with them already.
Being part siren isnāt exactly a secret, but itās not something Simon Russel likes to advertise, either. Heās not ashamed of who he is or anything so dramatic as that. But people tend to treat him differently once they realize he can manipulate their emotions. Just once, he wishes someone could see him and not the demon within.
Enter Archer Knight, a former Enforcer and the newest guard at Blackhaven Manor.
Forced into retirement after a poorly executed mission leaves him damaged and disfigured, Archer figures he has a right to be a little bitter. With his scarred face and surly attitude, heās not going to win any popularity contests, which suits him just fine, or so he tells himself.
Until he meets Simon.
Mix one not-so-chance encounter, a heap of holiday cheer, and a dash of misguided but well-meaning intentions in this recipe for Christmas magic. Season with love and serve with a side of awkward family get-togethers.
āāOkay, I understand.ā āGood. I take my leave now.ā āThanks for coming.ā āI will always come when you ask. Iāll see you soon.ā āYes, you will see me soon.ā The cat disappears into a slight mist.ā
ā The Witch’s Power Play (Covens of Eaton Falls Book 2) by Mia Monroe
Thereās just so much I want to like about this series and story. Monroe is pulling together a interesting history of interwoven supernatural mating and wars, of inter-species bonding and Gods intervention.
All so fascinating that I really want to know where the author is taking the series.
But to navigate through the process of untangling the story threads, a reader must decide whatās their tolerance for characters whose dialogue is either so stilted or so overblown as to take a reader away from the story.
Leo and, here, Presley, the witches, are constantly āgiggling ā. That word is ever present. They had their heads together, giggling. He giggled. They giggled. Nonstop giggling. They also twirl, and just have personalities that, frankly, swing from varying degrees of maturity.
The vampires verbiage is oddly both a combination of something that supposedly sounds āold ā while also trying for hip. If you know what I mean. A strange unwieldy thing that doesnāt work.
Plus they go around carrying their witches as though they were young women from a bodice ripper.
The characters themselves have real promise. Presley and Beto? Great dynamics and background. But you need to basically put them on mute after a while because itās just to much. Thereās a nice element of D/s here that is unexpected. But also a eye roll bit with the color pink . So for every one good thing that gets included, thereās bound to be another thatās zany.
Thereās also a villain called The Beautiful One.
So. I breezed through this. Next time , if I continue, Iāll have to find a way to mitigate the dialogue and words that seem to populate like bunnies.
In the meantime, for those of you who adore this author, Iām sure youāll have read it or itās on your TBR list. It does have some really interesting themes going forward.
Want to know how itās going? Check it out!
Covens of Eaton Falls:
š¹Never Trust a Guy With Fangs #1
š¹The Witchās Power Play #2
š¹Vampireās Make Bad Roommates #3 -July 14,2022
š¹Cosmic Spells and Vampire Lairs #4 – January 11, 2023
š¹A Traitor Shows His Hand #5 – March 9, 2023
Note: didnāt that last title seem a bit spoilery? So now we know the traitor is a guy. Wouldnāt it have made more sense to have said A Traitor Shows Their Hand? Hmmmm?
How to tame a vampire isnāt in any of my spell books.
My life changed forever the night my coven was attacked. I was scared and alone until my bestie Leo showed up. I trust him with my life. Good thing since he dragged me to the home of a notorious vampire. Even worse, another equally terrifying vampire is in charge of keeping an eye on me.
I did my best to comply and keep my distance from the stoic, domineering man who I shared a room with. I may have tried to flirt with him a couple times, a totally dumb move considering vampires arenāt exactly fans of witches. It didnāt work anyway. Once I was able to get away from him and back to the safety of my coven, I hightailed it out of there. I thought I would quickly forget him. I was wrong.
When we reunite, Beto letās a surprising secret slip, leading me to make a decision that we both might regret. Who am I to deny a man his need to submit? Will Beto decide to trust me with his desires? Can I learn to keep a vampire in check? Donāt know, but Iām up for the challenge. If the war doesnāt tear us apart first.
The Witchās Power Play is an MM paranormal romance featuring a subby vampire who just wants to be good for someone, a sassy witch embracing his toppy side, a supernatural war causing havoc, a bunch of really annoying demons who show up at the worst time, and so much pining (at first). It is book two in the Covens of Eaton Falls series. Each book features a different couple with an ongoing conflict and therefore should be read in order.
Mia Monroe is a fairly new author for me, having discovered her in a charity anthology. The cover and title humor of Never Trust A Guy With Fangs had me grabbing this book to see what the author was plotting for her series, Covens of Eatons Falls.
This is a paranormal romance between a vampire and a witch, with the start of a overall series thread about a larger multi-species storyline. Thereās suspense, action, murder, and more romances to come.
Stretching over 5 books total I believe. See list and note at bottom.
The characters are nice at the beginning and luckily get stronger as the story goes on. Thereās a two person pov, but we start out with the blank slate of one. To my mind it have been more interesting to have gotten the perspective of the one being ,at least ,who had a semblance of a foundation, so the readers had a grounding.
No, we and Leoās āuh , where are we? Oh, the bed of my enemyā¦ā narrative just doesnāt seem to pull us really into the story. The dialogue runs along the edge of head smackingly idiotic and pearl clutching.
It keeps on in the same way. Hi you going to kill me. No. You going to kill me. No. You smell good. I think I love you. Me too. But weāre Romeo and Julian of the paranormal world. Np. Love is it!
This story and author has some terrific ideas and promise to it. Thereās a lot here that , once you get to it , is interesting enough that you want to see how it plays out.
But thereās also enough plot holes (Leo: I can hide whatās happened, oh wait my eyes changed color! Never mind , the bad guys will never notice),silly florid language, and just plain nonsensical elements like the example above. It just interrupts whatever connection you might have had with the characters and storylines. And makes it that much harder to get it back.
The second book features another couple, another witch and vampire bonding that I think has far more chemistry then this pair. It seems to be one with a slight D/s aspect although howās that going to play out when the witch is a scattered thinking healer (D) and the (s) is a huge vampire guard. Huh.
I love a great paranormal story and series. While this has potential, thereās so much that will put a lot of readers off . So this really isnāt it for me.
But if you adore instant love romances, almost campy dialogue, mustache swirling villains along the line of āyou canāt keep him from usā, combined with some interesting elements, then I have a book for you.
Covens of Eaton Falls:
š¹Never Trust a Guy With Fangs #1
š¹The Witchās Power Play #2 -May 6,2022
š¹Vampireās Make Bad Roommates #3 -July 14,2022
š¹Cosmic Spells and Vampire Lairs #4 – January 11, 2023
š¹A Traitor Shows His Hand #5 – March 9, 2023
Note: shouldnāt the author have said A Traitor Shows THEIR Hand? So ok now we know the traitor is a guy?š¤¦š¼āāļø
Waking up in my enemyās bed is just the start of my problems.
The first rule of being a witch: donāt trust the vampires. My entire life has been filled with stories of our warring covens. We tenuously coexist in the New England city of Eaton Falls, where the locals think weāre merely the stuff of fairy tales and horror movies.
We live life as the mortals do, keeping our magic behind the scenes. Everything is fine until the day I wake up inside notorious Eaton Manor, in the bed of none other than the sexy and terrifying head vampire, Augustus Rainier, with no memory of how I got there.
His presence makes my skin tingle and my heart beat just a little faster. I know the inherent danger of associating with violent, often unpredictable vampires. Iāve got bigger problems, though, when I discover my coven is in hiding, leaving me on my own.
When danger shows up at Eaton Manor, it becomes clear itās not only the witches in trouble. Both covens need to decide: do we fight separate battles against the same enemy or break every rule in our history and join forces to defeat a common foe? The other major questionāwill possessive and domineering Augustus let me go when this is over?
Never Trust A Guy With Fangs is an MM paranormal romance. It is book one in the Covens of Eaton Falls series featuring a rebellious twink of a witch with eternal optimism, an edgy vampire with a strong mistrust of witches, two stubborn and quirky covens, a threat from an unknown enemy, and a dangerous desire that could tear apart tradition, all in a beautiful New England backdrop. It is not a standalone.
This is a short cute story that takes place 2 years after the end of the first collection. Ross is happily married and officially part of the Clan.
The plot is entertaining because honestly how many humans understand what LARPing is? Let alone the many species of the supernatural? Then throw in dwarven meadā¦ and well, thereās the story.
Cute, no background for those unfamiliar with Ross and gang. But I did think it was pretty funny.
Read it because you loved the first one and universe.
š¹The Tribulations of Ross Young, Supernat PA by A. J. Sherwood
š¹The Tribulations of Ross Young, Supernat PA, Additional Incident: LARPing. By A. J. Sherwood
The clan goes LARPing. Do they understand itās a game? No. Does Ross regret all life decisions? Yes. LARPing is now on Ross’s shit list. Tags: when the children are quiet Ross panics, for good reason, clan use your brain challenge:failed, the crack ship armada sails again, author has lost discretion within this story, dwarven mead, spells gone wrong, attempt at humor, the clan are dumbasses, that is the humor, only one building was harmed in the making of this story
Thereās just something about a gas station on the edge of town that just shouts otherworldliness and has the air of the supernatural about it. That all nite , poor lighting, last stop , grungy atmosphere of nite dwellers and desperation.
Itās been played out for horror and for humor, often both at the same time.
A. J. Sherwood wrote a serial story about a young college student, Ross Young, earning his tuition at a gas station on the nite shift, for her newsletter. It was so popular with her subscribers that they pleaded for it to be collected into a book.
This is that collection. Itās funny. Romantic. Clearly of the serial format with its flow and , yes, editing issues, which have not been cleared up here.
Itās also got very amusing Chibi art of the characters at the start of each serial chapter. Thatās a great plus.
Ross is droll, accepting of the supernatural community that exists around him, with a calm, commanding manner . Perfect for handling those drunk dwarves or vampires seeking to loot a bank, whatever the situation calls for.
Thereās even a terrific minor crossover with a character from another series that was very enjoyable.
I found this funny and a very quick entertaining collection to read. Even with the typos. Someone should have caught those.
Thereās a short story follow up. It should have been added onto this one as it doesnāt work as a standalone.
Iām recommending this as funny and enjoyable.
š¹The Tribulations of Ross Young, Supernat PA by A. J. Sherwood
š¹The Tribulations of Ross Young, Supernat PA, Additional Incident: LARPing. By A. J. Sherwood
āCompany policy forbids me from exchanging my blood, my soul, or my firstborn child with customersā¦ā
When Ross starts working third-shift at a gas station, he doesnāt think anything extraordinary will happen. He expects a lot of quiet shifts.
Well, you know what they say about assumptions.
One explosion later and heās the personal assistant to a vampireāwho he admits is not only sexy, but the sane oneāin charge of his supernatural clanās paperwork, and managing any trouble the members get into.
Spoiler alert: the clan can get into quite a bit of trouble.
Ross is definitely not paid enough for this.
Tags:
The crack ship armada sails again, and then it got out of hand, poor put upon retail workers, Ross didnāt deserve this, Fate is cruel, so am I, the trauma of changing jobs, Ross has a paperclip and knows how to use it, Ross isnāt clear if heās a PA, bartender, or babysitter, troublesome werewolves, Australian wizards, spells gone awry, very awry, sexy vampires, developing relationship, coming out, not a single degree of chill from Glenn where Ross is concerned, slow burn, boss/secretary, light bondage, Ross has to teach ancient mythical beings how to text, pray for him, SHENANIGANS, did I mention crack?, the most absurd workplace romance in history
I really debated about that rating because this is an fantastic series and , from a overall perspective, it deserves a 5 rating.
However, this collection has a few elements that, as a group I feel tended to take away from the anticipation and potential of a powerful finale.
Give Him Hell, Hellhound Champions #3, is actually my favorite of the three. Nickās story has it all. A traumatic adolescence, a damaged man whoās history has given him a mission in life thatās as much mystery as he is. Itās full of found family, magical beings, a great relationship, and , really, a huge amount of character growth.
Nick and Hellhound Jedrek are perfection. And now I understand all Nickās Alpha appearances in the other series. This book is that foundation.
Now to the rest.
Nothing Gained and Stop at Nothing are the two books that essentially tie up Sawyerās Chosen One storyline. Sawyer needs to complete his circle of Guardians, get his guide, figure out how to defeat his brother , and win the war.
So huge! Right? There are some fantastic elements here. Ones that mix mythology, spirit animals and communication, even past lives to a very fascinating degree. How does someone correct past mistakes if past knowledge has been purposefully erasedā¦ by them? Interesting , deeply complex questions. With equally labyrinthine answers. That takes two books to unravel.
Great stuff.
Other beautifully crafted sections? That regarding the wounded, wary Guardian Dakota. He was so well written, so intriguing that you wanted more. Of his history and that of the family we got introduced to. They were all so interesting and unique.
And that was a issue with the last Guardian. All the other great Guardians had powers, some had wounded backgrounds, fascinating personalities, and, honestly, a visible reason to be a part of the Guardian circle. And not just because each represents a Element. The last missing Guardian? Cute as a button but made no sense other than as a āplug-in ā storylight character, whoās aspect could go comedic āhigh maintenance twinkā or āadorable boy toyā. No history. No layers.
Even his āanimal ā had me scratching my head in the manner he called it/them.
But even that part , as one dimensional as it is compared to all the other Guardians, doesnāt seem as overdone as all the ongoing multi-partners sex scenes.
When they started, it was sexy and a way to cement the polyamory relationship between Chosen One and his Guardian mates. It made sense.
But here, as the danger grew overwhelming, the partners were wounded, tired, even hospitalized, the orgies never abated. Research continues around them, or on top of them. People get called away from them and return to them.
It makes them less sexy. More like slot A into Slot B type of activity when the amount of sexual activity exceeds story plot. It was almost at that level. A āreally.. again?ā type of sex scene.
A lightweight major character , too many sex scenes seemed to slow the narrativeās forward motion as it moved towards its tumultuous and scary series finale.
Blake does a outstanding job with formatting that momentous battle into something truly heart stopping and highly suspenseful. From that battle onward itās a careening, wild ride to the finish. A very satisfying one too.
The epilogue is the only aspect, that has , again, just a few things that bothers me. The Guardians and Sawyer have their happy ending. But a character, whoās played a huge part in this series, and was involved in a traumatic incident, gets written off with a sentence. That struck me as all sorts of wrong and , frankly, undeserved, given his status within the group. More about his situation was definitely called for. The reader was invested in him. As was Sawyer and the group. I donāt get it.
Other characters also just disappeared. I donāt know if itās Into future storylines and novels but precious time was spent here getting us involved in them so donāt we deserve to know more?
I think what was missing overall in the last Chosen One stories is a sense of narrative flow and emotional balance. Sex scenes over plot and character resolution. A rush story wise because so much went forward quickly , narratively speaking.
And this is why I had issues with the rating. I read them together, and whether that made the issues I had more glaring or not, I wonāt know. The whole series is incredible. The maxed out battle and finale absurdly fantastic! A true āIām crying, hold your breath ā battle!
Then thereās Sweet Spot.
The fourth is a standalone novella , about Guardian Eduardās widower father, Augustus, and the young man he meets on a island getaway. Itās a second chance at love, age gap sweet story with a slice of kink. I love it.
Iām highly recommending this series. You would be reading the last Chosen books in the order anyway so you might as well read them in this collection and get the wonderful other books as well.
The other series in the Chosen One Universe are ongoing which Iām thrilled about. Thatās Magical Mates and Chosen Champions. Stay tuned for more Chosen goodness.
For the first time, Macy Blakeās two bestselling paranormal fantasy series are being published in a three-volume mega-verse box set!
Each volume will feature three full-length MM novels with dragons, hellhounds, vampires and more, with never before published bonus material. All in reader-requested chronological order.
Volume Three:
Give Him Hell: Hellhound Champions Book Three
Nick Smith is a man with a mission: find the place where heād been held captive as a child and discover what happened to the kids he left behind. He needs answers, especially since he discovered he can shift into a lion. Instead he finds a huge Viking of a man with flaming eyes who threatens Nickās shaky hold on his control. When Nickās past collides with a powerful, evil force causing havoc in the supernatural world, Nick races to find who is responsible for the current rash of dark magic. With a hellhound at his side, what could go wrong?
Nothing Gained: The Chosen One Book Four
With the truth finally revealed that Sawyer is the son of a powerful goddess, Sawyer must find the strength to fix the broken magic in his world. Thereās only one problem: he has no clue how to do it. Even with six of his eight mates at his side, Sawyer doubts he has what it takes, especially as he is growing weaker by the day. With his newest guardian hiding in the shadows, Sawyer has to find the answers before itās too late, for both him and his mates.
Stop at Nothing: The Chosen One Book Five
Rising forces of darkness are attacking faster than Sawyer and his mates can mount a defense. Itās time to fight, but Sawyer has too much to lose to risk disaster. The final pieces of the puzzle are falling into place, but they leave him with more questions than answers. He heads into the final battle without the knowledge…or the powerā¦to win. Sawyer only knows one thing: he will stop at nothing to keep his mates safe.
Includes bonus short story:
Sweet Spot
When the goddess tells Augustus Eastaughffe to go to the mountains to find what he needs, he’s more than happy to comply. The billionaire griffin is in the midst of a deepening mystery and expects to find some of the answers he seeks. Instead, he finds a captivating human who proves to be sweeter than any he’s ever met.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 