Review:  Demon-In-Law (Gods of Chaos, #2) by Aja Foxx

Rating: 3.25🌈

It seems that every time Foxx writes a short story for an anthology, this series gets another book.  The first one, How To Summon A Boyfriend, was written for the Fate’s Call Anthology – Manlove Edition. Now it’s Demon-In-Law, originally part of the Uncontrolled Chaos Anthology. It should be noted that both were revised, extended, and then relaunched for publication in their current forms. 

I just hope that it doesn’t take another anthology to get a third story because there’s characters and plot lines a plenty that need additional exploration here. The mystery behind the overall arc themes is still left hanging pretty much at the end of the story.

These are short demon/human almost instantaneous mate connections that occur during a dramatic storyline that will have an ongoing arc thread and ties to a main character. 

And while there’s serious topics involved, there’s no on page subject scene or raw material that would be considered extremely triggering. 

It’s sweet, sexy stuff and happy endings that just so happen to be in the underworld. 

The main character here, Abigor, was a gatekeeper to the underworld of the first book.  Now promoted by Hades to bodyguard to Herby, Abigor’s story revolves around Jamie and his sister.

It’s a rescue, with a serious topic but while sweet,  a lot of the story has dropped plot lines and issues that remain unresolved at the end of the book.

A reader is left wondering if there was a second half or more chapters that were left unfinished. Or if it’s all coming in another book. 

Demon-In-Law (Gods of Chaos, #2) by Aja Foxx was a cute, quick read but wasn’t as well developed as the first. 

Still entertaining and I hope Foxx returns to the series with a more balanced story soon.

Gods of Chaos:

How To Summon A Boyfriend #1

Demon-In-Law #2

Buy link

        Demon-In-Law (Gods of Chaos Book 2)

    

Blurb

As the personal bodyguard to the consort of Hades, god of the dead and king of the underworld, I very rarely got any time off. When Hades himself gives me the day off, I had some great ideas of how to spend my free time. Only, they didn’t go according to plan. Instead, I was summoned by a human wanting to make a deal for his soul. I had a better idea.

Warning: Gay erotic romance. The material in this book contains explicit sexual content that is intended for mature audiences only. All characters involved are adults capable of consent, are over the age of eighteen, and are willing participants.

Note: This story was originally part of the Uncontrolled Chaos Anthology. It has been revised and extended by 12,000 words.

  • Publisher: (October 27, 2023)
  • Publication date: October 27, 2023
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 152 pages

Review: How To Summon A Boyfriend (Gods of Chaos Book 1) by Aja Foxx

Rating: 4.25 🌈

A combination of adorable cover, terrific author, and fun title lead me to How To Summon a Boyfriend by Aja Foxx .  It was everything I had hoped for.

Foxx actually had me at the idea of someone summoning a potential fake boyfriend but throw in the moniker Herby for the cute guy in need ?  I’m all in.

A two person POV, we get a wide-eyed Herby who definitely sees things through a uniquely wonderful “Herby” perspective as well as a bored Hades, who’s role as the Ruler of the Underworld had gotten a tad tedious.  It’s Herby who’s arrival shakes things up fundamentally.

The characters are well done, the dialogue snappy and the plot extremely well paced.

There’s so many terrific secondary characters from Lionid, to Abigor, Cerberus, and other figures of mythology.

I wish there was a bit more about Herby’s family, and those books.  But it’s shorter length works against that.

I’m still so happy to have read this book.  It was entertaining, a fun romance, with an exciting storyline.

I look forward to reading more from this author.

I’m recommending How To Summon a Boyfriend by Aja Foxx !

Gods of Chaos:

How To Summon A Boyfriend #1

Demon-In-Law #2

Buy link

        How To Summon A Boyfriend (Gods of Chaos Book 1)

    

Blurb

Herby

I needed a boyfriend to keep my father from marrying me off to a man handpicked by him. What better way to get one than to summon a demon? When I found a book of shadows in my grandfather’s attic, I knew I’d found the answer, but something went wrong. Instead of summoning a demon, I ended up in hell. What was I supposed to do now?

Hades

Judging souls was boring. Ruling the underworld was boring. Everything was boring. I needed something to happen to keep me from going insane. I never imagined the fates would answer my unspoken prayer by dropping a human into the underworld, and I’d certainly never met a human quite like Herby. He confused me, amused me, and drove me crazy. Why else would I agree to be his boyfriend?

Note: This story was originally part of the Fate’s Call Anthology – Manlove Edition. It has been revised and extended by 21,000 words.

Warning: Gay erotic romance. The material in this book contains explicit sexual content that is intended for mature audiences only. All characters involved are adults capable of consent, are over the age of eighteen, and are willing participants.

  • Publication date: May 6, 2022
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 23

Review: Inheriting The Mafia (Mafia Mayhem – The Italian Connection Book 2) by Aja Foxx

Rating: 4.5🌈

Aja Foxx just got me even more pumped about this series after reading the new book, Inheriting The Mafia.  

I’m such a sucker for a super competent character, even more for one that’s surprisingly so, both to the reader and the other characters in the storyline.  That’s one of the elements of the plot that makes this so easy to become involved in the characters lives and developing narrative.  The twists and revelations that Foxx has in store with regard to Anthony “Tony”  D’Angelo, a character that will still leave the reader wondering about him and his adolescence after the book is done. 

Much like the first series, Foxx is working through the major crime families, with each one represented by one of the main characters getting their own romance while connecting with the other families and couples. 

It’s a terrific format and helps establish a universe of relationships and foundation of histories that each story can use as part of their own story.  It enriches the narrative and makes the environment more interesting and immersive.

Vito as the one to usher Tony into his new role and life as the head of the D’Angelo mafia family is wonderful. A made man, brought up within the family, he’s flexible enough to give Tony the opportunity to reveal surprises of his own when the opportunity presents itself.

Tony is that author’s gift that immediately connects with the reader and then continues to show chameleon qualities that make him even stronger and intriguing.  Just know that I love him.

Foxx came up with so many great elements here that the story length wasn’t long enough to fully appreciate or explore some of the best of them.  That includes the uncle’s past, a few of the more engaging bodyguards, etc. 

Perhaps, those will be revisited in future books. I can hope.

Inheriting The Mafia (Mafia Mayhem – The Italian Connection Book 2) by Aja Foxx is an absolute favorite.  I wonder what the next book will bring.  

Until then, I’m happy to recommend this series and definitely this story.

Mafia Mayhem (4 book series)

The Capo’s Boy #1 (Nicky & Vinni)

The Boss’s Boy #2 (Dimitri & Eiji)

The King’s Boy #3 (King & Spencer)

The Jefe’s Boy #4 (Alejandro & Delancy)

Mafia Mayhem – The Italian Connection :

Bound To His Oath #1 (Nico & Luca)

Inheriting The Mafia #2 (Tony & Vito)

Buy link

        Inherting The Mafia (Mafia Mayhem – The Italian Connection Book 2)

    

Blurb

~ Anthony ~ 

They were dead, all dead, an entire mafia family…except me. The bastard son of mafia boss Anthony D’Angelo, and that made me the new head of the family. But inheriting the mafia is not all it’s cracked up to be. People want me dead. I don’t know if it’s the same people that killed my family or someone new, and I wasn’t sure it mattered. I had no plans to die anytime soon. I just wasn’t sure how to prevent it.

~ Vito ~ 

I was the underboss of a mafia family and when they were all taken out in a bombing, I wanted revenge. Before I could do that, I needed to track down the illegitimate son of my boss, a man I never knew about until now. I wasn’t sure what to think of Tony when I found him, but I did know I had to keep him alive. He was the head of the family now and I was duty bound to serve him. I just wished I wasn’t so attracted to him.

Warning: Gay erotic romance. The material in this book contains explicit sexual content that is intended for mature audiences only. All characters involved are adults capable of consent, are over the age of eighteen, and are willing participants.

  • Publication date: September 29, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 202 pages

Review:  Death Song (Tales from the Tarot story) by B. Ripley

Rating: 3.5🌈

Based on the major arcana card Death.

If nothing else, that gorgeous cover, which plays into an element of the story, would have drawn me to the book.  

But so do the themes of eternity, love, grief, mourning,fated mates, and death as they play out interestingly over the course of B. Ripley’s Death Song, another in the series, Tales of the Tarot.

While I’m not sure if all the storylines and components end up working smoothly together or feeling as though they were throughly understood or well defined at the end of the story, it’s interesting and written in such a manner that I was invested right to the finish. 

The haunted artist, Charlie, who’s compelled nightly to paint the same subjects, is especially endearing.  If anything, the author fashioned this character with an over abundance of traits and unusual features that threatened to overwhelm his storyline and the poignant nature of his situation.   Charlie is this, and this, and wait, Charlie’s this too. And somewhere along the way, parts of his narrative gets lost or overlooked in the process of developing one of the newer aspects of the storyline.  

It’s a shame, because Charlie’s story, at its baseline, is easily one of the most powerful and emotionally compelling.  A artist paints the same character over and over because he has no choice. 

Rex, the subject matter, is also a great character, one that also gets the kitchen sink treatment.  Everything gets attached to him as well, his haunted, savage past, a found family and his current life that’s not exactly clearly defined.  I enjoyed his relationship with Charlie.

However, Ripley is using this to launch a new series. So Charlie and Rex’s story turns into something muddled and confusing by the end. 

There’s missing souls (this is a major question for me), Reapers, werewolves, dropped storylines, and, imo, while I enjoyed the romance, the initial potential and plot offering was never obtained. 

So there’s a continuation of this series with the same characters with a book called Finn to come.  

Death Song (Tales from the Tarot story) by B. Ripley was a good read but the author tried to jam it into too many different slots.  One for the first book in a series so it needed lots of foundation information and extraneous details (characters), and one standalone book in a multi-author series.  I’m just not sure it was great in either category.

Read it and decide for yourself.

 Cover art: Fae Quin 

Cover design: Amanda Meuwissen

Tales from the Tarot is a massive multi-author paranormal & fantasy MM romance collaboration. These 22 books, each by a different author, highlight the Major Arcana cards in a traditional Tarot deck – with some liberties taken, such as The Empress card being The Consort, for an all MM or gay romance focus.

Tales from the Tarot- 22 books 

🔷 Where Fools Have Tread by Jennifer Cody❤️

🔷The Magician’s Heart by J.P. Jackson

🔷Cleric of Desire by Amanda Meuwissen❤️

🔷The Nephilim’s Touch by Morgan Lysand

🔷King of Hollywood by Fae Quin

🔷My Minotaur Daddy: An MM Romantasy by Laura Lascarso

🔷Across Space and Time by Kit Barrie

🔷Chariot of Souls by Morgan Mason

🔷By Rude Strength ❤️by K.L. Hiers

🔷Found in Obscurity by A. M. Rose

🔷Twisted Fates by Adam J. Ridley

🔷No Justice for the Damned by Hellie Heat

🔷The Angel’s Kiss by Nicholas Bella

🔷Death Song by B. Ripley 

🔷Arcanum by Ashlyn Drewek

🔷The Devil’s Dilemma by Alex J. Adams

🔷Camelot’s Tower by Brooke Matthews

🔷A Highland Gargoyle’s Lucky Star

by Chloe Archer

🔷Trust in the Moon by Delaney Rain

🔷Raising the Sun by Eryn Hawk

🔷Zero Judgment by Kota Quinn

🔷The End of the World by Drake LaMarque

Buy link

        Death Song

    

Blurb

CHARLIE

Art is my livelihood, but the things I paint in the dead of night might just kill me.

Night after night, I am pulled from my sleep and compelled by some unseen force to paint the face of the man who haunts my dreams. I cannot resist the urge to capture his life on canvas, and the song of grief and mourning that he sings is forever stuck in my head. I don’t know who he is, but meeting him face to face feels like fate.

Rex. I finally have a name. If I can keep it together long enough to finish the commission he hires me for, I might be able to earn the rest I desire – and learn the truth of who I am and why my dreams of Rex include the pierce of fangs and a throne from the distant past.

Death Song is a standalone MM paranormal romance novel as part of the multi-author collaboration Tales from the Tarot. This book is based on the major arcana card Death.

  • Publication date: October 3, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 226 pages

Review: The Mercenary’s Guide to Mishaps and Romance (The Hitman’s Guide 7) by Alice Winters 

Rating: 5🌈

I was so excited to see another book in Alice Winters’ The Hitman’s Guide universe.  It’s one of my favorite series from an auto read author and this new release is another confirmation of both.

The Mercenary’s Guide to Mishaps and Romance brings back Scottish assassin Tavish from a previous book and gives him a well deserved romantic journey to a loving relationship and a new home, complete with our usual gang of ex hitmen twisted heroes, partners and friends.

Tavish takes a deal that has huge implications for our gang when he inadvertently kidnaps an innocent man.  That’s Ellis, an utterly charming guy, a vet tech with an unusual past and, as created by Winters, a personality so winning that we can’t help but fall in love with him. 

We aren’t the only ones.

But there’s a bunch of saving to do, mysteries to solve, revelations to surface, and snappy dialogue that occurs while things go boom and crashes happen.  Yes, and the Fence is mentioned often!

I was absolutely entertained by Ellis and Tavish as they fought, survived , all while developing a strong relationship. Then finally getting a well written resolution to a multi-level mystery and HFN they deserve that’s totally satisfying. 

The Mercenary’s Guide to Mishaps and Romance (The Hitman’s Guide 7) by Alice Winters was a great read and had all of my favorite characters. I can’t wait to see more in this universe.

Highly recommended.

The Hitman’s Guide:

  • The Hitman’s Guide to Making Friends and Finding Love #1
  • The Hitman’s Guide to Staying Alive Despite Past Mistakes #2
  • The Hitman’s Guide to Tying the Knot Without Getting Shot #3
  • The Former Assassin’s Guide to Snagging a Reluctant Boyfriend #4
  • The Hitman’s Guide to Righting Wrongs While Causing Mayhem #5
  • The Hitman’s Guide to Codenames and Ill-Gotten Gains #6
  • The Mercenary’s Guide to Mishaps and Romance #7

Buy link

        The Mercenary’s Guide to Mishaps and Romance (The Hitman’s Guide Book 7)

    

Blurb

Ellis

Why is it that the first attractive man to look my way mistakes me for a bad guy, stuffs me in the trunk of his car, and ships me off to an island where I’m positive the only thing waiting for me is my own murder?

I mean… yeah, Tavish is charismatic and fun, but did I mention the whole trunk thing? Oh, maybe I forgot to mention his peculiar group of friends who keep promising to “help” me, but why are they running around with masks and weapons while praising fences?

Tavish and his friends are actually the bad guys, aren’t they?

If I (somehow) look past all of that… Tavish really does seem like a nice guy. He’s caring, funny, and willing to risk his life to protect me. It’s become quite clear that if I’m going to get out of this alive, I’m not going to be able to do it without him.

Tavish

So maybe I mixed things up a wee bit and took Ellis on a tiny road trip that he might not have been privy to. Ellis doesn’t seem to overly mind. I mean, yeah, maybe he tried blinding me with aerosol spray… or maybe I was just blinded by his handsome smile.

The problem is that Ellis is in danger, but he knows nothing about this world he’s been thrown into. He’s sweet, kind, and has the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met. And I’m prepared to protect it at all costs.

Contains a charming man who lays on a Scottish accent to get his way, a bewildered vet tech who’s wondering why everyone around him is so strange, a parrot who may or may not want to steal Tavish’s man, and the Hitman’s Guide crew up to their usual hijinks.

  • Publication date: October 3, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 379 pages

Review:  Grayscale: An MM Shifter Romantic Suspense Novel (ORCA Book 2) by Vinni George

Rating: 4.25🌈

Grayscale is the second book in Vinni George’s action adventure fated mate shifter series, ORCA.  That’s both a family of orca shifters and an agency that they’ve formed to work together, Organization for the Return of Criminals and Assets (ORCA).

Each novel is working on an overall series mystery involving a family painting and matriarch while the brothers investigate and find their fated mates. 

 I believe I enjoyed Grayscale even more than Black & White, the first book in the series.  Grayscale, which picks up right after the conclusion of Black & White, starts right in on enlarging the characters of orca shifter, Cal Hunter and his sometimes lover/competitive enemy, great white shark shifter, Jack Grayson.  They’ve been in and out of each other’s missions and beds for 2 years, but Cal has been hiding from Jack and his family the fact that Jack is his fated mate.

This is one of those pull me/pull you relationships, where neither person is exactly communicating but their reasons makes sense actually.  Their chemistry is hot, the fact they are fated mates totally believable as is the dynamic between them. Jack Grayson, confident of Rueben the enigmatic shifter who has been directing the team, has his own secrets too. 

The characters are engaging, their personalities perfectly made for each other, and the story pulls in all the different characters as well as continuing the overall theme of the mysterious paintings and the grandmother’s connection.

I really got into this one. Loved the romance and characters and it really set up the next book to come.

Was it perfect? No. There’s a tremendous amount of subplots and history that was relayed in the first novel that was missing from this book, but the dynamic couple and adventure are still powerful enough to keep me connected from beginning to end.

Highly recommended.  And loving the covers.

ORCA:

  • Black & White #1
  • Grayscale #2
  • Full Color #3 – TBR early 2025
  • Outside the Lines (short story)

Cover Design: Alison Millsaps, Ozark Witch Cover Design

Buy link

        Grayscale: An MM Shifter Romantic Suspense Novel (ORCA Book 2)

    

Blurb

Cal Hunter didn’t hate Jack Grayson the moment he met him. He actually kind of liked the arrogant great white shark shifter… until Jack left Cal zip-tied to a bed and stole Cal’s job. Now, every time their paths cross, things get heated, and they both have the scars to prove it.

Jack has always worked better alone, but there is something about Cal he can’t get out of his system. So it shouldn’t be a problem when they are forced to work together to figure out who is after one of the most famous pieces of stolen art in the world.

But both men are keeping secrets that compromise their mission, and when Jack’s life is threatened, Cal has to decide if holding on to his own secrets is worth it. Turns out fate has one hell of a sense of humor.

Grayscale is book two in the Organization for the Return of Criminals and Assets (ORCA) series, featuring an orca shifter former mercenary who hates taking orders, a great white shark shifter who’d rather work solo, and a worldwide chase to track down a missing painting that ultimately forces them to cooperate in more ways than one!

  • Publisher: (October 3, 2024)
  • Publication date: October 3, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 215 pages

Review:  His Mate By Vengeance (Lunetti Pack, #1) by Mel Aitchess

Rating: 4.5🌈

Mel Aitchess isn’t an author I’ve read often, if ever before, but based on how much I enjoyed His Mate By Vengeance, I’m adding Aitchess to my list of musts.

This is the first book in a new paranormal fated mate crime family romance series (that’s a mouthful), and I loved it.

His Mate By Vengeance (Lunetti Pack, #1) by Mel Aitchess has individual mobs/packs of werewolves, vampires, witches, each with their own crime bosses, etc, all living their best criminal lives alongside an oblivious human society.  There’s a very cool map included of the City and distinct territories.

Aitchess does an excellent job of laying out the disputes that are occurring, internally whether from political or power struggles , or from outside factors that are affecting the various criminal families. The author does this, through the well written characters and their interactions, but also with revelations about their history through dialogue with others.

It’s a multi dimensional narrative that gives the reader beautifully balanced characters that inhabit a developing universe along with a growing mystery.

The main characters? Hot, so so hot. Equally emotionally damaged, murderously skilled, insanely sexy, with horrendous past histories that make them a perfect fit.  Assassin Vampire to guardian werewolf. That’s both Vin, the vampire assassin, and Angelo, the adopted werewolf protector of the Lunetti pack. Theirs is a fated mate enemy to lover romance that’s one I easily engaged with and found that I not only enjoyed the relationship but the storylines being built up around them. 

That includes Marco, the Alpha’s,  and the next book to be released, His Mate By Resistance, which is Luca’s story .

I’m absolutely looking forward to reading this. 

Final notes. These are crime families so expect certain events or elements to happen.  See warnings.  No mpreg. 

A definite recommend.

Lunetti Pack:

  • His Mate By Vengeance #1
  • His Mate By Resistance #2 – Nov 19,2024

Buy link

        His Mate By Vengeance: MM Mafia Shifter PNR (Lunetti Pack Book 1)

    

Blurb

I have lived for centuries. I have used and been used. Had countless lovers. And I have never wanted more. Not once. Not until today. Not until you.

Angelo is a protector—head of the Lunetti Pack’s security. He walks a delicate line avoiding the darker side of his mafia shifter pack’s business, but there’s no grey area in his hatred of vampires. Not after what they did to his family. When his Alpha orders him to keep one safe, it takes everything in him to obey. So, why is his wolf so intoxicated by the sassy vampire assassin’s scent permeating the safe house? And did there have to be only one damn bed?

Vin doesn’t know who’s trying to frame him for the bombing targeting the head of the local vampire coven, but he’s got the skills and ruthlessness to figure it out. When he called in a favour for somewhere to lay low, he hadn’t intended it to come equipped with a wolf shifter bodyguard, but he isn’t complaining. Angelo is as easy on the eyes as he is to rile up. Seduction is a game and Vin’s always loved a challenge. Until Angelo does something no one ever has before. He cares.

Now, all bets are off. Angelo is his.

His Mate By Vengeance is a steamy enemies to lovers, fated mates, MM paranormal romance between a grumpy wolf shifter and a murder sunshine vampire assassin. It features forced proximity, only one bed, and knotting. There is no mpreg in this world.

  • Publisher: Mel Aitchess (September 19, 2024)
  • Publication date: September 19, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 156 pages

Review:  Conflicted (Hopeless Blessed Book 1) by Lark Taylor 

Rating: 4.75🌈

Conflicted might turn out to be one of my favorites in this multi-series universe about demons, angels and various supernatural beings getting their soulmates and HEA.  It’s a heavily interconnected, richly layered universe where the storylines and well written characters keep weaving together throughout each other’s lives and series arcs. 

Those are precisely the superbly crafted elements Lark gives us where Conflicted excels here. Several of the important characters, Micah and Dimitri, archangels who were a part of a longstanding ancient angel brotherhood, have had a ongoing storyline that stretches from Luck of the Devil (The Reckless Damned Book 4, through the Damned Connections series up to Conflicted.

It’s been a tortured dynamic as Dimitri found his soulmates (Lucky, a human and Dagon, one of the sons of Lucifer) while Micah mourned the loss of Dimitri, the love that was never his.  Each angel has, through the course of the many series, done or asked of the other, some truly questionable acts.  Micah to get Dimitri, Dimitri to save his soulmates. 

Now Lark, in some gorgeous plotting and character development, gives each of them the redemption arc that they deserve (Micah) and,frankly, have been needing (Dimitri). 

That it arrives via the figure of a demon that had helped to save the other soulmates is perfect. That’s Nox, one of a group that is brought topside after that last battle.

Nox is both unexpected and an amazingly powerful character.  Again, Lark had some great surprises and twists in store for the universe, characters and plot lines when she brought in this character. 

The battle scenes are vibrant with action and emotional moments.  The characters have the depth to go with the dramatic climaxes and plot lines that Lark has created for them. And the potential for the series and characters that’s been laid out is intriguing and anticipatory.

I’m waiting happily for the next one to be released.

Put this series on your list,it’s incredible. And include the previous series too. But read them in the order they are written. That’s a must.

Reckless Damn Series – first series 

  • Devil’s Mark #1
  • Devil May Care #2
  • Deal with the Devil #3
  • Luck of the Devil #4

 

Damned Connections – sequel 

  • Patience #1
  • Justice #2
  • Temperance #3
  • Humility #4 – finale

Hopeless Blessed – Seraphim sequel series 

  • Conflicted #1
  • Devoted #2 – September 9,2025

The Wild Edges (wolf shifters sequel series)

  • Finlay #1 – July 10, 2025

Buy link

        Conflicted: MM PNR Enemies to Lovers (Hopeless Blessed Book 1)

    

Blurb:

Heaven has many rules for angels to follow, but one comes above all others.

Angels and demons cannot fall in love.

Micah

I’ve been alive for millennia and have yet to meet my fated mate. It’s not something I’ve ever cared about; my heart already belongs to another. Someone I can’t have. Someone who doesn’t want me.

Now I know we’ll never be together. Unlike me, he’s found his fated mates. Two of them.

That’s fine. As leader of the Seraphim, Heaven’s most elite unit of angels, I don’t have time for love.

Apparently fate has other ideas.

Meeting my mate on a battlefield outside Hell is surprising, to say the least. When you add in his uncanny resemblance to the man who broke my heart, it’s safe to say I’m far from pleased.

The fact that he’s a demon, my natural born enemy, is just icing on the cake of this is never going to happen. It’s a good thing I haven’t been banking on meeting my mate and living happily ever after, because there’s no way it’s happening with Nox.

It’s not like Nox wants me either. He hates me with a ferocity I’ve come to expect from his kind. The two of us never being together is the only thing we can agree on.

Still, there’s a pull between us that neither of us can ignore, no matter how much I wish we could. What starts out as hate sex, a way to try and burn off the intensity between us, quickly blossoms into something more. Something dangerous.

Something forbidden.

Conflicted is an exciting enemies to lovers, angel x demon, MM PNR romance. The first in the Hopeless Blessed series, each book will follow a different couple. All can be read as standalone titles.

Review:  Whiskey and Warfare: The Team Huntress Flights by E. M. Hamill

Rating: 5+🌈

E. M. Hamill’s Whiskey and Warfare is such an exceptional book that, once I finished, I went out and bought a hardcover copy for my collection and bedside.  It’s a book that’s so powerful and personal a story for me that I needed to make sure it’s kept as close physically to me as it is feels emotionally. It’s my comfort read and a joyful journey that I cherish.

Hamill’s incredible characters, their depth of connection to each other, the history and emotional rawness of each other’s lives and the journey that they embark upon is one I’ll visit again and again. 

The beauty of Hamill’s understanding of grief and mourning, so well demonstrated through the character of Maryn Alessi, who’s only just lost her partner and spouse.  But Maryn in a realistic turn of events faces a new uncertain and unwelcome future.

I love this woman so much. Reading this was almost a cathartic experience for me. 

The journey?   Dr Maryn Alessi, former mercenary, now professor, 54, must see her deceased mate, Primetri Andelek, to zer’s home planet for burial. Andelek’s remains must be returned to the soil of Xyri within 2 weeks of death in accordance with the family’s spiritual beliefs.  Maryn has 6 days. How? A ship that’s amazing and full of memories along with a crew that’s basically family.

Scylla Merrow and wife Jac, Col the Boshi, all part of the Artemis Corps, a female identifying combat unit that responded to colonies under attack, for a price.

That’s the fantastic narrative framework for a story that sings. It encapsulates memorable characters, scenes of great power and pathos, high hilarity and also deep sorrow.

Hamill’s story and the crew’s journey will embrace and celebrate their shared experiences and love for each other. It’s a great story about trauma, recovery, perseverance,  healing, and love in all its forms.

That ending is everything.  I believe that this is book one. But if it’s just a first step that’s all that counts, I’m absolutely fine with that too.   I’m left healed and hopeful along with the crew. Isn’t that a wonderful feeling?

Spectacular writing, absolutely beautiful and one of the best of the year.

Buy link

        Whiskey and Warfare: The Team Huntress Flights

    

Blurb

“This is the story we all need now — filled with so much love and respect and genuinely fun adventure.”

KD Edwards, author of The Last Sun

“Every element of it just SANG. The story was *chef’s kiss*. This book is truly special.”

Sarah Chorn, author of The Necessity of Rain

Running on caffeine and spite with nothing left to prove. GOLDEN GIRLS meets FIREFLY in this rollicking space opera adventure.

Maryn Alessi retired from mercenary service after her last assignment went horribly sideways and settled down on a quiet planet with the love of her life. Unexpectedly widowed, Maryn must fulfill a promise to return her mate’s ashes to zer home planet for funeral rites, but a brutal civil war has destabilized space travel.

Former Artemis Corps sisters-in-arms and their sassy ship, the Golden Girl, are up to the task, counting on luck and their rather sketchy cargo business to get Maryn passage through the contested star lanes. But when the crew of the Girl rescues survivors of a ruthless war crime, Maryn and her ride-or-die friends must take up their old profession to save the lives of innocents from a genocidal dictator.

  • Publisher: StarBard Books; 1st edition (September 15, 2024)
  • Publication date: September 15, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 262 pages

Check out the Other Worlds Ink Tour for the amazing “Whiskey and Warfare” by E.M. Hamill (excerpt and giveaway)

Whiskey and Warfare -E.M. Hamill

E.M. Hamill has a new queer women-led space western out (pan, lesbian, aro/ace), Team Huntress book one: Whiskey and Warfare. And there’s a giveaway!

Running on caffeine and spite with nothing left to prove. GOLDEN GIRLS meets FIREFLY in this rollicking space opera adventure.

Maryn Alessi retired from mercenary service after her last assignment went horribly sideways and settled down on a quiet planet with the love of her life. Unexpectedly widowed, Maryn must fulfill a promise to return her mate’s ashes to zer home planet for funeral rites, but a brutal civil war has destabilized space travel.

Former Artemis Corps sisters-in-arms and their sassy ship, the Golden Girl, are up to the task, counting on luck and their rather sketchy cargo business to get Maryn passage through the contested star lanes. But when the crew of the Girl rescues survivors of a ruthless war crime, Maryn and her ride-or-die friends must take up their old profession to save the lives of innocents from a genocidal dictator.

Warnings: violence, genocide, aging, chronic illness, grief (death of spouse), PTSD

Praise for the Book:

“This is the story we all need now — filled with so much love and respect and genuinely fun adventure.” –KD Edwards, author of The Last Sun

“Every element of it just SANG. The story was *chef’s kiss*. This book is truly special.” –Sarah Chorn, author of The Necessity of Rain

“A fantastic read, a thoroughly delightful romp through space with an all-female main cast that blends crazy action scenes with deep reflection on what it means to grow older. This isn’t your parents’ Golden Girls.” –J. Scott Coatsworth, QueerSciFi.com

Universal Buy Link | Goodreads

Giveaway

E.M. is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card with this tour:

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Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47318/

Excerpt

Jac regarded Col with an arched eyebrow. “What happens to your species as you age? I don’t see you looking any different than the last time we got together.”

“You can’t tell?” Col stroked her furry cheeks. “I have more hair on my face.”

“Don’t we all?” Maryn gave a shaky laugh. “I look like I just hit puberty. I think my moustache is glorious.”

“I have also developed lower breasts,” the Boshi said, revealing her catlike teeth in a silent snarl of disgust.

“Mine are heading south too.” Jac cupped her tits, staring at them in contemplation.

“No. Lower breasts.” Col motioned to mid-abdomen beneath her tunic when it became clear they did not follow. “My second set.”

All three humans stared at her with varying degrees of curiosity. “What are they for?” Scylla asked.

“In my society I would be expected to help nurse the litters of my children. If I had any.” Col’s furry ears flapped as she shuddered. “Mewling, damp little things. Why anyone would want them is a mystery.”

“Ours turned out okay, and I didn’t have to get cozy with anything but a syringe,” Jac said with a laugh. “But I’m pretty sure Maya doesn’t expect me to breastfeed our grandkids.”

“Don’t look at me. I got rid of the plumbing a long time ago.” Scylla slapped her flat chest with both hands.

“How old is Maya now?” Maryn was chagrined to realize she hadn’t asked after her honorary niece.

“Twenty-one. She finished her first degree and she’s in medical residency on Telluride Station.” Jac beamed with pride. “Her gene dads still practice in New Denver, so she’s living with them. They’ve been trying to convince us to settle down there, where it’s safe and boring, but we’re not ready for that.” Something Maryn couldn’t name flitted through her expression before Jac’s face softened. “She sends her love, by the way.”

“Sweet kid. I owe her a graduation gift. What a lousy aunt I am.” She sniffed and wiped her nose with a tissue.

“You’re not.”

“I haven’t even seen her since she was six, when you came to visit.”

“She gets it, Mar.” Jac’s voice was gentle but firm, trying to head off Maryn’s slide into self-recrimination, but it was too much.

“I hate this. All of it.” She balled up the soggy paper in her fist. “I have six days left to take Andelek to Xyri before the scheduled rites and I have got to pull my shit together. I could check interplanetary express freight pricing, I guess. They’ve probably raised the rates because of the war, but I can afford it.”

Her eyes grew hot again. “But it just seems so wrong. Ze isn’t a box of supplies to be shuffled off world by a robotic pilot like so much cargo. But I don’t know what else to do.” Maryn made a frustrated noise as her voice snagged on the words. Tears came again whether she wanted them or not, and she swept the back of her hand over her eyes. “I’m running out of time.”

“About that.” Jac exchanged a long glance with Scylla before she continued, “We were talking. We want to take you to Xyri.”

The warm burst of astonished gratitude faded against an electric-jolt corkscrew of anxiety drilling into her chest. Shame came next, as always, and self-disgust filled her mouth with a sour, acetic burn.

“Are you sure?” she stammered. “It’s such a dangerous flight plan right now. It won’t complicate your business?”

“Nah. We’re still freelance.” Scylla shrugged. “Mostly private transactions. We’re our own bosses.” Her husky voice softened. “And you know the Girl would love to see you.”

“I miss her too.” Golden Girl was the well-loved privateer cruiser they’d pooled their end of tour bonuses to purchase when they left the Corps. The ship had been their home, their means of independence, and she had a definite personality. Its AI learning interface had picked up more human nuance with every mission until they treated it like a fifth crew member.

“The Girl’s small enough she doesn’t attract much attention on sensor sweeps. We need to go through Konecthedot system anyway on … business.” Jac traded another secretive nod with Scylla, and Maryn wondered what they weren’t saying.

“That is next to the front.” Col wasn’t fooled by the innocence act, her peridot eyes narrowed.

“Doesn’t mean it won’t be risky, but we can get you there in plenty of time for the remembrance rites.” Scylla cocked her head and her deep brown eyes, so dark they were almost black, glinted with hope and mischief. “Whatcha think, Mar? We can make it a girls’ trip if Col wants to tag along.”

“Yes!” the Boshi exclaimed in her sweet, breathy voice. “I have been bored out of my skull. I can work anywhere since CosBank gave me remote branch equipment.”

What her friends offered was too generous to turn down. She took a deep, steadying breath. “I don’t know what to say, except—” she gestured helplessly. “Thank you.”

Scylla gulped the rest of her wine, her enthusiasm building. “Konecthedot sector might be close to the front, but we haven’t had any issues yet. It’s less dangerous than anything we did when we were mercs. We’ve got two stops to make on the way, but after that, we head straight for the wormhole and Xyri. We can transport you faster without picking up passengers at every station like the star liners do.”

“Globney said the Qetish fleet is blocking the Pashni.” Maryn twisted her fingers together to keep them from shaking.

“They don’t bother flights that originate anywhere other than Khepra, from what we heard,” the pilot assured her, and amended with a skyward glance, “Leastways, not much.”

“I haven’t been off world since …” she faltered.

Terror. Black, endless space. Isolation. The memory threatened to overwhelm her already fragile composure.

“We know.” Jac stroked her forearm.

Of course they did. They’d saved her life.

Author Bio

E.M. Hamill

E.M. (Elisabeth) Hamill writes adult science fiction and fantasy somewhere in the wilds of eastern suburban Kansas. A nurse by day, wordsmith by night, she has sworn never to grow up and get boring.

Frequently under the influence of caffeinated beverages, she also writes as Elisabeth Hamill for young adult readers in fantasy with the award-winning Songmaker series.

She lives with her family, where they fend off flying monkey attacks and prep for the zombie apocalypse.

Author Website: https://emhamill.wordpress.com

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/EMHamill

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