Review: Rocking Karma : The Road to Rocktoberfest 2023 by Kage Harper

Rating: 4.5🌈

It’s great to have another collection of books and authors to enjoy reading, this time the theme is a multi-band rock concert called Rocktoberfest.

Rocking Karma by Kage Harper has the band Corvus Rising as the center dynamic. The main characters are Dax Crow, mixer, songwriter, and half brother to the lead singer Jameson Crow. The other is the new bass player Lane Bennett, younger, naive, and surprisingly, with a hidden talent.

Harper creates in Dax a man whose life has been hard, his survival based upon his own ability to make tough decisions, be , as another man calls it ‘resourceful’ , doing whatever it takes for him to make his way. The wonderful element here is that the narrative allows Dax to change and develop, slowly revealing more of himself and his background as the relationship between himself and Lane continues.

Lane, while not as tough or as damaged, is still got the depth of personality. His character is another that’s slow to see all the many dimensions of his life and his heart. Together, with a tiny flop of a dog called Princess, they absolutely stole my heart.

There’s plenty of drama in this story, a storyline that concerns control, a side character taking advantage, and I enjoyed how that plays out.

The other characters, primarily the other members of this band, they are people I actually would have loved more information about. Whether it’s Brody, or the brother Jameson, or those fabulous women, they weren’t just supporting cast but vividly alive important characters of this book.

If the rest of the collection is half as strong and great as Rocking Karma : The Road to Rocktoberfest 2023 by Kage Harper, I can’t wait to read more.

I’m highly recommending this story and author. It’s a fantastic read.

The Road to Rocktoberfest-12 books

✓ Rocking Karma by Kage Harper

◦ Axe to Grind by Gabbi Grey

◦ Key Change by Ari McKay

◦ More Than October by Blake Allwood

◦ Faded Dreams by BL Maxwell

◦ Midnight Riff by Lynn Michaels

◦ Damaged Saints by Layla Dorine

◦ Music & Dreams by JP Sayles

◦ Seltzer’s Taylor: Embrace the Fear book 3 by TL Travis

◦ Loose Strings by Christie Gordon

◦ Killer Notes by CJ Barlowe

Buy Link

Rocking Karma : The Road to Rocktoberfest 2023

Blurb:

Dax

I’ve cut and run on my life more than once in my thirty-one years, leaving everything behind, even my name. Now I’m Dax Crow, long lost half-brother and mixing technician for Jameson Crow, the lead singer of Corvus Rising. I’m using my hard-won skills to help my brother make it big. The rest of the band are incidental to me, although new bass player Lane Bennett is a hot mess of young talent who urgently needs someone to take him under their wing. Not my job. I never get close to anyone. Until some douche of a boyfriend begins jerking the kid around, and I’ve been there, done that. Maybe I can at least give him some advice.

Lane

Playing with Corvus Rising is my dream come true, and I can’t believe in October we’ll play for sixty thousand fans at Rocktoberfest. I just hope I can measure up. The last six months have been a steep learning curve, but I have my secret boyfriend to encourage and direct me whenever he’s around. I wish we could go public, but he’s with the record label and it wouldn’t look good. I also have my secret joy— performing drag as Ms. Fox, when I get the chance. It’s hard juggling everything while touring with the band, but I think I have it under control. Then my worlds collide and my boyfriend shows his true face. I find myself getting surprising advice and support from Dax, the gorgeous, secretive guy behind Corvus’s sound. But I doubt even Dax can turn this disaster into a triumph.

content warning: emotional abuse, coercion

Rocking Karma is a book in the multi-author Road to Rocktoberfest 2023 series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but why not read them all and see who hits the stage next? Hot rockstars and the men who love them, what more could you ask for. Kick back, load up your kindle and enjoy the men of Rocktoberfest!

• Publisher: (October 3, 2023)

• Publication date: October 3, 2023

• Print length: 375 pages

Review: Curio by C.S. Poe

Rating: 4.5🌈

I simply don’t read enough stories by this remarkable author. Curio by C.S. Poe is an excellent way to find your way to this wonderful storyteller.

This short story really resonated with me as I just had someone drop off a dilapidated cardboard box full of old photographs, mostly mine, from the past. No dates, and haphazardly thrown in there, saved from the trash.

So a story that tackles the possibilities that lie behind forgotten old discarded photos hits home.

Poe’s characters, so vividly real and grounded in a place the author calls home, brings the humor and emotional layers so important to this. Llewellyn “Lew” Cooper with his aunt Julia run Curio Cabinet in New York City’s West Village. It’s a hodgepodge of Julia’s interests and antiques, including old photographs.

Then a handsome man comes, buying the photographs on a regular basis. Why? Who is he?

Poe beautifully builds this quietly emotional story of buried history revealed and love in all its forms. Curio comes to a happy ending leading forward for Henry and Lew that makes sense and leaves me absolutely satisfied.

This is a terrific read and the author is one you should have on your auto buy list.

Buy link:

PURCHASE

Blurb:

Llewellyn Cooper and his aunt Julia run Curio Cabinet in New York City’s West Village, where the clientele is as strange as the junk being amassed in their secondhand shop. Llewellyn and Julia have been as thick as thieves his entire life, and Llewellyn can’t imagine being anywhere else six days a week—even if Julia’s bizarre habits and inappropriate conversations drive him crazy. That’s family, though, right?

When Llewellyn drums up the nerve to chat with a routine customer—in part due to curiosity, as Henry McLaughlin returns time and again to purchase nothing but old photographs, but also because the bearded and bow tie–wearing man is the finest thing to ever step foot inside Curio—it seems like Llewellyn will finally have a plus-one for future RSVPs. But just when things start looking up in the romance department, it turns out Henry might be too strange for the Cooper family.

And that’s saying something

Emporium Press
February 05, 2024
Cover art: Reese Dante
Genre: Contemporary romance

60 pages

Review: How I Took the King on a Bone-a-Fide Quest of Piracy, Piemu, and Profit: Bone 1 (How I Stole the Princess’s White Knight and Turned him to Villainy Book 7) by A.J. Sherwood

Rating: 5🌈

In 52 pages, Sherwood fantastically opens up an entire new world of magical creatures, humorously giving us a newly enlarged found family of sorcerers, a talking dragon skull who has a name that has me giggling, and begins a mysterious adventure that will take 7 chapters to complete.

To my delight, there’s two very young apprentices that have been added to Tan and Devan’s odd little family. Zi Rui, who got his own story, and the very sassy little girl who matches her own way into the mix and our hearts, Lesia.

The dynamics and dialogue is funny, heartwarming no matter how alarming Tan might find that, and makes this story fly by all too quickly.

Especially since Sherwood delivers a sentient dragon skull and a gleeful Niran who ,along with his skelebabies , is willingly heading with them into the northern lands for magical adventures!

I can’t wait for the next episode to come out!

It’s highly anticipated and another great recommendation!

Love these covers.

💥How I Stole the Princess’s White Knight and Turned him to Villainy-6 books

💥How Tan Acquired an Apprentice

💥How I Took the King on a Bone-a-Fide Quest of Piracy, Piemu, and Profit

Bone #1

Buy Link:

Blurb:

Sentient dragon skull acquired! Do you wish to find rest of body? (yes) (no)

Tan: Yes!

Devan: No, but why?

Tan: We get half of his hoard~

Devan: We leave tomorrow.

Tags:

Tan’s field trips go awry, no one is surprised, only he can find a sentient dragon skull in a church’s basement, Quest time!, Wells gets stuck babysitting, again, Niran’s more excited than anyone else, except maybe the apprentices, gold is a great motivator, all the bone puns.

• Publisher: (February 16, 2024)

• Publication date: February 16, 2024

• Print length: 52 pages

Review: Be My Endgame by Zarah Detand

Rating: 4.25🌈

“It was on. Number one against number three, battling it out in a tight race for the top spot in the Premier League.”

— Be My Endgame: An MM Rivals-to-Lovers Sports Romance by Zarah Detand

It thanks almost totally to Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ series about buying Wrexham, a Welsh football (soccer to us in the US) team, I do know a bit about the pyramid shaped structure of the football league abroad. And a smidge of the other aspects of the game that’s so central to the story that Detand’s Be My Endgame tells, that of two players in the game of their lives and the relationship that comes with it.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a novel that I felt was as quintessentially British as this was. I do read a lot of authors who are from the UK but their books haven’t been grounded in a world as British and non American as is the world of what’s known as football there and soccer here. Add to that the element of aristocracy in the form of one of the main characters, Earl Alex Beaufort, whose father is a Duke of not whatever Alex is an Earl of. Ah, rules of the peerage! There’s Lords, seats in Parliament, and issues of class.

The other main character is Manchester United’s top striker, Lee Taylor, a “commoner” with a mum who has battled mental illness and has raised his sisters when she’s been unable to cope. In top of class issues to deal with, each has sexuality issues that have affected their lives and past relationship, both being in the closet.

Enforced proximity as teammates for the World Cup is a perfect format for bringing multiple themes into the mix as well as action on the field as the team’s fight up towards their goals.

Detand’s characters are well defined, the issues each faces laid out in emotional scenes that pull the readers in, and the supporting cast are charming and engaging personalities we enjoy spending time with.

There’s several unexpected dramatic events towards the end, one expected and well conceived. The other like as though it was a distraction from the main story. And never got a full explanation.

Be My Endgame by Zarah Detand is my first by this author but won’t be the last. I’m off to explore more Detand has released. Until then, this is a definite recommendation.

Buy Link

Buy the ebook & paperback

Blurb

Sometimes the endgame is only the beginning. In the heated world of the Premier League, Earl Alex Beaufort, a charming Liverpool midfielder, collides on-pitch with Lee Taylor, Manchester United’s top striker. But when England’s World Cup dream brings them to sunny Spain, the real game unfolds: sharing a room. Rivals to teammates to … more?

Dive into this banter-filled MM sports romance where football meets unexpected feelings. A tale where a “pretty boy” comment isn’t just playful teasing, and a kiss isn’t just a kiss. As the tension of the World Cup escalates, so does the connection between Alex and Lee.

But amidst the drills, goals, and growing team camaraderie, shadows of family legacies and personal battles loom large. Can Alex, struggling with duke-sized expectations and his bisexuality, embrace his true self? Will Lee learn to dribble past his trust issues? Get ready for emotional offsides, family fouls, and a journey of self-discovery as thrilling as a last-minute goal.

With doses of British humour and heartwarming honesty, Be My Endgame serves up a pitch-perfect contemporary MM romance against the electric backdrop of the World Cup. Expect the unexpected—because when it comes to love and football, anything can happen in 90 minutes (plus injury time).

Review: On Thin Ice: A Young Adult Gay Romance Series (Chesterford Coyotes Book 2) by RJ Scott and V.L. Locey

Rating: 5🌈

Chesterfield Coyotes is an excellent YA LGBTQIA hockey series from R.J. Scott and V.L. Locey. A YA spinoff from the original ‘Harrisburg Railers’ hockey series, the Chesterfield Coyotes continues to be very successful at bringing the reader into a high school environment. One acknowledged as competitive, often stressful, whether that world is a private or public high school. Each comes jammed packed with its layers of niches created by parental expectations, sports, societal layers, whims, and oftentimes race and sexuality.

That bullies and bullying is a problem and hot topic should surprise no one. That addressed in an impactful, emotionally charged storyline that’s a carryover from the first book, Off The Ice.

Why someone would bully another person, the backstory and character of the person or person’s behavior figures in a realistic, honest manner.

Jonah Robinson was a part of a group of young men that targeted/bullied a certain group of people in their school. Made their lives a misery. Which as a biracial young man with a background of struggling in schools and having a loving family, made his involvement with this group incomprehensible to his parents.

Scott and Locey not only give us an excellent character in Jonah but provide an emotional intimate window into Jonah’s story. His stumbling around his fears, facing his family, confronting the people he’s hurt. And his shaky journey to forgiveness , redemption, and a new future.

That means facing Tyler, of the pink hair, makeup, hockey playing Tyler. Who is also one of the worst of those that group bullied, and Jonah’s growing crush. Tyler’s character is one of depth and a crushing backstory.

That’s where I really appreciate the layers the authors took care to build into their narrative. Each boy, each family has its strengths and struggles, each is undergoing growth that will support their sons emotionally as they go through their own journey with their problems at school, the issues of bullying, and the issues of self esteem.

The relationships between the boys, their friends and families all feel very grounded in reality and real life issues. Their lives are recognizable.

I loved them and this story. The series is shaping up to be one of their best. And I can’t wait for the next.

I’m highly recommending this, even to those who normally don’t read YA (like me). I think you’ll find it entertaining and relatable.

Chesterford Coyotes:

✓ Off The Ice #1

✓ On Thin Ice #2

Buy link:

On Thin Ice: A Young Adult Gay Romance Series (Chesterford Coyotes Book 2)

Blurb

A young adult hockey romance filled with making amends, family, friends, and discovering the real person inside while juggling the crazy, upside-down world of high school.

Jonah Robinson has really messed up. He’s spent the last year hanging out with someone who wasn’t leading him in a good direction. Now that Felix has seen the light, perhaps it’s time for Jonah to do the same.

Making amends is not going to be easy when he’s not exactly been the nicest guy at Chesterford. With the help of his family and a special friend at the school, Jonah is ready to try to make things right with those he wronged. The first person on that long redemption list is Tyler, the brightest player on the Coyotes, at least in Jonah’s eyes. He’s taken a thousand pictures of Tyler for the school paper, but he’s going to have to learn how to develop more than just negatives if he wants to grow close to Tyler.

Tyler Corrigan’s dad has left, his mom is terrified he’ll come back, and it’s Tyler who’s left to keep his little family in one piece. The only respite from real life is playing hockey, and he’s an important part of the Chesterford Coyotes. Despite not being the biggest person on the ice, speed is his superpower, and the team has his back during the worst of the bullying he’s had to endure. His friends make him feel safe when his real world is full of fear, but no one can protect his heart when an awkward and messed up Jonah—one of the worst of his bullies—is suddenly around every corner, wanting to make things right.

Sorry can be a difficult word to believe, but trusting your heart is everything.

• Publisher: Love Lane Books Ltd; 1st edition (October 20, 2023)

• Publication date: October 20, 2023

• Print length: 274 pages

On Thin Ice (Chesterford Coyotes 2) A Young Adult Hockey Romance Copyright © 2023 RJ Scott, Copyright © 2023 V.L. Locey Cover design by Sarah Chreene, Edited by Sue Laybourn”

— On Thin Ice: A Young Adult Gay Romance Series (Chesterford Coyotes Book 2) by RJ Scott, V.L. Locey

Review: Slay Ride (Saint Brothers Book 1) by Davidson King

Rating: 4.5🌈

I have to admit that early on, my thoughts were that Slay Ride was just one more story about a group of psycho revenge killing brothers, a trope gaining popularity in LGBTQIA romance. The elements haven’t varied enough, 5 brothers, killing, torture, etc, so that only one or two authors have made it really fascinating.

But Slay Ride turns into something else that is side adjacent but still makes this storyline its own. The brothers here have a compelling history that King eventually weaves further into a larger plot line that gives the characters and this book a different feel and direction emotionally.

King does surprise me with the choices that are made narratively with the romances and themes. Mason, a vulnerable man whose attack begins the novel, starts a sexual relationship immediately with Gabe, one of the brothers. For me, that was problematic. Except that King starts to roll it back with more focus on the actual storyline, action, and finally, when Mason’s deep trauma over his ordeal surfaces, the real need for just contact and then therapy is recognized.

King has an Authors note at the beginning stating that this fiction is perhaps more in a gray area, than that of actually being dark fiction. After reading this, that’s pretty accurate. Any discussion of childhood trauma, sexual abuse, assault is off page, left to the reader’s mind, as well as any real torture is along those same lines.

I have included King’s trigger warnings below.

Slay Ride was a real surprise for me. It took my narrative expectations and gave them a great twist with the characters and plot. I connected with all the characters, I found myself invested in the multiple storylines, and, although I could have wished for a worse ending for the villains, I was satisfied with that ending.

Now I’m wondering if the next book will feature all of them or just one couple. Either way, I’ll be there to find out.

This is a definite yes !

Saint Brothers:

✓ Slay Ride #1

“TRIGGER WARNING This book contains on-page violence, torture, attempted rape, and off page mention of child abuse.”

Buy link

Slay Ride (Saint Brothers Book 1)

Blurb:

Christmas is a time for joy, family, and friends to gather around the tree and fill their hearts with love. Unfortunately, there are some people who don’t deserve happiness during the holidays.

Mason keeps to himself. His best friend, JJ, is the only one he chooses to be close to, plus his job keeps him busy. Excitement isn’t something he needs or wants in his life. One night, that all changes when he’s cornered, and his life is threatened. His saviors? Well, they turn out to be just as dangerous, and the mysteries surrounding them soon flip Mason’s world upside down.

Gabe and his brothers spend their lives making sure those who deserve death get what’s coming to them. The one person they never see coming is Mason. What for them should have been a simple rescue turns into even more chaos than they ever thought possible.

Enter the Saint brothers’ dark and twisted world on a slay ride that will have you on the edge of your seat, swooning for the bad boys, and trying to survive the fall of revenge.

**This was originally a short story that was part of the Christmas Anthology O Deadly Night Vol 1. It has since been expanded to a full-length novel. No Cliffhanger!

— Slay Ride (Saint Brothers Book 1) by Davidson King

• Publisher: (October 4, 2023)

• Publication date: October 4, 2023

• Print length: 220 pages

Review: Justice (Damned Connections Book 2) by Lark Taylor

Rating: 4.5🌈

Justice is the second in Taylor’s Damned Connections paranormal romance series, a sequel to the original Reckless Damned that featured the sons of Lucifer and their mates. This one focuses on the outlier characters from that series and their own journey to find their mates.

Vampire assassin Sebastian has lurked about the edges of many a story, snarling and sneering, while providing evidence for his deadly powers with his legendary blade Bessy. Now we get his romance as his tragic history.

Taylor has paired him , that most “monstrous of men” , up with with a man most would consider a true innocent. That’s Matty, who’s brother and mate got their story in the first book, Patience. Matty is that sunny, effervescent personality, a knitting sunny bundle of emotions that’s recently undergone a severely traumatic experience. One that he still has nightmares about.

Please read the trigger warnings for this story. They happened in a prior story and anything here is off page details but those sensitive to this subject matter should be aware.

Taylor’s story gives us two men working through the darkness and damage that life’s worst has dealt them. Each character has let the traumatic violence , emotional damage and the deep fear of loss/death they’ve experienced impact their lives, but in different ways.

Sebastian has cut himself off from all relationships, removing himself ,and potentially anyone he might come to care for, from repeat of the history that continues to haunt him. Matty’s life has become more circumspect, he’s got protection 24/7 whether he wants it or not. Plus he’s unaware of the paranormal world and beings that exist in and around him. They’ve all kept him ignorant for his safety.

In Justice’s fast paced storyline, Clark brings everything together on a collision course. The previous plots from the Damned Connection series weaves together with the story here to bring Sebastian and Matty together.

It’s heartbreaking, tortuous, a definite hurt/comfort, but so satisfying when it all finally comes back together as the characters work through their own struggles and emotional damage to a realistic mating the reader feels fit them both as it should.

Sebastian was never going to be an easy fix but I didn’t realize how hard Clark was going to make the journey for Matty too. That balance was needed for this to be true for them both.

Now for the next novel, Temperance. I can’t wait.

This book and series is a must read.

Reckless Damned Series

✓ Devil’s Mark

✓ Devil May Care

✓ Deal With the Devil

✓ Luck of the Devil

Damned Connections Series

✓ Patience #1

✓ Justice #2

◦ Temperance #3

Buy Link:

Justice (Damned Connections Book 2)

Blurb:

Sebastian

Blood. Torture. Murder. They’ve been my only companions for centuries. I haven’t needed or wanted anything else.

Until I see Matty smile. Then something in me, something that’s been dormant for centuries, begins to reawaken.

Matty doesn’t belong in my world. He’s loving, innocent, and full of joy. The darkness of my life would corrupt him in a heartbeat, but when he’s dragged into it against his will, nothing can stop me delivering my personal brand of justice.

Matty keeps fighting for things I can’t give him, for things I’m no longer capable of. I can’t come between him and his family. I can’t give him what he needs.

But I also can’t stay away from him.

Matty

I’m surrounded by couples in love.

Once, I thought that’d be me. That I’d be swept off my feet and experience the kind of epic love you only see in movies.

Now, I know better.

A horrific night taught me to look for other things in a partner. Someone who’s predictable. Safe. Stable.

Sebastian is anything but.

Everyone tells me to stay away from him, but I don’t understand their concerns. How can he be a villain when all he’s shown me is kindness?

He makes me want things I thought I’d given up on. Things I’m too scared to admit I still want.

The trouble is, I can’t figure out what Sebastian wants. He tells me he can’t say no to me, but he won’t open up. He says to stay away from him, but he keeps coming around.

One thing is for sure, Sebastian is who I want in my future.

But how can I keep fighting for us if I’m the only one doing it?

Justice is a MM PNR romance about a grumpy vampire assassin and the sunshine human he can’t stay away from. The second 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.

• Publisher: Lark Taylor (February 1, 2024)

• Publication date: February 1, 2024

• Print length: 476 pages

Review: How Tan Acquired an Apprentice (How I Stole the Princess’s White Knight and Turned him to Villainy) by AJ Sherwood

Rating: 5🌈

“The emergency contact mirror on his desk buzzed with an incoming call, jittering on the wood as if conveying the caller’s agitation.

Tan snatched it up promptly, still looking around suspiciously.

“Hi, I’m Tan. I own the place, and I’m going to go cry.”

Tan, that magnificent Black Sorcerer of Grimslock, is back in a short magical tale of acquisition and revenge. Mostly acquisition.

Here is how Tan and his husband, Devan, his Knight and now King of Goodwine, find/acquire a young “sorely in need of saving” apprentice, no really he’s family. And add another cat to their ever growing collection.

It’s got pathos, an enraged Tan, a fireball or two, an orphan, Knight Wells in a short appearance, and a highly satisfying, quietly loving ending.

Sigh.

Yes, I loved it.

The boy is Zi Rui. Be prepared to fall in love.

Buy Link:

Blurb:

Did Tan go looking for an apprentice? No.

Is Tan going to keep Zi Rui? Yes.

Did Devan agree to this decision? Debatable.

Tags:

Devan has CONCERNS, so does Wells, Tan thinks having a minion er apprentice is a wonderful idea, crackity crack, it’s a good thing Tan is cute, Villainy short story

• Publisher: (February 8, 2024)

• Publication date: February 8, 2024

• Print length: 27 pages

Review: The Mobster’s Mate by Kiki Clark

Rating: 4.25🌈

The Mobster’s Mate by Kiki Clark is a terrific paranormal romance. I enjoyed it immensely. Anyone who’s a fan of shifters/mate romances will enjoy the story but there’s a slight caveat.

This book takes place within Clark’s Kincaid Pack universe. It’s helpful to have an understanding of the events and characters from that series as it impacts heavily upon the storyline and couple here. Important Kincaid Pack members are also a part of this story, although Clark does a good job of explaining who they are and how they figure into the plot.

Getting all that out of the way, this book is launched is a great way. With a dramatic scenario and introduction to all the major characters.

Mob boss Quinten Amato is having to adapt to the new world order since the Kincaid Pack took down the corrupt paranormal government that kept things orderly and predictable. A structure that suited him and all his businesses just fine.

Clark gives us a ruthless man at the top, in an uncertain world where he’s got to negotiate a new path without any loss of prestige or credibility. Then a dramatic scenario opens up, where we meet Caden, a deeply damaged shifter, one guaranteed to make an impact on Quinten’s future.

Caden is such a vulnerable, wounded character. It’s impossible not to connect with him, either for the reader or for Quinten’s employees who surround him. Clark’s supporting cast is as intriguing and layered in their personalities as the main couple. They grab our interest too with their interactions with Caden and Quinton, making us want to know more about each of them.

The plot lines equally interesting, up to the great characters. If it’s all over a bit too quickly, then head over to the other series to read more about this universe and the events mentioned here.

Hopefully, this couple will pop up again in another book and series. The characters have a way of doing that.

This is a wonderful read and it’s got my recommendation.

Related Series

✓ Kincaid Pack (6 books)

✓ The Mobster’s Mate – single story

✓ Silver Oak Pack-2 books so far (also within the same universe)

Buy Link:

AMAZON

Blurb:

A human mob boss and an injured jaguar shifter brought together by a cruel enemy… and fate.

Caden hasn’t believed in fated mates since he was a cub. He figures it’s more of a fairytale that shifter parents tell their kids than the reality of what passes for mates in some of the packs he’s seen.

But then he comes face-to-face with a human man who smells like orange blossoms and radiates authority and safety.

And Caden… Well, he hasn’t felt safe in a long time.

While the rest of the world fears and reviles Quinten Amato and the things he does under the guise of his business, Caden is drawn to him like a cub to an alpha. He doesn’t care what anyone says or what Quinten does, he and his jaguar know the kind of man he is.

The kind who saved his life.

The kind who comforts him when he wakes up terrified.

The kind whose calm commands set his blood on fire.

Convincing his bossy human they’re meant to be together isn’t going to be easy. Especially not when Quinten’s certain Caden needs things he can’t get from him—and that being a part of Quinten’s life in the shadows is too dangerous.

And he might be right.

The Mobster’s Mate is a full-length novel featuring a human with questionable morals and a jaguar shifter who only sees the best in him. You’ll find an age gap, found family vibes, fated mates, and gobs of possessiveness.

This title is a standalone novel set within the Kincaid Pack universe. It can be read and enjoyed on its own. However, if you’d like to understand the nuances of the world, then start your journey with The Alpha and His King (Kincaid Pack Book 1).

• Publisher: Rainbow Publishing LLC (February 1, 2024)

• Publication date: February 1, 2024

• Print length: 219 pages

Review: The Mobster’s Mate by Kiki Clark

Rating: 4.25🌈

The Mobster’s Mate by Kiki Clark is a terrific paranormal romance. I enjoyed it immensely. Anyone who’s a fan of shifters/mate romances will enjoy the story but there’s a slight caveat.

This book takes place within Clark’s Kincaid Pack universe. It’s helpful to have an understanding of the events and characters from that series as it impacts heavily upon the storyline and couple here. Important Kincaid Pack members are also a part of this story, although Clark does a good job of explaining who they are and how they figure into the plot.

Getting all that out of the way, this book is launched is a great way. With a dramatic scenario and introduction to all the major characters.

Mob boss Quinten Amato is having to adapt to the new world order since the Kincaid Pack took down the corrupt paranormal government that kept things orderly and predictable. A structure that suited him and all his businesses just fine.

Clark gives us a ruthless man at the top, in an uncertain world where he’s got to negotiate a new path without any loss of prestige or credibility. Then a dramatic scenario opens up, where we meet Caden, a deeply damaged shifter, one guaranteed to make an impact on Quinten’s future.

Caden is such a vulnerable, wounded character. It’s impossible not to connect with him, either for the reader or for Quinten’s employees who surround him. Clark’s supporting cast is as intriguing and layered in their personalities as the main couple. They grab our interest too with their interactions with Caden and Quinton, making us want to know more about each of them.

The plot lines equally interesting, up to the great characters. If it’s all over a bit too quickly, then head over to the other series to read more about this universe and the events mentioned here.

Hopefully, this couple will pop up again in another book and series. The characters have a way of doing that.

This is a wonderful read and it’s got my recommendation.

Related Series

✓ Kincaid Pack (6 books)

✓ The Mobster’s Mate – single story

✓ Silver Oak Pack-2 books so far (also within the same universe)

Buy Link:

AMAZON

Blurb:

A human mob boss and an injured jaguar shifter brought together by a cruel enemy… and fate.

Caden hasn’t believed in fated mates since he was a cub. He figures it’s more of a fairytale that shifter parents tell their kids than the reality of what passes for mates in some of the packs he’s seen.

But then he comes face-to-face with a human man who smells like orange blossoms and radiates authority and safety.

And Caden… Well, he hasn’t felt safe in a long time.

While the rest of the world fears and reviles Quinten Amato and the things he does under the guise of his business, Caden is drawn to him like a cub to an alpha. He doesn’t care what anyone says or what Quinten does, he and his jaguar know the kind of man he is.

The kind who saved his life.

The kind who comforts him when he wakes up terrified.

The kind whose calm commands set his blood on fire.

Convincing his bossy human they’re meant to be together isn’t going to be easy. Especially not when Quinten’s certain Caden needs things he can’t get from him—and that being a part of Quinten’s life in the shadows is too dangerous.

And he might be right.

The Mobster’s Mate is a full-length novel featuring a human with questionable morals and a jaguar shifter who only sees the best in him. You’ll find an age gap, found family vibes, fated mates, and gobs of possessiveness.

This title is a standalone novel set within the Kincaid Pack universe. It can be read and enjoyed on its own. However, if you’d like to understand the nuances of the world, then start your journey with The Alpha and His King (Kincaid Pack Book 1).

• Publisher: Rainbow Publishing LLC (February 1, 2024)

• Publication date: February 1, 2024

• Print length: 219 pages