Tag: A MelanieM Review

Review: Liar’s Gambit ( The Elite Universe) by Kelly Fox

Rating: 5🌈

10/10 Fabulously Recommend!

Liar’s Gambit by Kelly Fox is one of the top highlights of The Elite series, nine novels written by different authors. At the heart is The Anonymous, a mysterious club housed in a historic art deco hotel that caters to the needs and whims of the wealthy, who are often of the blackest or at least grey natures. That extends to their businesses, professions, and perhaps proclivities.

Within the boundaries of The Anonymous, all are protected.

Liar’s Gambit begins where a Hitman’s job ends. Nigel , a hitman with a sorta conscience, heads towards a potential new assignment and company that his handler has passed on to him. It’s shortly after his latest job ends, and he’s in need of a hotel room, something to eat , to go along with his meeting.

It’s all about to take place at The Anonymous. His client , Wilhelm, a gorgeous billionaire, with a mission that’s a bit quirky, retrieve a rare coin, maybe hit a couple of people. All sounds very nebulous, and yet he’s still on board with the idea. Must be Wilhelm.

I have to say Kelly Fox must be inundated by now with requests to write further novels about these characters. They definitely deserve it. They are simply sublime.

From their dangerously wry and sometimes disturbing inner commentary, about the events and each other, to the kinky , hot sex, and fast paced games of thrilling suspense and violence, this is an incredible story!

The men, their swift building relationship, and , that stunning “I never saw THAT coming “ twist at the end which made you go immediately back to the beginning and start all over.

Do NOT read anything with spoilers because that ending shouldn’t be given away. It’s that great!

What can I say? Outstanding characters, tightly packed and plotted storylines, an out of this world twist, and fabulous ending.

Liar’s Gambit ( The Elite Universe) by Kelly Fox is top notch entertainment! I wish I could rate it higher!

The Elite Multi-Author series (9 Books):

✓ Reckless Roulette by Alice Winters

✓ Leave No Trace by Michelle Frost and Sammi Cee❤️

✓ Ace of Maids by K.L. Hiers

✓ Poison Hearts by Jennifer Cody❤️

◦ Liar’s Gambit by Kelly Fox❤️

◦ Dealer of Secrets by Davidson King

◦ Bullets & Butterflies by Maz Maddox

◦ Love for the Reaper by Charlie Cochet

◦ Chance Encounter by Luna David

Buy Link:

Liar’s Gambit (The Elite Book 1)

Description:

He’s a liar. I’m a hitman. And there’s a game afoot.

After seeking sanctuary at The Anonymous, an elite club for lawless types, the elegant, beastly Wilhelm invites me to help him with a simple mission: retrieve the priceless artifact that was stolen from one of his billionaire friends.

I’m bored, there’s potential for violence, and his terms are generous, so why not?

I quickly discover, however, that Wilhelm has been slightly mischievous with the details, and there’s nothing simple about this mission. He’s betting I’ll go along with his insane plan; I’m still deciding whether or not to slit his throat.

Could be fun either way.

Liar’s Gambit is a 22k-word novella that is part of the multi-author series The Elite. Each book can be read as a standalone and in any order. What links these books together is The Anonymous, a club beneath the gritty city where only the elite are welcome.

Review: Alliance: The Triad Series: Book One by Cari Z

Rating: 4. 25🌈

Alliance is a new polyamorous M/M/M fantasy from author Cari Z, the first in a series.

I enjoyed the book and my introduction to all three main characters, Symon Parador (mage and reluctant groom), queen’s brother, Prince Petur (shifter with multiple shapes, also reluctant groom ), and Deyvid, a warrior/bodyguard who’s been made null to all magic (and who happens to be Petur’s not so hidden love for years).

Cari Z weaves the three person POV between these characters, starting with my favorite, Symon. It’s he who gets the shocking news he’s immediately to be married to Petur, then the equally unpleasant element that Petur’s got a long time love . Nothing says Symon will be happy or welcome in his new life.

Symon becomes, through his deep, passionate and empathetic spirit that the author has created for him, a person we connect to. His journey to his new life with the Prince’s guards lets the reader and guards form a foundation of knowledge of him that makes Symon a great favorite here.

I only wish that I had more of a glimpse of how Symon looks as a whole, beyond his eyes, jewelry, piercings and great magical abilities. We get individual snapshots but never a whole picture. That’s frustrating. Clothes? Hair? Everything that would help flesh out the man and culture he came from.

Oddly, it’s Deyvid, the warrior who’s also the long time love of Petur that’s next in powerful character embodiment. Deyvid’s a character who is second in coming across as being the most fully formed. We see him. From his figure to his face which always carries a faint aroma of a stain , we can see him. His background and personality feels the most layered next to Symon’s, his personality the more complex, and his personal back story is certainly full of angst, deception, betrayal, and damage.

I have the weirdest feeling that the author just loves writing him because the chemistry Cari Z creates for him , starts with Symon, and then Petur. But it’s Deyvid who’s the glue here of the triad.

Finally there’s Prince Petur. He’s not a character who has a great appeal to begin with. There’s little interaction with others, what we see is quick, sexy moments with Deyvid, and solo moments of intense concentration on his own inner plans and suspicions. When we do see him meet up with Symon, someone we’ve come to love, it reflects poorly on Petur.

Of the three, he’s the weakest link. The one with the least amount of information offered to the reader, the lack of background on the shifter species he belongs to is frustrating, as is the world building here as a whole.

I hope that the next story, Endurance, will build out on the universe so lightly framed out here.

Also on the monarchy and kingdoms that have their political roots at the heart of the arc espionage’s threats. That too was not fully established.

Alliance: The Triad Series: Book One by Cari Z is an entertaining fantasy novel. I felt the triad romance was unbalanced towards two of the men who had most of the narrative time , most of the chemistry, and frankly, were my favorites. Prince Petur wasn’t given the same page time as the others so when he espoused that he now loved Symon, it wasn’t believable. It didn’t have the necessary time to become real.

If you want a fantasy with enemies to lovers romance with a triad of three interesting characters, and ongoing mysteries, this is a good place to start.

A recommended read!

The Triad Series:

Alliance #1

Endurance #2

Buy Link:

Alliance: The Triad Series: Book One

Description:

One wedding. Two grooms. Three lovers, preparing to fight for themselves, and their kingdoms.

Symon Parador is a prince in name only until the day he’s bartered away to the neighboring kingdom, to marry their queen’s brother, Petur. A mage in a nation full of shifters who distrust his magic is bad enough, but even worse is the fact that Petur is already as good as married—to an assassin from the north named Deyvid, who’s immune to all magic.

He doesn’t expect to love either of them, but Deyvid’s surprising kindness is too addictive to run from, and even Petur’s ferocity is lightened by his sly sense of humor. Sy could see himself falling for them…if any of them survive the sudden onslaught of attacks against the royal family.

Entwined in a dangerous game of survival, love, and loyalty, the cost of saving his lovers may be Sy’s own life.

Alliance is a polyamorous M/M/M fantasy with enemies to lovers, graphic violence, snarky humor, and explicit sexual content.

Review: Guys Like Him (Redemption Ridge #1) by Aimee Nicole Walker

Rating: 4.5 🌈

I have to admit I was not ready for Walker to leave behind her characters and series set in Savannah, Georgia. The minute I started into one of those stories, I felt like I was coming home. Just narrative perfection.

But authors must move on. And so too the readers.

Now we end up In Colorado, near Colorado Springs. Land of the Rockies and Pike’s Peak. Places I’m pretty familiar with. And a ranch called Redemption Ridge, a working ranch that offers second chances for humans and animals alike.

Honestly, it didn’t take me long to fall in love with this new series. It had me at the element of horse and dog rescues. The horses and care here is detailed and beautifully done, right down to the need for a clean stall.

I can’t tell you how much I appreciate seeing accurate information woven into a storyline, and without feeling like a lecture.

The other aspect of the series and book is the personal recovery/redemption of the men who are the main characters.

Employees have seen their lives changed by incarceration, they are ex convicts, or people who have been convicted of crimes and been sentenced to time in jail. Whether they did the crime or not. There’s a distinction.

Kieran Sullivan arrives at Redemption Ridge fresh out of jail, having served time for a crime he didn’t commit. He’s looking for answers, revenge, and hopes to clear his name.

Finley Ashe runs the equestrian program, training other people’s horses to the horses he rescues and helps to recover. He’s also got the worst choice of boyfriends, each one recently being more horrible than the last.

Walker has created a community of completely different personalities that live on or near the ranch. From Cash, the ex-convict owner of the ranch, to all the ranch hands, to Finley’s mom and dad, sister Harry, and extends to the animals like Nellie, the severely abused horse afraid to trust. This is a great new place to be able to explore and experience through their lives and relationships.

Finley and Kieran have a wonderful, sexy , stumbling journey together that includes an investigation, a mutual understanding and love of their animals, and a new found family.

Walker’s dialogues are funny, lively, engaging, and perfect for each character she’s created. Even the snippet for the next story in the series had me laughing because she’d laid out her characters and relationships in just a paragraph because her characterizations are so great.

This is a book and series to grab up and dive into immediately. They won’t be standalones. So read each one starting from the beginning.

If you’re a fan of Walker’s, of contemporary romance, of broken hearts and broken men getting their HEA, then you’ll will find that this story is a book for you.

It’s one I’m highly recommending.

Redemption Ridge:

✓ Guys Like Him #1

◦ The Fortunate Son #2 – Aug 3, 2023

◦ Saints Like Him #3 – Oct 19, 2023

Buy Link:

Guys Like Him (Redemption Ridge Book One)

Description:

Kieran Sullivan is broken when he arrives at Redemption Ridge. A wrongful conviction and twenty months in lockup will do that to a man. The ranch is a place for second chances and fresh starts, but for him, it’s an opportunity to discover who set him up. Get in, get answers, and get out. The plan sounds easy enough until Kieran meets an equine specialist whose sunny smile could warm the coldest heart.

Finley Ashe is a sucker for bruised spirits and sad eyes. The horse whisperer and broken-boy magnet is six months into a hiatus from love when Kieran, the king of emotionally unavailable men, gets assigned to work under his supervision. Mutual attraction is gasoline on proximity’s flame, testing Finley’s resistance in new ways.

Priorities shift, shields come down, and truths get exposed. Will the inevitable combustion redeem Kieran and Finley or consume them?

Guys Like Him is book one in the Redemption Ridge series. Though each story features a different couple, reading the series in order is essential. Guys Like Him contains mature themes and is intended for adults.

Review: In Death Together (The Undead Detective Agency #3) by Shelby Rhodes

Rating: 4.75🌈

In Death Together is everything I expected it to be and yet it’s more!

I’ve come to have high expectations for this series. Rhodes has layered in a chilling storyline of a psychological horror thriller that has elements of pathological violence and stalking, abuses and non consent, obsession and death.

There’s a fabulous found family of paranormal beings headed by an ancient vampire who’s unlike any I’ve met in other works of fiction. Octavius and his human lover , Turney’s path to a forever relationship has been eventful and , here, shockingly horrifying. I shed so many tears. Why I didn’t think I would, I honestly don’t know. But I was as shattered by the first part of this story as was Octavius. It’s that Rhodes has done such an exemplary job in making us care for Turney that the events at the end of Keep It Together, those that double as the beginning of In Death Together, are emotionally draining and so full of pain even as they are expected.

The author’s skillfully wrought dynamic that’s so outwardly sexy and humorous between these two characters gets peeled away at the most powerful moments to reveal the depths of feeling and love that truly exists within their bond. One that death cannot break. Although it tries.

There’s other characters, and romantic relationships. Most within the found family. Some are promising, some are tragic, and one is unexpectedly lovely. The last is an explicit F/F romance. If this is an issue, skip over it, or this isn’t the book for you. I adore the couple.

There’s a battle unlike any other. But as Octavius is involved in the planning, wild things ensue! And horrible things as well. Rhodes’ narrative balancing act between comedy and pathos/horror teeters delicately even when bones are being smashed, and explosions are going off.

The ending is a cliffhanger. It sets up the final book , Forever Together.

I love In Death Together. I wept throughout all that excellently executed horror, and expected moments of untold emotional agony and guilt. Rhodes has given us , with Octavius and Turney , romantic relationships and deep love, hilarity and glitter, sexual hijinks and role playing moments that are so memorable they need bookmarks!

And a found family full of characters to treasure and journey with to their own destiny with happiness and love.

We have but one more book to see that happen.

I’m highly recommending In Death Together (The Undead Detective Agency #3) by Shelby Rhodes but make sure to read all the preceding books first. They must be read in the order that they were written.

I also love the covers.

The Undead Detective Agency:

✓ Get It Together #1

✓ Keep It Together #2

✓ In Death Together #3

◦ Forever Together #4 TBD 2024

Buy Link:

In Death Together (The Undead Detective Agency Book 3)

Description:

You’ve returned… good! Octavius Evander here, your lovable vampire detective. So, where we ended things last time, everything had gone horribly wrong. What can really be said, besides that change is a fact of life, and unlife. Turney, my love, my heart—unfortunately, he has much change to deal with. No matter, we will all get through it together! Some of us will be getting through it together, much closer than we ever expected, if you know what I mean.

But, enough about that. On to the cases! We will have a new one come up, one with love and questionable family relationships, and even a murder! We don’t get to witness the murder, but we can’t always get what we want. Either way, it’s going to be fun.

Lastly, I suppose there is also the old case looming over us. The ‘pain in the ass’ case. Prepare yourselves for pain, blood, betrayal, glitter, and devastation. No, hint’s as to whose…but remember, this is a love story. Stop worrying, you silly humans. It will be fine.

CONTENT WARNING: This is an M/M paranormal romance book, with a little F/F on the side. There will be blood, violence, gore, mention of SA (no on-page details), and death. Please do not read if you find any of the previous situations triggering.

Review: Defending the House (Watkins Glen Gladiators Book 2) by V.L. Locey

Rating: 4🌈

V.L. Locey’s low angst, contemporary hockey romance series, Watkins Glen Gladiators, continues with Defending the House. It’s a very sweet story, comprised of 30 something Carson Dries, Captain of the Gladiators, a caretaker for his grandfather and owner of a peke a poo , and a younger Criswell Dobbs, waiter and guardian of his high school genderqueer brother .

I’m trying to find a way to describe exactly how low key this story is. Because if you are going to expect a romance with some real obstacles or barriers that appear, or major problems or issues that arise that the main characters have to overcome, this isn’t that story.

Some tales are like small rivers or streams. They have eddies, pools of varying depths, currents that rush over small areas, falling rapidly, only to find a pool and calm itself before moving smartly on .

But Defending the House is more like a canal. One without locks. It’s a smooth, gentle, relaxed ride from start to finish. No obstacles, nothing to get concerned about. A fun, quick, enjoyable experience.

Carson Dries “meets cute” Criswell Dobbs over a spilled bowl of onion soup. A romantic relationship quickly ensues. Criswell has a teenage genderqueer sibling, who’s getting bullied in school. Carson has a grumpy grandfather and a quirky adorable dog.

Locey, who writes both hockey and families so well, has crafted two here in need of each other. And gently, without any drama, lets them be together.

My only quibble is that the story just sort of ends. Spoiler alert. They agreed to move in together and meld families.

And that’s it. No epilogue. No scenes afterwards.

So for me it feels a bit unfinished. A shame because I like the characters. I just needed something more. Maybe a chapter to see how the families were doing together.

But this is sweet, and romantic.

If you’re a fan of the author and the series, grab it up .

Watkins Glen Gladiators:

✓ Between the Pipes #1

✓ Defending the House #2

Buy Link:

Defending the House (Watkins Glen Gladiators #2)44Kindle Edition$4.99

Description:

It’s far from smooth sailing into love for this pair of polar opposites.

Carson Dries is the ultimate team captain. Seasoned, amiable, humble, understanding, outgoing, and good-looking. He’s also really darn lonely, but his searches for Mr. Right have all turned into producing Mr. Wrongs. Having just turned thirty, Carson isn’t sure if dating is even worth the hassle anymore. Maybe he should just devote his time to his team, his grandfather, and his Peke-a-Poo, Penelope. Feeling a little blue, he heads to a Gladiators’ fundraiser to while away another night alone when one of the cutest guys he has ever seen runs into him—literally. Pity the adorable ginger is carrying a bowl of piping hot soup. While the mortified server is trying to dry off Carson’s ruined tux, Carson is getting rather lost in a magical combination of freckles, bright eyes, and kissable pink lips.

Criswell Dobbs is so getting fired. Or beaten up. Or maybe both. One does not dump French onion soup down the front of a behemoth of a man—a hockey player at that—and not get punched in the nose. Losing his job would be terrible. He loves being a member of the waitstaff on the Seneca Starlight paddleboat. The tips are amazing, his coworkers are fabulous, and the free dinners are keeping him fed. Knowing he and his little brother relied on this job, he’s got to do whatever it takes to stay employed, so apologizing profusely while offering to pay for dry cleaning seems the right course. When the hulking hunk of a man in the soaking wet tux unexpectedly asks him out, Criswell is flabbergasted, to say the least. Shocked yes, but not too stunned to write the Gladiator captain’s seemingly sincere request off completely. There is something about a tall, dark, handsome man in a tux. Even if that tuxedo smelled of onions…

Defending the House is a low angst, opposites attract, gay hockey twink/jock romance starring a sexy team captain, a bubbly but clumsy waiter, lots of nautical nonsense, on-ice action, off-boat shenanigans, yo-ho-ho a few bottles of rum, and one fair weather happy ending.

Review: Luck of the Devil ( The Reckless Damned Book 4) by Lark Taylor

Rating: 4.75🌈

Luck of the Devil is the finale to Lark Taylor’ The Reckless Damned series. Each book has been the story of how each of the four rebelling sons of Lucifer has found their fated soulmate as a war has begun against Lucifer himself by his own high demons wanting to take control.

Luck of the Devil has the largest slate of items to accomplish, narratively speaking. And it’s get it done so well.

First off, there’s Dagon, fourth son of Lucifer and the last to be mated. He’s involved in a prophecy that includes Demetrius, an angel, who has appeared to be someone important to Dagon through the previous books but their full relationship wasn’t revealed until now.

And the fact that they are fated to be a triad. It’s the only way they can be together happily.

This is a M/M/M storyline, one that highly sexy, and, as written, makes sense, emotionally, for all the people involved. A demon, an angel, and a human.

Taylor’s story has to include the build up of a relationship between the three characters, and the discussions between the original two characters as to why their original bond failed as well as how Lucky is the missing part to make all three complete.

Not even close to being done with major storylines, there’s the major rebellion going on in Hell against Lucifer, one that’s threatening their own mates and lives above, there’s revelations from Demetrius’ past to deal with, Lucky’s present danger, and more.

All to flesh out, and then satisfactorily bring to a conclusion, while delivering battles, emotional high drama, sexual tension and hijinks, and deep loving soul bonds.

This is pure entertainment. It’s got something for everyone . And if you loved a couple from another book, well all the brothers and their mates are here and playing huge roles in this book. As are other noteworthy characters.

It seems Taylor is writing a new series that picks up with some of these characters when the events here conclude.

I can’t wait.

This series was a fabulous wild ride of fated mates, emotional drama, some well written traumatized characters and four HEA’s.

I’m hoping that they will pop up as visitors in the upcoming series.

Until then, I’m highly recommending this series and book. Read them in the order they are written for development of characters relationships and events.

The Reckless Damned series:

✓ Devil’s Mark #1

✓ Devil May Care #2

✓ Deal With The Devil #3

✓ Luck Of The Devil #4

Buy Link:

Luck of the Devil (The Reckless Damned Book 4)

Description:

One demon. One angel. A relationship that’s failed so many times. Could it really be just one human they’ve been missing?

Dagon

For centuries, Dimitri and I have tried to make it work. Each time we’ve been torn apart by our dominant natures, neither of us willing to back down. A hundred years ago, I thought he’d betrayed me in the worst possible way. In a fit of anger, we made a deal that led to my downfall.

Now Dimitri is back in my life, reshaping our history with the truth. But love still isn’t enough to make it work, not when being together tears us apart.

When he tells me he’s met our human mate, I can’t help but hope that Lucky will be the key to loving Dimitri the way I’ve always wanted.

But with Hell knocking at our door and an uprising threatening us all, can we persuade Lucky to give us a chance before it’s too late?

Dimitri

I haven’t given up on Dagon for one hundred years, and I won’t now.

When Lucky crosses my path, I finally understand why Dagon and I have never quite worked. Fate never intended us to be a couple…we were destined to be a triad. Lucky is the piece we need to complete us.

Winning Lucky over won’t be easy. Someone is hurting him, making him put up walls that are nearly impossible for us to cross.

But chasing Dagon has taught me that I’m a stubborn angel. I won’t give up on either of my mates.

Lucky

What an ironic nickname. Never in my life has anything lucky ever happened to me.

But everything changes when I meet Dagon and Dimitri. Two super-hot guys who aren’t put off by my inexperience? All my dreams are coming true.

Not for long though. Even with my boss and his family looking out for me, I know it’s only a matter of time before my past catches up to me.

So, for now, I’m going to soak up every drop of happiness Dimitri and Dagon have to offer.

Drink it up and pray they forgive me when I do what I always do.

Run…and don’t look back.

Luck of the Devil is an action-filled, fated-mates MMM paranormal romance with an HEA and no cliff-hanger. It is the final instalment in The Reckless Damned series, which is best enjoyed in order due to the overarching plot. Each book focuses on a different couple or triad and has an HEA

Review: Lassos and Lace (Monsters in my Bed #4) by L Eveland

Rating: 4.75🌈

‘Oh, sweetie. You have no idea just how loud I can be.

“You need to work on your people skills, Brokeback Bunny.”

Yes, this author had me at Brokeback Bunny!

L Eveland has such a way with these characters and their dialogue.

I’m talking about a traumatized group of vets, four survivors of a IED blast in Afghanistan, that destroyed their convoy. It’s left one with debilitating PTSD, one a double amputee, one whose life is scrambled, and a Chaplain who’s lost his faith.

Each has his own story in which he‘s met a being , a monster, and fallen in love. The themes flowing through each romance has explored what defines a monster, the military that push for experimentation on paranormals, on orders to war or being’s because of their unique abilities?

Mind you this is an alternate version of the world, with a rift.

The themes are well written, the characters beautifully executed. Especially here.

The human character is one Robert “Hotdog “ Smith. He’s a double amputee, having lost both legs in the blast. Taylor has written layer upon layer for Hotdog.

We go through his depression, his inability to leave his house. His frustration with his prosthetics, that not enough rehab, etc, reddened stumps, all makes him believable. But Robert becomes more so when we see that he’s loves to wear lace.

And so much more. What an amazing character. What a revelation before us.

And equal to him is a stunner of the Monster of the book.

Robert and friends have traveled to Jackalope Ranch. I don’t know how many have seen a so called touristy thing from out west called a Jackalope. Jackrabbit and an antelope combined.

Here it’s real. The being is a jacqeroi, Hopper Meadows, owner of the ranch. With a surprise of a herd!

He’s bitter about humans for good reason, an amputee himself, and has a devastating history.

Everything about him, Robert , and this story is moving, emotionally charged, sensitively handled considering the elements, and so well written.

Two men with missing limbs, both with memories of the past that haunt them. Eveland ‘s story lets both slowly start to trust and understand each other first, then move forward with a relationship, along with a ranch and land full of magical creatures and surprises.

I just love this story and couple.

And the author.

I’m so hooked.

Yes, absolutely recommend!

More pls.

Monsters in my Bed series:

✓ Kissed by the Krampus #1

◦ Scales and Song #2

◦ Hearts and Halos #3

✓ Lassos and Lace #4

Buy link:

Lassos and Lace: M/M Paranormal Fantasy Monster Romance (Monsters in my Bed Book 4)

Description:

Save a dragon, ride a cowboy is about to become my new motto.

After hearing about a dragon ranch and monster haven out in Wyoming, I set off on a road trip with my roommates and two goals: pet a dragon and live out my cowboy riding fantasy.

There’s just one problem: Hopper Meadows, the monstrous owner of the Jackalope Ranch. He’s got a chip on his shoulder the size of Texas and seems to have it out for me in particular. Sparks fly the moment we meet, and not the good kind.

Even though he hates me, I can’t get him out of my head. Fantasizing about Hopper is the only thing keeping me sane after being cut off by my rich parents, and abandoned by my roommates. If I’ve got to be stuck in the middle of nowhere for a week, might as well enjoy the view, right?

But there’s trouble brewing on the ranch. When I find myself pulled into a vendetta thirty years in the making, and the mastermind behind it might just be the only thing Hopper and I have in common…

Lassos and Lace is an MM monster romance featuring a sassy double amputee twink who loves drag, and a stoic jackalope-based monster rancher. It is highly recommended that the books in this series be read in order.

Review: Brimstone (a Culinary Creatures novella) by L. Eveland

Rating: 4.25🌈

L. Eveland was a new author for me when I stumbled across the covers for this series. Another example of never underestimating the power of great graphic cover design .

Then come the blurb. Food, high grade restaurant , cooking, and demon chef. Like that doesn’t confirm something I’ve suspected for years! I was definitely checking it out.

Human Chef Adam has worked and strived and cooked his entire life in order to achieve his dream of becoming a professional chef and working with the universally renowned restauranteur and chef, Chef Inzo Amoretti, owner of the famous 3 star Michelin restaurant, Brimstone.

Chef Inzo, an immortal incubus, hired the immensely talented human chef, Adam, when the passion Adam has for his profession and the meals he creates, ignited Chef Inzo Amoretti ‘s flagging energies and own passions .

But the the presence of Adam in Inzo’s restaurant reveals something far greater, and dangerous to them both.

Eveland has delivered a delicious, kinky paranormal romance. It’s awash with sensuality, threaded with the riches of the senses through foods, sauces, aroma, differing sexual desires and kinks. The author doesn’t fail the romance, powering up an equally fierce love for each other as well as all the high quality ingredients and sensational flavors .

Be prepared to drool over the preparation and recipes of the new dishes that have unexpected touches inspired by Adam and his demon Chef.

All the above combines into a mate bond tale of lusty romance and satisfying relationship, at least in that we have only a few questions left unanswered about their life spans together.

This story will happily continue into the next book, Beefcake. That will feature another couple and a wedding cake.

Can’t wait.

This is a definite recommendation!

Culinary Creatures:

Brimstone #1

Beefcake #2 – Dec 31, 2023

Buy Link:

Brimstone: A High Heat, Low Stakes MM Monster Romance Novella (Culinary Creatures Book 1)

Description:

One taste is never enough.

Becoming Brimstone’s head chef is a dream come true, even though I’m the only human on the staff.

Working for Chef Inzo Amoretti? Not so much. Sure, he’s a talented genius and distractingly gorgeous, but he’s also a demanding incubus with impossibly high standards, especially when it comes to me. It seems nothing I do in the kitchen is good enough for Chef Inzo.

Yet he’s so sinfully attractive, I can’t stop thinking about him, even when he’s shouting at me.

Falling for my boss is bad enough, but for an incubus? Is it worth putting my soul on the line for a little taste of heaven?

Brimstone is the first book in the Culinary Creatures series. Each novella in this series is a standalone MM monster romance that features high heat, low stakes, and a delicious recipe you can try at home!

Review: Kissed by the Krampus:(Monsters in my Bed Book 1) by L Eveland

Rating: 4.5🌈

Eveland is a new author for me so I did what I always do with new authors I enjoy. Read everything they’ve written. And I’m so happy that I did because I discovered Eveland’s Monsters in my Bed series.

A paranormal fantasy Monster series, it starts at its heart, a group of young soldiers, on duty on Christmas Eve in Afghanistan, heading from from base camp to another when their convoy hits IED’s buried in the road. Only 4 of them survive. The emotional and physical wounds are deep,brutal and for some, permanent. Survivor’s guilt, PTSD, depression and grief runs deep throughout the men. One loses both legs , another, the chaplain, his faith.

One of the themes explores the discussion of whose should be labeled a monster in this universe? Those generals and the military in this world exploiting both humans and nonhumans for power and control or is it the paranormal beings labeled Monster because of their appearance, languages, and abilities?

Each story take one veteran, all still carrying the pain and burden from that day’s trauma in different ways, and pairs them up with a Monster or nonhuman being .

In Kissed By The Krampus, the vet is one Chris Kringle. Angry, depressed, his PTSD overwhelming him to the point he can’t keep a job, and is alienating those closest to him, the three friends who survived with him. It’s Christmas Eve and they are checking up on Hotdog, the double amputee who’s become a hermit, never leaving his house.

That night Chris meets his monster. The Krampus his grandmother warns him will be about that night. But nothing turns out as you expect. The Krampus isn’t the mythical beast of scary stories but a lonely, sad being with a painful past history.

Together, after much mental and emotional sharing , they help each other understand the heart of their pain and how to cope with the burdens of their past.

It’s such a moving journey for both of them. Ollie, the Krampus, and Chris , the vet. Each a warrior in their right and each with a burden they must be able to lay down at the end.

Eveland has many more elements to this story that will carry over to the other books. Themes as well as actual storylines concerning big plot points.

There’s action, suspense, military subterfuge, and more. It’s a fast paced tale.

It’s also very sexy. The author’s very inventive when it come to the sexuality and organs of nonhumans.

And Eveland never forgets the warfare and brutality that starts the book and series, the explosions that forever changes these men’s lives . Its impact is realistically felt through all their actions, emotions, their dialogue, and in what they aren’t able to handle. It’s raw and real.

There are trigger warnings at the beginning of each book. Heed them because this novel is one you will get emotionally caught up in.

And it’s one I’m highly recommending.

One mistake the author made . Not sure why it wasn’t caught. This is , of course, the first in the series, so the author named Hotdog as Robert Jones in real life.

“ So everybody just kind of gets a nickname. Hotdog’s real name was Robert Jones, about as common a name as you can get, so we got to naming him real quick.”

Unfortunately, by the time his book arrives, he’s become Robert Smith. No explanation. Someone should have caught that.

Otherwise, outstanding storytelling. Great concepts, and I love these four men.

Run, don’t walk or slide or whatever, and grab the series up. More reviews will follow.

Monsters in my Bed series:

✓ Kissed by the Krampus #1

◦ Scales and Song #2

◦ Hearts and Halos #3

✓ Lassos and Lace #4

Buy Link:

Kissed by the Krampus: M/M Paranormal Fantasy Monster Romance (Monsters in my Bed Book 1)

Description:

Some wounds, only a monster can heal.

I’ve always hated Christmas. With a name like Chris Kringle, it’s hard not to.


It’s only gotten worse since I’ve been back from the war. Christmas is supposed to be jolly, but for me, it’s a grim reminder of past failures.

I need to get away from it. To be somewhere quiet. To heal.

When I wake up in the South Pole after an accident to a Krampus tending my wounds, it feels like the perfect opportunity to get some much-needed R&R.

Yet this gentle giant is so achingly sweet, I can’t help but fall for him, even though he’s a monster.

But another, more sinister monster may be lurking much closer to home, and if we don’t hunt it down in time, this could be the last Christmas ever.

Kissed by the Krampus is a holiday MM monster romance for adults featuring a cinnamon roll monster and a veteran grappling with his PTSD.

Review: Brackish Water (Angus Green, #4) by Neil S. Plakcy

Rating: 3🌈

Brackish Water is the fourth of the Angus Green novels I’ve read by Neil S. Plakcy, and it’s the one where the series flaws are becoming more apparent.

The strongest aspect of every book has been the mystery and FBI agent Angus Green’s ability to connect with the people involved in the crimes, usually on the hazy end of the spectrum of right and wrong, probably the criminal side, those that may be gay, and need someone to speak for them. That and the crimes are the best part, along with the location of southern Florida in all its messy ways.

That continues here. The art world, the Cuban connection, the plight of the people fleeing Cuba only to find out that they are turning back. It’s dishearteningly sad and believable in this well written storyline.

But what removes the reader from the terrific mystery and its layered narrative is Angus himself and his increasingly wooden relationship with his lover Lester. It started out in the previous stories as just a few lines, then filler paragraphs so a reader could ignore the lack of written chemistry or anything other than a one-dimensional storyline that existed for Lester and Angus.

Only now Plakcy seems resolved to make this a new solid element and it’s feels like an interminable boring couple has entered the building.

Nothing is believable about them. There’s absolutely zero emotion involved. That includes the reader.

Least of all from Angus who is out to save many people and do right by others. Yet when it come to Lester? It’s a flattened version of Angus we hear from.

Oddly mechanical, dispassionate in his approach towards his boyfriend, Lester, viewing him in emotionally distant terms often more suitable for a catalog swimsuit model or hookup rather than someone you’re supposed to love. This element of the Angus Green series has become increasingly problematic as the relationship between Angus and Lester has become more serious, at least on the page.

We hear about Lester’s body, his bedroom skills, his body parts, on and on. Then here, turns out he knows about art. Then Angus doesn’t agree with how Lester handle’s money. But he sure likes his body. I’m very tired of them whenever they get together, honestly. It’s a one-sided perspective and it’s always the same. A one-dimensional relationship with zero dynamics.

And it removes the reader from the mystery.

You start to wish someone would kill off Lester and reinvigorate the series and poor old Angus.

Something needs to. It’s looking pretty dreary.

Plakcy is capable of writing excellent dialogue, seating his characters and storylines deep within his chosen locales. When it all connects, it’s magical. See his Mahu series.

It hasn’t happened here. Not sure it will. But I do see flashes of it in Angus Green and Southern Florida. Just not enough.

Angus Green series:

✓ The Next One Will Kill You #1

✓ Nobody Rides For Free #2

✓ Survival Is A Dying Art #3

✓ Brackish Water #4

Buy Link

Brackish Water: An Angus Green Novel

Description:

FBI Special Agent Angus Green returns to the world of stolen art when a Cuban refugee uses the location of an old master painting to negotiate for his freedom. The perilous waters along Florida’s coastline get easily breached by those smuggling drugs, stolen goods, and human refugees. Angus wades in eagerly, as always, only to discover hidden currents and dangerous obstacles.

At the same time, Angus’s romantic life is heating up as it presents new challenges, and his stepfather’s death gives his mother the opportunity to tell Angus the truth about his parentage in a way that completely rocks his boat.

From gnarled mangrove roots to deadly villains, people and places stand in Angus’s way to keeping his head above water.

Can Angus navigate the brackish waters of the Florida Keys– and political privilege– while staying within the law?

Angus Green [is] the affable hero of this brisk series launch set in South Florida … readers will look forward to seeing a lot more of Angus. Publishers Weekly on The Next One Will Kill You