Tag: A MelanieM Review

Review:  Zodiac Academy: The Awakening by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti

Rating: 4.5⭐️

“Here is your campus map. 

Note to all students: Vampire bites, loss of limbs or getting lost in the wailing wood will not count as a valid excuse for being late to class.”

— Zodiac Academy: The Awakening by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti

This series has been out for a while now but it’s only recently that I’ve been made aware of the multiple series universe and the authors behind it.

Zodiac Academy turned out to be a fantastic read. A darker urban fantasy series that tilts towards the type of storytelling of magical schools and mythological creatures and enormously powerful barriers to overcome for the main characters. In this case female twin sisters and the school, Zodiac Academy, is far more brutal, abusive , and deeply damaging than Hogwarts could have imagined. 

Multiple points of view, primarily Darcy and Tory Vega, the Gemini twins, yanked from one world into another. I found these two voices so compelling, different from each other and yet they are still so similar in their foundational core. At least for now.

Because as a reader, you’re getting a glimpse that this Academy is going to  pull each one apart almost to their cellular level and rebuild them before the end. It’s that brutal. And they are that unprepared. 

The Academy is magical, is separated in factions and the basics. The map helps to reinforce the magical system and the power structure in place.  It’s also overlaid with the typical clique behavior and favoritism found in any school district anywhere, only hopped up to the inth degree by power and control. Never a good thing. 

The young women are determined, resilient, and as strong as their background has made them. I immediately connected with Darcy and Tory, impulsively raging or fighting or whatever they were doing. 

This ends on a bit of a challenge for them and I can’t wait to read Ruthless Fae to see what happens next.

Highly recommended for lovers of dark urban fantasy and strong women characters. 

Zodiac Academy (12 book series):

The Awakening #1

Ruthless Fae #2

The Reckoning #3

Shadow Princess #4

Cursed Fates #5

Fated Throne #6

Heartless Sky #7

Sorrow and Starlight #8

Beyond the Veil #9

Restless Stars #10

The Awakening As Told By The Boys #11

Live and Let Lionel #12

Buy link

        Zodiac Academy: The Awakening

    

Blurb 

Amazon.com and Wall Street Journal #1 bestselling dark fantasy romance series from authors Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti – a Booktok sensation!

I’m a Gemini. Impulsive. Curious. Headstrong. A twin. Heir to a throne I know nothing about. And it turns out, I’m Fae.

But of course there’s a catch – all I have to do to claim my birth right is prove that I’m the most powerful supernatural in the whole of Solaria. And sure, technically that’s true as I’m the daughter of the Savage King. But the bit they didn’t put in the brochure was that every single Fae in this Kingdom would claim my throne if they could.

The school they’ve sent me to is both dangerous as sh*t and one helluva party. Vampires bite weaker students in the corridors, the Werewolf pack has orgies in the Wailing Wood at every full moon and don’t even get me started on the dark and twisted ways the Sirens use their powers on people’s emotions, or how my sinfully tempting Cardinal Magic teacher hosts detentions that leave people needing therapy.

Classes are totally interesting if you manage to live through them. And that Gemini star sign I mentioned? It now determines my elemental magic and affects my destiny, so learning astrology is essential if I’m going to beat down my classmates – which is actively encouraged by the way.

My biggest problem is the drool worthy Dragon shifter who has his eyes on my throne. He and his three psycho friends are determined to make my time here hell.

All I’ve got to do is survive. But fate might have other ideas.

Dammit, why couldn’t I have gotten a letter to Hogwarts?

***This is a enemies to lovers romantasy – don’t go expecting a sweet school for magic with friends around every corner. Fae fight for everything they own and Zodiac Academy is a cutthroat school for students aged 18+ where only the strongest prevail. There’s no Dumbledore here to save anyone’s ass and Lionel Acrux will give Voldemort a run for his money in the evil dictator category. So hold onto your stardust (broomsticks not required) and get ready for a bumpy ride***

  • Publisher: King’s Hollow (August 2, 2019)
  • Publication date: August 2, 2019
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 420 pages

Review:  The Hidden God of Open Doors by Tavia Lark

Rating: 3🌈

It didn’t immediately register but I had read this before as a short story in the Heart2Heart Valentine Day’s Anthology.  It worked there, surrounded by other like stories and given a foundation by the Anthology basis of the Heart2Heart matchmaking process, a well established tradition and built upon by each story. 

As a standalone? Removed from that structure and foundation? Unfortunately,  without a solid narrative support, it doesn’t really make the type of satisfying story you would expect from Tavia Lark. 

I love the premise and the potential of this story. That someone has been imprisoned for an indefinite amount of time within a small room for a unknown reason is horrifying. Especially as we get glimpses into his tiny room and his personality. Then Lark flips over to Raider, who, along with his sister Val, owns and runs a shop for magic items and are newly immortal. 

Ruin finally gets to communicate with someone else when mysteriously they are hooked up via the Heart2Heart dating app.  

I can’t see where this was expanded from the original version. The story is still a good concept but given the trauma of being held prisoner for thousands of years and then having a relationship, albeit a verbal one? I would have thought Rune’s reactions to have been considerably more intense and internalized.  

The backgrounds of the locals or location need further explanation, especially as that’s where Rune was imprisoned. As it was there is so many unanswered questions.

The Hidden God of Open Doors by Tavia Lark is a sweet paranormal short story.  A quick read that needs more attention to detail and depth of character. 

Cute. 

Buy link 

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comThe Hidden God of Open Doors – Kindle edition by Lark, Tavia. …

Blurb 

Forget finding his perfect match. Rune is just desperate to talk to someone.

Rune is lonely, immortal, and trapped in a mysterious prison. Objects appear and disappear as the decades pass, and his only companions are the books and television. He hasn’t spoken to a real, live person in over two hundred years.

Until one day a phone appears, with a magical dating app already installed.

The app promises to find Rune’s perfect match for Valentine’s Day. Rune is tempted, even though he knows that’s impossible. Nobody wants a perfect match they can’t meet.

Then he matches with Raider—a confident ex-treasure hunter who shamelessly flirts past Rune’s loneliness.

And Raider doesn’t believe in impossible.

The Hidden God of Open Doors is a short Valentine’s Day MM romance about a trapped immortal, the flirty treasure hunter who wants to discover everything about him, and the dating app magic that brings them together. 

Previously published in the Heart2Heart Volume 7 Paranormal Anthology 

  • Publication date: January 24, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 62 pages

Review:  Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy, #1) by Callie Hart

Rating:  4.5 ⭐️

The world building by Callie Hart in Quicksilver is truly astonishing. Incredibly detailed and rich in imagery, Hart’s worlds, yes multiple connected ones, so well crafted that each feels absolutely unique. Fundamentally different from their species of beings, mythological perspectives, life spans even their suns in the sky . 

 Hart’s female main character is a stunning figure.  Saeris Fane is a thief, a fierce fighter, a resourceful woman. She’s had to do what it takes to survive and protect herself and her irresponsible younger brother in a walled off section of the City where the worst of their kingdom is concentrated by authority of the Queen. 

Saeris’  sad history and that of dangerous diseased slum , The Third Ward, of Zilvaren City, are heavily intertwined. How will be slowly revealed throughout this story with great impact. It’s enough that we see how living in such conditions has formed her, including the fact she’s able to work a forge. And it introduces other great characters that have been important figures in her life. 

How dramatically the Fae and the figure of The Kingfisher is brought into this narrative is something I’ll leave to the story but it’s a fantastic one.  So is the creation of the element of quicksilver and all the unusual aspects of this magical material.  It’s one astounding revelation after another, and I absolutely loved it because it was so unexpected. 

The relationship between Saeris and Fisher is complex and uneasy.  I liked the way there’s a fated mate storyline but it’s not automatically acceptable. Given the circumstances and, a lack of communication, it shouldn’t be.

Main characters who don’t communicate are an issue for me but here the rationale and the foundation laid for any such actions are part of the beautifully crafted storytelling.  

There’s passion, mythology, battles, magical horrifying creatures, and a cliffhanger. 

Did I have a quibble? Yes. Fisher calls Saeris “Little Osha”, a shorter version of the name of a short lived butterfly.  He uses that instead of Saeris for most of the story.  Why he does this is explained in the story, however, I’m generally, and certainly not here,  a fan of male characters calling female characters “little” anything. It’s intentionally dismissive (as it is here) and turning it into some kind of weird cute nickname doesn’t work. 

The ending is stunning and unexpected. It’s a cliffhanger that leaves a reader wondering how the next book will go forward from these events.  I can’t wait.

Highly recommended. And what a gorgeous cover.

Fae & Alchemy:

Quicksilver #1

Brimstone #2 – Nov 18, 2025

Buy link

        Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy Book 1)

    

Blurb 

An instant #1 New York Times bestseller!

The global phenomenon by Callie Hart–a highly addicting enemies-to-lovers Romantasy with razor-sharp banter, heart-stopping action, and blistering hot romance. 

Do not touch the sword. Do not turn the key. Do not open the gate.

Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen’s reservoirs for as long as she can remember. In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn’t much a girl wouldn’t do for a glass of water. But a secret is like a knot. Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.

When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently reopens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares…but it turns out they’re real, and Saeris has landed right in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.

The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist’s magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him… or her. Death has a name. It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate. His past is murky. His attitude stinks. And he’s the only way Saeris is going to make it home.

Be careful of the deals you make, dear child. The devil is in the details…

Review:  Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King Book 2) by Rachel Gillig

Rating: 5⭐️

“The girl, the King… and the monster they became.”

That whispered haunting refrain still has a hold on me. So does that ending and Gillig’s memorable cast of characters. 

Two Twisted Crowns brings Rachel Gillig’s  dark fantasy duology, The Shepherd King,  to a heartbreaking emotional (in certain ways), and fabulously dramatic conclusion.  Gillig began creating her compelling dark gothic immersive world in One Dark Window, with Elspeth Spindle and her Nightmare , the dark magical being that’s sharing her mind, Rayvn Yew who’s out to save his infected brother from being sacrificed , as well as a internal conflict between royals against the evil King .  Gillig ‘s then gave us an ending that left everyone emotionally shattered, including the reader. Sobbing.  And wondering how Two Twisted Crowns could possibly make things right. 

Two Twisted Crowns is everything I want in a sequel and finale.  It’s darker, it’s richly textured in scope as when the author is developing her storytelling, and the magic is more complex, more powerful than previously understood.  And the back stories coming to light far more tragic.  

Gillig adds another powerful story, that of Ione and Elm, each one a complex character with intimate connections to Elspeth and Ravyn. The multiple POV’s are skillfully executed, depicting the evolution of relationships and developments in events in the story as to enhance the forward dramatic moments and our emotional connection to all of them and the horrors that’s happening.

Gillig’s writing is poetic, the imagery haunting, and her storytelling so strong and compelling that this duology made me go buy hardcover copies for my already groaning bookshelves. These novels are must reads.

I’ll save my last words for the Nightmare. How I love him. 

ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴛᴏᴏ ʟᴏɴɢ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʀᴋ. ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴀᴍ sᴏʀʀʏ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ, ᴛᴏᴏ. ғᴏʀ ɪ ᴅʀᴀɢɢᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ɪɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴇ

Don’t miss out on him and this beautifully written series, The Shepherd King.  

A new auto recommend and thrilled to have found another auto buy author.

Love these covers.

Cover design by Lisa Marie Pompilio.

The Shepherd King Duology-complete:

🔹One Dark Window #1

🔹Two Twisted Crowns #2

Buy link:

        Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King Book 2)

    

Blurb 

In the New York Times bestselling sequel to One Dark Window, Elspeth must confront the weight of her actions as she and Ravyn embark on a perilous quest to save the kingdom—perfect for readers of Hannah Whitten’s For the Wolf and Alexis Henderson’s The Year of the Witching.

Gripped by a tyrant king and in the thrall of dark magic, the kingdom is in peril. Elspeth and Ravyn have gathered most of the twelve Providence Cards, but the last—and most important—one remains to be found: the Twin Alders. If they’re going to find the card before Solstice and set free the kingdom, they will need to journey through the dangerous mist-cloaked forest. The only one who can lead them through is the monster that shares Elspeth’s head: the Nightmare.

And he’s not eager to share any longer.

Praise for One Dark Window:

“Enthralling from beginning to shocking end.” —Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf

“Pulse pounding, darkly whimsical, and aglow with treacherous magic.” —Allison Saft, New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic

The Shepherd King 

One Dark Window 

Two Twisted Crowns

  • Publication date: October 17, 2023
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 458 pages

Dark fantasy, sword and sorcery, dark gothic, Gothic horror, dark fantasy fiction,

Review: The Royal Rogue (Tales of Lilleforth, #3) by Sarah Honey

Rating: 4🌈

The third book in Sarah Honey’s historical romance series, The Royal Rogue is a very entertaining romantic comedy with a threads of action and royal intrigue running through the pages.  

The castle and universe of King Leopold of Lilleforth (The King’s Delight #1), The Royal Rogue can easily be read as a standalone novel about the Duke of Ravenport, 

Evan Devere, and Thomas Malone, Captain of the Royal Guards. Both reoccurring characters in the previous stories. 

The characters are well written, the story has wonderful dialogue and charm, and Evan it definitely a rogue to take to heart. Thomas is his match in every aspect, from intelligence to his ability to be flexible. 

I skipped over the second book, why the author named the male main character Mother I’ll never understand.Just no. But I really enjoyed The Royal Rogue (Tales of Lilleforth, #3) by Sarah Honey and it’s a recommendation from me. 

Tales of Lilleforth series:

The King’s Delight #1

The Stablemaster’s Heart #2

The Royal Rogue #3

Buy link

        The Royal Rogue (Tales of Lilleforth Book 3)

    

Blurb 

Thomas Malone is the new Captain of the Guard at Lilleforth Castle. He loves his job, but it leaves him no time for himself. It’s been way too long since he’s had anyone share his bed, let alone his life. To say he’s frustrated is an understatement.

To make matters worse, the King’s disreputable cousin Evan Devere, the Duke of Ravenport, is back from his travels. Evan is as scatterbrained as he is attractive, which is a shame—if Evan had even half a brain, he’d be exactly Thomas’s type. As it is, Thomas has resigned himself to spending his days keeping Evan out of trouble

But when a threat emerges against the crown, Thomas and Evan have to work together to find who’s behind the plot, and Thomas discovers there’s more to Evan than meets the eye. So when Evan suggests that they act on their mutual attraction, Thomas throws caution to the wind and agrees. After all, it is just a fling, right? There’s no way Thomas is actually going to fall for the sexy, infuriating cousin of the king.

No way at all.

Review:  One Dark Window (The Shepherd King Book 1) by Rachel Gillig

Rating: 4.75⭐️

Another new author, another absolutely amazing novel.  This one actually had me sobbing, shattered at the end, even though the author’s story and characters said it was coming. 

I’m was and am so immersed in this dark world that Rachel Gillig has created, full of mystical elements, mythical beings, and sheer terror lurking in the shadows.  Literally a magical vindictive mist that’s slowly enveloping all the woods around the town and its people , able to infect them with an  sickness that turns their blood black with a magic that will eventually kill them. By immediate discovery by the cruel King’ magic hunters or by a slow disintegration by the magic itself.

Our main protagonist is young Elspeth Spindle. Infected and hidden from the hunters by her ex hunter Father himself in his brother’s house and raised with her uncle’s family, Elspeth immediately grabs our minds and hearts. One of my favorite characters of late. 

She’s got plenty of secrets, reason to keep them and herself hidden and emotionally isolated, resourceful and, naturally mistrusting.  In Elspeth, Gilleg has crafted a stunning character. She’s quietly brilliant in her unexpected qualities, so vastly multi dimensional in the depths of her needs , that an accompanying darkness feels even more terrifying. And shattering. 

The highly complex and imaginative use of a magical Deck of Cards as a base element in the series arc and storyline is so satisfying and powerful. There’s a number of interesting aspects to this facet of the series and it’s beautifully written. 

So is the many “historical poems “ or repeated quotes from the important texts that appear throughout this book and, I imagine the next.  They contain the clues to the story and the characters dramatic moments and quests. 

That said, it in no way lessens the impact of each scene and moment as it occurs.

These are fantastic characters and impactful storylines. They are filled with pain, horror, tragedy, and death.  While Gillig has included some very funny bits of conversation and humorous moments to lighten the tone, the main themes and plots are consistently dark and gothic.

The names the author has chosen are intriguing and greatly tied into the story. I always wonder what the author is thinking when creating the characters names and towns like Blunder. The main character of Ravyn Yew, a layered well defined character and great balance for Elspeth, is one who has a meaningful name that makes sense the more the story unfolds. I love this aspect of this book. 

There’s multiple points of view but it’s absolutely necessary and well written.  Three main ones to be exact.  Instead of being distracting, it becomes an integral component of the characters and their journey. 

I absolutely adore this cover and would have been drawn to it even if I didn’t love the description already. 

I love One Dark Window (The Shepherd King Book 1) by Rachel Gillig even if it left me sobbing at the end of the book. Now I’m on to see how this aspect of the story is handled in Two Twisted Crowns, the finale. 

Highly recommended and thrilled to have found this author. 

Cover design by Lisa Marie Pompilio.

The Shepherd King Duology-complete:

🔹One Dark Window #1

🔹Two Twisted Crowns #2

Buy link:

        One Dark Window (The Shepherd King Book 1)

    

Blurb 

For fans of Uprooted and For the Wolf comes a dark, lushly gothic fantasy about a maiden who must unleash the monster within to save her kingdom—but the monster in her head isn’t the only threat lurking.

Elspeth needs a monster. The monster might be her.

Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom she calls home—she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets. 

But nothing comes for free, especially magic. 

When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn. Thrust into a world of shadow and deception, she joins a dangerous quest to cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it. Except the highwayman just so happens to be the King’s own nephew, Captain of the Destriers…and guilty of high treason. 

He and Elspeth have until Solstice to gather twelve Providence Cards—the keys to the cure. But as the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly, darkly, taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.

  • Publication date: September 27, 2022
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 423 pages

Review:  Daughter of No Worlds (The War of Lost Hearts, #1) by Carissa Broadbent

Rating: 5⭐️

I’ve recently started reading what’s called romantasy, a broad term that covers a range of tropes that, honestly, don’t involve my interpretation of romanticism. 

The War of Lost Hearts, a fantastically well written complete fantasy trilogy, is an excellent example of a that. 

Daughter of No Worlds is the first novel in the series and introduces Carissa Broadbent’s fantasy world and incredible characters.  The author dumps the reader immediately into chaos, a war torn world and the most horrifying of choices forced upon the two main characters at moments that inflicts severe pain, deep damage, and forever changes the course of their lives. 

For Tisaanah, a child who becomes a slave, her distinctive appearance and “touch of magic “ identifying her to the slavers as a Fragmented one, not a true Valtain

Too young for to be sold as a prostitute, her ability to use magic,  be a Wielder, sees her sold away from the mines and as a slave to a Master in a city. 

That’s just the end of the Prologue. And where our story begins. Tisaanah is a character so beautifully written with complex layers that slowly reveal themselves throughout the storyline. We able to feel her rage, her endless well of determination and endurance as she struggles through unbelievable humiliation and crushing cruelty to obtain her goals. 

Broadbent doesn’t shy away from the violence but while the storyline and Tisaanah refer to her own life as a woman who was assaulted by her master and as a part of her life as a slave, it’s not a on page act or memory. She very clearly has taken charge of how she’s views the path she’d having to take, and vocal about how her actions have impacted it. 

The other main character is Max, a former member of The Order and a person who, unwillingly at first, becomes Tisaanah’s teacher and mentor.   He’s not as compelling as Tisaanah at first because she’s so powerful and magnetic a personality that it takes a little bit to find the balance between them.

But the author’s writing, vividly capturing Tisaanah’s learning process when it comes to languages as well as magic, and both of them awkward in their respective roles, it just works. 

This is an epic fantasy story, one of revenge, monsters, magic and triumph over extreme tragedy.  It really doesn’t need romance, and here the slow burn romance barely gets under way. 

The potential for greatness and for even greater evil is built in every where here. That’s a fantastic element of the story and series. A character that appears to be a true friend could easily become a force for the villain. Or the villain itself.  

Broadbent is building an imaginative immersive world, one that continues to expand and evolve as the story develops.   I couldn’t put this book down. 

The cast of characters is just as powerful and fascinating as the main characters they surround. It helps sustain the beliefs that this universe exists and that our connection to it has deep believability. 

I’m immediately onto the next book . But I highly recommend reading this. BookTok has jumped all over this and I absolutely agree. I love it. 

Now a word about that cover . If I was going on covers alone, I wouldn’t have picked up the book.  It’s not as good portrayal of the character, imo, based on the author’s description. Tisaanah is a striking character. A Fragmented person, whose appearance reflects that:

“her skin and hair that was totally white, completely sapped of color, while splotches of what would have been her natural deeper coloring crawled across her skin. One green eye, one white. Streaks of dark mingling in silver hair.”

Her body is also heavily covered in scars, front and back.  That’s a person who has many unique features.The cover just doesn’t do her justice. My opinion.

Cover art by Ina Wong doesn’t work for me for very specific reasons. 

The War of Lost Hearts:

Daughter of No Worlds #1

Children of Fallen Gods #2

Mother of Death and Dawn #3

Buy link

        Daughter of No Worlds (The War of Lost Hearts Book 1)

    

Blurb 

A former slave fighting for justice. A reclusive warrior who no longer believes it exists. And a dark magic that will entangle their fates.

Ripped from a forgotten homeland as a child, Tisaanah learned how to survive with nothing but a sharp wit and a touch of magic. But the night she tries to buy her freedom, she barely escapes with her life.

Desperate to save the best friend she left behind, Tisaanah journeys to the Orders, the most powerful organizations of magic Wielders in the world. But to join their ranks, she must complete an apprenticeship with Maxantarius Farlione, a handsome and reclusive fire wielder who despises the Orders.

The Orders’ intentions are cryptic, and Tisaanah must prove herself under the threat of looming war. But even more dangerous are her growing feelings for Maxantarius. The bloody past he wants to forget may be the key to her future… or the downfall of them both.

But Tisaanah will stop at nothing to save those she abandoned. Even if it means gambling in the Orders’ deadly games. Even if it means sacrificing her heart.

Even if it means wielding death itself.

Fans of epic romantic fantasy like Sarah J. Maas and Raven Kennedy will devour this tale of dark magic, passionate romance, vengeance, and redemption.

(Note: This book contains adult material.)

  • Publisher: (January 7, 2020)
  • Publication date: January 7, 2020
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 520 pages

Review:  Paper Roses (Confetti Hitched Book 3) by Lily Morton 

Rating: 4.75🌈

Paper Roses just might be my favorite book of Lily Morton’s fabulous Confetti Hitched series.  The third story in this series about a wedding planning business, Confetti Hitched, the author’s focus turns from its engaging, vivacious employees to its owner, Jed Walker and his PA, Artie.

Jed, a widower, and his adorable PA Artie, are about to tumble into that popular romance trope, the fake marriage.  In Morton’s story, this romantic framework for Jed and Artie’s HEA is a hilarious, poignant, heartwarming tale of two men clearly destined for each other. The obstacles in their relationship, a dead husband’s memory, a timeline , and various misunderstandings are clearly present.  However , Morton’s narrative takes the wonderful slow road in allowing the meaningful aspects to of the past relationship and their current feelings a slow recognition to be fully understood. I enjoyed that the reveal was part of the growing relationship. It was extremely satisfying to see such adult relationships here.

I also adore that Mal and Caden and their farm were very much involved in parts of this story. Hilarious and very entertaining. 

So much laughter here as well as romance. The pages flew by. I can see this couple having so much entertainment and joy in their lives together going forward. 

Paper Roses (Confetti Hitched Book 3) by Lily Morton will be a reread for me.  I loved this couple so and it left me feeling so lighthearted and happy. 

Another win and highly recommended story by this author for me. 

Confetti Hitched:

Confetti Hearts #1

Something Borrowed #2

Paper Roses #3

Book Cover design by Natasha Snow Designs 

Buy Link

        Paper Roses (Confetti Hitched Book 3)

    

Blurb 

Jed Walker thinks he’s having a midlife crisis. The only trouble is that it feels too good to stop.

Widowed at a young age, he’s spent his life since then avoiding any relationships that might end up hurting him again. He has his successful wedding planning business, Confetti Hitched, and a series of uncomplicated hookups, and that’s all he needs in life

The one person disrupting this controlled stoicism is his younger assistant, Artie. He’s sweet and kind and has a funny way of calming Jed’s mind. So, when Artie comes to him with a problem, Jed moves heaven and earth to help, which is how he finds himself entering a fake marriage with the younger man and catching feelings. Too bad it’s all pretend. Or is it?

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a story about how love can completely derail the best-laid plans.

This is the third book in the Confetti Hitched series, but it can be read as a standalone.

  • Publication date: February 9, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 326 pages

Review: Elf (Mystic Guardians Book 2) by Rinda Elliott 

Rating: 3🌈

Elf is the second of Rinda Elliott’s novels in her Mystic Guardians series and honestly I’m at a loss here with the series.  It’s a series that contains a fated mate/soulmates relationship between preternaturals and humans who can see through their glamour because somewhere in their family history is a preternatural connection. 

The Guardians, all preternaturals of various species, work for a powerful sorcerer, where they track heinous criminals and solve horrific crimes. 

I like the preternaturals. Mostly.  It’s an interesting group and the first novel, Basilisk, was very enjoyable. I did note that the human fated mate character there ,Clive, felt under developed, especially with his special needs. He’s barely mentioned here. 

That aspect of the series continues here with Ezra Forsberg, the human main character of Elf.  While Alaric, the elf who works for ancient sorcerer, Xavier, is well defined in terms of personality, magic and capabilities. His is a layered storyline in a way that cannot be said for Ezra. 

Elliott’s Ezra has a number of troubling elements in his character’s life and story that’s addressed facetiously, especially for their topic. Ezra has been basically sold off by his crime family to another in marriage and for the past 3 years had been living with a murderous psychopath.  He’s just escaped from that marriage prison and falls into immediate danger. 

Ezra’s answer to extreme violence, trauma, tragedy, everyday betrayal, family emotional abandonment? He either throws up or he’s just sad.  He’s just not particularly believable as a victim of the types of abuses and inflicted horrors that the author has written for him.  Elliott writes that he’s been affected but never makes any case for it in the slightest.   Ezra as a character and his family or his history with his husband just doesn’t make sense. 

Nor does it make sense that it’s the boss blurting the sensitive news to Ezra about fated mates instead of Alaric.  

This story came very close to a much lower ranking.  

If the author was to layer a character with all these aspects to his storyline, then give the narrative ample room to fully explore the necessary details and plot points to make it and him feel believable.

For me, this didn’t happen. It’s the second time the human being got the underdeveloped part of the story and  undermines the book. 

I give it one more chance. 

Mystic Guardians:

Basilisk #1

Elf #2

Buy link

        Elf (Mystic Guardians Book 2)

    

Blurb 

Alaric Denman is determined not to let himself care for another human, especially not one like Ezra Forsberg. Ezra is a rich playboy without ambition, someone he could never respect. Why he’s intensely attracted to the man is beyond his understanding—but he is. So much so, it’s affecting his job to protect him.

Ezra isn’t sure who’s trying to kill him, but he has a pretty good idea. After growing up in one crime family and being forced to marry into another, his guess is his ex. He hires a bodyguard and gets a sexy elf. Yeah, he can see past the elf’s glamour, despite Alaric’s attempt to hide those elegantly pointed ears. But Alaric irks him with his stoic nature and he can’t resist poking at him.

While they’re busy clashing, a two million dollar price goes out on Ezra’s head, which brings out powerful preternaturals. Someone really wants Ezra dead, so it’s time they work together to figure out who.

Elf is a MM paranormal romance long novella with a reluctant elf, a snippy-mouthed human, and a soulmate passion that takes them both by surprise. It’s the second in the Mystic Guardians series, but can be read as a stand alone.

  • Publication date: February 4, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 139 pages

Review:  Duck and Dive (Rise and Shine Book 1) by G B Ralph 

Rating: 4🌈

I discovered G B Ralph through his delightful cozy mysteries, The Milverton Mysteries.  Ralph’s stories are tend towards the same elements.  Character driven stories with the people , all of them with their faults included, fully realized and completely layered with human frailties. These characters carry the fears, joys as well as inabilities to move forward that the reader might recognize from their realities . It certainly makes them relatable. 

If not occasionally a tad frustrating. 

In this sweet, short trilogy, Ralph gives us the journey of Arthur and Gabriel, from Arthur’s awkward coming out to their relationship happily ending. 

Each novella a sweet quick tale of a section of passage through that journey.  

Duck and Dive starts it off with Arthur, an awkward Duckling trying to come out to friends and well, anyone, that’s he’s gay. And it’s not going well. 

This is sweet, funny, painful in its own way in that you feel for Arthur in his fears and yearning to be out at his age.  And his friends don’t make it easy. 

Read all three together for a delightful  lighthearted romantic afternoon.

Definitely recommended.

Cute covers

Rise and Shine Trilogy , complete :

Duck and Dive #1

Slip and Slide #2

Over and Out #3

Buy link

        Duck and Dive (Rise and Shine Book 1)

    

Blurb 

A gay romantic comedy novella about coming out and failing spectacularly.

Arthur knows it’s time he told his mates he’s gay. So what’s the holdup? He’s wound so tight he can’t get the words out – giving himself injuries, spilling his dinner, and all-round making a mess of it.

And that’s before the nosy neighbour gets involved with her spiced apple muffins. Or the elderly residents of the Sunset Villas retirement home start complicating matters. Not to mention the gorgeous straight guy from the driving range.

If only Arthur could get his act together…

Duck and Dive is a quick, light, and fun read – the first in the completed Rise and Shine series. It’s filled with buckets of banter, dashes of comic tragedy, and more food and booze than any story ought to have. Our boys are surrounded by a cast of chaotic characters and thrown into the most unlikely situations. Their story continues in Slip and Slide, and concludes in Over and Out.

‘I didn’t know what to expect, but I genuinely enjoyed it. I’m glad I did, otherwise that would’ve been a very awkward conversation.’ Author’s partner.

  • Publication date: May 22, 2020
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 115 pages