The second book in Mastersā Elf Magic series, Enticing the Elf was a romantic joyride, a comedic urban fantasy journey of love. Thatās a phrase Iām sure those bros would appreciate!
This is DĆ”ithĆ and Eoinās story, characters weāve grown to love and appreciate throughout this series and stories from the Hidden Species universe. Itās a couple that have been seeing each other, so no insta-love but realistic obstacles and struggles that they face that are keeping them from a committed relationship.
Immediately I like the story better than the first. The groundwork is there, the characters are well defined, and Mastersā plot hilariously allows for many of our favorite characters to shine in supporting roles to bring DĆ”ithĆ and Eoin to their HEA.
Itās got comedy, romance, realistic relationship discussions and heartwarming moments. And bunnies!
Plus we get a setup for the next book and couple to watch for.
DĆ”ithĆ and Eoin turn out to be #relationshipgoals. What a happy ending and fabulous story.
Thereās nothing I want more than a life with himā¦ but my past is the worldās worst wingman.
For a big chunk of my life, I expected to die along with the rest of my species. Nobody thought weād make it, and I did my best to live in the now and enjoy every second of precious life.
Now thatās coming back to bite me in the ass.
Because the impossible happened, and we got our second chance. A safe home. A tomorrow worth planning for. And a future I want to spend with DĆ”ithĆ.
Heās amazingāsassy, clever, the kind of guy who can cut you down with one eyebrow and still make you laugh. Weāve known each other a long time, and convincing him to date me was one of the best wins of my long life. Convincing him to be my boyfriend? Thatās a fight I might not win.
Because the reputation I earned when I was living life to the fullest has stuck, and DĆ”ithĆās convinced Iām only in this for a good time, not a long time. Heās protecting his heart from future damage by keeping things casual between usā¦ even though theyāre not.
I enjoyed Wooing the Wiccan (Elf Magic Book 1) by Louisa Masters, another new book and series in this authorās multi-series Hidden Species/Community of Species universe.
It was wonderful seeing King RaĆ°ulf, the head of the elves who has appeared throughout this universe in many novels, find a new love and get his own HEA, with a human Wiccan elementary schoolteacher, Jared. And his cat.
Equally wonderful? And true highlights? Having hilarious moments with dragonshifter Wing Leader Brandt, his Consort Percy, and their adorable daughter. Also Sam, Alastair, and many other great characters.
If anything, with the main issues and the characters involved, this relationship would have felt more natural and more well developed if , either the book itself had been longer or divided into two parts.
Thereās so much that both characters have to immediately deal with, some of which is brushed over quickly here while still noting how deeply the changes impact on their lives and their relationships. Jared is unaware of the fact that otherworldly species exist, including the one heās involved with.
RaĆ°ulfr has the safety of his people, the fact of his being the King with all that entails, and how much of his courtly life will be impacted by his Consort. And the fact that he is human.
Plus they donāt know each other well. They just started talking and dating.
So when Masters narrative begins to speed up once Jared is introduced to the Community of Species and all the other paranormals who exist on earth with the human community and the magic, other elements lose their depth of development and exploration.
How does Jared fit his new life into his old one? We donāt know. Does he change careers? No idea. Itās meeting and quickly developing affection between the two while hiding exactly who and what RaĆ°ulfr is. Followed by a huge argument, a shocking revelation, and then another rather quick, for this situation, resolution. And an immediate exchange of āI love youāsā.
Sigh. I was fine right up until that instant love came in. Adult conversation and working through their various issues? Fantastic. But itās been weeks. Mere weeks.
A two part relationship development, along with further growth of magical abilities and time to explore this new aspect of the magical universe? That wouldāve made this a far more interesting and believable journey.
Did I find it entertaining? Yes. It made me want to reread Brandt and Percyās series once again. Itās a good read and gives the elf King a lovely HEA.
Iām surrounded by two hundred thousand elves, yet somehow, Iām still lonely.
After a rough few millennia, the past decade has finally brought us peace and securityāand justified my choices as our leader. But as chaos gives way to calm, I have more time for myselfā¦ yet itās not what I want it to be. Iāve been alone for a long time, but before my people and work needed me more. Now the lonely hours stretch into eternity.
Until I meet Jared.
Heās my perfect match in every way; a teacher, a gardener, a cat dad. He loves books, nature, and interacting with others. Heās sweet, funny, kind, and weāre fire in the bedroom. The only hiccup? Heās human, and he doesnāt know other species exist.
Legally, we havenāt been together long enough for me to tell him Iām not human, and itās getting harder and harder to keep this secret. To keep part of myself from himā¦ to lie. But what if he learns the truthāa truth that will shatter the core of his beliefsāand canāt handle it?
Demon Hunter and this series so far has been a semi-winner for me. The characters that have been carried over from Ghostly Guardians have been a mixed bag as some have shown little development in character, while others have shown significant growth through their respective relationships and roles in the series and arc storylines.
That continues here with main characters still showing antagonism towards higher demons like Marc, a fascinating higher being whoās has been and continues to be portrayed as being supportive of them and their family. Marc is not only the reason why this group has successfully taken down their collective enemies but also as a bonded mate to one of their own. But despite this, since the finale, the hostile behavior of several members has not changed towards him, despite the events and ongoing conflicts within the Collective.
It makes little sense for the group and serves to reinforce a certain stagnation of their personalities.
Matt and Dylan are in a relationship, one that they are hiding from their friends and family members. The reasons for, given the situation and circumstances of this group and the Collective will seem not particularly well thought out. Masters has a traumatic event occurring that impacts Matt, then Dylan and their group as an unseen threat to everyone is identified.
The aspect of this book thatās interesting and important for future stories is the thread about the threat/enemy uncovered and how itās handled . Especially in what it represents in terms of loose ends and the challenges going forward. I really like the other higher demon as well as my favorite couple of Marc and Ian. They are heavily involved in this book and plot thread.
Less engaging for me is the issues I have with Matt and Dylanās relationship dynamics. The constant lack of communication between them, the avoidance of major confrontation with each other over intimate matters, and in general, their refusal to acknowledge issues that might impact their own lives as well as endanger others around them.
That would be one thing if the author utilized this aspect of their relationship with regard to the storyline and made it easier for them to understand and move forward, but instead itās Marc who is the most influential factor here. It sort of happens, but it takes the entire plot and thatās entirely too long for this reader.
Marc remaining the most epic and entertaining character of the series and group. I look forward to seeing more of him, his relationship and dialogue. And more higher demons.
Before that night, there wasnāt much in my life I could complain about. I hunt rogue demons for a living, which is the coolest thing ever, and my brothers are the best. Sure, there was that thing with our parents betraying humanity, and okay, I wasnāt thrilled when my brother-bestie hooked up with a demon, but everything else was amazing.
Except that Dylan, the person I love more than anything, wanted to keep our relationship secret.
I got it; I really did. Heās lost all his family, and he was afraid if my family adopted him, he might lose them too. Itās not like weāve got the worldās safest jobs. I was sure heād change his mind eventually.
That decision was taken from him one awful night. Now, everyone knows, but Dylanās more worried about the people trying to kill me. Unidentified and vicious; thatās all we know. Oh, and they hacked The Collectiveās server.
How does a demon hunter fight a virtual threat? He doesnātā¦ thatās his kickass techie boyfriendās job. Dylan will find these people, and then weāll deal with them.
Even if there is more going on than we know about.
Higher Demon begins a new a sequel series to the fantastic Ghostly Guardians, called The Collective. Thatās the ancient hidden agency started to protect humanity from demons, including the hunters who tracked and killed them.
The book and series begins after the tumultuous and violent events of the previous Ghostly Guardians finale, where corruption was uncovered in the Collective and a plot to bring both the earth and the demonic realm into the same plane , which culminated in a vicious battle.
All those characters now migrate into this new series, either as main characters or as supporting but equally important players. So having the knowledge of their stories and the background is a necessity here.
The Higher Demon of the title is, of course, Marc, the higher demon we met books ago. What a fascinating character heās been from the beginning.
Marc started as an enigma, moves into semi-villainous status, and then keeps evolving as more about him and his role is revealed. His demonic nature, however, is pleasingly unique and Marcās. Ancient, arrogant, definitely not human, Mastersā is able to both show an evolution in his thinking and capacity to change while keeping his essence intact. I adore Marc.
Then thereās the brothers we have meet many times before, mostly when they were both younger and with their older brother, Con. There is Matty, who will be featured in book 2, and Ian, who is the main character here. Ian is a great character too. Snarky, hilarious, tempered by his years as a hunter and now teacher.
Ian has always had main character energy from the time he was 12 and used flowers to protect his older brother from Marc, a story that has itās origins in the first series and gets retold here, multiple times . Now 6 years later, Ian is older and the strange wonderful dynamic that pulls him and Marc together gets stronger.
The relationship that builds between them is built on snark, history, appreciation of each otherās intelligence and respect, however unacknowledged.
Masters has created additional threats to the tenuous peace treaty that requires investigation from both sides, a romance between Ian and Marc that has huge implications for both species as well as both characters, and for Ianās relationship with his family.
Masters is packing a lot of elements into this first book, so for me it feels as though some aspects werenāt as developed as they could have been. The investigation is one. It ends on a āas told by ā explanation after an intriguing start.
Another element is the character of Con, Ianās older brother. This character has had 6 years to adapt and mature as an individual. Here, he comes perilously close to being a bully and hothead, heās riding the line that could make him a negative narrative force rather than a positive one. Itās understandable in that ancient ghost of a relative. Him? Not so much.
Higher Demon (The Collective Book 1) by Louisa Masters is a good read. I love the main characters of Marc and Ian, and look forward to seeing them as well as Mattyās story.
I thought that there were a few things that needed more attention to detail, more development in the narrative. Also, anyone coming to this story needs to read the first series for the characters and foundation knowledge it brings here. While the author does some explaining on the backstory, itās far too complicated with regard to the characters and plots not to read the series itself.
No matter the demon, the hunter’s role is clearā¦
A thousand years ago, my great-something uncle founded the Collective, a secret organization dedicated to protecting humanity from demons. The hunter tradition has been passed down over the generations, from parent to child, secure in the knowledge that the Collective is a community of safety and knowledge.
But betrayal sucks, and six years ago, it turned my worldāand the Collectiveāupside down. After generations of deception, the hunters left behind are picking up the pieces and trying something weāve never done beforeāworking side by side with our enemy.
Demons, just to be clear. Theyāre apparently āmisunderstood,ā but the jury is still out on that. And Iāa twentysomething archivist with an addiction to hoodiesāsomehow ended up as liaison to the demon ambassador.
If it sounds like a nightmare, thatās because it is. The demon ambassador is a stuck-up, pretentious twat… not to mention he could kill me with a thought. Worst of all, heās getting under my skin in ways I never expected. But Iām the only hunter who doesnāt actively want to kill him, soā¦ tag, Iām it.
Iāve already been betrayed by those I should have been able to trust the most. How hard can hanging out with a higher demon be?
The author recommends reading the Ghostly Guardian series for full background on what happened six years ago, though it’s not essential.
With Zachary, the wonderful Demons-In-Law trilogy comes to a heartwarming conclusion and for me, itās way too early for this series to end.
I feel like we are just getting to know the extraordinary mountain enclosed village of Hortplatz, the most demon inhabitants, and run by an imperious demon grandmother whoās a remarkable figure. Plus we barely explored the mysterious dragon hoard , hidden behind a 12,000 ish year old puzzle door, that had been built into the mountain above the village by a long ago dragon, and it now the scientific find of the world. Oh, Hortplatz, we hardly knew you!
Masters finishes with the heartbreak couple. Ronan Draco, Steffenās twin brother, who is burdened by their horrific past, and his self inflicted āprisonā of guilt, doubts, and inability to connect with others. Ronan is selected by Brandt to catalog the items and help identify them as them come out of the vault. Itās terrifying to him.
On the other side, thereās Zachary, grandson to the formidable grandmother ,Damaris Bailey , who rules the family, town Council and everyone else with a steely voice and gaze to match. Zachary is the townās forester, well, go to demon, depending on the job, despite having his own hopes and dreams. Heās continually sacrificed for the sake of the family and the community, letting family obligations and responsibilities become an invisible prison for himself. Until the bitterness is threatening to swallow him.
This is the setup that Masters introduces the reader to the situation and these haunted beings to each other. It is not a meet cute.
But the journey to redemption and love for both is a fabulous and heartwarming story to read. Ronanās as he realizes his need to connect with the Hortplatz community and learn how to make friends. Thatās a truly remarkable, funny, and joyful stumbling path he had to take, one that included pastries, group text sessions, and a box from the World of Wangs makes an important appearance. Ronan finds he can become part of a community, have a home, with a loving partner, leaving the past behind.
And Zachary? In Ronan, he finds someone to stand with him, support his passions, explore new experiences, even if it means staying in Hortplatz. For now.
Masters doesnāt forget Damaris, the stern, unyielding grandmother, whose actions and character become fully revealed in a wonderful, memorable scene.
So many great characters are brought in to help Ronan and Zachary achieve their dreams and HEA, from Steffen to all the many demon cousins and their families.
As I said, three books is barely breaking the surface of this villageās stories and what the future now holds for them.
Itās my wish that Masters might come up with another series that will find its way back into this world and town , so we can get an update on everyone there and the new couples to arrive.
In the meantime, Iām highly recommending this series and book. Itās fantastic and a grand bit of fantasy!
A dragon with endless secrets meets a demon with nothing to hideā¦
Iām the easygoing one. The fun one. The rare member of my family who gets along with anyone. Except thereās a chance I may have got off on the wrong foot with our new dragon liaison, Ronan. In my defense, he rubs everyone the wrong way. The only thing heās got going for him is his looksā¦ if the miserable frown werenāt there to mar them. But he seems to be trying harder to connect, and I guess I should do the same. Even if his arrival here was the beginning of all my problems.
When I cross the line and guilt compels me to apologize, I get my first glimpse of a different Ronan. Someone who enjoys baking, thinks glitter is amazing, and wants people to like him. Someone I could be friends with. And when that frown disappears? I want more than just friendship.
But thereās something going on with him, something heās been carrying for a long time. Heās been hurt before, and the secrets heās keeping are the kind that eat you inside. How can we take things to the next step if he canāt be open with me?
Itās only when he steps up to make all my dreams come true that I realize some secrets need to stay that wayā¦ and that loving Ronan means accepting him for who he really is.
A story in shared universe with the authorās Mr Romance of the Franklin U series collection, this holiday short features the uncles of Mr Romanceās young main couple.
Iām a solid fan of Masters and her ability to build great characters, relationships, and, indeed, imaginative worlds to throw them into.
But the short length here limits this to a cute story with characters and a relationship thatās one note, quickly built, instant love, with little of the authorās usual narrative charm and depth. Thereās just too little page length.
Itās a meet, insult, meet again with great embarrassment. Apologies and into bed. Love and immediate commitment. Done. With family that you donāt have much time to get a feel for.
So if youāre interested in a quick holiday tale thatās a cute read. Pick it up, read, put down. Mainly because of the author. Interested? The Holigay Hookup by Louisa Masters is a short story for you.
Buy Link:
Blurb:
The hot guy at my new job is my nephewās boyfriendās uncleā¦ and I just insulted his whole familyā¦
Transferring to the California office is a great opportunity for me, and it gives me the chance to spend more time with my nephew, Liam. Thereās no way to lose in this situationāespecially when I meet Jim, who works in my office, is super-hot, and seems interested.
Except, for reasons I canāt explain, I might have complained about having to spend Thanksgiving with Liamās boyfriendās family, who are mega rich. I wasnāt expecting to turn up and discover that Jimās nephew is dating mineā¦ and that the family I called snobs is his.
Now I have to find a way to apologize and convince Jim to keep my secret. Thereās no way Iāll risk damaging Liamās relationship. Too bad thereās no chance heāll still be interested in meā¦ right?
A fun holiday romp with cameo appearances by Liam and Charlie from Mr. Romance.
Micah is such a great story. Masters pulls together so many important pieces of her foundation elements in bringing the romance of fascinating puzzle creator incubus Camden Torrence and demon architect Micah Bailey.
Just the idea of that particular humongous, thousands of years old door of a puzzle, buried in a cave beneath a mountain and needing, no, wanting to be solved, is a fabulous idea. And that itās Cam whoās got the superior knowledge, and bubbling excitement as well to solve it? Amazing. Heās a grand character who gets better, funnier, deeper as we and Micah, get to understand him.
Micah himself, with his family connections to Gideon, Asher , and the family (grandmother) who basically runs things , is another gem of a character. Through Micah, the demons are explored as a species, their dense physique due to teleportation. Even learning the subtle facial expressions are readdressed through the relationship between Micah and Cam, and even Camās interactions with Micahās family.
Camās not without his own personal issues to deal with, and they are dealt with by being able to communicate and by understanding each otherās personalities and needs. I love it when an author does this, instead of letting the main characters flounder about, they communicate and share what theyāre thinking and feeling, like mature beings.
Not to say there isnāt some absolutely spew worthy sentences and moments here. Because there totally are. Made my day! And this book so giggle snort gold āļø! And no will not quote them. Read them and enjoy them in context.
There be dragons here! Appearances by Brandt, Wil, Steffen and others were wonderful. And will send me back to their series , Here Be Dragons, which is one of the linked series to the original Hidden Species.
We get Hortplatz, now becoming as real a town as any character, with its high mountains, townspeople, and places we can recognize. Cold, and with itās own charm.
If I have a small quibble, itās that after all the buildup and intricate details of that puzzle door, it ended too abruptly. Perhaps it will be continued in book three, but it feels incomplete here as far as Cam goes and his ānew lifeā which we donāt get. We need a chapter or at least several pages to bridge the gap between the ending and the new future town scenes to feel grounded imo.
But thatās a quibble in a book I very much adore. From the plot to the characters, this story had me from the beginning, perfect Louisa Masters.
Now onto book three.
And yes, Iām highly recommending this and all the connected series:
Wanted: Demon assistant for incubus genius. Personal services requiredā¦
Nobody ever expected to find a secret cave protected by a giant puzzle door in the mountains near our village. Even more surprising was the knowledge that itās been there for thousands of years and was created by a dragon. Iām not the only one whoās dying to find out whatās inside.
Itās no hardship to assist the puzzle expert whoās coming to solve the door. That thing is an incredible feat of engineering, and the man whoāll solve it is bound to be intelligent and interesting. But from the moment I meet Camden Torrence, Iām forced to reassessā¦ everything.
Heās intelligent and interesting, sure. But heās also scattered. Clumsy. And I want to bury my face in his mop of curls and stay there forever.
A relationship wasnāt on my agenda, no matter what my matchmaking family wants. But as the weeks go by and we get closer to discovering what the secret treasure is, Cam becomes an integral, undeniable part of my life. How can I not fall for a man who, despite past hurts, is the living embodiment of sunshine in our snow-laden village?
I never thought the love of my life would turn out to be an adorable, absent-minded incubus, but now I canāt imagine existing without him. The challenge? Convincing him to stay even after the puzzle is solved.
Gateway Catastrophe is the almost finale for Louisa Masters Ghostly Guardians series and it had a lot of ground to cover for a book about the end of the world.
At the end of Conduit Crisis, a higher demon, Marc has arrived from the Otherworld, as they are calling the realm trying to break through to Earth through the portals. Heās here to save his realmās species and world from the mad leader, Cato, thatās coming for Earth.
Marc has a complicated and messy relationship with quite a few of the people at the estate as heās been back and forth between his world and theirs often trying to figure out how to stop the planned invasion.
Masters has brought in all the couples, including the young brothers of Connor and Gabe, Ian and Matt, whoāre studying at Franklin U (Mr Romance). We have the great ghosts, now including Tomās Italian grandmother added into the mix, a few new disposable hunter characters, the odd townspeople, and the cast is about at overflow levels.
Sometimes thatās great here but occasionally itās a bit too much for the storylines to handle for clarity sake. The main povās here are Gabe the demon hunter, and Tom, the part-time cab driver with the ghostly Italian grandmother who rides with him . Tom (a childhood friend of Skye) has been unaware until recently of the existence of the paranormal world that now threatens theirs. Tom had a terrific backstory that we donāt get enough of, a homophobic Italian family, a childhood deep friendship with Skye that includes Skyeās fatherās basically āadoptingā him into their family. A closeted adolescence for Tom that almost destroyed him. Thatās a lot of emotional baggage to unpack.
That itās a end of the world quickly dealt with conversation is understandable but, hmmmm, itās an example of the types of narrative choices Masters had to make here when looking at the huge amounts of information, storylines sheād created (sabotage, mysteries, betrayal, paranormal universes, chemistry problems, wars, good vs bad vs grey, portals etc) , the need to complete college degrees if the world might be ending, and romance!
Sometimes itās successful and other times itās too many people, too many voices , and situations that are overpowering the very huge theme . The baddies are coming, the world is ending. What are we doing?
The suspense and anxiety should be over the top here towards the end, the reader on the edge of their proverbial seats. But, for me , at least, it starts to head the other direction.
By the time Cato, the high demon whoās the bigger bad, itās almost anticlimactic. When the battle is engaged, we see whatās happening from Gabeās perspective , which deals with the portals. The actual battle and fighting? The stuff that makes the adrenaline rush and the heart rate spike? Nope, that a āas told toā afterwards.
Thatās my biggest issue with this story. Itās the popped balloon we were hoping to do ourselves only for someone else to get to it before us. The element of anticipation that is never going to happen.
When we get back to the scene itās over. And the characters fill other characters (and the readers) in on what happened.
From an authorās standpoint, I can see where writing about this part of the story might have meant that the book went on for several more chapters. But wouldnāt that have been worth the payoff? Emotionally?
Or less portal, more the actual physical fighting?
I donāt know. The climatic scenario and the revelations felt unbalanced. And unsatisfactory. After all that hefty exposition, all that tons of information and huge cast of characters, thatās the way it ends? With a battle off the page? A narrative whimper?
There is a sweet payoff for everyone involved but itās still not grounded enough in the narrative to be an emotional element. To have that kind of reaction you need to have the reader be involved in the actual situations that require a resolution. We werenāt.
A plus here is the romantic relationship between Gabe and Tom, with the āend of the world ā supplying the necessary energy for them to get themselves together and go for the chance of a life together. And Tom, he was a great surprise and success as a character. I wish we could have seen more of him. Supplying Tom with being a Tendo master and then not utilizing this fully in the climax seems like a waste.
Thatās this story. Sometimes too much, and sometimes not enough. Often at the wrong times.
And thereās another book coming because Masters isnāt finished yet with these characters and universe. Itās with Ian and Marc.
So does that make this an almost finale? Or the new book a side story.
Not sure but itās seems about right for the series and Gateway Catastrophe, a story that doesnāt really seem to have an core ending in itself.
So overall, itās a jammed packed paranormal end of the world story, with a lovely romance. Tons of interesting elements, some great characters (as always adore the ghosts and the insufferable higher demon Marc), but I felt that some of the immense complexity of that theme (nothing bigger than ending the world) got lost in the shuffle.
Perhaps it was who got chosen as the final narrator (Gabe versus Tom) or which field of action the author chose to concentrate on, either way, itās my personal opinion it was the less interesting path to go down.
Iām still recommending it for those fans of this series and the author. If you havenāt read the series, then this book will probably not make any sense to you. This series must be read in the order that they were written for the events, relationships, and situations to make sense.
I live a simple, small-town life. Helping with the family restaurant, my side gig as a ride-share driver, hanging with my best friend, making the most of the extra time with my ghost grandma. The only exciting thing to happen to me in the past year was when Gabe moved to townātoo bad Nonna scared him off. Itās hard to impress a guy when your dead grandmother calls him the devil.
The last thing I expect when I pick up a ride-share client and take him to Mannix Estate is that heās a demon. An actual, breathing, can-kill-me-with-a-thought demon. That night blows my simple life apart and changes everything. Turns out, ghosts arenāt the weirdest things out there, my best friend and Gabe are both part of this alternate world, and thereās a big bad demon who wants to end us all. Whatās a small-town boy to do but roll up his sleeves and join the fight to save the world?
Working side by side with Gabe reminds me just how much I liked him when we first metā¦ and the feelingās mutual. As the clock counts down and we both struggle with personal issues, itās good to know thereās someone to lean on. But I donāt know if our tenuous connection can survive the hell thatās coming and see us through to the other side.
Asher, the first in Mastersā new Demons-In-Law series about the fabulously wealthy Bailey clan of demons, see Gideon now mates to Lucifer Sam in the connected Hidden Species/Here Be Dragons series.
It all happens in the very isolated picturesque village of Hortplatz, high in the snowy, very snow mountains of Switzerland, where it has housed an entire settlement of demons.
After a visit by a verified surprises Lucifer Sam , there to meet his bfās family, it becomes a mission to help them understand the world they live in, itās diverse paranormal activity and species.
Enter Garrett Smythe! Masters excels at the instant connection, the chemistry that also brings a personal bond. The sex and the emotional touches that come from that first night between Garrett and Asher set the tone for what follows.
They are magic together. Absolutely believable as a couple bonding and in love.
The formidable Bailey family is led by Damaris, the family matriarch. Warrior, politician, all around scary person who adores her family, I love this character! The many Baileys , all the cousins to grandchildren are beings you want to spend time with. I enjoy the species history and physical biology that Masters has written that makes this and them so fascinating.
The other half is, of course, Hellhound. Thatās Garrett. And his cousin Alastair. His cousin is a well known character, part of several books. As much as I love him exuberance and way out there actions, here Alastair was actually too much. He had lost some of his charm and veered into being a bit of an irritant. Heās just getting used too much without the necessary underlying depths that made him a better person.
Garrett has those qualities and it makes him a fully dimensional Hellhound. And teacher, anthropologist, and loving new husband.
The relationships between the many characters, teachers to students, children to their large families, families to their community, itās real protective, and loving. I smiled through the entire read.
This story is funny, surprising, sexy, and has a great twist at the end to bring in familiar faces and a bridge to the next book.
Iām only sorry I canāt go directly onto the next book. But Iāll wait and perhaps reread some of the stories from the two previous series. Itās a great universe!
When your imaginary boyfriend turns up in your hometown, marriage is the only option.
Iām not anti-relationship, but my life is good right now, and love is not a priority. Too bad my grandmother disagrees. People say sheās scary, and sure, some of her enemies went missing under mysterious circumstances, but she loves me and wants the best for meā¦ which, right now, is marriage. The matchmaking is a lot, and sheās not letting up. Whatās a demon to do except invent a long-distance boyfriend?
That backfires hard when the one-night stand I based my fake boyfriend on arrives in our tiny village. Garrettās here to help our cut-off town assimilate with the rest of the Community of Species. Heās not expecting to find he has a boyfriend he knew nothing about.
It doesnāt take me long to convince him to agree to my new plan. I need the matchmaking to stop; he needs our insular little community to accept and trust him. The perfect solution: marriage. A business agreement with a time limit.
Just business.
Until he demands more. A sexy, nerdy hellhound in my bed isnāt a deal breaker.
But as we get closer to our end date, it gets harder for me to imagine life without him. And when my little cousin goes missing, itās Garrett who saves the dayā¦ and reveals secrets the village didnāt know we had.
In this hilarious spin-off from the Hidden Species series, Gideon’s cousins get their time to shine… beginning with Asher and his brand-new hellhound husband.
How To Date A Dragon is a short cute prequel to Louisa Masters Here Be Dragons series. This quick romance between Hagen, a dragon, and real estate agent, the vampire Jaiden is about 88 pages long. That doesnāt allow much time for character or relationship development. It comes with the expectation that the reader is already familiar with the characters and the world building behind it.
The purpose of Hagen and Jaiden meeting is to find the location for what will become in the series Here Be Dragons, the seat and home of the dragons on Earth. They meet hot and heavy, go on a couple of romantic dates, and then the epilogue flashes forward to find them into an established relationship.
Itās sexy, the couple engaging, and the entire thing short. Definitely a story that could benefit from more exposition and length. But itās a cute addition to Louisa Masters series and dragons.
Tip #1 for dealing with dragons: be prepared for anything
My whole life, I thought dragons were majestic, wise, and fearsome creatures. Not to mention fictional. Itās been less than a year since that last belief was debunked. Dragons are real, theyāre now living among us, and Iām the lucky realtor who gets to sell a house to their leader. I just have to impress his representative first. No problemāIām a professional.
Except the dragon rep turns out to be the guy I hooked up with last night, and heās fast disproving everything I believed about dragons. Unless āwiseā actually means āaddicted to glitterā and āmajesticā is a euphemism for āovergrown frat boy.ā
Hagen might actually be the most annoying person Iāve ever met, yet I canāt resist going on a date with him. One thingās for sure, someone needs to write me a how-to guide for dating a dragonā¦ glitter not included.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 