Tag: author Morgan Lysand

Review:  How To Summon A Memory (a Cauldrons and Kisses story) by Morgan Lysand

Rating: 3🌈

I had started into this universe and the various characters stories with Lysand’s first book, Kisses at the Crossroads (Fortune Favors the Fae series).  That was Lark, an imprisoned fae and a crossroads demon’s love story. It introduced the town of Hex, Indiana and Lysand’s intention of expanding into various other relationships of the side characters in future series and stories.

This approach, as I noted earlier, left the original plot a bit unsatisfying as it appeared that Lysand was concentrating on setting up the foundation for other plots to come.

They ended up across several different multi-author, various themed series. I have listed them below as has the author under the title Hex, Indiana. Does this make for a comprehensive or complete sense of the universe or greater understanding of the characters represented? Not really. But I’ll let you be the judge.

The concept behind this story is a good one. The idea of two best friends/potential lovers, in this case a summoned crossroads demon and a young witch separated from each other . By loss of memory, an inability to find their person, a mystery , combined with an unknown determined enemy, is a terrific one.  It catches your attention and engages your imagination.  Especially the characters here, one Prof. Ethan Speller who’s engaged to his best friend, the nonbinary Florence, an engagement and marriage neither wants but can seem to stop because of their powerful families. Add to that an unhappy crossroads demon, Warwick, who doesn’t know what happened to the young witch who was his best friend? Amazing plot.

However, How To Summon A Memory just doesn’t have enough depth or page length to really capture the potential of the story the author has set out to create.  There’s so much that gets lost here.  

Florence, the best friend? Terrific character. Their familiars , chubby squirrel (Florence) and hummingbird (Ethan) are important but not well introduced.  Other parts of this story, like the school, or subplots like the ones involving the students and chemistry classes, aren’t either necessary but overly dramatic or needed and not well executed. Much of the story goes along these lines. 

The narrative doesn’t flow smoothly or in an evenly balanced/paced way that makes the book feel cohesive.  Which is a shame because a really good idea and couple gets lost along the way. 

The person responsible for all the woe gets off with a “do better “, the explanation for the magic doesn’t really work, and I’m left wondering why it wasn’t combined into one series to begin with. 

This was interesting . If you are a fan of the series and author, that’s who I’m going to recommend it as a read.

Cauldrons and Kisses (8 books)

🔹Love Potions and Moonlight by Kota Quinn

🔹Charmed by Rainbow by Jax Stuart

🔹Enchanted Hearts by Jacey Davis

🔹Oral Hex: An MM Omegaverse Romance by Salem Jack

🔹How To Summon A Memory by Morgan Lysand

🔹Half Past Hex by Toby Wise

🔹Prince, Charmed by Ducky Mack

🔹The Trouble With Spells by Raiven Mathews 

——

Connected universe books:

Welcome to Hex, Indiana : 

🔷Kisses at the Crossroads (Fortune Favors the Fae series)

🔷The Nephilim’s Touch (Tales from the Tarot series)

🔷How To Summon A Memory (Cauldrons and Kisses)

Buy link

        How To Summon A Memory

    

Blurb

Ethan

Who is the beautiful demonic stranger in my dreams? That’s what I want to know. But between teaching at Hex University and preparing for my unfortunate nuptials to a fellow witch, I don’t have time to explore why the demon seems so familiar. I just know the demon is important, but why?

Warwick

I’ve been searching for my best friend, Ethan, for six years. One minute he stood in front of me, finally ready to make his crossroads deal to free him of his arranged marriage, the next he’s gone and he took my heart with him. I’ll do anything to find him, if only to tell him off for leaving me right when we could finally be together. Color me surprised when one night Ethan walks through the door of the bar I’m moping in. But he’s not the same sweet, goofy boy I fell in love with. No, this is a man who has forgotten me and his true self. Will my crossroads magic be enough to bring back his memories? It better, I won’t be forgotten.

How To Summon A Memory is a fluffy and spicy paranormal romance featuring a witch missing his memories and a possessive crossroads demon determined to get back to the man he loves. 

Cauldrons and Kisses is a multi-author series of MM magical standalone stories. 

  • Publication date: October 11, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 146 pages

Review:  Kisses at the Crossroad (Fortune Favors the Fae Book 10) by Morgan Lysand

Rating: 3🌈

Kisses at the Crossroad by Morgan Lysand has a lot of good elements going for it.  Multiple storylines, a universe that includes at least three highly diverse realms (demon, Fae, and human) with a variety of different, interesting characters that thread in and out of the plot lines. 

The main storyline that’s centered around the enslaved Fae, Lark, and the crossroads demon, Pike, has enough to it with the characters back stories and current plight, that it should have been more detailed and the entire focus of this book. Plus the coin as well. That’s a major part of their story.

What is nice is Lark and Pike, along with the hellhound, together. They are both very different yet sweet characters.  Lark’s background is a bit better defined than Pike’s but the story behind his capture still feels lacking, as though a villainous act was committed.  By maybe that fae Prince who popped up to say he wasn’t bad anymore and disappeared. A absolutely strange thread and dismissible character. But one which the author made a point about several times during the book.  

So many aspects to the story like this. Odd decisions that come out of the narrative void and leaves the reader wondering.  Like the huge one towards the end with Drake. That’s a major question for me. But it speaks to the overall issue here.

That Lysand has a larger overall expansive character cast and narrative in mind that effectively makes this story come off as less developed and finished.  You can tell which elements and characters have been highlighted by the author for new stories or additional roles in books (in multi-author series) to come. So while their roles here in scenes are as important secondary characters , what happens to each of them is incomplete or left unresolved. 

Wren isn’t mentioned but demons Wick, Van, and the interspecies human town of Hex, Indiana, get upcoming stories in two completely different series (see below). 

There’s enough loose ends or unresolved issues here that it leaves other aspects of Lark’s and Pike’s romantic relationship and journey just weirdly disjointed in many sections.  

So while I enjoyed it, I was equally occupied by thinking about all the things that felt underdeveloped and characters left behind. 

The coin was a major part of the story.  I appreciated this fact.

Cover art by Natasha Snow. I love the covers. Fabulous.

Fortune Favors the Fae – 15 books:

  • A Fae Coin Transported Me Into Another World and Now I’m the Gay Holy Maiden by AJ Sherwood #1❤️
  • The Wolf’s (Un)Lucky Fae by Michele Notaro #2 ❤️
  • Bound to the Wild Fae by Tavia Lark #3 June 13❤️
  • The Sorcerer’s Thief by Lee Colgin #4 ❤️🔷
  • The Fae Menagerie by Edie Montreaux #5 
  • Never Darling by Sam Burns #6 
  • Prince of Poison by Alice Winters  #7  ❤️
  • Grave Misfortune by Nazri Noor #8 ❤️
  • Fae for Pay by Meaghan Maslow #9 – Aug 21,2024
  • Kisses at the Crossroad by Morgan Lysand #10 
  • Smoke and Mirrors by Kai Butler #11 – August 8, 2024
  • Siren in the Rain by Chloe Archer #12 – Aug 15,2024
  • I Destroyed the Elf Prince’s Harem  by Jocelynn Drake #13 – Aug 22,2024
  • A Fae Called Wylder by Michelle Frost #14 – Aug 29,2024
  • Lucky or Knot by Eliot Grayson #15 – September 5,2024

Buy link

        Kisses at the Crossroads

    

Blurb:

Lark has the worst luck. After stumbling through a thin spot in the veil between realms, he’s been stuck in the human world for a decade and forced to perform parlor tricks for the witch that captured him. Luckily, the witch’s power wanes and Lark hopes to run for his freedom during the next full moon. But he needs help. What could it hurt to summon a crossroad demon to get him back home to the Faelands?

When Pike gets summoned for the first time in decades, he’s sure it’s for something ridiculous. Humans never think of consequences. However, the moment he lays eyes on the pretty Fae, he’s determined to help the ethereal one, no matter the cost, even if it’s his own heart.

Kisses at the Crossroads is a part of the multi-author series, Fortune Favors the Fae. From spicy to sweet, zany romps to epic adventures, there’s something for everyone in this mystical series. Discover destiny and true love and follow the coin on its fickle journey to the next world and a new magical adventure.

  • Publication date: August 4, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 157 pages

🔹The Nephilim’s Touch (Van’s story and the location of Hex,Indiana 

Part of: Tales from the Tarot (22 books) – August 29, 2024

🔹How To Summon A Memory (Warwick’s story)

Part of: Cauldrons and Kisses (8 books) – September 30,2024

Review: Nightmare for Hire (Monster Match) by Morgan Lysand

Rating: 3.75🌈

Nightmare for Hire by Morgan Lysand is a part of Monster Match series by various authors spanning 9 books about a AP that matches up monsters with a client who wants to scare someone.

Morgan Lysand’s story revolves around an eternal being, a literal nightmare, called Nox. Out of boredom and perhaps a sense of curiosity, he’s come to earth, assuming a human shape and is hiring himself out to give nightmares to exes.

Lysand’s portrait of Nox is an interesting combination of intense curiosity, innocence of many facets of the human experience, and yet a being as old as time itself. While there’s some unevenness in this character, overall, from Nox’s joyful gender free dress and love of pink boots to his own distinctive personality, Nox is a win.

Cyrus is a more complex character and compelling storyline. He’s recently out of a controlling, abusive relationship (read the trigger warnings) and has relocated to a new town and job. Emotionally, there’s so many issues with Cyrus and the behavior/DA that’s behind the damage done in the relationship with his ex that there’s not enough narrative space for the author and characters to explore this fully.

So in some respects and scenes it’s not as deeply horrific as it’s should have been. But Cyrus and Nox are a engaging couple and their chemistry is lovely

I enjoyed the story and characters but felt it needed more development to full explore the background and elements the author introduced.

Monster Match 9 books

◦ Threading Carefully by Ashlynn Mills

◦ His Primal Kiss by Kota Quinn

◦ Nightmare for Hire by Morgan Lysand

◦ His Slender Embrace by Amanda Meuwissen

◦ Conjured Chaos Kisses by Ki Brightly

◦ Pieces of Me by Jacey Davis

◦ Spinning Out of Control by Kit Barrie

Buy Link:

Blurb

Nox is a Nightmare, literally. Having been around for eons, he’s decided it’s time to have some fun… wrecking lives, that is. So he hires himself out to get revenge on bad exes, which leads him to joining the Monster Match app. He doesn’t exactly care what the circumstances are as long as he gets to have some fun scaring humans.

Cyrus moved to Rivenfield for a fresh start after a bad breakup. He just wants to keep his head down and work. Maybe meet a few monster cuties on Monster Match. He’s not expecting to click with someone so soon, but the mysterious Nightmare has him all hot and bothered awake and asleep.

After meeting Cyrus, Nox is flabbergasted why anyone would want to send a Nightmare after such a delightful human. He becomes determined to get to the bottom of this mystery. It looks like the cure for his eternal boredom might just be falling in love.

Nightmare for Hire is an opposites attract MM monster romance featuring a sunshiny Nightmare and a human just wanting to belong. It’s part of the Monster Match series. Each book is a standalone, but why don’t you have fun with all our monstrous beasties?

Review: Nightmare for Hire (Monster Match) by Morgan Lysand

Rating: 3.75🌈

Nightmare for Hire by Morgan Lysand is a part of Monster Match series by various authors spanning 9 books about a AP that matches up monsters with a client who wants to scare someone.

Morgan Lysand’s story revolves around an eternal being, a literal nightmare, called Nox. Out of boredom and perhaps a sense of curiosity, he’s come to earth, assuming a human shape and is hiring himself out to give nightmares to exes.

Lysand’s portrait of Nox is an interesting combination of intense curiosity, innocence of many facets of the human experience, and yet a being as old as time itself. While there’s some unevenness in this character, overall, from Nox’s joyful gender free dress and love of pink boots to his own distinctive personality, Nox is a win.

Cyrus is a more complex character and compelling storyline. He’s recently out of a controlling, abusive relationship (read the trigger warnings) and has relocated to a new town and job. Emotionally, there’s so many issues with Cyrus and the behavior/DA that’s behind the damage done in the relationship with his ex that there’s not enough narrative space for the author and characters to explore this fully.

So in some respects and scenes it’s not as deeply horrific as it’s should have been. But Cyrus and Nox are a engaging couple and their chemistry is lovely

I enjoyed the story and characters but felt it needed more development to full explore the background and elements the author introduced.

Monster Match 9 books

◦ Threading Carefully by Ashlynn Mills

◦ His Primal Kiss by Kota Quinn

◦ Nightmare for Hire by Morgan Lysand

◦ His Slender Embrace by Amanda Meuwissen

◦ Conjured Chaos Kisses by Ki Brightly

◦ Pieces of Me by Jacey Davis

◦ Spinning Out of Control by Kit Barrie

Buy Link:

Blurb

Nox is a Nightmare, literally. Having been around for eons, he’s decided it’s time to have some fun… wrecking lives, that is. So he hires himself out to get revenge on bad exes, which leads him to joining the Monster Match app. He doesn’t exactly care what the circumstances are as long as he gets to have some fun scaring humans.

Cyrus moved to Rivenfield for a fresh start after a bad breakup. He just wants to keep his head down and work. Maybe meet a few monster cuties on Monster Match. He’s not expecting to click with someone so soon, but the mysterious Nightmare has him all hot and bothered awake and asleep.

After meeting Cyrus, Nox is flabbergasted why anyone would want to send a Nightmare after such a delightful human. He becomes determined to get to the bottom of this mystery. It looks like the cure for his eternal boredom might just be falling in love.

Nightmare for Hire is an opposites attract MM monster romance featuring a sunshiny Nightmare and a human just wanting to belong. It’s part of the Monster Match series. Each book is a standalone, but why don’t you have fun with all our monstrous beasties?

Review: Nightmare for Hire (Monster Match) by Morgan Lysand

Rating: 3.75🌈

Nightmare for Hire by Morgan Lysand is a part of Monster Match series by various authors spanning 9 books about a AP that matches up monsters with a client who wants to scare someone.

Morgan Lysand’s story revolves around an eternal being, a literal nightmare, called Nox. Out of boredom and perhaps a sense of curiosity, he’s come to earth, assuming a human shape and is hiring himself out to give nightmares to exes.

Lysand’s portrait of Nox is an interesting combination of intense curiosity, innocence of many facets of the human experience, and yet a being as old as time itself. While there’s some unevenness in this character, overall, from Nox’s joyful gender free dress and love of pink boots to his own distinctive personality, Nox is a win.

Cyrus is a more complex character and compelling storyline. He’s recently out of a controlling, abusive relationship (read the trigger warnings) and has relocated to a new town and job. Emotionally, there’s so many issues with Cyrus and the behavior/DA that’s behind the damage done in the relationship with his ex that there’s not enough narrative space for the author and characters to explore this fully.

So in some respects and scenes it’s not as deeply horrific as it’s should have been. But Cyrus and Nox are a engaging couple and their chemistry is lovely

I enjoyed the story and characters but felt it needed more development to full explore the background and elements the author introduced.

Monster Match 9 books

◦ Threading Carefully by Ashlynn Mills

◦ His Primal Kiss by Kota Quinn

◦ Nightmare for Hire by Morgan Lysand

◦ His Slender Embrace by Amanda Meuwissen

◦ Conjured Chaos Kisses by Ki Brightly

◦ Pieces of Me by Jacey Davis

◦ Spinning Out of Control by Kit Barrie

Buy Link:

Blurb

Nox is a Nightmare, literally. Having been around for eons, he’s decided it’s time to have some fun… wrecking lives, that is. So he hires himself out to get revenge on bad exes, which leads him to joining the Monster Match app. He doesn’t exactly care what the circumstances are as long as he gets to have some fun scaring humans.

Cyrus moved to Rivenfield for a fresh start after a bad breakup. He just wants to keep his head down and work. Maybe meet a few monster cuties on Monster Match. He’s not expecting to click with someone so soon, but the mysterious Nightmare has him all hot and bothered awake and asleep.

After meeting Cyrus, Nox is flabbergasted why anyone would want to send a Nightmare after such a delightful human. He becomes determined to get to the bottom of this mystery. It looks like the cure for his eternal boredom might just be falling in love.

Nightmare for Hire is an opposites attract MM monster romance featuring a sunshiny Nightmare and a human just wanting to belong. It’s part of the Monster Match series. Each book is a standalone, but why don’t you have fun with all our monstrous beasties?