Honestly only the promise of an equally warped, wonderfully dark new series has kept me from absolutely bewailing the ending of this series as it came to its fabulous finale.
Am I ready to say goodbye to the ancient incubus warrior, winged purple flamboyance himself, Zee? Or the magnificent vampire businessman, āFancy Fangsā Victor? And, importantly ,their love, Adam Vex, āyes, sure Iām humanā. No. No, Iām not. And not to Tom Collins, the murderous AI djinn bartender , and all the other otherworldly beings who have made an impact throughout the series are here now in the final showdown with the villain to save the world! And itās everything I wanted it to be.
Itās sexy, sarcastic, explosive, funny, horrifying, over the top entertaining, emotional, and downright fabulous. And I never wanted it to end.
Coats were flared, buildings destroyed, sex was had, prophecyās fulfilled, and love wins.
Let me spare a moment to wipe away a tear in sheer joy and appreciation for this absolutely amazing and zany world and series. Iāll probably need to go back and re-read this series and see what I missed in the final reading.
But seeing Adam, Vee, Victor, and the
SOS HOTEL as they were at the end of this book? So so satisfying. A grand finale. I wish I could rate it higher.
A must read for all lovers of this author and genre. Donāt miss out on all the notes beforehand and afterwards. As usual.
Cover design by Ariana Nash
SOS Hotel:
For a Supernaturally Safe Stay #1
Friendly Sanctuary for the Fiendishly Fabulous #2
Sleep with Us #3Ā
Great Service from Top to Bottom #4
No Rest for the Wicked #5Ā
Ho, Ho, No #5.5
Luxury To Die For #6
Your Final Resting Place #7 – tbd
Holiday release!
SOS HOTEL: Ho, Ho, No by Adam Vex, Ariana Nashā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø
An ex-adult movie star, a broke vampire daddy, and a boring human are about to try and save the world…
It’s probably our fault your world is doomed, if I’m honest. Sorry about that. Sticking with honesty, we’re not great at saving people, or ourselves. You should probably pack a bag and head for the hills.
You know, just in case…
My name is Adam Vex, and I’m definitely not the hero we all need, but along with Zee and Victor, a whole bunch of s*x demons, one shadow beast, a sassy AI bartender, and some uncontrollable gremlins, we’re all you’ve got.
Welcome to the end of the world at the SOS Hotel.
We hope you enjoy your final resting place.
*
Advisory: SOS Hotel contains explicit language, situations, and content that some readers may find uncomfortable, including frogs. There will likely be a few instances of unaliving, a whole lot of swearing (Zee does not have a profanity filter), and Sebastien being Sebastien.
If you haven’t read the previous books, definitely do not start here. This is the final book in the series.
A Star So Dark and Peculiar , the first in the Tears from the Sky series by Cyan Crowe, is also a first novel by the author for me. Iām all about storytelling that involves multiple types of shifters, mating bonds, paranormal species , and exploring the mythology that will build on their past in the series arc.
Crowe is giving the reader all that and more here. The series is dark fiction and characters that feel engaging and real are often treated as expendable, meeting their True Death unexpectedly. One at least I wasnāt prepared for. But itās in keeping with the characterizations and relationship dynamics Crowe is developing.
Cyan Crowe does several things that are notable, most fantastic and one not so great.
First is the fact that our introduction into the world is a confusing one. That window into the past with the Crown Lords and Oracle didnāt work, at least for me. I felt that any information gleaned from those scenes could have been imparted in other ways throughout the storyline. In fact the entire book only really came together one we got into the present day.
Thatās where everything starts to gel. The characters are strong, exceedingly well written, and while the reader doesnāt yet have a solid understanding of the world building, itās parts are added as the characters interact and the narrative becomes more complex to give a larger perspective on the mystery and universe surrounding them.
Itās a brutal world overlaid with an air of civility, animalistic with a skin of humanity. Cell phone technology with fang and claw death in tandem. The author realistically portrays a divided paranormal society, literally separated by fortified walls and gates, each ruled by a different species with a similar structure and name. The immortal Crown Lion, Crown Wolf, and Crown Gryfalcon, each at the head of their respective species, then they have their Blades of the Crown. A unknown person who is close to the Crown, carries out their orders/duties as they see fit, an assassin if need be. The Blades are old and said to have some of the immortal blood in them.
This is just part of the intriguing mystery and information that the reader gathers from the narrative as we meet Gage Declan, Alpha Wolf of the City (wolf territory although other species live there). Heās considered young for the job position heās holding but powerful in his role to easily manage his team. Gageās character and history is a complex one, and becomes even stronger and fascinating as the book progresses. He starts off strong but the author builds on layer after layer, giving Gage remarkable depth and high intelligence while not diminishing his raw brutality .
To balance such a compelling being the author had to craft an equally complicated, magnetic personality. Crowe gives us Alpha Ethan Odin Vinci, new Alpha Lion of the Fort (Lion shifter section with other species residing). But Ethan is ancient, mysterious, and perhaps more. So they begin at a combative level to sort out a mystery plaguing both their sections and separate species.
Additionally, same sex relationships or activities are illegal and considered unnatural by law and the cultures. So events that occur are fundamentally shocking to both.
This is a great element and the way itās handled on both sides makes sense for the two men involved from both personal and political perspectives. This is a core sea change that can, given both Alphas status and power, fundamentally change society.
Given this fact and the type of being each person is, Crowe stays true to the heart of the narrative and world the author is still rolling out in showing the reader the complex, often contradictory, intense, sometimes feral or savage behavior that resides within them, often after seemingly being pleasantly civil.
This is exciting stuff. We have a whole vampire element here thatās probably not what it appears to be. Right now they are the very big bad though.
Plus thereās things like the TEARs, a fatal illness no one knows how or why it occurs but that thereās no cure or antidote. The scenes involving people in the final stages are moving and heartbreaking.
Crowe has also assembled an excellent cast of characters surrounding the main personalities, and that seems to be expanding as well to meet the needs of the revelations of the storylines. The plot lines, many that they are, flow so fluidly through the story, picking up speed as it arrives at the main climatic battle and the jumping off point towards the next book.
Which honestly canāt come soon enough.
Except for that stumbled start, A Star So Dark and Peculiar (Tears from the Sky Book 1) by Cyan Crowe is a fantastic read. Itās exciting, full of new multidimensional characters, and imaginative storytelling. I canāt wait for it to continue.
Iām highly recommending it for all lovers of paranormal fiction and dark romance.
Itās time to embrace the night and show the true might of the stars so brightā¦
My name is Gage Odysseus Declan.
You could say Iām a complicated man with uncomplicated needs. Iām Alpha Wolf for the City, charged with protecting my kind. I enjoy law and order, sexy times at Circus, and being left alone.
Step too close, and Iāll cut you down.
But Iāve stumbled upon a kitty cat that smells like a raging storm, a dark and peculiar chaos that I want to dominate and cuddle.
His name is Ethan Odin Vinci.
I suspect heās the Blade to Crown Lion. The cat lives in the Castle, is crazier than anyone Iāve ever met, and is way too devious for that vain head of his.
And heās just as alpha as me.
Thatāsā¦a problem.
The Lady Moons connected two men together, an utter blindsiding Bond. This has never happened beforeāitās not our way.
Yet here I am. Here he is.
Here we are under the sky and the stars and the night, circling each other like weāre moonslit preyā¦
While bloodthirsty vampires take root in the City, and our people continue to die from TEARS.
But Iāve got this under control.
I am that good.
Get ready to twinkle twinkle, bitches.
The night is going to shine.
*This novel is approx. 150,000 words. This world does not contain MPreg.
Chance Encounter (The Elite ) by Luna David finishes out the multi-author series, The Elite, and does so smartly with a storyline that leans towards the dark side and characters that fit in nicely with a hellish city built on crime, sin, and murder.
Weāre talking about that dark, sinister city of Old Defiance, where even the alleyways are paved smooth for ease of use for cars and trucks picking up or dumping trash, er bodies. And that most elegant of hotels, The Menagerie, home to unsavory club, The Anonymous, where the criminal members get a safe card even if theyāre mortal enemies as well as a on call doctor.
Itās a fabulous theme and David dives right in with an ex-SEAL sniper turned assassin for hire, Tate McKenna, out on his latest assignment when a complication arises in the tiny form of Chance Forester.
Iāll stop here for a trigger warning. Chance Encounter has explicit scenes of domestic violence, father on son vicious beatings. It also contains scenes where memories of past childhood violence is revealed. If this is something that triggers you, then perhaps this isnāt a book for you.
That said, David has created in Chance a person who has crafted their own coping mechanisms over the years, a character so believable in his personality that heās instantly beloved and connectable.
Another note is about the kink aspect. Thereās a Daddy kink at play here, mild bdsm as both sides are new to this and neither one seems to want it to extend past the need to take control of the care of the other. Even if Daddy kink isnāt your thing, I believe you can still enjoy this romance. Very sexy and key to this coupleās relationship and romantic journey.
Thereās several interesting elements that include family dynamics, family relationships , and characters which I wish the author (and book size) would have been able to explore further.
If this series had a combined plus and minus it would be that the greatest stories were both too short and left the reader wanting more of this fabulous theme and characters it inspired.
The series is done. My recommendations are marked below with a ā¤ļø. It includes Chance Encounter. Happy Reading!
ā The Elite Multi-Author series (9 Books):
ā Reckless Roulette by Alice Winters
ā Leave No Trace by Michelle Frost and Sammi Cee
Tate isnāt a savior. And Chance doesnāt need to be saved. Turns out theyāre both wrong.
For Tate McKenna, Navy SEAL sniper turned assassin, rescue missions are part of a past he prefers to forget. But the target in his scope isnāt supposed to be choking someone to death right before his eyes. Saving some kid isnāt part of the job and derails his meticulous plans. Disruptions to his schedule make Tate a grumpy bastard and unforeseen complications just piss him off.
To Chance Forester, being forced into a blacked out SUV isnāt much of a surprise. He figures this trip to see his father is just like all the others until the usual beatdown becomes attempted murder. Turns out, the secrets he thought heād been keeping from his father, werenāt secrets at all and might end up getting him killed.
When the heat of Tate’s anger morphs into a desire to protect and care for Chance, will Chance allow himself to let his guard down? And will Tate be able to keep his boy safe like a good Daddy should while theyāre on the run from those who may want them both permanently silenced?
Chance Encounter is a 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.
We met Kazi, aka Kazimir Skokan, vampire, whoās public face is that of a international internet sensation, a interesting facade for a member of a secretive society of powerful paranormal beings.
Thatās the Brotherhood, a group of vampires hunting another equally ancient faction of vampires with a different allegiance towards the gods and the human race. Itās control Vs Chaos basically.
Heās on a kill mission when the story opens. His target a true crime reporter, Felix Quaid, with his Unexplained in Maine podcast, who refuses to stop digging into the affairs of the Brotherhood. Felix has to go.
Only the enemy intervenes.
Nash builds a story much like a traditional Smith Island cake, just one layer after another, until you have a thin, multiple level wonder. You may not be sure of what youāre getting until youāve cut into it, grabbing that slice of scrumptiousness, finished it, and savoring all the ingredients.
Thatās how I feel about all the many, many elements Nash introduces here and in the previous book. Itās like Iām staring at the cake but donāt know how itās all going to work out yet.
Itās a lot and very ambitious. Here we have Kazi and Felix, their story and relationship. It veers off onto another continent. Picks up Felixās history with his family. Picks up Kaziās bloody backstory. What does get sidelined is the manner in which Felix ā lostā everything, his podcast, etc. Thatās a fairly important thing to lose track of. But we do get a tiny glimpse into Felixās family life. Kaziās journey is rooted in history and location. Nash was outstanding in both.
But Nash has a lot of narrative ground to cover. We have to establish a meaningful relationship between two former enemies, bring about a change of heart within Kazi about humans and their role in the world (as well as with himself). Nash also has the enemy there to expound on their own destiny, mission, you know how a big bad absolutely MUST make speeches about themselves. Itās in the Evil Handbook. All the while, moving the storylines forward with enormous amounts of drama and angst.
Thereās several really great twists, one thatās going to bring the sniffles out as well.
But the author isnāt finished. Smith Island Cake remember? Thereās genetics, explosions, betrayals (sorry, but everyone will see who the baddie is in this instance), and more loose end mysteries. All that isnāt revealed or relayed in any satisfactory manner in the story other than bare minimum at the end.
At the end, I just had way too many unanswered questions to the unresolved aspects of this story to feel satisfied. I really liked it, but didnāt love it.
And really know one is talking about Mikalis to each other?
Thereās no mention yet of the next installment. Iāll be waiting for an update.
I find the elements and promise here fascinating. If youāre a fan of this author and paranormal fiction, you decide whether to wait until more of this series is released to read the stories or read along as they are published.
Iām recommending it because Iām just as curious as the rest of you.
Internet sensation Kazimir Skokan, is loved around the world for his luxury photoshoots and envious lifestyle. But Felix Quaid has never hated a man more. Ex-investigative journalist turned true-crime podcaster, Felix knows something is off with playboy Kazi. From the late-night back-alley meetings to the people around him who later vanish, behind Kazimirās flashy smile, heās rotten to his core. Not to mention rumors of darker, dangerous, some-say supernatural occurrences around Kazimir. Felix even has photos to prove it.
But the last time he tried to expose Kazimir Skokan, his story was inexplicably shut down, taking Felixās career as a journalist with it. Kazimir owes him the truth. And Felix is going to make sure the whole world knows it.
*
Kazi has new orders. Kill Felix Quaid. The Blackrose brotherhood leader, Mikalis, is never wrong. But in this, Kazi disagrees. Sure, Quaid is a pest, perhaps even a stalker, but no more than any other overzealous fan. Still, what Mikalis wants, Mikalis gets. And whatās another dead meat-bag to Kazi anyway? He stopped caring who lived and who died long ago.
Making Quaid disappear should have been easy. But in Quaidās final, crucial moments, a pack of cult members kidnap them both, mistaking Quaid for a member of the brotherhood. Now, trapped together, their time running out, Kazi must work with Quaid if theyāre to survive the insane Nyx-worshipping acolytes.
But as soon as they escape, Mikalisās orders will still stand: Quaid must die.
Kazi thought heād long ago given up on caring who lived and who died. Apparently, he was wrongā¦
*
Sparks fly in the second book in the all-new gay vampire psychopathic romance. Please note these books contain morally grey characters, unlikable heroes, enemies to lovers, and all the Ariana Nash angst you didnāt know you needed.
Each book in the series follows a new MM couple and ends in a HEA/HFN. This series is fast burn.
Lunatic is the latest in Jamesā Necessary Evils series about a group of psychopaths that were rescued/secured by a man when they were children. He raised them , with love within a family structure, to be killers. Using their natures but redirected towards a better āgoodā. Assassination of those determined to be criminals that slipped through the law or that were allowed to.
While every previous novel has outlined both the exact nature of the men at the center of the stories and the very complicated relationship they end up in with their lovers. Slowly in the series arc, as another agenda is revealed behind finding and nurturing young psychopaths, the books are slightly changing.
Thereās questions that perhaps not all the men are psychopathic as labeled, but sociopaths. Thereās discussions of nature versus nurture. And main characters that arenāt part of this system but are part of the outlier dynamics because of other associations. It brings another interesting outside element into what was a previously āclosedā family system.
Half of Lunaticās pov is Archer Mulvaney. Archer is one of Thomas Mulvaneyās psychopaths he gathered from a institution that āsavedā such traumatized children and didnāt know what to do with them. He did. We always get each manās history at the beginning of each book. Ugly, raw, brutal. They are chilling. Because these are small children when Thomas is called to see them.
And yes, trigger warnings apply. As they will throughout the book. This is dark fiction.
Mackenzie Shepherd, wildlife photographer, brother to a brother psychopath and with a mother, Dr.Shepard, whoās specializes in Psychopathic behavior, is the second pov.
Together they are combustible. They have been hooking up since a Las Vegas meeting, and itās only one of Archerās many secrets heās keeping from his family.
While the other , itās hard to know what to call them, certainly not romances or love affairs since most of the psychopaths here have a limited or literally unknowable ability to feel love, it might be termed obsession or bond with their significant others. Or as one of the emotional halves puts it, their crazies match.
You got that with the others. Here itās a bit of a longer road, especially when midway you narratively end up in what is usually in a rom-com storyline thread.
Of course, that goes sideways in the manner of this series, but the tilt in couple and format is just enough to make this a off kilter installment from the others while still playing within the overall arc theme.
Mac and Archerās relationship , itās impact upon the family, and possible repercussions, is expanding the series storylines and bringing in new mysteries. Itās doing this while keeping itās core of Mulvaney siblings and mates intact.
I loved seeing some of my favorites here, the twins Asa and Avi, and their spectacular mates , Zane and Felix respectively. Watching the foursome arrive in the desert was hilarious. I hadnāt realized how perfectly realized this quartet of bonded killers were. How in sync their characters were now perfected. Honestly, I think I need another book with just these four.
But itās still Archer and Macās story. Combined with a heartbreaking tale of sexual trafficking and child abuse. No matter what twist and turns you get, this is still very dark fiction about killers and the worst of criminals.
We have a settled Archer and Mac but are set up with a bit of a cliffhanger for the next story. Thatās Maniac, and itās the story for Thomas Mulvaney, father and head psychopath , and Aiden, the adopted son he disowned.
Canāt wait!
Until then, if dark, disturbing fiction is your thing, Iām recommending Unnecessary Evils. Read them in order to understand family history and dynamics.
Every psychopath in the Mulvaney family has a role to play. Archer Mulvaney is the gambler, a drunken reprobate making his living as a high-stakes poker player. Very few people know the real Archer, not even his brothers. But there is one man who knows far too much.
Mackenzie Shepherd spends his days photographing endangered wildlife. Heās also the brother of a sociopath and son to the woman who literally wrote the book on raising one. When his mother asks him to head a secret government project, it seems like the perfect excuse to run away from his life.
But running from his past has Mac colliding straight into Archer. And thatās a problem. For this project to be successful, Mac and Archer have to agree on every decision, and the two see eye-to-eye on nothing. Except, maybe the sex. The sex is off the charts.
When Macās old life comes back to haunt him, Archer insists on putting their differences aside to help keep him safe. But Mac, like Archer, is used to solving things on his own. Can they finally stop fighting each other to find the truth, or is their relationship the next thing on the endangered species list?
Lunatic is a filthy hot, enemies to lovers, psychopath romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features a sexy, roguish degenerate and a hunky bleeding heart ginger who love how much they hate each other. As always, thereās gratuitous violence, very dark humor, more blood than a slaughterhouse, and enough heat to melt your metaphorical undies. This is book six in the Necessary Evils series. Each book follows a different couple.
āāā-
Unless itās noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.
Head Games ends the Wages of Sins trilogy by Onley James and Neve Wilder about a group of professional assassins who end up finding a relationship and a partner to love and kill with.
Iāve enjoyed each book and found theyāve gotten better and more interesting with each couple. From the age gap first story of the first book, to the dueling assassins of Playing Dirty, each coupleās dynamic has gotten more complex and frankly more fascinating.
Madigan and Azraelās story, Playing Dirty, both assassins were dueling over the same targets on The Red Queenās kill list. In order to gain access to a specific target, they met Dr. E. Tobias Eastman, and his strangely destructive teacup Yorkie, Mantis. Eastmanās specialty and clientele is psychopaths. The worst of the worst. Including the person on their list.
How it all turns out Iāll leave to that story. Letās just say the doc and his pet made quite the impression.
So I was very excited to see that he was the other half of the narrative here.
Soren Warner has been a part of this series and odd group of assassins from the beginning. Supposedly āretiredā but heās always lingering around the edges of each big element and heās there whenever someone from the group requires assistance.
Heās a world traveler, secure in himself and the fact that heās a hired assassin . He kills only those that he or his group consider vile criminals unlikely to be caught due to their high positions in society or their connections are unlikely to be given the appropriate sentences , like those on the current Red Queenās kill list.
Dr. E. Tobias Eastman, with Mantis, his teacup Yorkie as his only companion, has made the worst of the worldās psychopathic killers his clients and his study for fifteen years. Heās famous or infamous for being the Criminal psychologist with a list of clients who killedā¦often.
Anomalies fascinated him. Tobias had one major question.
What made a killer ?
He thought heād figured out part of the equation. A management of compulsions .
Then he met Mads and Azrael, a couple who happily kill together with no remorse. Fifteen years of study and thought overturned by watching and listening to their relationship and dynamic.
Onley James and Neve Wilder sets up one of the most fascinating dynamics and romance when they put these two characters together. Each so incredibly different yet each provides an astonishing window into the psychology of the other.
It all starts when two sets of kill lists intersect.
Head Games is part psychological , part action, part romance, and all weirdly entertaining. It is about assassins and people who want to kill after all.
It is dark fiction. Thereās plenty of death on the page. So be warned. If this makes you uncomfortable, this series and story probably isnāt for you.
For those of you who enjoy action and dark fiction, Iām highly recommending this book and the trilogy. I actually wish the authors had continued it. It felt as though there were more stories left to tell and three books left The Red Queenās list and the group unfinished.
Read them in the order they were written for the events and relationships to make sense.
Straight-laced psychologist Tobias is an expert in the deviant behavior of others but a novice when it comes to his latest endeavor: serial killer.
After years of high-profile kills and mentoring numerous other assassins, laid-back Soren lives his life in a state of semi-permanent vacation. He comes out of an early retirement to help out a friend, only to set off sparks with the renowned psychologist when they discover theyāre hunting the same man.
One shaky truce later, Soren has a new mentee in Tobias.
Soren finds Tobias and his dark impulses fascinating. Tobias finds Sorenās relaxed attitude infuriating. They have nothing in common except their ability to kill and chemistry neither can deny. But a kill list, a rage room, the Irish mob and the ghosts of their past all stand in the way of their happily ever after.
Head Games is a steamy, thrill ride of a romance with a HEA and no cliffhangers. It features an uptight, sweater-loving psychologist with a taste for blood and a soft spot for his murderous yorkie, the most zen contract killer to ever mosey the earth, plenty of dark humor, and true love. Because even bad dudes deserve their soulmates. This is book 3 in the Wages of Sin series. Each book follows a different couple.
Play Dirty, the second book in the Wages of Sin series by Onley James and Neve Wilder, is the story I thought I was going to get when I initially dived into this series about a group of contract killers.
In my first review I noted that two strong characters that stood out were Madigan and Sadie. Itās Madigan thatās featured here along with another assassin we previously met, the chemist Azrael, known as the angel of Death.
Unrepentant killers, each with a specialty that makes each a top assassin, Azrael and Mads start a bizarre race to see who can beat the other out of a commission. In the most erotic way.
Told from both manās perspective itās fascinating watching each killerās thoughts on the bizarrely entertaining murderous race their having, the toll itās beginning to have on themselves and their careers, and then the overall series arc that folds in.
These men are borderline psychopaths, but their past history suggests the potential for something deeper between them. Itās interesting, sexy, and funny. In a very dark manner.
And because itās got crimes and murders strewn all through the story, itās also highly suspenseful and full of action.
Thereās blood play kink, some cutting, and just wild sex. These are still your assassins working out their relationship issues their own way!
Terrific ending and itās leading up to the third book Head Case which features one of the main characters in their group and a new interesting character introduced here.
Canāt wait.
I throughly enjoyed Play Dirty. Itās dark contemporary romance with a murderous kink or two thrown in.
If this sounds like something youād enjoy, Iām highly recommending it.
āWhen you talk, chaos follows and I forget who I am.ā
Madigan has spent his life indulging in the worldās most hedonistic pursuits, his skills as a sharpshooting killer-for-hire paying his way.
Azrael, an assassin referred to as the angel of death, is a chemist and a loner, his poisons as lethal as they are undetectable.
A chance encounter leads to a passionate night and a heated rivalry that spans years, but after theyāre both offered a chance at big money by taking out elite targets on a mysterious hitlist, they find themselves once again in each other’s way. And then in each otherās arms.
Trust doesnāt come easily for either of them, but no matter how far they stray, fate always seems to pull them back together. In a profession where your partner is just as likely to kill you as kiss you, maybe trust is as close to love as they get?
Play Dirty is a steamy, action-packed thrill ride of a romance with a HEA and no cliffhangers. It features two stubborn rival assassins who canāt seem to stop tempting each other, a bit of knife play, a Die Hard-style Christmas, plenty of dark humor, and true love. Because even assassins deserve their soulmates. This is book 2 in the Wages of Sin series. Each book will follow a new couple.
āShe couldnāt see the bigger picture. She looked at the twins and saw a problem. Thomas saw an opportunity. A divine creation. He was raising a legion of psychopaths.ā
ā Mad Man (Necessary Evils Book 5) by Onley James
Mad Man (Necessary Evil #5) by Onley James is Avi Mulvaneyās story, the other half of the mirror twins referenced above.
And every issue I had with Asaās (the other twinās book) is resolved here, the reasons for thatās storyās lack weirdly reflected in Aviās nature and the fact heās literally whatās missing from Asa. Asa has those qualities Avi will never have. Only together are they one person.
The prologue is the second half ( naturally) of how they were found and adopted. It adds those last minutiae to them as children.
Asa is the total aggressor, absolute control, all mind, and yes, cruelty. Loves to inflict pain. The perfect sadist. Thatās his half. Avi is emotion. He enjoys being hurt. Heās the masochist to Asaās sadist. Heās dependent on their twin connection. While Asaās mean in his remarks, Aviās kind, if thatās possible for a psychopath. Heās impulsive.
That Avi is āfeeling ā the loss in their separation more deeply or able to express his spiraling makes sense given which half he is. It also makes him more relatable as heās definitely more likable, even though heās still very much a killer.
Jamesā mirror twins comes with built in narrative issues demonstrated by their stories. Asaās such a undeniably alpha personality, a sadist whoās only weakness is his brother who carries those other character traits for him. Asa huntās everything, including the man heās obsessive over. Heās even able to shut out or down temporarily his link with his brother when Avi questions his decision.
Thatās unthinkable to Avi. A loss of link? Never. So while that stays true to Asa , by losing Avi, that story loses the reader to an extent.
Now in Avi , weāre back and we get another fabulous character as well. One weāve been previously introduced to. Felix Navarro. Baby brother to Jericho, now husband to Atticus.
Felix is delicate,,gender bending, highly talented fashion designer , and extremely lethal in his own right.
Heās also forceful, possessive, and supremely intelligent. In a way perfect for the man heās been crushing on. Avi Mulvaney, fashion designer and head of his own clothing empire company.
Felix is a complicated personality, with a family history of loss (Jerichoās story), his outlook and passion mask a fear of being left and insecurities over his background. Indeed, heās strong and commanding but soft and in need of a family dynamics where heās able to feel completely safe.
The two stories, Aviās and Asaās, actually fit together like the twins do, giving us a full portrait of the amazingly synergy that comes into existence between Avi&Felix&Asa&Zane. Itās not 2 + 2 but actually a whole of four. Thatās the completed āoneā at the end.
Avi woos Felix, and Felix (already a member of the Mulvaney family by way of Jericho) really learns who Avi is and understands his needs, with and away from Asa. Itās such a wild well written story.
We also get to know Felix intimately as well. His rages to his fears. His passions and aggressive side. Heās perfect. For Avi.
The mystery starts off in a startlingly different manner, with a nice twists. Thereās several cases here that the family is involved in.
Plus the ongoing Aiden/Thomas drama.
I loved this book, and it reminded me that Asaās was really a lead-in to this which, like the Prologue, completed the story for both men.
Except for the complications of length, it should have been one novel.
Together, itās outstanding the more you think about all the elements, and aspects of each mirror twin and the men theyāve chosen, who are in fact, mirrors themselves.
Stunning.
Thereās also the tiny fact thatās whispering along each story that all these characters and acts have been directed by the man who gathered them together as one large experiment.
Surely something has to come of that?
At any rate, Iām highly recommending this book and series. Heed the trigger warnings about violence. This is dark fiction and romance. The men are psychopaths.
Avi Mulvaney is many things. Son. Twin. Owner of the fashion label, Gemini. Murderous psychopath. Together, he and his brother, Asa, make one brutally efficient monster, ridding the world of predators who victimize the innocent. History proves Avi and Asa donāt do well apart, but their father has decided to test that theory.
Felix Navarro knows exactly who he is. Baby brother. Fashionista. Vigilante. While heās not happy that his big brother married a Mulvaney, the union has its perks. Like a paid internship with Gemini. But all good things come with a cost and, for Felix, thatās enduring Avi Mulvaney each day, which inevitably leads to thinking about him every night.
Felix doesnāt like Avi. Heās cocky, condescending, overbearing, and inappropriate. Heās also sexy, brilliant, and twice as lethal as Felix. Still, Felix loathes him. Even if he keeps letting him kiss him. And touch him. Even if he slipped just once. It was still hate sex, and it would never happen again. Ever.
Except, Aviās being sent to help take down a dangerous crime ring and heās ordered Felix to come along. Felix has vowed to stay strong. To remember he hates Avi. But theyāre trapped together and thereās only one bed, and itās so hard to hate Avi in the dark when heās whispering how Felix belongs to him. Felix belongs to no man, but Avi is determined. He has one week to prove to Felix that heās the exception to his rule. After all, who says no to a Mulvaney?
Mad Man is a scorchingly hot, intense, enemies to lovers, psychopath romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features a dirty talking, brutally vicious killer and a sharp tongued murderous fashionista who are both too stubborn for their own good. As always, thereās gratuitous violence, very dark humor, enough blood to film the final scene in the movie Carrie, and enough heat to melt your panties. This is book five in the Necessary Evils series. Each book follows a different couple.
āāMirror twins,ā Dr. Rice corrected. āEach one the perfect mirror image of the other, right down to their birthmarks.ā The two werenāt speaking out loud, but they would smile and laugh in tandem, as if one had told the other a joke. Even though they didnāt look at each other,ā
Ah, the Twins! Asa and Avi. I knew theyād present trouble. If for no other reason then the author has created a history and background for them thatās so intriguing and compelling. Mirror twins able to communicate telepathically, that go feral when separated. Twins so much a part of each other that they often talk as one, even though as adults they have careers (one a designer, the other a architect), they are never far apart.
So to deviate from the overall combined character portrait James must weaken those very elements that pulls us to them, and makes us want to know why, whatās it like to be a half of such a unique dynamic.
Plus thereās that other defining factor. They love pain. As children they enjoyed hurting each other. So as killers, itās sheer bliss.
But this is a series about brothers and relationships. So a decision had to be made. Sacrifice the unique combined character portrait of Asa&Avi for separation and books for Asa and Avi.
I honestly think a argument could be made for two books with each brother helping the other to find or hunt down their obsession. Given that the brothers are apex predators, that would have made more sense then the plot here.
Trial separation even they didnāt believe. Behaviors that didnāt follow the pattern.
Asa is a sadist. Remember his love of pain? Ada loves to live with the power to inflict it. So his obsession will be with someone whoās will be the masochistic opposite to his sadistic nature. Thatās will be a reporter with rock bottom self image issues, and a family absolutely determined to insure he knows he never mattered.
Zane Scott, small time crime blogger whoās determined to follow his instincts that say somethingās not right with the wealthy Mulvaney family. Thatās an investigation bound to go lethally wrong.
Unless the reporter turns out to be not only delicious prey, but one who needs big time help.
Thereās a great mystery , a lot of sadomasochistic sex, which concurrently helps to develop the relationship between Asa and Zane from one of being chained to a radiator to one being handcuffed to a bed. Thereās rough borderline non – con sex, fistingā¦you name it.
Perfectly in line with Asa, and in turn, Zane.
Whatās always missing? Although heās constantly mentioned? Avi. Thereās a few texts. Some ā thoughtsā. But far too few for the scary Mirror Twins weāve come to know and anticipate. Itās as though we get Asa light.
Iām not sure what the alternative would have been, frankly, but , as the pain loving gorgeous Mirror Twins , they stood apart , even in a galaxy of star psychopaths. Separate? Merely one of a striking family of killers
Maybe Aviās book can shed some light on why the separation dulled their uniqueness so.
Asa and Zane had a great and horrific mystery to unravel. Plus the historic manner in which they dispatched the final villain was educational and satisfying. Thatās was a win!
Their S/m dynamic made perfect sense, given their personalities. You decide how comfortable you are with that sexual relationship. Definitely not a sweet romance in the framework you would think of one.
Iām recommending this as it adds to the overall series arc, family picture, and I found it entertaining and thoughtful.
Asa Mulvaney is half of a psychopathic whole. He and his twin brother live together, party togetherā¦kill together. In the Mulvaney family, murder is the family business and business is good. So, when an experiment separates Asa and his brother, Asa is forced to navigate the world on his own for the first time in his life.
Zane Scott is a small-time crime blogger, but he dreams of a byline in a major paper and his suspicions surrounding Thomas Mulvaney are about to make that dream a reality. When an invitation to a boring fundraiser lands him not beside Thomas, as he had hoped, but Asa Mulvaney, they share an intensely passionate encounter that leaves Zane trapped in a cage of his own making.
At a nearby college, a cluster of suicides isnāt what it seems. When Asaās father asks him to look into it, he sees the perfect opportunity to exploit his little crime reporter and make him fall in line. And Asa needs him to fall in line. Zane is suspicious of Asaās motives and half-convinced heās dead either way, but he wonāt say no to a chance to peek behind the Mulvaney family curtains.
As the two unravel a sinister plot, Asaās obsession with Zane grows and Zane finds being Asaās sole focus outweighs almost anything, maybe even his careerāwhich is good for Asa because loving a Mulvaney is a full-time job. Can he convince Zane that heās worth navigating a family of psychopaths and tolerating an almost too close for comfort twin? Or will Zane learn the hard way that the Mulvaney boys always get what they want? Always.
Headcase is a high heat, intense, lovers-to-frenemies, psychopath romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features an obsessive, calculating psychopath and a wannabe reporter who will stop at nothing to earn himself a major byline. As always, thereās gratuitous violence, very dark humor, enough killers to fill an auditorium, and enough heat to melt your kindle. This is book four in the Necessary Evils series. Each book follows a different couple.
Moonstruck, the third in Olney Jamesā extraordinary series about a family of adopted psychopathic children turned into retributive killers under the guidance of the man who raised them, albeit as a loving research project.
āā¦that psychopaths werenāt a plague on society but a gift, an evolutionary tool that could be harnessed to cull the monsters of their society, heād change the world.ā
ā Moonstruck (Necessary Evils Book 3) by Onley James
Thatās their father, billionaire Dr. Thomas Mulvaney talking about his theory and reasoning behind his adoption of the 7 special children now his sons.
Atticus Mulvaney was the first to be adopted. Each boyās history as Thomas Mulvaney finds them is the prologue to their novel. Heās a mimic and a void. Mirroring the behavior of others in front of him flawlessly, only to subside into almost an emotionless state when no one is around. Heās tasked with helping those children that come after him, a tough job when that task is misinterpreted and the children are small psychopaths, each coming from situations even adults arenāt equipped to deal with.
A serious small child, heās become a serious, over achieving adult. A world renown Dr (medical and researcher) , heās happiest in his lab, conducting his tests and writing grants, not as a participant in the familyās other most important hidden business. That of killing societyās worst predators.
We slowly get a real understanding that Atticus truly isnāt like all the others. We have had small snippets of him in the other stories but now heās beginning to come alive and the picture is startling.
It helps that itās another person that will start to shake up everyoneās perception of Atticus, including his own.
Thatās Jericho Navarro, mechanic, guardian of his neighborhood, and vigilante whoās been protecting the endangered youth by offering them sanctuary and then training. As killers themselves to protect themselves and those around them.
Their meetup is so memorable! Both hilarious, awful, sexy, and funny again. And it starts us and Atticus off on a journey of self discovery, acceptance, and romance. Yes, Atticus is very different. He needs to be taken care of and has just found the perfect person .
Moonstruck is again totally different as Atticus is so unlike his brothers whoās storylines preceded his. The villain and plot also is complicated enough to keep us involved, outside of this highly complex relationship and evolving dynamics Atticus and Jericho have going.
I can see these two are going to be a favorite couple along side August and Lucas.
Moonstruck (Necessary Evil #3) by Onley James is another favorite! Highly recommended!
Necessary Evils series:
š¹Unhinged #1
š¹Psycho #2
š¹Moonstruck #3
š¹Headcase #4
š¹Mad Man #5
š¹Lunatic #6
Note: Again, this is all dark fiction, along with humor and sexy scenes so very hot! Thereās gore, murders, gritty investigations, and , some aspects that , depending on each novel, will have the potential to act as a trigger. Mentions of child abuse, rape, suicide ideation, and non con sexual kink. So each book has its own warning. If any of these are subjects you would be uncomfortable with, pls take note.
Atticus Mulvaney is the eldest son of eccentric billionaire, Thomas Mulvaneyāa role he takes very seriously. Atticus takes everything seriously. Like his brothers, Atticus is a psychopath, raised to right the wrongs of a broken justice system. Unlike his brothers, heās not very good at it.
Jericho Navarro is no psychopath, but he is a vicious killer. Like Atticus, he also has a secret life. To most, heās just a mechanic. But to a ragtag group of social misfits, heās Peter Pan, teaching them to eliminate those who prey on the weak with extreme prejudice.
When Atticus and Jericho come face to face over a shared enemy, their accidental meeting ends in an explosively hot hookup neither can forget. But they have nothing in common. Atticus is a buttoned-up closeted scientist and Jericho is a man on a mission, determined to find and punish those responsible for the death of his sister. Still, Jericho canāt stay away. And, truthfully, Atticus doesnāt want him to.
As Jerichoās mission begins to bleed into Atticusās life, two separate but equally brutal families will need to learn how to fight together to take out a common enemy. But no amount of brute force can show Jericho how to scale the walls of a psychopathās heart. Can Jericho convince Atticus that, sometimes, the couple who kills together stays together?
Moonstruck is a high heat, intense psychopath romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features a fumbling, sexually confused maniac and the dominating, unapologetic gang leader who canāt stop tormenting him. As always, thereās gratuitous violence, very dark humor, more killers than you can count, and enough explosive chemistry to level a city block. This is book three in the Necessary Evils series. Each book follows a different couple.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 