Review: The Mobster’s Mate by Kiki Clark

Rating: 4.25🌈

The Mobster’s Mate by Kiki Clark is a terrific paranormal romance. I enjoyed it immensely. Anyone who’s a fan of shifters/mate romances will enjoy the story but there’s a slight caveat.

This book takes place within Clark’s Kincaid Pack universe. It’s helpful to have an understanding of the events and characters from that series as it impacts heavily upon the storyline and couple here. Important Kincaid Pack members are also a part of this story, although Clark does a good job of explaining who they are and how they figure into the plot.

Getting all that out of the way, this book is launched is a great way. With a dramatic scenario and introduction to all the major characters.

Mob boss Quinten Amato is having to adapt to the new world order since the Kincaid Pack took down the corrupt paranormal government that kept things orderly and predictable. A structure that suited him and all his businesses just fine.

Clark gives us a ruthless man at the top, in an uncertain world where he’s got to negotiate a new path without any loss of prestige or credibility. Then a dramatic scenario opens up, where we meet Caden, a deeply damaged shifter, one guaranteed to make an impact on Quinten’s future.

Caden is such a vulnerable, wounded character. It’s impossible not to connect with him, either for the reader or for Quinten’s employees who surround him. Clark’s supporting cast is as intriguing and layered in their personalities as the main couple. They grab our interest too with their interactions with Caden and Quinton, making us want to know more about each of them.

The plot lines equally interesting, up to the great characters. If it’s all over a bit too quickly, then head over to the other series to read more about this universe and the events mentioned here.

Hopefully, this couple will pop up again in another book and series. The characters have a way of doing that.

This is a wonderful read and it’s got my recommendation.

Related Series

✓ Kincaid Pack (6 books)

✓ The Mobster’s Mate – single story

✓ Silver Oak Pack-2 books so far (also within the same universe)

Buy Link:

AMAZON

Blurb:

A human mob boss and an injured jaguar shifter brought together by a cruel enemy… and fate.

Caden hasn’t believed in fated mates since he was a cub. He figures it’s more of a fairytale that shifter parents tell their kids than the reality of what passes for mates in some of the packs he’s seen.

But then he comes face-to-face with a human man who smells like orange blossoms and radiates authority and safety.

And Caden… Well, he hasn’t felt safe in a long time.

While the rest of the world fears and reviles Quinten Amato and the things he does under the guise of his business, Caden is drawn to him like a cub to an alpha. He doesn’t care what anyone says or what Quinten does, he and his jaguar know the kind of man he is.

The kind who saved his life.

The kind who comforts him when he wakes up terrified.

The kind whose calm commands set his blood on fire.

Convincing his bossy human they’re meant to be together isn’t going to be easy. Especially not when Quinten’s certain Caden needs things he can’t get from him—and that being a part of Quinten’s life in the shadows is too dangerous.

And he might be right.

The Mobster’s Mate is a full-length novel featuring a human with questionable morals and a jaguar shifter who only sees the best in him. You’ll find an age gap, found family vibes, fated mates, and gobs of possessiveness.

This title is a standalone novel set within the Kincaid Pack universe. It can be read and enjoyed on its own. However, if you’d like to understand the nuances of the world, then start your journey with The Alpha and His King (Kincaid Pack Book 1).

• Publisher: Rainbow Publishing LLC (February 1, 2024)

• Publication date: February 1, 2024

• Print length: 219 pages

Review: The Mobster’s Mate by Kiki Clark

Rating: 4.25🌈

The Mobster’s Mate by Kiki Clark is a terrific paranormal romance. I enjoyed it immensely. Anyone who’s a fan of shifters/mate romances will enjoy the story but there’s a slight caveat.

Getting all that out of the way, this book is launched is a great way. With a dramatic scenario and introduction to all the major characters.

Hopefully, this couple will pop up again in another book and series. The characters have a way of doing that.

This is a wonderful read and it’s got my recommendation.

Related Series

✓ Kincaid Pack (6 books)

✓ The Mobster’s Mate – single story

✓ Silver Oak Pack-2 books so far (also within the same universe)

Buy Link:

AMAZON

Blurb:

A human mob boss and an injured jaguar shifter brought together by a cruel enemy… and fate.

But then he comes face-to-face with a human man who smells like orange blossoms and radiates authority and safety.

And Caden… Well, he hasn’t felt safe in a long time.

The kind who saved his life.

The kind who comforts him when he wakes up terrified.

The kind whose calm commands set his blood on fire.

And he might be right.

• Publisher: Rainbow Publishing LLC (February 1, 2024)

• Publication date: February 1, 2024

• Print length: 219 pages

Review: The Necromancer’s Prisoner (Hearts of Allaria Book 1) by Elric Shaw

Rating: 4🌈

Elric Shaw is a new author for me and I found Shaw’s new fantasy novel a wonderful story and enjoyable start to a new series.

Several elements drew me immediately to this story. A misunderstood necromancer, a Paladin with a mission, and a magical mystery. Yes, please.

It’s actually more complicated than that, the two men, Alistair, Knight of the Church, and Ignatius, necromancer, both has painful, emotionally traumatic wounds from their respective childhoods. Each tragic event that ended up causing the deaths of the other’s parents, while the men not being actually responsible, the Church and magic was.

Shaws made Alistair and Iggie so relatable with their own doubts about the lives they are living, building such depths into their characters. For Alistair, it’s living the life his father and the Church wanted for him without any real introspection. Until the mission, Iggie, and a snowstorm intervened.

The same for Necromancer Iggie, alone, almost starving in his temporary home with his animated skeletons as companions, hating the Church, its Knights for his tragic past and what they represent. Until Alistair charges into his life bringing light and a huge change.

There’s a mystery that needs investigating. A village known for its magical crystals at its heart and a relationship between two men that’s uncertain to resolve until the end.

Just a couple of elements I wish were fully explored. The magic itself here. I loved the crystal elements, and there’s one amazing scene where Iggie sings to a dull solitary crystal bringing it to unbelievable splendor. There was poignancy and wonder. Why? What happened? I wanted more of that.

Alistair was someone whose actions as an indoctrinated Knight of the Church made sense but also frustrating from a narrative standpoint. Poor Iggie.

Shaw just pulls it all together in a smashing (literally) battle and has a satisfying ending, with a touch of the sadness. As it should.

I’m looking forward to the next book and more from this author. It’s a definite recommendation.

Hearts of Allaria:

◦ The Immortal Covenant #0.5

✓ The Necromancer’s Prisoner #1

◦ The Prince’s Curse #2 – May 2024

Buy Link:

The Necromancer’s Prisoner (Hearts of Allaria Book 1)

Blurb:

Sometimes the real villain isn’t who it seems…

Alistair’s first solo mission as a paladin sounded simple enough: purge the undead terrorizing a remote mountain village and bring the wicked necromancer controlling them to justice. But when he’s captured, he begins to suspect that the village faces a far greater threat than a few skeletons…and that his strange captor might need protecting just as badly.

Paladins have hunted Ignatius his entire life. His crime—daring to be born with the wrong kind of magic. The mountains seemed like the perfect place to seek refuge for the winter…until an obnoxiously handsome paladin arrives on his doorstep. Ignatius expects to loathe Alistair like the rest of his arrogant kin; however, when a harsh winter storm forces them together, he finds himself opening up to the paladin in ways he’d never dreamed possible.

Alistair and Ignatius both have every reason not to trust the other. Yet, as mysterious magic threatens to eradicate the nearby village, they have little choice except to combine forces if they hope to survive.

Can a paladin and a necromancer set aside their differences for the greater good…or will the rift between them prove impossible to ever bridge?

A slow burn, fade-to-black M/M fantasy romance featuring forced proximity, hurt/comfort, enemies-to-lovers, and a hard-won HEA. Every book in Hearts of Allaria is standalone and can be read in any order. Perfect for fans of K. D. Edwards, Tavia Lark, and Ben Alderson.

• Publication date: November 27, 2023

• Print length: 309 pages

Review: A Heart To Revitalize Me: The Magic Accounts 4.5 (The Magi Accounts Companion Stories) by Michele Notaro

Rating: 4.75🌈

A Heart To Revitalize Me is the penultimate book in Michele Notaro’s fantastic dark fantasy series, The Magi Accounts. In between the main novels, Notaro has been writing companion stories, narrative side journeys through different characters lives or scenarios from the series . Each companion piece has been so distinct. One looks back on previous happenings, but seen from another important character’s perspective, giving the reader insights into those horrifying moments from his POV. Others take ongoing events of the current timeline and revolve around developing certain characters relationships further.

That happens here in A Heart To Revitalize Me, where mage Logan and tiger shifter, Haiden, finally get their story and the romance the readers have been waiting for.

In this dark, torturous dystopian world that Notaro has been creating, not even a long awaited journey to first love is going to happen without the harsh realities of that world crashing into the sweetness and light of love discovered.

And that’s both the horror and the beauty of this series (and story). The author has crafted characters we have grown to love, watched them develop and change, moving through the trauma and grief of their lives as they age and became family, some bonded mates.

Logan and Haiden have been two of the younger members of the Ono-Nai tribe, each has been through unbelievably torturous, traumatic and tragic experiences. Especially Logan, as a compound-raised mage.

Notaro frames out their path to a new romantic relationship , giving it all the gestures and scenes that make it utterly sweet, realistically halting and funny, perfect for their age and yet taking into account, their horrifying backgrounds.

However, we can never forget that there’s something larger looming ahead. All around the , Ono-Nai tribe home, and everywhere in the country, the violence against non-humans is escalating. New attacks from the Rift are rising as well. Everyone is under siege, from humans and aliens alike.

Horrors lie just outside the gate or even doorway.

A Heart To Revitalize Me: The Magic Accounts 4.5 (The Magi Accounts Companion Stories) by Michele Notaro reminds the reader that there is darkness next to the light. For every high, there is a deep lower point awaiting. This is a roller coaster of emotions and a great read.

But the hints the author has left behind are very clear that perhaps the darkest elements are yet to come in the finale.

See you all there.

All the stories, see the lists below, are highly recommended. But they must be read in the order they were written.

The Magi Accounts:

✓ The Scars That Bind Us #1

✓ The Shackles That Hold Us #2

✓ A Purpose That Restores Us #3

✓ A Ruse To Unchain Us #4

◦ Only Unity Will Spare Us #5 – Series Finale on Sept. 20, 2024

The Magi Accounts Companion stories:

✓ Our Hearts That Tie Us: The Magi Accounts Prequel

✓ A Kiss To Revive Me: The Magi Accounts 1.5

✓ A Date to Impress Him: The Magi Accounts 2.5

✓ A Holiday to Sustain Us: A Magi Accounts Holiday

✓ An Embrace To Hearten Me: The Magi Accounts 3.5

✓ A Heart To Revitalize Me: The Magi Accounts 4.5

Buy Link:

A Heart To Revitalize Me: The Magic Accounts 4.5 (The Magi Accounts Companion Stories)

Blurb:

Lately my straight best friend has been very… handsy, which is killing me because I’ve been in love with the idiot for years.

I love my best friend, I always have, but I never wanted him to realize just how much. He’s never seemed to notice before, but since he broke up with his girlfriend, he’s been really clingy. Like way more than I’ve ever seen.

I love it. And it’s killing me.

What I really want is all those cuddles and sweet touches to mean more than they do. I have to keep reminding my heart that everything Haiden is doing is platonic, even if it feels like it isn’t. Unfortunately for me, my stupid heart doesn’t stop hoping for more.

A Heart To Revitalize Me is a MM urban fantasy romance companion novel meant to be read AFTER A Ruse To Unchain Us (The Magi Accounts 4). This is Logan and Haiden’s story and takes place between books 4 and 5 of the main series. It’s the last Magi Accounts Companion Stories novel and is meant to be read as part of the series, not by itself, although the love story is resolved in this book.

The Magi Accounts Companion stories:

✓ Our Hearts That Tie Us: The Magi Accounts Prequel

✓ A Kiss To Revive Me: The Magi Accounts 1.5

✓ A Date to Impress Him: The Magi Accounts 2.5

✓ A Holiday to Sustain Us: A Magi Accounts Holiday

✓ An Embrace To Hearten Me: The Magi Accounts 3.5

✓ A Heart To Revitalize Me: The Magi Accounts 4.5

The Magi Accounts:

✓ The Scars That Bind Us #1

✓ The Shackles That Hold Us #2

✓ A Purpose That Restores Us #3

✓ A Ruse To Unchain Us #4

◦ Only Unity Will Spare Us #5 – Series Finale on Sept. 20, 2024

• Publisher: (December 27, 2023)

• Publication date: December 27, 2023

• Print length: 308 pages

Trigger Warning:

Violence, gore, mentions of past abuse, mentions of past sexual assault (nothing on-page).

— A Heart To Revitalize Me: The Magi Accounts 4.5 (The Magi Accounts Companion Stories) by Michele Notaro

Review: Find Me Worthy (Safe Harbor #3) by Annabeth Albert

Rating: 3.75🌈

So close. Find Me Worthy was so close to being an absolutely 5-Star story when the author , imo, sabotaged it by adding on an epilogue that negatively changed my view about the book , it felt so unnecessary.

But first let’s look at what Albert does remarkably well, and that’s everything that goes on beforehand.

Safe Harbor has dealt with a central question of a dead file mystery case was solved when it turned out that the local popular mother of the community who went missing years ago had been murdered by a serial killer. Her body was discovered in the nearby body of water by former police officer, brought up by a recovery diver, and the crime along with the discovery was part of an investigation led by a popular crime podcast.

All that information is part of the series themes and an integral part of the men involved in the investigation and as victims of the original crime itself. Some were once close friends and now others have become, through the investigation, partners of these men who live in Safe Harbor.

The reader , through the descriptions and memories of the men, become part of their journey to resolve the mystery and work through their own issues as well. It’s been a moving, and sometimes tearful journey. Albert has done a spectacular job with the town, the professions of each person, in some cases their disabilities, and the traits that make each man a unique individual.

Now we get to the finale. There’s the two strong main characters. Sam Bookman, owner of Blessed Bean coffee shop, son of a pastor and a hearing impaired mother, a social worker who’s the heart of Safe Harbor.

Sam has always had a huge crush on older Worth Stapleton, whose mother was murdered by a serial killer and in whose family house Sam bought and now lives.

Worth always thought his father was guilty of his mother’s death and told him so before he died. He’s been absent from Safe Harbor for decades, until a business scandal cost him everything and his mother’s death was resolved. The Worth we meet is ill, highly depressed, with nothing but an incredibly expensive car to his name and an unexpected desire to return home.

Which he does. But that home is now owned by Sam, and that’s where the story begins. Where a man who’s lost everything ends back at his beginnings only to find that that house is now the beginnings of someone who has always been there for him.

It’s a haunting, emotional, fabulous moment. And , importantly, it includes a young sheltie who’s been abandoned and will become central to Worth’s recovery and journey into a new life. That’s Buttercup. Make note of this dog and his huge role as a support animal and loved companion.

As the men try to find a way to make this tenuous relationship they’ve begun work, sharing their past life experiences and new present struggles, we learn that depression has always been a part of Worth’s life but that he’s never really gotten the treatment and therapy that would have helped him cope with the trauma and stress that his life has offered up.

The raw pain, the guilt and trauma that he’s felt and carried is powerfully portrayed by Albert’s skillful handling of this man’s emotional issues. And having and transferring some of those feelings of being left behind by his family over into the abandonment of a dog by its owners is a realistic element, making Buttercup’s presence even more impactful.

Sam’s personality is no slouch against such a great character. He’s got so many qualities and outstanding personal traits here. Plus he’s got a fabulous Siamese cat to balance Buttercup. He’s got Blessed Bean with all its diversity in its workers, and its issues. The house and its renovations along with its memories. And the community which is constantly circling around him.

So I did have a few questions about things within the main storyline, things that I’m still thinking about:

Spoiler Alert 🚨:

1. When things were going financially wrong at the Bean (even with that expensive coffee machine) and the men were together, why was it never ever brought up for Worth to offer to sell his 6-figure “Ive made it” high priced car to help with the expenses? Nope, that millionaire buggy isn’t mentioned except that they ride in it a couple of times later on.

2. What happens to the severe coffee competition? A big brand buys next door to try and squeeze the local coffee shop out. Stuff ensues. But logically?? What happens? We don’t know. The author doesn’t tell us, and from the drama that’s written, it’s not enough to make any difference.

3. What’s Worth doing? Running the shop ? Financial advisor? What?

I have to admit it’s great seeing Holden and Cal, and Monroe and Knox. Their roles here are perfect and made me want to read their stories all over again.

The way Find Me Worthy ended, with that wedding. It was perfect , and most importantly, that emotional support dog, Buttercup, being a part of the celebration and ceremony? Made it everything I wanted to read .

So why am I so unhappy?

Because the author doesn’t stop there. She should have. But then we get an epilogue. With a different voice, a foster kid. Which, ok, but now issues. Because guess who’s been wiped completely away? No dog or cat. We have two young adults, and it’s two years later. But Albert has totally changed or forgotten that all important Buttercup or cat. Which would have been great in this scenario when all the people were gathering on this occasion. Kids and pets! But nope.

We don’t need animals if we got the kids? Or is this just another example of the missing animal character that the author drops without explanation? Because that’s a number one problem that has always bugged me so completely in a book. Make an animal an important factor in a character’s journey and personal growth, and then without a word, it disappears from the narrative.

Like Buttercup does here. So weird change of POV, missing important elements, and ,imo, unnecessary epilogue.

Either way, a complete fail.

Because now that’s all I’m thinking about. What happened to Buttercup. Not about the story or anything else. That missing dog.

It’s enough for me to want to kick this even further down another notch.

Most people will love this. Others? Skip the epilogue so you don’t fall down this narrative rabbit hole I have.

Just say no.

Safe Harbor:

✓ Bring Me Home #1

✓ Make Me Stay #2

✓ Find Me Worthy #3

Buy Link:

Find Me Worthy (Safe Harbor Book 3)

Blurb.

I thought I’d lost myself…

Until Sam found me. I’m back in Safe Harbor, where I haven’t belonged in over twenty years. I’m unsure how I ended up here, yet I’m certain Sam is the key to finally healing.

But it’s complicated.

Sam’s had a crush on me since we were younger. To me, however, he was always the annoying kid tagging along. Now he’s all grown-up and delightfully bossy—and sexy—as he encourages me to reclaim my health.

I enjoy pushing Sam’s buttons, but one button too many leads to a scorching kiss. Soon, we’re using Sam’s cushy bed for way more than sleeping. But I can’t imagine staying in Safe Harbor forever, and no way is Sam leaving.

Sam’s given me a place to stay, a job at his nonprofit coffee shop, and a sense of purpose when I had none. But can I give him my heart? And more importantly, can I overcome my past to make Safe Harbor my future?

FIND ME WORTHY is a hurt/comfort childhood crush-to-lovers MM romance. This unexpected roommate arrangement stars two mature heroes with a minor age gap, mental health representation, and plenty of first times and sexy discoveries for everyone. Deep feels, dual point-of-view, and big fluffy HEA guaranteed.

FIND ME WORTHY is book three and the thrilling conclusion to the Safe Harbor series from acclaimed author Annabeth Albert. This small historic Oregon town has a tight friend group, memorable secondary characters, quirky businesses, and long-held secrets. Each book stands alone with a fresh couple, but the background mystery of the town’s secrets ties the series together, making reading in order more fun!

Check out the latest Carnival of Mysteries novel, You Can Do Magic by R. L. Merrill (tour and excerpt)

R.L. Merrill has a new MM rock ‘n roll fantasy/paranormal romance (bi, gay) out in the Carnival of Mysteries shared universe: You Can Do Magic. This is also book three in Merrill’s Summer of Hush series. And there’s a giveaway.

From the author of Foreword Indies Finalist Summer of Hush and BookLife Prize Quarterfinalist Brains and Brawn comes a new installment in the series, a contemporary gay romance with a side of time travel and magic.

Musical prodigy Kallos Alexandrou has played his calliope for countless visitors at Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, but his one-year residency has come to an end. Scars from a terrible tragedy in his past are the only explanation he has for his loss of speech and memory, but it’s time to move on, so when a music festival sets up next to the carnival, Mr. Ame sends him off with identification, a bottomless billfold, and a set of new clothes. Outside the carnival’s perimeter, Kal finds himself in an unfamiliar world surrounded by strange instruments and vibrant people like nothing he’s ever seen.

Ryan Wells is the troubled and celebrated lead singer of the metal band Backdrop Silhouette. He’s brought more than his share of baggage on the last cross-country Warped Tour, including harsh restrictions placed on him by his parole officer and the band’s label, but it’s the treatment from his bandmates that have him feeling unsettled. After a tough morning, he spots a strange young man playing carnival music on a keyboard backstage, and the sound takes him back to a particularly vulnerable time in his youth. Intrigued, Ryan asks the young man’s name, but he flees only to appear later as a replacement stagehand for the tour.

An invitation from the band Hush to ride on their bus gives Ryan and Kal a welcome distraction. They find the camaraderie and support they’ve both been craving…as well as a little magic and a fresh new romance. But the music business makes personal relationships difficult to maintain, and when the tour ends, Ryan and Kal will have to make a choice: move forward together on an uncertain path, or let fear keep them from trusting that sometimes you really can have everything you desire.

You Can Do Magic is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains a Depression-era calliaphone, a Ouija board with a purpose, and tour bus hijinks that will warm your heart and make you gigglesnort. Reading Summer of Hush and Brains and Brawn before this book will give you the full Warped Tour experience, but You Can Do Magic can be read as a standalone as well as the other books in the shared universe. Recommended 18+.

Warnings: Mention of prior sexual abuse, off-page, no descriptions

About the Series

Welcome, everyone, to the Carnival of Mysteries! In this shared element multiverse, we invite you to partake of an array of stories by an eclectic group of authors. You’ll find action, intrigue, mystery, danger, sweetness, and sorrow, but, above all, true love! So grab your ticket, indulge in some treats, experience a few thrills, maybe have your fortune read… there is something for everyone at the Carnival!

Get It On Amazon

Giveaway

R.L. is giving away a $30 Spotify gift card with this tour:

a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47298/?

Excerpt

Chapter One
Kal

A new day breaks
Under the blue skies above
A new crowd waits
All they need is a little shove
The Carnival is here
With mysteries galore
To satisfy your cravings
To leave you wanting more
We’re here today, gone the next,
Taking along our magic and song.
Come inside, take a peek
Surprises like these won’t wait long
Here we have the fantastical calliope,
come dance with our talented Kal
His music will delight and seduce you
With the power of the siren’s call
So step right up, and don’t be shy
For his time is coming to a close
Come shimmy and shake with this talented guy
And celebrate the last of his shows…

I’d memorized the ringmaster’s introduction, though it was more sensational than I deserved. And last night’s version had a new ending, one I’d been expecting, but hearing it brought a sliver of anxiety to my bones.

The instrument I played was actually a calliaphone—a more efficient and portable version of the forced-air organ—and I’d built it myself, that much I knew. It was my voice. It spoke all I knew to say, my own words lacking. I possessed the ability to speak, but I’d mostly forgotten how, therefore I preferred to let my music speak for me. I played for the crowds. I smiled for them, but I was transparent to the onlooker.

One year had passed in this way, one year of my life, and I had nothing of my own. No friends to help, no family to love, and no safe place to lay my head away from the carnival. What would I do, where would I go, and would someone see me for me?

The boss, Mr. Ame, told me soon it would be time to move on to the next phase. I’d no clue what that meant other than I would no longer travel with the carnival. There was nothing to pack, nothing to carry, only the clothes—and the scars—I wore on my body. I would miss my calliaphone and the crowds, but I knew it was time. My stay had been healing, educational. My time taught me plenty. The carnival would go on without me and my music, on to the next place to entertain…and seduce the locals. They’d fall under the spell of my fellow travelers. Some might even be chosen to come along.

I remembered little from my time before I, too, had joined the carnival. Humiliation and regret reverberated within the structures of my cells, but I didn’t recall more than that, much less the reason for the debt that forced me into servitude. The boss took me away from the darkness, and promised to set me free one day. But what was free, what would it mean, who would I be? A musician, a man, alone? I’d forgotten my past. I’d learned all I could in this place. Would I survive what lay ahead?

I took my questions to the man in charge, the one they call Errante Ame, and he confirmed that my time with the carnival was at an end.

“My dear, Kallos,” the boss said to me. “The world has done you wrong, not the other way around. You have been a part of something important here, and we shall never forget the joy your music has brought to our clan and our guests. But now it is time for you to move on, as all in the crew must do.

It is your choice where you’ll go once you leave the perimeter, what you will do with the time you have left.

“You have been invisible to our guests for so long, adored for your playing, of course, but who you are remains unseen, unspoken. A blank canvas, a puzzle. Only you can solve the riddle of your life. The time is near when you will set out on your greatest adventure, the journey to find your purpose. Being reborn can be frightening. You will have questions, but the answers you seek can be found within yourself. All you must do is follow your instincts, and your heart’s desire. Do what you feel is right and true. Be good to yourself and your fellow creatures, and walk the path of least harm.

“When the next sun rises, you will step outside the bounds of the carnival. You will have all that you need to begin anew. By the following sunrise, our carnival will have moved on. A traveling music festival will share these grounds with us tomorrow. Perhaps you can start there.”

I knew down deep in my bones that he was correct, that something momentous was about to occur.

Author Bio

Whether she’s writing swoon-worthy contemporary romance featuring quirky, queer, and relatable characters or diving deep into the supernatural to give readers a shiver, R.L. Merrill loves creating compelling stories that will stay with readers long after closing the book. Ro writes inclusive romance for the Happily Ever After collective, contributes paranormal hilarity to Robyn Peterman’s Magic and Mayhem Universe, and pens horror-inspired tales and music reviews for HorrorAddicts.net. A mom, wife, daughter, and former educator, you can find her rocking out in her Bronco with Great Dane pup Velma, being terrorized by feline twins Dracula and Frankenstein, or headbanging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area! Stay Tuned for more…

Author Website: https://www.rlmerrillauthor.com

Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/rochellerlmerrill/

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/rlmerrillauthor

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rlmerrillauthor

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9828914.R_L_Merrill

Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/r-l-merrill/

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/R.L.-Merrill/author/B00PI6Q1LI

Review: Assassin by Accident (Carnival of Mysteries) by E.J. Russell

Rating: 4.75🌈

“Welcome, Traveler! Join us for a series of M/ M fantasies by a talented group of both new and established authors. Whether you enjoy mystery, action, danger, or just sweet romance, there is something for everyone at the Carnival of Mysteries!”

Assassin by Accident is E.J. Russell’s offering to the Carnival of Mysteries series and it’s just a marvelous heartwarming fantasy read. Russell has combined her Mythmatched universe with the themes of the Carnival of Mysteries, giving each its due and letting the reader feel they’ve been immersed in a balanced narrative.

Welsh water horse Nevan Quirke’s young sister has been kidnapped by a nasty earth mage for nefarious purposes. And in order to get her back, Nevan made a hasty bargain to do whatever the mage wants, once. Unfortunately, he didn’t read the small print.

I love this story so much. It has so much depth and heart to it. There’s Nevan, a being who feels unloved by all, a true monster, except by his adopted sister. He’s raised her and kept her safe and loved until she wished to visit the Outside World, and everything went wrong.

And when under the horrible geas of the earth mage to accomplish a terrible task , it’s goes wrongly right in the best of ways. In this story, a case of mistaken identity and the introduction of a truly beloved character. Seb Ardelean, a nanny who’s mistaken for an assassin is a marvelous character. Seb’s one of Russell’s grand creations , a character who can marshal a horde of mischievous children with grubby hands to dealing with villains bent on destroying innocents. And do it with a sense of humor, compassion, and resolve that’s sexy and admirable. Yes, totally adore Seb.

There’s magical shenanigans, familiar faces, among them favorites Jordan and Doop the Hellhound, a race to find the sister, two beings facing danger and falling in love while coming to terms with past issues and traumas. It’s so lovely and heartwarming. I dove in and didn’t surface until I’d finished the book.

I like the different ways Russell plays with mythology and the types of beings found within the various cultures, here it’s the Welsh ceffyl dŵr. The central theme is well used, but unfortunately that means clowns. *Shudders*

Assassin by Accident (Carnival of Mysteries) by E.J. Russell is a favorite in this multi-author series. One I’m definitely recommending. And if you haven’t already found this author’s MythMatched series that’s an element here, look those up as well for some great reads.

Carnival of Mysteries series:

✓ Crow’s Fate by Kim Fielding

✓ Step Right Up by L.A. Witt

✓ Magic Burning by Kaje Harper

✓ Night-blooming Hearts by Megan Derr

✓ Go For The Company by Ander C. Lark

✓ Roustabout by Morgan Brice

✓ Assassin by Accident by E.J. Russell

◦ Dryad on Fire by Nicole Dennis – Sept 13

◦ The Extraordinary Locket of Elijah Gray by Kayleigh Sky – Sept 6

◦ Smoke and Mirrors by Elizabeth Silver – September 20

◦ You Can Do Magic by R.L. Merrill – September 27

◦ Sting in the Tail by TA Moore – October 4

◦ Gods and Monsters by Rachel Langella – October 25

Buy Link:

Part of: Carnival of Mysteries (13 books)

Blurb:

If a megalomaniacal earth mage kidnaps your little sister, do you:

A) Kill him

B) Kill him

C) Kill him

D) Magically indenture yourself to him to ensure her safe return

Welsh water horse Nevan Quirke would have happily opted for A, B, or C, but had no idea where his sister was hidden—so, option D it is. He’s not a fool, though. He made sure to limit his obligation to a single task.

Unfortunately, he neglected to nail down a few tiny details before the geas brand was seared into his skin, and now:

A) He can’t shift

B) He can’t swim

C) He can’t drink

D) If he fails, he’ll be bound to the mage for eternity

Oh, and that task? Assist in an assassination.

If only he weren’t so thirsty.

And if only his partner for the heinous job weren’t the most appealing man Nevan has seen in his entire two-thousand-year life.

Assassin by Accident takes place in E.J. Russell’s Mythmatched universe and is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book features grumpy/sunshiny, hurt/comfort, mistaken identity, opposites attract, unexpected derring-do, and of course an HEA—no matter how little the men in question think they deserve it.

Review: Bad Boys (Hot Off The Ice Book 7) by A. E. Wasp

Rating: 4🌈

I’ve enjoyed A. E. Wasp’s hockey romance series, Hot Off The Ice, since the first book debuted back on June 29, 2017. That was the lovely City Boy, about farmer Dakota and closeted NHL player Bryce Lowery.

Now at book 7, with 2 more novels planned, the series continues with the Seattle Thunder going strong and a new troubled arrival from Las Vegas coming for a second and perhaps only last chance to make it in the NHL.

Bad Boys is a hurt/comfort, age gap redemption love story. And when it works great when it stays on the main couple’s relationship, and Noah’s journey to a more well adjusted, healthy adult who can then carry that new understanding over into his career. Those things make Bad Boys a terrific read.

There’s many aspects to Bad Boys that A.E. Wasp does so well narratively speaking. Her characters are so well done, layered with their own unique personalities and combined with elements that speak to their passions and strengths. If they’re hockey players, we see the difference in physicality between them and other people. We get great team dynamics and a depth of understanding about the game. For characteristics, if they’re cooks, business peoples or whatever, Wasp has given each the right amount of detail that they can standout and still be able to be believable and alive. This will add to the richness of the story and hurt it when certain people drop out of sight.

The relationship between Adam and Noah is engaging and wonderful to be a part of. It’s funny, serious, sexy , and real. While there is an age gap, it’s not mentioned or discussed much here, in the relationship or elsewhere. I only found that odd when it was brought up that Adam had played with Noah’s father, however, no mention of either man’s age at the time (Adam or Noah’s dad), although it was said Noah was very young at the time.

Wasp brings therapy into the storyline as a means to get healthy and understand what is driving certain aspects of a person’s behaviors. And how to counteract these behaviors through therapy. It’s a great tool for both men and the league. It was wonderful seeing it here.

Team dynamics, Noah’s redemption within the team and himself is real and fully worth the book. You can see him struggling with his toxic relationship with his father, it’s ramifications, and his mental awareness that allows him to move forward. All amazing elements here.

Same goes for Adam’s grief over his failed marriage and hidden secrets about his dead husband. That actually needed more page time for Adam to finish that chapter of his life. But the author is speeding towards the finish line.

Which brings me to what is still bothering me about this story.

Usually it’s a case of the disappearing animal character that has me so irritated. But here it’s a father, island, and a married couple. Read on but there’s spoilers ahead.

Elements that weren’t allowed to come to fruition or were dropped completely. ⛔️ Spoiler Alert ⛔️

1. Noah Braterman’s toxic father and his relationship with him. The last mention of this man was that the coach was fielding his insistent nasty phone calls, informing Noah the man was coming across as unhinged. Not a single word or sentence afterwards was given over to this man or large section of Noah’s redemptive storyline where he dealing with the toxicity of an adolescence and adulthood under this man. It’s an emotional matter not dealt with, and I can’t understand that. It’s not logical not to include at least some semblance of closure.

2. Then in a connected storyline thread, there’s the unexpected, startling way that the island and mansion were made to disappear from Adam’s life. Towards the end, Dev , the BIL, arranges for a Japanese firm to buy both the island and mansion. Deal done, and a major narrative element is dealt with and vanishes. Just a few sentences and buhbye. Goodbye to all the important scenes, places, whales, the boat, everything. Which brings us to big number 3.

3. Guess who else disappeared with the mansion and island not to be mentioned again. The all important, ever heartwarming fabulous strong women characters who live on the island too. The ones who have been Adam’s support system for years and who the readers get to know and love almost as completely as everyone else in this book. That’s Annie or Ms Potts and her ceramic artist wife, Tracy. They live on the caretaker’s cottage on the island and are a big part of not only Adam’s life, past and present, but become part of Noah’s as well. After parting with Adam in an emotional scene to tell him to, basically, go get his man, they disappear. Not a word about these important people is written again in this book. No goodbye’s, nothing. Not even a vague statement of missing them.

“You’re moving off the island?” Paul asked.

“Yep. It’s sold. House and island together.””

— Bad Boys (Hot Off the Ice Book 7) by A. E. Wasp

A.E. Wasp writes in her author’s notes that it took her years to finish this book. If that’s the case, then I would have expected that the issues that popped up and have stayed with me to the detriment of the overall polished product and satisfaction I derived from Bad Boys to have been resolved.

I wonder about these issues. In the epilogue, the happy couple talk about inviting people over to their new place. Guess who’s not included in that list? Yup, the women who held Adam together.

If I was Wasp’s editor, that would have been on my list for things easily inserted that would have been expected and made readers happy.

So it turned out that Bad Boys is a good book but not a great one. I’m interested in seeing what the next two books will be about. And if some of the things that are a bit flawed here can get corrected in books to come.

I’m recommending this as a good hockey romance, part of a terrific series, and one that fans of this author won’t want to miss.

Off The Ice Series:

✓ City Boy #1

✓ Country Boy #2

✓ Skater Boy #3

✓ Boy Toys #4

✓ Boy Next Door #5

✓ Boys of Summer #6

✓ Bad Boys #7

Buy link:

Bad Boys (Hot Off the Ice Book 7)

Blurb:

Behave or be benched.

Noah Braterman’s hotheaded attitude may cost him his NHL career before it truly begins. After alienating his current teammates, coaches, fans, and the press, Noah gets a second chance to prove his worth when he’s traded to the Seattle Thunder with one ultimatum—lose the attitude or lose his spot on the team.

Enter Adam Labatt, former NHL player, and Noah’s last, best Vegas fling.

After his own rocky past in the show, Adam turned himself around and is now being asked by his old mentor to help Noah learn to play well with others. Living in isolation on his private island and still guilt-ridden over the way his marriage ended, how can Adam possibly mentor anyone? But the man he shared an unexpectedly intimate passionate night with is worth fighting for, even if he has to fight Noah himself.

Forced into close quarters, the walls they’ve erected to protect themselves crumble as they share their hopes, dreams, and fears.

Fate brought them together. Now it’s up to them to find the courage to face the world unafraid. If they do, they just might create a future better than they could have imagined that night in Vegas under the desert stars.

Review: Deep Impact (Wrecked: Guardians, #4) by Kelly Fox

Rating: 4.5🌈

Deep Impact is the finale story to Fox’s Wrecked:Guardians series and the author sees her characters off in their new roles and pathways in a totally satisfying manner. This comes complete with a great epilogue that lets us see our couples happily together in the future.

It makes sense to save the head of the agency, DeShaun Blaylock , of the legal firm Blaylock Security and Investigations, as the last person to concentrate on for a story.

Well , DB as he’s known,boss of Wrecked:Guardians, and the man who’s loved him for years not so secretly.

That’s Odd Bash. Twin brother to Anders Bash. Where Anders is the medical doctor, Odd is the technical genius. Both men working for Wrecked as well as the Guardians.

Throughout the series there’s been a serious underlying romantic connection between DB and Odd that’s never been acted on or acknowledged. Just sexual tension everywhere that is the talk of the team.

Why DB doesn’t engage with Odd has been a question.

Fox wraps her story around that answer here, one that rests in DB’s current disabilities and mental state.

The author does offer a trigger warning about the subject matter involved here with DeShaun. It goes back to a military mission that goes horribly wrong. A bomb explodes, a team is destroyed and DeShaun will survive having to go through multiple surgeries, savage wounds, burns , and ongoing medical issues that are believably described and discussed.

This is the author’s note:

“DeShaun (DB) has serious physical issues, as noted in earlier books. In this book we find out the full extent of his injuries, and in describing them I endeavored to use frank, accepting, often wry language. While I specifically avoided being overly graphic, the depictions may still be disturbing to some readers.”

FYI. DB also has PTSD and reoccurring nightmares about the mission. This element includes Jake , a character that DB blames himself for the failure of that man’s mission as well. It’s a package of guilt, nightmares, old history, and inability to heal.

This makes for compelling reading and gives us real insight into DB’s actions all this time.

Odd, whose personality is the opposite of his brother, has been giving DeShaun the space he’s indicated he wanted. Have to admit, I adore Odd, the quiet man to Anders wild one. But Fox’s interaction between the brothers here is wonderful, playing up their love for each other, their friendship and support. It also showcases Anders in a better light than Anders own book did. Great to see Anders and Omar again.

Every aspect of this team was spot on. Seeing the couples, getting DeShaun and Odd together, the missions to save the children being trafficked, it’s all here.

If the one thing, the “bad guy” felt a tad weak, well , I think he was just a little bit of a narrative ploy more than an actual good villain.

But everything else was so solid. The action, the ending, the epilogue. Absolutely satisfying. And there’s a new series getting ready to start where we’ll see these characters again.

I felt Deep Impact (Wrecked: Guardians, #4) by Kelly Fox might be the strongest story of the series and the great way to finish. I’m absolutely loving it and recommend it.

Read the series in the order that they were written.

Wrecked: Guardians

✓ Hard Target #1

✓ Full Contact #2

✓ Most Wanted #3

✓ Deep Impact #4 – series finale

Linked series: Wrecked

Buy Link:

Deep Impact: An M/M Hurt Comfort Romance (Wrecked: Guardians Book 4)

Blurb:

DeShaun and I have been locked in a mutual imaginary affair since the day we met.

So many close calls, drunken flirtations, exchanged glances…and then his unfailing sense of duty would kick in. He has always outranked me and was never going to cross that line.

Even though we’re no longer in the service, he insists he’s not good enough for me. And sure, he’s still the boss…of our highly illegal mercenary organization. But that’s not the only thing holding him back. He’s scarred and in pain and believes his physical limitations should deter me.

What he doesn’t seem to get is that I would sacrifice a limb for him. Major organs. My entire heart.

If he thinks he can push me away for good, he doesn’t know Odd Bash.

Odd, the quiet man with the strange name, believes he can love me as I am. I will never let him do that to himself.

The bad guys never take a break, and every time he’s in danger I lose another night of sleep. Fall apart a little more.

Physically, let’s just say my knee isn’t the only problem. There’s an experimental surgery, but…I’m not going through that again.

In a perfect world, no one would ever know the extent of my injuries or the toll it has taken on my mind. Odd insists he loves me without reservation, but he doesn’t understand the reality of my life.

And I love him way too much to ever put him through that.

Deep Impactis a mercenary MM romance set in Austin, Texas. It features a nineties sing-along, an interfering sociopath, a surprise marriage, and a machine perfectly engineered for the bedroom.

This is the fourth and final book in the Wrecked: Guardians series. Several characters from my series about a gym for combat vets, Wrecked, crossover in this series. While you don’t need to read the Wrecked books to enjoy the slightly more nefarious Guardians, most folks end up wanting the juicy backstories.

Review: A Wedding in A Week by Con Riley

Rating: 4.5🌈

A Wedding in A Week by Con Riley is expanded from the author’s short story, Keeping Him in Cornwall, that appeared last year in the charity anthology, Heart2Heart #6. It’s also part of Riley’s Cornwall universe, which connects it to one of my favorite books of this author’s, Charles, a fact I didn’t discover until I read a note at the end.

All that aside, A Wedding in A Week is such a lovely romantic story. We get to wallow in all that beautiful Cornish countryside, steeped in the traditions of the family and villages, with that sparkling dark sea beyond the cliffs. Overlay that with a complicated fabric of two men’s common history, pained backgrounds of losses and heavy burdens, and hidden love so Riley’s story is full of remarkable layers.

It starts with Stef recuperating from a potentially devastating accident as well as still in mourning over the loss of his father three years earlier, and the heaviest of knowledges, that of his younger brother’s inherited the then heart condition that killed the father. That brother, Lukas, sends back Mark, a man who stayed with the family while growing up, to help during recovery.

That reunion between Mark and Stef is one of quiet emotional homecoming’s. I loved the many elements Riley used to bring the men romantically back together after a hurtful split. The loving memories of them with Lukas, Mark’s best friend. The pasties moment that included his mother in his kitchen. And always there’s the inspirational landscape of Kara-Tir , the farm that’s the heart of Stef, his family and this book.

So many little details, so many lovely moments that all combine into a beautiful contemporary romance.

I’m absolutely recommending A Wedding in A Week by Con Riley and if you haven’t already read them, now’s the time to dive into the others in this universe!

Cornwall universe:

Learning to Love :

✓ Charles ❤️

◦ Sol

◦ Luke

◦ Austin

◦ Heppel Ever After

Cornish Shared World Standalones

✓ Finding Mr. Fabulous

✓ A Wedding in a Week

Christmas Collection

◦ His Last Christmas in London

◦ We Only Kiss at Christmas

Buy Link:

Amazon

Description:

A second chance with his brother’s best friend also comes with a deadline.

Three years after inheriting his family farm, an accident forces Stefan Luxton to rethink his future. Turning his farm into a five-star wedding venue is one goal. Another is to reconnect with Marc, who Stefan loved but let slip away to the city.

Now Marc’s back, trying for a job that might keep him in Cornwall long term, and Stefan’s determined to help him. There’s just one problem — he only has seven days to do it.

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