Tag: LGBTGIA paranormal romance

Review: Two Thousand Dreams (Kings of Chaos Book 1) by Jocelynn Drake

Rating: 4.75🌈

Two Thousand Dreams Is the first in Jocelynn Drake’s new Kings of Chaos series. This is the third connected series with overlapping characters within the same universe.

The main character, Moon Mullins, is a blood witch, a rarity among all witches. Moon is a member of a small all male coven that consists of two earth witches and a necromancer. Readers following the author met this coven in the series, Princes of Mayhem, which focuses on the powerful necromancer’s adventures in love and the group’s support. They are best friends after all.

Now it’s Moon’s turn and, much like the other series, a major crossover event is coming. Once every 100 years, a portal opens up between the Fae realm and the earthly kingdom, and the Fae come through. The consequences of Coming Day are never good, especially for earth witches.

But it’s the new characters Drake is introducing that’s going to bring the biggest impact on the universe in expanding it beyond its current form.

It’s a clan of two thousand year old Chinese vampires who’ve come from their native homeland on a rescue mission. Both their backstory and current lives are threaded through with loss and grief. It’s a fantastic new element and I can’t wait for more of their stories to come forward.

The first book combines Moon with the frustrated, tense Chen, whose character is searching wildly for answers in an unfamiliar setting. Moon and Chen are a great example of chemistry in an opposites attract trope. The way in which Moon maneuvers himself through the inner circle of the clan, assessing the situation, and his new emotions about Chen just kept this reader connected at all times.

Also that, as we stayed focused on the core group of Moon and Chen and the clan, all the other important characters, like Moon’s best friends/coven weren’t forgotten. Instead, they were brought into the narrative as needed as well as in dramatic moments that highlighted their role in Moon’s life.

If I had a small quibble, it would have been that Drake allow more of Moon’s extraordinary powers as a blood witch to be evident throughout the story as opposed to sacrificing them to Chen’s role.

The end of the story is as dramatic and heartbreaking as any one could imagine. And it sets up the next book perfectly. No cliffhanger. Just the frustration of having to wait until next March for the release date.

Until then, I’m highly recommending Two Thousand Dreams (Kings of Chaos Book 1) by Jocelynn Drake. It’s a fast paced, incredibly detailed, fabulous read.

And if you’re not familiar with the other series, I’ve listed them for you below. Check them out!

Buy Link:

Two Thousand Dreams (Kings of Chaos Book 1)

Kings of Chaos:

✓ Two Thousand Dreams #1

◦ Two Thousand Tears #2 – March 22,2024

Blurb:

The Blood Witch Has Changed Everything.

Chen traveled to the US with his clan, hoping to rescue his kidnapped brother from the fae.

They just need a witch to find the exact location of where the door between the human world and the fae world will open.

The one thing Moon can’t do.

Chen grabbed the wrong type of witch.

That’s not stopping Moon from clinging to Chen as he guides them through a new territory, introducing them to the witches, shifters, and vampires who can help them.

The longer Moon remains at Chen’s side, the more he hopes the witch might consider staying with him always.

Except that the king of the fae might have other deadly plans for Chen.

Two Thousand Dreams is the first novel in the Kings of Chaos series, which is a spin-off from the Lords of Discord series. This book contains one very grumpy vampire falling in love with a very perky blood witch, shifters, overprotective witches, other non-human surprises, snark, angst, found family, brotherly bickering, magic, chaos, vampire cuddles, and an endless love that grows stronger with each kiss.

—————

The Kings of Chaos is a spin-off series from the Lords of Discord and Princes of Mayhem series. Binge both series and get your fill of vampires, witches, and the adorable men they love!

Lords of Discord:

Claiming Marcus

Saving Rafe

Waking Bel

Embracing Winter

Healing Aiden

Visiting the Variks: A Short Story Collection

Princes of Mayhem

How the Necromancer in the Gold Vest Ruined Saved My Life :

Disaster #1: Fun with Family

Disaster #2: Pet Problems

Disaster #3: Date Night

Disaster #4: Who Woke the Dead?”

The Kings of Chaos:

Two Thousand Dreams #1

Two Thousand Tears #2

— Two Thousand Dreams (Kings of Chaos Book 1) by Jocelynn Drake

Review: Ghostly Target (Ghostly Book 5) by E M Laya

Rating: 4🌈

The Ghostly series continues with Ghostly Target, a book about a killer targeting police officers. This plot switches the focus from the normal plots where the bodies have been found to the detective team of Angus and Franks, and a suspenseful investigation.

One officer down, that’s the first body but the killer is shooting at officers, randomly it seems picking targets. So immediately Laya has a strong narrative full of fear, anger, and frustration from all the characters involved. This is not just Angus and Franks, the officers fearing for their own lives but dealing with the death of one of their own, but Lance, and the co workers, and all the ghosts who make up their found families .

It is also the ghost of the first officer who was shot, and dealing with the aftermath of his death. This element is always such a great aspect of this series and is a strong one here. The author is very good as portraying a person’s confusion and frustration at being dead and denied access to the life and people they love.

All the ghosts are so memorable and their roles in the investigation and events just make them more interesting.

Lance and Angus’s relationship is gotten more committed, obviously as they are talking about moving forward with one house. But so much of the story, naturally, has to be about this killer and their investigation, that I felt their relationship development was lost.

I need more of Frank actually. Frank’s a fascinating character and deserving of his new life, maybe a dog or something. His personality is crying out for another storyline.

There’s no indication if there’s to be a new book or if the author considers this a finale. It doesn’t read like one to me.

I enjoy the series and this new novel. Wonderful investigative plot and use of the ghosts!

Ghostly series:

✓ Ghostly Awakening #1

✓ Ghostly Findings #2

✓ Ghostly Envy #3

✓ Ghostly Claus #4

✓ Ghostly Target #5

Buy Link:

Ghostly Target

Blurb:

When someone starts killing police officers in the city, Detective Angus Young prioritizes finding out who’s attacking those he works with. He’s determined to take down the killer before any more officers are targeted.

Having the skill to speak to the ghosts of the dead is usually helpful to a medical examiner, but not when the ghosts can’t identify who killed them. Keeping Angus safe is Lance’s first priority as he does everything he can to try and help fit the clues together and bring peace to those who have died.

Working together, Angus and Lance put everything else on hold as they follow the leads to find a cop killer. With the help of friends both living and dead, the puzzle slowly starts to fit together, but once they have all the pieces, can they find the killer before another officer is shot?

Review: Exiled Heir (Empty Throne Trilogy Book 1) by Kai Butler

Rating: 4.75🌈

After finishing the absolutely stunning San Amara Investigations series by Butler, I was almost hesitant to start with this because that other series set the bar so high in every aspect. There’s other factors too. San Amaro, a complex, almost labyrinthine tapestry of fantasy storytelling ended up involving ten books total, including prequels and a few adjacent/side stories. That depth of storytelling in terms of themes explored, and overall development (characters, plots, elements) that the larger story narrative gives an author versus a three book trilogy can’t be overlooked.

So while I was excited to read Exiled Heir, I was apprehensive about approaching a narrative that wasn’t going to have the time and length for the exploration and expansion I was used to from a Butler experience.

This is a first person perspective, told from the POV of werewolf Miles Castillo, who is a great emotional pathway into the deadly situation the story opens up with . Miles is a believable, damaged character who becomes even stronger as the story develops.

I’m a definite fan of a two person pov because having both characters thoughts on the events that occur and foundation of the narrative often supplies the reader with a greater sense of the world building of the story/series. But this format is certainly a familiar one to readers of Butler’s novels.

It a dire situation for Miles that opens up the story. The reader only gets a partial picture and explanation for Miles situation, how he arrived in such a state. It’s instant high drama, magical suspense, other main character introduced , and the game is on!

In a way , the reader, along with Miles, is being given the Cliff Notes version of why he is wanted, what’s happening, by Cade Bartlett, the

mage prince. The fuller details slowly emerge as they tentatively set parameters within the contract , and the strained dynamics when they enter the Bartlett Estate.

Cade is a lot to unpack. He’s a morass of emotions and magic. A tattooed mage swamped by feelings of survivor guilt, PTSD, grief, fear, trauma, anger, and dealing with a host of damaging family issues, it would have been interesting to have heard his voice but it’s also intriguing to compile a portrait of this mage from Miles’ observations alone.

I’m a bit fuzzy on the world building here, especially the mage/werewolves dynamics. That’s probably intentional. There’s an “old school “ version that’s been outlawed and a new shiny one that’s got some flaws. The entire werewolf community/werewolf aspect of this story feels like a driving force of the narrative. It’s where many of the most powerful and the mysterious plot twists emerge from.

There’s quite a lot of characters to explore as shifting pack and family loyalties set off the swiftly changing dramatic events of this novel. I love how Butler keeps the suspense high and the emotional tension between the all the characters stretched tight because of the many different storylines, hidden and known.

The mysteries continue to change in complexity , evolving with the narrative and relationships, for good and bad.

I throughly entertained and absolutely invested in these characters and this world they are fighting for. I only wish I didn’t have to wait as long for the next book to be released.

I’m highly recommending Exiled Heir (Empty Throne Trilogy Book 1) by Kai Butler . It’s going to be a fabulous trilogy as this is an amazing read. It’s up to you whether you want to read it now or wait and binge all three together. They are listed below with release dates.

The Empty Throne Trilogy:

✓ Exiled Heir #1

◦ Contested Crown #2 – Feb 26,2024

◦ Ascendant King #3 – June 17,2024

Buy Link:

Exiled Heir (The Empty Throne Trilogy)

Blurb:

Without him, I’m a dead man, but if he knew who I was, he would kill me himself.

Miles Castillo has spent his entire life running from the crime his parents committed. He’s an alpha without a pack, and a son whose very name is poisoned. When two werewolf hunters catch him, he has to choose between a man who wants his head mounted on a wall and Cade Bartlett, the mage prince who doesn’t realize who Miles is.

The icy prince has a job for Miles, one that will keep Miles’s head on his shoulders: become Prince Cade’s consort and find out who is trying to kill him.

As Miles delves deeper into Cade’s court, he begins seeing the truth beneath Cade’s chilly exterior. The more the prince trusts him, the closer he gets to seeing under Miles’s mask as well.

What will happen when Cade realizes the secret Miles holds puts both of their lives at risk?

• Publisher: (October 23, 2023)

• Publication date: October 23, 2023

• Print length: 473 pages

Review: Fated Mates and Where to Find Them (Fated Mates #2) by A J Sherwood

Rating: 3.75🌈

Fated Mates and Where to Find Them is sort of odd to begin with in that it’s book two of Sherwood’s Fated Mates series but book one hasn’t been released yet. And we get the couple from that first book in this novel in an interesting manner but what it does is highlight how much of the series world building is actually missing.

I did enjoy Fated Mates and Where to Find Them. I liked the couple, several of the secondary characters, and how fast paced the plot was. This story just flew by.

But it wasn’t supported by a strong foundation. I didn’t get anything as to the world structure. Vampire ruling class system? Human secondary status? Blood slaves? Where’d that come from? I’d have wanted more an idea of an overall portrait of the world in terms of paranormal development. I even knew who the villain was and what the dramatic event would be. How it would play out, no. But the general idea? Yes.

So really a just a tighter overall plan. Maybe that’s coming in the next book, which is book one. Normally it’s where we get a series foundation. I’m looking forward to seeing what Sherwood has in store for the characters we’ve already seen and how the author is going to handle a world where we’ve already been a visitor to.

Live fated mates, and vampires and humans as couples, this is a series you should check out.

Fated Mates:

◦ Fated Mates and How to Woo Them #1 – Dec 8,2023

✓ Fated Mates and Where to Find Them #2

Buy Link:

Fated Mates and Where to Find Them

Blurb:

Zander is in an auction house for the sole purpose of getting someone to sign a contract. He doesn’t have any interest in owning a blood slave—until he lays eyes on Max. That, he must have.

Max is there for reasons of his own, mostly desperate reasons, and he’s braced himself for a year of hell. Which doesn’t seem to be forthcoming.

Someone needs to explain to this vampire that he’s supposed to use Max, not spoil him. Zander doesn’t seem to get it.

Tags:

Paranormal romance, blood slave contract thing, except Zander doesn’t actually know how to own someone, I’m pretty sure he’d break out into hives if he couldn’t spoil Max, Max has no idea what just hit him, he just knows he’s somehow the responsible one, it’s definitely not Zander, sexy times incoming!, Zander is a walking green flag, sass, so much sass incoming, light angst, mostly as an excuse for cuddles, stubborn to lovers, part time soulmates, full time problem, whole story is just mindless violence and fluff, the summary really doesn’t get across how much sex is in this but it’s also not wrong, cinnamon protection squad, assemble!

Review: Wolves Always Bite (Willow Lake Supernaturals Book 2) by Lori Ames

Rating: 4.5🌈

Lori Ames has a definite hit with her Willow Lake Supernaturals, a series that just got better with the release of the second novel, Wolves Always Bite.

Most of the winsome nature and endearing qualities of this story are embedded in the character of human Jeremy. BFF to fire mage Ash of Hellhounds Never Lie, Jeremy isn’t aware of the paranormal world or his bestie’s real identity. Instead, he’s a wannabe writer trying to finish his first M/M book, keep a job, and try not to feel like a failure. He’s adorable and the person who draws the reader immediately into the storyline and his perspective on the events as they happen.

Currently, he’s an assistant to a grumbling ill-tempered owner of an antiques/odds and ends shop that mostly sells at open markets. That new job is where we find him at the start of the book. An oblivious human surrounded by supernatural beings, including his shady goblin boss.

Jeremy’s Etch a Sketch sort of mind is a wonderful place to be. Curious, self deprecating, full of book plots he’s jotting notes for, every moment the reader spends with him just makes connect to him even more fully.

While Jeremy’s life is becoming more complicated, Ames introduces a new group of beings that includes the other main character. It’s a traveling supernatural police force that’s got a hot werewolf, Adrian, on the trail of lost artifacts.

This is why reading the books in a series in the order that they are written is so important. Because we know or have an inkling where these artifacts came from because of that introductory book that laid out the foundation for the series.

Now Ames starts her expansions of the series arc and mysteries as well as cast of characters. All roads continue to lead back into Willow Lake, that multi paranormal species town that oozes magical powers.

Jeremy is outright hilarious in his own introductory series of scenes with Adrian and his Supernatural Council law enforcement team of mixed beings that include a demon boss. Wannabe writer needs to know things if he’s going to write MM PNR romances !

Ames does a great job of weaving poignancy along with the humor into her narrative. So there’s Adrian’s traumatic family history to go along with the effervescent questioning and acceptance by Jeremy.

Wolves Always Bite has other wonderful elements. Fated mates, magical mysteries, high suspense, and a author who does a terrific job of continuing the overall arc themes and storytelling from one book to the next, weaving the plots together without necessarily lessening one for the other.

If there’s a quibble, it’s in the “bargain” aspect between Adrian and his boss, demon Gage. While there’s a built in consent clause to the contract, it’s not as valid I find when the person finds a mate. That means to some extent that the initial agreement or its parameters have been altered. At least to my mind.

That’s not addressed in the plot. Maybe it will in the future storylines as Jeremy and Adrian are fully mated with a new path ahead, but uncertain as to what that will be.

The mystery is still evolving, the new group of characters is a great addition, and Willow Lake is looking better than ever.

On to Oracles Always Win in the start of next year. Can’t wait. I’m highly recommending this book and series. It’s exciting, hilarious, and quirky. A definite winner.

Willow Lake Supernaturals:

✓ Hellhounds Never Lie #1

✓ Wolves Always Bite #2

◦ Oracles Always Win #3 – Feb 15,2024

Buy Link:

Wolves Always Bite (Willow Lake Supernaturals Book 2)

Blurb:

What’s a simple human to do when he discovers supernatural beings are real?

Ask a lot of questions, take a lot of notes, and try to seduce a werewolf, of course.

Jeremy has always wanted to befriend mythical creatures, play with forbidden magic, and meet his fated mate. Okay, okay. He knows the difference between fiction and real life; he is an author after all… Or he would be if he ever got to “The End” on one of his stories. So he realizes his desire to live inside a fantasy romance novel is a touch unrealistic, but where is the joy in living a life that is boring and predictable and overwhelmingly blah?

At least that’s what he thinks until a hot AF werewolf saves him from his freaky boss and turns his whole life upside down. And his boss? She isn’t the weird old lady he thought she was, but how could he have guessed she is a grumpy goblin with a reputation for selling black-market magical artifacts? Now Jeremy is determined to know everything about the supernatural world, and Adrian, his swoon-worthy werewolf hero, is willing to answer all his questions, even when they make the big guy blush.

But when his former goblin boss kidnaps his cat to convince Jeremy to return the items she thinks he stole, things get serious fast. Now in between plotting his next MM romance and seducing the beautiful werewolf (and not just for research purposes), he needs to stage a cat rescue. Life is definitely not boring now.

Tags: MM Paranormal Romance with Fated Mates! Jeremy has sooo many questions, Adrian tries to answer them even when they make him blush, no cats were hurt in the writing of this book, an obscene number of ‘80s music references, his best friend is a lying liar who lies, his book bag is his weapon of choice, don’t touch the demon’s dimples, supernaturals have magical everything, small towns aren’t so bad, especially when they are full of supes.

No arcs as I paid for my books.

Review: Forever Together (The Undead Detective Agency book 4) by Shelby Rhodes

Rating: 4.75🌈

Forever Together, the book in which Shelby Rhodes emotionally glitter bombs the readers with a roller coaster of a finale plot for vampire Octavius Evander and his now zombified hunny bunny love, Turney, and the rest of the Undead Detective Agency family.

I was wondering how Rhodes was going to pull all the wandering plot threads together and give this series and couple the finale they deserve. Especially after all they’ve been through to get to this point in their undead lives. Does it come together? Absolutely, in a well written and exciting manner!

It’s Halloween in the story (and date of release), so naturally Octavius has gone completely over-the-top batty in planning out his Halloween party for the house, his family and his love. It’s an extravaganza of glitter, exuberance and shocking horror. Not surprisingly, and to Octavius’ dismay, most of his crew isn’t happy about the results. That includes Turney.

Imagine a toddler on about a 18-wheeler’s worth of sugar high, and that’s a realistic description of Rhodes’ Octavius. It would be easy to get irritated by this character if not for his traumatic past history and death which is absolutely terrifying. That darkness and the psychopath who killed him has been a black thread throughout the narrative. That knowledge has balanced the childishness and chaos that Octavius sometimes brings to this storyline. It’s his way of dealing with that trauma and part of his life that’s never left him and what happened to parts of his family. And that aspect of his personality allows us a better understanding of him as a whole complex individual.

Turney, an excellent character, is still reeling from all the changes he’s undergone as well as the guilt he feels about surviving when others have been lost. The trauma of his death, being brought back to life by Scarlett, adjusting to his new status, it’s so much emotionally and physically for Turney at the moment. And Octavius isn’t aware of his issues.

I think if I do have any quibbles about this, it’s Octavius’ lack of awareness about Turney’ feelings. Whether it’s to his new status as a zombie or that he really dislikes being scared by the tricks laid out by his vampire partner, it takes someone else to make Octavius look at what he’s doing or not noticing about Turney. That wasn’t a satisfying aspect of this relationship for me. It’s their own type of relationship that’s unchanged since the beginning but certain events here have highlighted that more.

The side relationships for Scarlett, Henry, and the others are just as important and well done. Especially Scarlett who’s been through so much and who’s independence means more to her than anything.

Honestly, Rhodes has written more than one heartbreaking scenes here, amidst some fast paced action packed sequences. With glitter!

Gots to have glitter.

Did I wish the villain , Dayan, had gotten an even better or say worse send off? Perhaps. Honestly, he was so awful Rhodes could have dedicated a page to his death scene to make it really gory.

But dead he is, happy we are.

And per Rhodes, there will be more stories for the side characters and Agency as well to come. Be still my heart.

So Forever Together (The Undead Detective Agency book 4) by Shelby Rhodes gives us a great finale and launching point for more stories to come. I’m extremely satisfied and looking forward for more mysteries and murderous glittering mayhem.

Not familiar with this series and characters? Start at the beginning and read all the way through for the complete journey of Octavius and Turney. It’s one wild and wonderful adventure.

The Undead Detective Agency:

✓ Get It Together #1

✓ Keep It Together #2

✓ In Death Together #3

✓ Forever Together #4 – finale

More stories to come in other related series!

Buy Link:

Forever Together (The Undead Detective Agency Book 4)

Blurb:

Octavius Evander here. I suppose you have come to see how it all ends. Well, ‘ends’, as in, we’ve reached the end of this part of my story. It wouldn’t be proper of me to move on until we finish it all off, right?

As this is the last book in this series, I feel it is my duty, to end things with a bang! A glittery bang. By bang, I mean, a giant, super cool, Halloween party. And what a party it was… Costumes, decorations, family, frenemies, scares, Turney screaming and clinging on to me—fun times! Not so fun was the interruption to said party. It really was unfair to me. I was on vacation from real murder and mayhem—case related mayhem only—yet somehow, someone had the audacity to be murdered. Inconsiderate people all around!

But you didn’t all come here just for the Halloween party. I know that. There is a certain someone you are waiting to hear about, I’m sure. A certain horrible, maggot of a person. Well…you won’t be disappointed. That issue will be solved, once and for all. The question you may be asking yourselves now is, how will it be solved? All I’m willing to say is, it happened in an unusual and extremely unprepared way. While, you shouldn’t worry too much, as my story, my precious Turney’s story, has a happy ending…it may be good to keep in mind that happiness sometimes shines brightest right after despair.

CONTENT WARNING: This is an M/M paranormal romance book. There will be blood, violence, gore, mention of SA (no on-page details), and death. Please do not read if you find any of the previous situations triggering.

Review: A Beginner’s Guide to Revenge, Chaos, and Other Absurd Escapades (Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures Book 3) by Shannon Mae

Rating: 4.5🌈

This is probably my favorite of Shannon Mae’s Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures series. A Beginner’s Guide to Revenge, Chaos, and Other Absurd Escapades picks up after the traumatic events that almost destroyed soulmates demon Az and nephelilim Gabe.

Now older brother Michael is dealing with the emotional fallout from his part in those events. And the author ‘s ability to make the reader feel Michael’s turmoil and anguish is a turning point for this character and hook for the story.

Michael beforehand wasn’t a particularly likable person. But we didn’t know him. Now, through some quiet, poignant scenes , we not only understand what’s been the motivations driving his entire life, but the price this life has cost him in terms of emotional isolation and separation from everyone around him. He’s so lonely. And he’s only now realizing how he got here.

Immediately Mae pulls the reader into sorrowful plight that’s Michael’s story and invests us with the touching journey ahead. That it involves a merrymaking chaos revenge demon, Ari, a paranormal force we met before, makes it fantastically delightful.

Michael and Ari are the quintessential opposites couple that we absolutely adore. Chaos on one side, order on the other. One musses up the need for total control , one helps bring a bit of manageability to utter pandemonium. And we get to be a part of the journey.

It’s a process that happens to also involve a mystery as their relationship develops. It’s a terrific element because it allows Michael to reconnect with his family and become the best person he was meant to be. Along with Ari at his side as his soulmate.

I was just thinking about how much I was connected to these characters, their relationship, and those around them. Mae has done a fantastic job in expanding her universe and overall theme while keeping the reader focused on the particular narrative at hand.

Plus there’s still so many great characters that need their own romantic stories told. Two more are definitely in the works, one coming out in December.

Shannon Mae is an author to put on your list if you’re a fan of paranormal fiction and romantic adventures. Make sure to include this series on the TBR list ! I’m definitely recommending it. Read them in the order that they are written.

Cute covers!

Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures:

✓ A Beginner’s Guide to Death, Demons, and Other Afterlife Disasters #1

✓ A Beginner’s Guide to Mistakenly Summoned Demons and Other Misadventures #2

✓ A Beginner’s Guide to Revenge, Chaos, and Other Absurd Escapades

◦ A Beginner’s Guide to the Care and Feeding of Demons: A Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures Novella – Dec 18, 2023

Buy Link

A Beginner’s Guide to Revenge, Chaos, and Other Absurd Escapades (Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures Book 3)

Blurb:

Arioch:
Arioch loves his job; creating chaos and encouraging revenge is fun, and if he pranks a few demons, angels, and humans along the way, all the better. When an archangel shows up with a message from god, Arioch knows he ought to take it seriously, but what’s the fun in that? Michael, the human he’s supposed to help, takes everything seriously enough for both of them, and Arioch is determined to teach the guy how to have a little fun with life. If he starts to fall for the human along the way, well, another human-demon pairing can only cause more chaos, which is definitely Ari’s specialty. Now he just has to convince Michael that although the two of them are polar opposites, they actually work perfectly together.

Michael:
Michael has been the dependable, practical older brother his entire life; he took the weight of the world on his shoulders when he was too young to realize how heavy the burden would be. If he can guarantee happiness for his siblings, that will be enough for him, even if all he can see in his own future is loneliness. However, when Michael realizes that someone from the afterlife lied to him and attempted to cause his family harm, he is determined to do something about it. With the help of a certain demon, maybe he can figure out who targeted his family and get a little revenge. He’ll just have to refrain from killing the demon that is messing up his perfectly ordered existence. When the cheerful prankster actually starts looking attractive to Michael, maybe he’ll finally step out of his comfort zone and find out how fun chaos can actually be.

Tags: Michael is serious about revenge, and Arioch isn’t serious about anything; opposites attract; maybe being impractical for once in his life won’t kill Michael (and if it does, at least he’ll have a demon to keep him company in the afterlife); meddling families are annoying; Michael has never done that before, but Arioch would be happy to show him how it all works.

• Publication date: October 30, 2023

• Print length: 246 pages

Review: Light from the Grave by Sara Dobie Bauer

Rating: 5🌈

What a stunner! Sara Dobie Bauer’s recent release, Light from the Grave is such fabulous cornucopia of paranormal elements of powerful magical families, beautifully crafted characters textured with layers of darkness, grief, and death, set into the mossy, old southern landscape of Charleston, South Carolina. Bauer’s plot is a thriller of horrifying beauty.

I was immediately entranced by the characters, the raw emotion that the author keeps pulling out of her scenes and how she can carry those heart wrenching memories over into a new situation that becomes an entirely different experience. One that may have humorous overtones.

Everyone here, each character, from childhood to adulthood, has experienced gut wrenching loss. And that pain, that overwhelming grief continues to haunt them deeply in various ways.

Dylan Quinn’s lost his foster mother and he’s unable to process her loss. It’s not the first or last deep grief he’s had to deal with but it’s the most devastating.

Bauer’s nightmarish descriptions of Dylan’s pain feels so real, the emotional turmoil and endless loop of mourning raw and believable. The power of the memories doesn’t have to be magical to make us feel what it’s putting him through.

More subtle, and deadlier is Keller Rex. Keller too has deeply suffered, and ,in turn , caused unbelievable losses. He’s been sent to bring Dylan to the Zaine ancestral home in Charleston. What type of magical creature he is should be left to the story as it’s so much a part of the powerful narrative.

But it’s the growth and revelations that Kelley’s presence and the death of Vivian Zayne start to bring about in Dylan that’s brings the darkness and magic to this story.

I just wanted to jump in and start reading it again after I finished to see what I’d missed the first time around.

There’s battles, zombies, crazy families, familiars (wish more had been done with the bobcats), and quite a few bittersweet moments. And a fierce young girl, Raven, who needs more page time, as she’s a great character on her own.

Actually, Light from the Grave by Sara Dobie Bauer is bursting with darkly detailed and fabulous scenes that make a reader want more than was left on the page. More of the characters in that army, more backgrounds, just more. Because what we did get was so imaginative and marvelous that we naturally needed more. Of everything and everyone.

Yes, this beautifully written and plotted book is a must read. It’s dark fiction and romance, just a reminder. So if grief, dying and death isn’t your thing, this might not be either.

It’s definitely mine.

Buy Link:

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Light-G…Light From The Grave – Kindle edition by Bauer, Sara Dobie. Paranormal Romance …

Blurb:

I’m what nightmares are made of, but I’m not sure who’s more dangerous: him or me.

In the world of witches, Keller Rex is a legendary monster—a dark sorcerer with a gift for suffering. He has long been the protector of the Zayne coven and their ancestral home in Charleston, South Carolina. When the family matriarch, Vivian Zayne, dies under mysterious circumstances, he is tasked with finding the only person who can open her sealed Book of Shadows: the son no one knew she had.

Dylan Quinn has never bothered to figure out why cats follow him everywhere, but it’s been that way for as long as he can remember. After the unexpected passing of his adoptive mother, he had to make a new home for himself in small-town Ohio. Things have been quiet ever since, but lately, there are strange voices in his dreams and a sense of being watched.

When a striking Southern gent appears in town, Dylan welcomes the distraction. Keller is handsome and charming, but Dylan can tell there’s something else, something eerie about him. And he discovers he’s right, as Keller goes from being Dylan’s seducer… to his abductor.

Now back in Charleston, Dylan’s newfound family is shocked when it’s discovered his magical affinity is for death itself. Despite his fears, he’ll need to learn to control his terrifying powers in order to open the Zayne Book of Shadows. He also needs to keep his coven safe, and time is running out. The estate’s protective wards expire on Halloween, and power-hungry witches from all over are ready to pounce.

While Dylan’s awakening darkness threatens to overwhelm him, Keller finds himself confronted by feelings he thought long dead. Keller will do anything to protect his young necromancer and open Vivian’s Book of Shadows, but the Zaynes are in for a surprise when Dylan resurrects someone he shouldn’t.

• Publisher: Carnation Books (October 24, 2023)

• Publication date: October 24, 2023

• Print length: 352 pages

Review: Jaeger’s Lost and Found by Ofelia Grand

Rating: 3🌈

Grand’s affinity for writing quirky, offbeat characters is evident in her paranormal novella, Jaeger’s Lost and Found. It’s in every main character and all the secondary characters as well. Their personalities are so different from the mainstream, even the paranormal ones.

What makes them so unusual is both easily understood and vaguely explained, a dichotomy of traits that’s a hallmark of Grand’s. That quicksand of characterization, while making the beings interesting can also make them less connectable.

It starts with Archibald Jaeger, the last of the famed Jaegers. The bloodline has become so weakened in him as he’s the last that the famous gift of the family, to be able to find anything, has become weakened as well. It no longer works as it should and his livelihood depends on it as does that of his partner.

Archie’s got his own deep quirks outside of a gift gone wonky. He hates to leave his establishment but the author refuses to call it agoraphobia. He’s got a certain way he’s got to dress and act (won’t step on cracks in the pavement) but again there’s an outright decision on Grand’s part not to label him as OCD or anything else behavior related. But those odd mannerisms add up, continuing to pile on top of one another. Plus he’s otherworldly, just what we don’t know. It’s a constant lack of definition here and it’s frustrating.

His partner is slightly better. She’s a naga. Or considered part naga because of an inability to shift. This changes towards the end of the story. We get fangs and venom and the fact she’s an unwelcome species but not much else. Just that as outsiders, she and Archie have stuck together.

We really need so much more world building than we get here.

There’s some really great stuff here. Like Archie needing to suddenly veer off and find lost things because they call to him. Love that aspect of the narrative.

But instead the main storyline goes to a vampire who’s behaved so poorly to his coven they’ve cut him loose. We get to meet the vampire equivalent of entitlement. Oh joy.

Gael Murray is another one of those characters that I can’t get invested in. His backstory for one isn’t that type of story that makes one immediately root for him. Yes he’s dying. But, he’s been living his life away from the coven, hasn’t stayed in touch with them, preferring the company of people. Now he’s whining about lost contact. Hmmm, ok. Yes. Got it.

There’s an actual romance that makes no sense and has no foundation laid down for it Or little chemistry between them. And the journey to find the coven is that of hardly going anywhere.

I think the solution for Gael’s problem the author came up with and the descriptions involved ,was again, one of the better elements here.

So, in the end, I found the story interesting and certain elements fascinating, but the romance made no sense, and many of the other things were absolutely frustrating.

Read this because you’re a fan of the author and genre. It’s short enough that the interesting aspects are worth it.

Buy Link:

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Jaegers-…Kindle – Jaeger’s Lost and Found eBook : Gränd, Ofelia

Blurb:

Jaeger’s Lost and Found is the only finder shop to be had on the whole of the west coast. The problem is, Archibald Jaeger, the last of the Jaeger line, seems to be defective. A result of too many generations of crossbreeding with humans. But Jaegers are finders, and there’s nothing to be done about it.

Gael Murray has lost his connections. A vampire can’t survive without the energy exchange he has with the members of his coven through mental links. And, as of this morning, they’ve all vanished. Gael will die if he doesn’t reinstate his connections through a blood exchange. And his only hope to find the other members of his coven is to hire a finder.

Even a terrible finder is better than none at all.

Together Gael and Archie set out to save Gael’s life, but what was an already difficult task becomes nearly insurmountable. And Archie, who can never find what he’s looking for, finds himself falling in love with a man he’ll be hard pressed to save.

• Publisher: JMS Books LLC (June 1, 2019)

• Publication date: June 1, 2019

• Print length: 107 pages

Review: Beauty and Bad Blood (Hunters Hollow Book 2) by Arden Steele

Rating: 4.5🌈

Arden Steele’s Hunter Hollow series continues with Beauty and Bad Blood. With some characters transplanted from the original series, Blackhaven Manor, we now have more paranormal stories about romance, mystery, and murder to get invested in.

This time, our new location is Hunters Hollow, owned by one of the Dragon siblings, and its township of mostly Otherlings. They tend to work for Ministry of Otherling Affairs in various fields. Now a new case has emerged and investigation team has been formed.

Among that team, newly arrived vampire, Agent Rogue. He’s among a team of MOA Otherlings agents assigned the task of finding what or who are killing young people , leaving them drained of blood.

Human Dylan Murray, true crime podcaster, is having a personal crisis. His best friend, Braeden, mate of nephillim Inspector Zarrik Cox, has been constantly telling him to come stay with them until he knows what he’s going to do next.

Two totally different personalities, one coffee shop, and one unassailable attraction. And several horrific murders to solve.

Steele’s narrative once again brings dramatic storylines to the fated mate trope. Dylan made an impression in Braeden’s book and he becomes an even more engaging, vulnerable character here. The author gives Dylan that layer of armor formed by parental negligence and emotional abuse that feels realistic along with a very real sense that he could still somehow get the love he wants.

Rogue’s backstory is not as fully explored but he’s a powerful character in the present. Especially as it pertains to his quickly evolving feelings towards Dylan.

Dylan’s reaction to Rogue and his actions, and how each handled their dynamics in developing their relationship was a good touch. Each side was open to communicating with each other and with other people. Absolutely beats the no communication approach in other situations.

I thought the mysteries and the murders were interesting but could have used further context or explanation. But that dramatic scene? Heart breaking, emotionally. No way around it.

Nothing that came later could take away from the power of that moment. And frankly, from there, everything was anticlimactic. I enjoyed the rest, but it was already over.

I can’t wait to see what and for who the next book is for. I’m sort of rooting for the new head elf Bastille. You never know. Steele keeps surprising me.

In the meantime, if you’re not already familiar with this universe, you can catch up by reading these in order . See below. Or go all in and go way back to the original series, read all nine books and join in the migration to Hunters Hollow!

I’m highly recommending them all.

Hunter’s Hollow:

✓ Angels and Anarchy #1

✓ Beauty and Bad Blood #2

Connected To:

Blackhaven Manor series-9 books

Blackhaven Manor9 booksArden Steele

Buy Link:

Beauty and Bad Blood (Hunters Hollow Book 2)

Blurb:

When a young woman turns up dead on the banks of the river with half her blood missing, vampires are the obvious suspects. Rogue Masters, however, doesn’t think the case is all that open and shut. As a special agent for the MOA Intelligence Division, it’s his job to find the truth. To do that, the last thing he needs is distractions.

So, of course, the most tempting distraction he’s ever seen strolls through the door of the local bakery, not just flipping the script, but rewriting it completely.

Stuck in a rut and drowning in his own insignificance, Dylan Murray needs a change. For starters, he needs to make a clean break from his selfish and demanding mother. It’s also probably a good time to swear off men, at least until he can get his life back on track. Spending some time in Hunters Hollow with his best friend is exactly what he needs to turn things around. The small town is quiet, a little boring, and completely free of the drama that plagued him in the city.

Now, if he can just stop thinking about a certain sexy vampire with penetrating eyes and a devilish smile, everything would be perfect.

Navigating the ups and downs of any new relationship is challenging. Doing so while searching for a killer will test more than just their commitment. When the worst happens, and Dylan joins the list of humans to mysteriously vanish from the French Quarter, Rogue will do whatever it takes to get his new mate back safely.

Even if that means becoming the very monster he’s meant to be hunting.