Found Objects is the latest urban fantasy romance by Mary Calmes and it’s exactly what we expect from this author. The old,settled rich location of a small town high in the mountains of West Virginia, an intriguing group of found family of town, and a great setup for a slow paced romantic journey.
Calmes’ plot lines includes a newly arrived werewolf pack that has brought with them to the town, pack dysfunction, mystery and loads of action packed moments.
I love Merritt Baker and the mystery that Calmes builds around his character. Merritt is the owner of the town’s restaurant, and a central figure in the community. A friend and someone who acts as a shield or protector when needed.
When a new shifter pack arrives in Coille, West Virginia to establish themselves in a new territory , they bring with them old problems along with a dysfunctional pack and history. And Cole Swann and his younger brother, Evan, nephews of the Alpha of the Swann pack.
The way this author blends the well known Appalachian mythology with other lore is intriguing and well done. It works well for the many other characters here and for adding some really great layers to this story.
It ends with a HFN, given the specific species of each character. And known life spans.
I will admit to hoping that Calme revisits this town and special community as I really enjoyed them and didn’t get enough of several of their storylines.
Merritt Baker is older than he looks. Quite a bit older, in fact. He knows all about the woods and where one should never wander at night, but the fact of the matter is, sometimes men are the scariest creatures of all, and Merritt makes it his business to protect the innocents caught in their wake. In the small town of Coille, West Virginia, where he makes his home, he takes care of quite a few people, and that’s always been enough. Or has been. Lately though, he’s felt a bit lost, as though he’s forgotten what it means to really live rather than simply exist.
Change arrives when a pack of shifters buys the land that borders his. He doesn’t think twice about them until his simple rules are ignored, and suddenly there’s conflict. One of the wolves, Cole Swann, is very interested in him, and surprisingly, Merritt can’t seem to get the man out of his head. But things aren’t what they seem, and between other packs, ghosts, and worst of all, love, Merritt might be in over his head. That’s the thing about being lost—it can be wonderful when you’re finally found, but is it worth the risk of losing yourself?
Mack’s Horribly Hellacious Ghost Town is the finale story in the Mack’s Marvelous Manifestations paranormal series by A. J. Sherwood and it’s a really good read.
I’m sorry to see this series and set of characters go, especially since Sherwood actually introduces some new and engaging characters here in the finale novel. Maybe, as the author writes in the notes, they might speak to her sometime in the future.
Brandon and Mack , new apprentice Gwyn who’s part of the story, and all the Paranormal Activity Division, FBI friends they’ve worked, all engage in two big spooky battles in Black Rock, Arizona, a mining ghost town.
“a coal mining town in Arizona—or a former coal mining town, I should say—that’s haunted as hell.”*
I’ll come back to this.
Lachlan and Seiji, chaos magician and fabulous new character as well as new romantic/paranormal partner for Lochlan, were a wonderful surprise couple. They got a small amount of narrative time and a chapter’s perspective here. Honestly they were both a lovely team and a frustrating element of the story because they were great together and then it ends. So why do it at all?
Mack and Brandon are ready to get married and settle down, a running thread here. This is the case just before they get married and are into their next adventure.
The town in Arizona, Black Rock, which is an actual copper mining town, here is a ghost town full of ghosts and things that go bump into the night. Tons of them. And the Mayor has asked for help.
There’s also a haunted coal mine outside of town with something down deep in the deserted mine shafts to deal with as well. That’s the second issue. The town’s ghosts and the thing in the mine.
Added to that is a young girl, a medium, Gywn, who needs saving from her family and the dark ghosts attacking her.
So there’s a lot of storytelling and elements that the narrative needs to handle. Which it does by bringing back multiple characters from books to help Mack and Brandon deal with the situation. And Gywn’s, who turns out to be a great delight here. She needs to be factored into Lachlan and Seiji stories.
The actual battles seemed to be more Seiji’s than anyone else’s, fierce as they were, with Lachlan and Dor’s fighting too.
Mack and Brandon took care of the rest of the ghosts, surprisingly easy as this is their story.
The locations of the mines and areas of interest, Clifton, an actual great historical copper mining town in Arizona , about 3.5 hours east of Phoenix. Check it out! The real historical coal mining sites were northeastern parts of the state in Navajo Nation and Hopi Reservation lands, like the Kayenta Mine.
There’s more than one Black Mesa too. That’s directly east of Phoenix.
So in the story and town it’s a bit different than what you might expect to see historically correct sites.
But it’s a finale book, they’re headed off to get married, which they quickly do in the epilogue. Short and sweet.
I was disappointed not to see the characters who were in the story not to be mentioned in the wedding section but it’s so hurried that hardly anyone is.
This book starts out great but is rushed towards the end. Still a wonderful series.
Apprentices, and two ghost towns, and almost-demons oh…no.
Mack doesn’t mind the apprentice part of this job; in fact, finding Gwyn is delightful, though he hates she grew up in such a haunted town with parents who don’t believe she’s a Medium.
Mack really hates the old mining ghost town is locked down with weird energy and none of the ghosts can see them, which makes passing them difficult.
Mack especially hates that in Black Rock there’s an almost-demon ghost inciting other ghosts to cause a mob, how is that allowed to be a thing?!
Who you gonna call for help when you’re the experts? Mack wants to know for a friend. (Him. He’s the friend.)
Tags:
Mack has found hell on earth, this was not on his bucket list, Accidental apprentice acquisition, Lachlan is back!, ghost gangs, chaos magician, Seiji is a new bonk bro, wedding, almost demons lurking, too much water and limestone for a medium’s peace of mind, uncharted haunted mines make Lachlan’s day, Eli is her usual scary self, Mack goes Wild West, Brandon can see ghosts here, that’s not a good thing, Brandon gets to have an apprentice too and can’t be happier, ghost pranks, Mack has picked too many battles, he’s putting some back, Ghost-hunting squad–assemble!
Tropes: MM Romance, Multicultural Romance, Ghost Town, Ghost Medium, Age Gap, Apprentices, Wedding, HEA
This is the fifth and final book in the series following a plot crossover with the Jon’s Mysteries Series. While it would be best to read the books listed in the below order, you can read Mack’s Horribly Hellacious Ghost Town without having read “Book 4” with minimal confusion. To read in series order, Book 1 – Brandon’s Very Merry Haunted Christmas, Book 2 – Mack’s Perfectly Ghastly Homecoming, Book 3 – Mack’s Rousing Ghoulish Highland Adventure, Book 4 – Jon & Mack’s Terrifying Tree Troubles, and Book 5 – This title.
This is a side story in the terrific urban fantasy Witchwolf series written by co-authors Burns and Fawkes. That series is currently awaiting its next release of its second book but in the meantime, the authors have published a side story in the same universe that they wrote on the authors’ Patreon page.
I enjoyed reading it. The characters are engaging, especially the cat shifter Landon Smith, who’s a far more fully developed personality than the other main character Dean St. James.
Dean’s a big cat shifter but the story has the potential of becoming a much better version of itself. The entire tale has the feel of an almost completed outline of a novel than a finished story. One half of the couple, Landon, is more multi dimensional, given a better storyline and execution of his character and situation, while Dean’s character sits needing more heft. In his history, shifter foundation, and, even tragic past romance. We really don’t feel even remotely close to him and those events. But we do with the fantastic cat shifter, Landon. We love his new crew, his bravery in relocating away from everyone he knew and family, just everything about him. He’s a fully fledged amazing personality. He’s the one we relate to.
It also took me a while to remember how this was connected to Witchwolf. The company and the pack. I wish the authors had brought that element of the series stronger into play here.
As a standalone, there’s absolutely no world building. Within an established universe but with a minimum connection, it’s a good story with some terrific characters with great potential.
Read it for yourself and hope, like I did, that I will see Landon popping up again later on in this series. He’s a joy.
Landon Smith’s life has imploded in a dramatic fashion. Following a devastating betrayal, his brother is marrying his fiancé, and his family wants him to get over it already. The only way he can move forward? Fleeing across the country and cutting contact with them, starting his life over with a new job and new friends. Well, no friends, really.
But a new coworker introduces him to a whole new circle of people, including the alluring Dean St. James. The lyrics Dean writes speak directly to Landon’s heart, but Landon’s not ready to jump into another relationship, and Dean brings his own baggage to the table.
A brutal illness stole Dean’s childhood sweetheart, and with the walls he put up to survive, he’s not sure he’ll ever love again. But a fresh project sparks Landon’s lost passion and opens a door to a future Dean turned his back on.
Their unexpected collab has the highest stakes of all: the last hope of healing two broken hearts.
This novella is set in the same world as Witchwolf, but features different characters and can be read as a standalone. It was originally published on the authors’ Patreon page.
With this crossover series in the The Dead Serious Universe, two previously supporting characters are finally getting their own story and relationship series.
That’s which Harrison Ames, recently relocated to town to look for his mother. And former DI, now PI Sam Stone, with his own connections to Danny and Tris, and magical powers of his own.
Both characters have figured largely in prior stories, and author Cassidy takes many of these impactful moments and dramatic events from these novels and repurposes them here. The reader gets to see certain scenes again, only this time from either Harrison’s or Sam’s perspective.
I have to admit I loved (spoiler alert) seeing Chan meet Death all over again. I can’t get enough of this couple, so this was an enormous surprise and plus for me.
I think Sam turned out to be my favorite character, more mature and better defined character of the pair.
Or maybe it’s because Harrison spends the entire story lying to everyone around him. Sam, Tristan, Danny. Even as the mystery and investigation surrounding the magical bookstore, the portal, and other aspects of that storyline, Harrison, knowing full well he had important information and details about the events surrounding the ongoing crisis, kept quiet.
He’s not a teenager. He’s in his thirties. Not communicating highly needed information to people who consider him a friend in a time of crisis.
No, I long ago learned that I’d had enough of this type of character. Whether the author needed him to be incommunicative due too plot purposes or considered it a necessary part of his personality, either way it led to a disconnect for me.
Yes to Sam, no to Harrison. And there are things I do like about him. Like his dynamic with his dads. So funny. But everything else? No.
I’ll continue to read because all the wonderful crossover characters and scenes. Maybe Harrison will win me back over. Who knows.
A definite winner otherwise.
Cover design by Natasha Snow
Crawshanks Guide to the Occult:
The Little Shop of Curiosities Cursed Object 1 The Music Box
Connected series:
The Dead Serious Universe,
Crawshanks Guide to the Recently Departed (6 book series)
Crawshanks Guide to Mischievous Spectres & Spirits(2 book series)
The Grim Adventures of Death & Chan Vol 1-3 (on the author’s website)
Despite being raised and well loved by his two adoptive fathers Harrison Ames has always felt alone. As an incredibly powerful witch he’s never come across anyone else who can do the things he can. Moving to London from Devon, he’d hoped that if he finally gathered the courage to confront the biological mother who’d given him up as a baby, he might finally have some answers.
Sam Stone, carries scars of his own, both physical and otherwise, but he’s determined to ignore them and get on with his life. But when fate drops a gorgeous prickly red haired witch in his life, he figures his luck is finally changing.
With mediums, dead drag queens, and supernatural beings as his new friends Harrison finds himself drawn into a world of magic and chaos. But amidst all the insanity that is his life, there’s Sam, his anchor when the secrets of his biological family begin to tear his life apart…
This is one of the best written, and often times hardest to read series and universe because of the topics and complexity of damaged histories of the main characters here.
I often start with saying that the readers must read the trigger warnings for each novel as well as for the universe that Avery has created and continues to explore in such horror detail.
Here bad things happen, often to children. First by disease, the Arcana virus which acted like a plague, transformed the World’s population, reducing its numbers drastically. Some remained human, others were transformed into fantasy or horror beings. Vampires, elves, werebeings of all kinds, orcs, ghouls, the virus , if the human survived, became whatever the Arcana provided. Adults or children. Didn’t matter. And the human race terrified acted accordingly.
Beyond the Veil is divided into mini-series where different characters have their own stories told while adding to the overall series world view and theme that’s being presented. They interact and sometimes the same events happen in different perspectives.
Now it’s Rayn’s turn. Rayn, a death witch, who was rescued from an horrific situation was first introduced in Ward’s series (The Boy in the Locked Room #2). It’s book 10, Rayn has had time to grow up, adjusting to their powers and life outside the cage and hospital. (Trigger warnings).
Avery does an excellent job in relaying a character without any social skills, or understanding of how some situations work. Rayn’s lack of knowledge and inability to understand the signals given feels believable and honest. And Raj’s reactions to Rayn are part of a whole picture that has to be assembled the more they interact. A neat feat.
One person pov, it’s fascinating to see how Rayn has matured but still is learning how to use and manage their magic and various powers.
I love seeing Hart here, in his role as partner with Raj. He’s still my favorite. The mystery, while good, doesn’t have as much of a complex role as Rayn’s development and growth with those characters around the agency and with the investigation. It’s more of a personal journey, which I really enjoyed and thought was really exceedingly well written.
And certain aspects are left open enough for the investigation to continue further.
Amazing series and fantastic characters. One of the best paranormal group of storylines I’ve read. Certainly one that has the most impact on current events.
Highly recommended.
Beyond the Veil Series
💀Ward’s story (1-3):
The Ghost in the Hall
The Boy in the Locked Room
The Skeleton Under the Stairs.
💀Hart’s story (4-6):
The Dog in the Alley
The Bones in the Yard
The Elf Beside Himself
💀Seth’s story (7-9):
The Turning of the Tables
The Badger in his Burrow
The Past in the Present
💀Rayn’s Story (10-12)
The Diamond in the Rough
The Rut in the Road (coming 2026) The Rock and the Hard Case (coming 2026)
My life has been… rough. I spent most of my childhood in an asylum, and I’ve spent the better part of the last six years trying to deal with the fact that everything I touch tells me something about the last person who owned it, the person who made it, and sometimes several people in between.
It’s exhausting, and I hate it. I will do pretty much anything to avoid doing it, in fact.
Until a six-four, golden-eyed FBI agent walked through the door and dropped literal diamonds into my hands. Well, a diamond necklace. And he asked me to tell me everything I could about who’d owned it, who’d given it to her, and so on.
I guess I have to learn how to control my abilities fast, or a murderer might go free.
And I might lose my chance to impress the FBI agent who haunts my dreams.
How to Trust a Hellhound is the fourth book in the Hellhounds of Paradise Falls series by Shannon Mae. A terrific interconnected series with Mae’s preceding work with crossover characters, here we’re watching an adopted family of Hellhounds find their fated mates, often from a similarly small group of found family of humans friends, starting with a paranormal author next door.
The humans have, for the most part, damage and horror in their past or present lives, which meshes well with hellhounds intent on delivering justice and dark souls to the underworld.
How to Trust a Hellhound focuses on adoptive Hellhound father, Wilder, who has returned to his “boys” and the town of Paradise Falls only to find someone who needs him.
That’s human Josh, close friends with Toby (the author and now hellhound mate). It’s been obvious for several books that Josh has been in dire trouble, mostly due to his controlling boyfriend. But here Mae shows us exactly what Josh has been through. The emotional and physical abuse, and the damage it has caused.
This particular situation and how the characters, especially Josh and Wilder, as well as the various other characters, handled it, was well written. Multiple reactions, including shock. Anger, withdrawal. Everything reads realistic and painfully true.
Along with the development of Josh and Wilder’s relationship, which is slow, given the current situation, there’s also the fact that Josh was unaware of the otherworldly beings around him. Hellhounds being number one. That’s was very funny.
The only aspect of this story I felt was underdeveloped or not as well explored was the big dramatic climax which sets up the next relationship and novel to come.
There’s no foundation for it. Any of it. You could say it was all meant to be a surprise but there should be some kind of narrative shoring up of the plot and aha moments but instead it feels muddled and confusing.
The author states that originally another couple was to have the next book but she changed her mind because these two were speaking up. I get that. But it feels rushed.
Especially since it looks to be a very intriguing relationship. Can’t wait to see how that plays out.
Recommended!
Cover design by Morningstar Ashley
Hellhounds of Paradise Falls: (Paranormal Romance)
How to Flirt with a Hellhound
How to Hack a Hellhound
How to Tame a Hellhound
How to Trust a Hellhound
How NOT to Kill a Hellhound (Coming Soon)
Linked series:
Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures: (Paranormal Romance)
Angels, demons, hellhounds, Nephilim, and a whole host of other non-mortals—my pack of adopted hellhound sons sure knows how to pick a place. And yet somehow, the most interesting one of all is the sad, quiet human who’s become friends with the pack. Helping people heal and learn to trust is a specialty of mine, but I don’t see Josh as someone to adopt—my hellhound sees him as a mate. The problem? Josh doesn’t believe in anything supernatural. Plus, there’s the vicious and oddly hard to track ex-boyfriend, the meddling but strangely helpful sheriff, the delicate side project I’m working on, and the immortal evil rich guy running around. As I said, my boys sure know how to pick a town.
Josh
I’m the boring one. No imagination. No fun. In control. My ex-boyfriend taught me how to let loose and explore things, but then he changed… or maybe I just realized who he truly was. I want someone who cares for me, not someone who controls me, but I don’t think Rick will let me go easily. Everyone is willing to help, though, including the handsome dad of my best friend’s boyfriend. My inappropriate feelings for him aren’t helping matters, though. Not to mention that the more I hang out with everyone, the more my writer friend’s supernatural stories suddenly don’t seem so far-fetched. Something is strange about Paradise Falls, and I can’t help but think that Wilder is more involved than he lets on.
Tags: It’s always the quiet ones (wink, wink); Josh doesn’t believe in hellhounds, but they believe in him; Wilder is just the hellhound to give Josh all the comfort and healing he needs; Helene is the best therapist for someone who’s been wronged; the entire pack gets involved (of course) and chaos ensues; abusive ex-boyfriends always get what’s coming to them; there’s torture and death (but only of really bad people); hellhounds have tails, and they know how to use them.
Micah is such a great story. Masters pulls together so many important pieces of her foundation elements in bringing the romance of fascinating puzzle creator incubus Camden Torrence and demon architect Micah Bailey.
Just the idea of that particular humongous, thousands of years old door of a puzzle, buried in a cave beneath a mountain and needing, no, wanting to be solved, is a fabulous idea. And that it’s Cam who’s got the superior knowledge, and bubbling excitement as well to solve it? Amazing. He’s a grand character who gets better, funnier, deeper as we and Micah, get to understand him.
Micah himself, with his family connections to Gideon, Asher , and the family (grandmother) who basically runs things , is another gem of a character. Through Micah, the demons are explored as a species, their dense physique due to teleportation. Even learning the subtle facial expressions are readdressed through the relationship between Micah and Cam, and even Cam’s interactions with Micah’s family.
Cam’s not without his own personal issues to deal with, and they are dealt with by being able to communicate and by understanding each other’s personalities and needs. I love it when an author does this, instead of letting the main characters flounder about, they communicate and share what they’re thinking and feeling, like mature beings.
Not to say there isn’t some absolutely spew worthy sentences and moments here. Because there totally are. Made my day! And this book so giggle snort gold ⭐️! And no will not quote them. Read them and enjoy them in context.
There be dragons here! Appearances by Brandt, Wil, Steffen and others were wonderful. And will send me back to their series , Here Be Dragons, which is one of the linked series to the original Hidden Species.
We get Hortplatz, now becoming as real a town as any character, with its high mountains, townspeople, and places we can recognize. Cold, and with it’s own charm.
If I have a small quibble, it’s that after all the buildup and intricate details of that puzzle door, it ended too abruptly. Perhaps it will be continued in book three, but it feels incomplete here as far as Cam goes and his “new life” which we don’t get. We need a chapter or at least several pages to bridge the gap between the ending and the new future town scenes to feel grounded imo.
But that’s a quibble in a book I very much adore. From the plot to the characters, this story had me from the beginning, perfect Louisa Masters.
Now onto book three.
And yes, I’m highly recommending this and all the connected series:
Wanted: Demon assistant for incubus genius. Personal services required…
Nobody ever expected to find a secret cave protected by a giant puzzle door in the mountains near our village. Even more surprising was the knowledge that it’s been there for thousands of years and was created by a dragon. I’m not the only one who’s dying to find out what’s inside.
It’s no hardship to assist the puzzle expert who’s coming to solve the door. That thing is an incredible feat of engineering, and the man who’ll solve it is bound to be intelligent and interesting. But from the moment I meet Camden Torrence, I’m forced to reassess… everything.
He’s intelligent and interesting, sure. But he’s also scattered. Clumsy. And I want to bury my face in his mop of curls and stay there forever.
A relationship wasn’t on my agenda, no matter what my matchmaking family wants. But as the weeks go by and we get closer to discovering what the secret treasure is, Cam becomes an integral, undeniable part of my life. How can I not fall for a man who, despite past hurts, is the living embodiment of sunshine in our snow-laden village?
I never thought the love of my life would turn out to be an adorable, absent-minded incubus, but now I can’t imagine existing without him. The challenge? Convincing him to stay even after the puzzle is solved.
This is such a peculiar series. On one side, Kaye has created a terrific character in Keir Dearly, proprietor of Dearly & Son Funeral Home. Keir, one in a long line of Dearly men who can see and converse with the dead. That aspect of his life is due to an ancient curse on their family. Which is odd considering that it is really defined as a gift or a medium’s purpose not a curse outside of this world building.
But that perspective is reflective of the choices the author makes within this series.
But back to Keir. He’s intelligent, compassionate, an introvert who’s accepting of others and has a giving nature. In short, a fantastic person and character. And a perfect person to run a funeral home where the ghosts of the bodies delivered get a reception they deserve. Sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s grim, oftentimes it’s poignant, even heart wrenching. We get the ghosts memories of their last moments and then their families, if they have them, grieving at their services. All conducted by Keir.
That’s truly the best part of this book and series. It’s where the author goes spectacularly right. It’s in the smallest of details as Keir listens to the families or the ghosts pour out their hearts and emotions over the fact they’re dead, how they died, and then seeing them pass on.
It’s not even the ghosts that are the main aspect of each storyline but ones that factor in as part of the daily life of Dearly & Son Funeral Home that can make you feel the most emotions. The woman who denied her sexuality and the woman who loved her until it was too late. That bittersweet funeral was shattering. Or the young man in the wrong place at the wrong time who died by GSW and was met by the ghost of his father. Buckets of tears I tell you for such a small scene .
But it’s the other elements that make me question the world building, the storytelling and the series.
Unfortunately, it also includes the other main character and love interest.
That’s Dashiell Clegg, younger owner/mechanic of a cycle shop. First met when his nasty ghost brother wanted Keir to save Dash from the plot he set him up when he was alive. Yeah, it didn’t make much sense in the first book either.
Dash is a problematic character. Part of the two person narrative, his voice is a grating one. I never understood how writers could create such a self centered character and expect the reader to get on board with him as part of a romance. Here Dash has fled to another country rather than talk to Keir about his “gift/curse/fears” revelation. He also hasn’t communicated to his found family of coworkers in his shop who’ve always supported him, even in prison.
His thoughts and views are all about him. When eventually something happens to bring it to his attention that he’s causing Keir and others pain? It’s yes “I’m a jerk, I’m thoughtless “ but the author doesn’t create any real sense of realness or believability behind these thoughts.
It’s more a surface readymade answer you throw out rather than a real sense of introspection. In fact, there’s no sense of chemistry between Keir and Dash as characters. It seems like a forced element from the very beginning.
Aside from the lack of real relationships, there’s a new end of world story threads that again has little foundation but some interesting things about it. New characters appear, some very likable. And narratively, twists happen within the storyline that were predictable from the minute the clues begin to emerge. You knew which things or aspects of the plot were going to be the “bad ones “.
The author was telegraphing it with a red and black stamp. Ditto the good ones.
I can can definitely say that I’m reading these books with very mixed feelings. I’m appreciative of quite a bit of the author’s work here but just not connecting with some major elements too. Half and half.
It’s also fifty fifty as to if I’m going to continue to read on with the series. If I do, it will be for all the terrific moments and for the character of Keir that’s a true draw for me.
When the family business is death, how does one convince the deceased to embrace the afterlife without hurting their delicate feelings?
Keir Dearly, proprietor of Dearly & Son Funeral Home, is working his way through heartache after Dashiell Clegg, the object of his affection, has taken off on an adventure and left Keir behind. When a certain handsome detective shows up and wants to woo the mortician, temptation knocks. Will Keir answer while Dash is off trying to accept mind blowing news and navigate a new reality?
Valentino Rankin, a fledgling male model, becomes a client of Keir’s at Dearly & Son by paying more attention to his reflection in a store window than the flow of traffic. He refuses to give Keir information to assist with reconnecting him to his body and has a hard time accepting he has to fight a living biker and a cop for Keir Dearly’s affections.
How can Keir convince Valentino that the afterlife is calling, or is there something more to Valentino that Keir can’t see? Can Dash help clear things up with his newly acquiredskills that will be a surprise to everyone? There’s trouble with the electricity at Dearly & Son, and it’s nothing an electrician can fix!
Dearly & Deviant Daniel is the first in a new series, Dearly and The Departed, by L.A. Kaye. Centered firmly in the popular trope of main characters who’re able to see and converse with the dead/newly departed, Kaye’s MC is Mortician Keir Dearly, of Dearly & Son Mortuary, a business that’s been handed down through generations of Dearly men.
He’s been able to see and talk to the dead since his teens, a fact he’s kept to himself. Naturally. Unfortunately, since he’s always in the mortuary, there’s dead people ready to talk to him and ask for favors constantly.
Which happens when a particularly nasty person dies and asks Keir to help his brother stay out of the prison . Seems that the dead man has framed his brother for things he regrets but definitely not murder.
That’s the basic premise of the story.
Around that Kaye needs to build her storyline,as well as fill in the paranormal background , all the weird characters, and continue with the growing relationships that started within the narrative.
Is the author successful? Only partially. The world building has the feeling of jumbled assembly. As a reader, I’m just getting into the interesting aspects of the historical paranormal history and foundations being setup but instead of continuing to explore the universe being laid out, the opposite happens. The narrative breaks here and there , so only bits and pieces are visible, or it opens gaps where elements disappear all together.
A mysterious helper arrives, background of which is constantly changing. A grandfather appears in an unexpected place and just as quickly disappears. His supportive role diminished when it is explained that it’s really a portent of darkness coming. So why not embellish it ? Why allow this to dribble narratively away? It’s elements like this that add up to storyline with issues.
There’s the odd physical descriptions. Forty-ish, Keir describes himself as tall, thin, of the whitish skin, with brown hair and ice blue eyes. An appearance typical of someone, he thinks, you associate with the mortuary and dead. He very much resembles all the Dearly men. Sounds a bit on the vampire/ghoul side. Not even a hint that’s he’s remotely attractive. But the other main character insists Keir is insanely hot. That’s so odd because the author hasn’t put in the groundwork for this. He’s kind, compassionate, and intelligent. Insanely hot? Nope, haven’t done the paperwork on that.
Mechanic Dashiell Clegg and his dead dreadful brother are weak points here. Not sure why Kaye called Daniel deviant outside of the need for a cute name. Dead Daniel is reprehensible. A man who thought nothing of betraying everyone around him, framing his brother, putting others into danger, a sexual predator, oddly he now decides to save his living brother he supposedly hates and has setup makes zero sense. Especially when he’s still a manipulative dead mess throughout the book. Great smarmy character though. Dashiell is younger hotheaded mechanic who borders on the TSTL character. When in doubt, run off into dangerous situations without telling anyone then be surprised at the obvious consequences. SMH.
When Keir has a chance to date two people, a great detective and Dashiell, I started rooting for the detective.
What saves Dearly & Deviant Daniel is the side storylines, those of the dearly departed of lesser characters . Some are funny, some grim, and one had me outright sobbing, it was so well written that the pain, regret , and bitter loss was overwhelming. That was believable and raw.
I wish the main characters and theme had showcased more of that aspect and emotion.
I’m onto the next to see what happens after the cliffhanger this ends on. A strange one that again made absolutely zero sense.
Read this for the fun of the trope, and the beauty of those small scenes I indicated above. They are worthy of the entire story.
When the family business is death, what does it take to feel alive?
Maybe a gorgeous motorcycle mechanic with a dark past has a few ideas?
Mortician Keir Dearly has a secret he plans to take to his grave. If he tells anyone he speaks with the dead who come through his funeral home, who will believe him? Keeping the secret prevents Keir from pursuing a love life because how would a lover react to such news?
Mechanic Dashiell Clegg owns Clegg Cycles, the family business his father left to him and his estranged brother Daniel. Dash has only seen Daniel twice since Dash was released from prison, and that’s perfectly fine with both of them. The brothers stay out of each other’s lives until one day, Dash gets a call that changes everything.
When Dash’s brother, deviant Daniel Clegg, shows up on Keir’s table with a final request: Keep my brother from being blamed for my murder, the temptation to jump into the mix is too much for Keir to resist. Can Keir save Dashiell Clegg without telling anyone about his conversations with the dead?
After being warned about communing with the Departed, will Dearly have to pay a price for assisting them in finding their final peace?
L.A. Kaye’s debut novel, Dearly & Deviant Daniel, is the first tale in the Dearly & the Departed M/M paranormal romance series.It’s a little mysterious, a little creepy, and a lotta sexy, so be sure to check it out! It’s approximately 90,000 words in length and ends happily for now.
I waggled between ratings because going into Hunter’s Descent, the reader absolutely must have read Monstrous Intent first or be completely lost. There’s simply no way to catch up or have enough information to understand the characters or backstory here to get a grip on the mayhem that occurs as well as underlying serious issues the author has woven through the series and relationships.
Some books you can do that with but not here.
But past that very basic point, this is a fabulous read and layered piece of storytelling from Winters.
Winters drops you into the lives of chimera Lake and ex hunter , now schoolteacher DeClan living their happily chaotic life, complete with Sir Reginald the beta fish and Mittens, the small chimera (it took me a while to remember Mittens wasn’t actually a cat). Back also are those two wonderfully humorous, slightly bent , ok very bent, members of this found family, chimeras Indigo and Sy.
Just when Lake and Declan are settling in after the last events of Monstrous Intents , a call from the DRD and murders of both humans and chimera draws them back into a past they’ve said they’d never return to. Serious issues alert, but extremely well addressed by the author.
Winter’s brings her typical snarky, sarcastic humor to a terrific plot that has elements of murderous hilarity, high suspense, fast-paced action, and mystery. It also brings in hard questions about research, speciesism, racism, guilt, and the inclination to equate anything different as a “thing”, less than whatever is on the other side of that equation.
And while we are narratively taking that all in, the author isn’t letting us forget that at heart, we’ve a found family and couple in love to care about. So she delivers moving scenes of fear of loss, anxiety and despair that brings Lake, Declan, and even Sir Reginald and Mittens, to the front emotionally of the story.
All the elements engaging the readers on multiple levels, humor, horror, drama,action , and romance. Right to the end.
Even then there’s a surprise or two , several threads that are left open, and many potential storylines for a third book. I certainly hope so.
In the meantime, I will probably go back and reread Monstrous Intent to see what things I possibly missed because it’s been a while. And who knew I missed those scamps Indigo and Sy that much!
I’m absolutely recommending Hunter’s Descent but not without reading Monstrous Intent first. Then hurry yourself right on over here.
Snagging the hunter was the easy part. Now I have to prove to him that a life filled with chaos, the most amazing fish ever, and delightful me is so much better than normal—trust me, he isn’t too hard to convince.
But when a group of insolent chimeras laughably think they can target my one true love, they have another thing coming for them—likely death.
With my dubious sidekicks in tow—and Declan, who is as happy as I am to run headfirst into danger—we travel across the country to track down why these chimeras are harassing Declan. But what we find might prove yet again that you never know who the real monster is.
