Review: Wolf Blood (Outcast Pack, #2) by T. J. Nichols

Rating: 4🌈

At 124 pages, Wolf Blood is an exciting, engaging paranormal romance. It’s a quick read with all the books in this series flowing pretty seamlessly from one to the next.

If you’re a fan of Nichols’ Familiar Mates and Mythos series, then you will have a good understanding of the universe Outcast Pack is located in as they are all connected.

Drew Preston’s relationship troubles with his ex, the human River Yates, was mentioned in the other story. As it’s illegal for humans to be told of the paranormal world, it’s no wonder they had issues.

Here we find out they have far more serious problems then they know of .

Nichols does a good job in supplying the background information about the paranormal world that’s the basis for three series for those new to the universe. It’s not a layered story but it gets the job done.

The limited amount of length makes the story rock along and the fighting and high drama is over quickly. But not the enormous ramifications. Those are sliding into the next stage in Wolf Soul.

As I said prior, these wonderful characters and entertaining quickly told romances flow by with the high energy of a terrific serialized romance adventure. That’s the spirit in which I’m reading them.

And recommending them.

Read them in the order that they were written.

Outcast Pack:

āœ“ Wolf Heart #1

āœ“ Wolf Blood #2

āœ“ Wolf Soul #3

ā—¦ Wolf Mate #4

ā—¦ Wolf Lust #5

Wolf Blood: mm second chance wolf shifter romance (Outcast Pack Book 2)

When both of them are keeping dangerous secrets, will their romance get a second chance or will there be too much spilled blood between them?

River Yates always thought his grandmother’s tales about shifters and witches living among them to be just stories. Until his ex, Drew Preston, showed up at his door naked and bloodied and in need of help.

After being attacked by wolves determined to tear apart the fledgling Outcast Pack, Drew did the only thing he could: shift and run. The nearest place he might find refuge is River’s house. But his ex is human, and when River accused him of cheating, he ripped out Drew’s heart.

While River wasn’t wrong about Drew keeping secrets, how could he tell a human what he is?

When a hunter arrives to kill the shifters that have been making trouble, River is forced to confront the truth not only about Drew but also his own family. Once again, he’ll be picking up weapons and facing off against his grandmother, but this time, it isn’t a training exercise.

Discover the Outcast Pack mm paranormal wolf shifter romance series. Join the wolves as they fight to make their pack official and fall in love along the way. Each book has a new couple and a HEA with no cliffhangers and no mpreg.

Wolf Blood is a steamy, angsty, second chance romance between a hunter and shifter.

Review: Shifter for Brains (Supernatural Affairs #2) by F.N. Manning

Rating: 4.5 🌈

I enjoyed the first book in this series, The Werewolf’s Heart which set the universe and ongoing horrific mystery arc for the series. But the second story really succeeds in pulling me fully into the drama and group of characters Manning introduces us to by way of the younger brother of the head of the Supernatural Affairs agency.

We met Chase Slate in his brother’s story, and got a brief impression of a young man who avoids relationships and permanence as well as having an air of irresponsibility about him despite being a agent himself.

That superficial layer is pulled back to reveal a man/shifter with deeper dimensions to his personality. It comes about when he crosses path with Lucas Milton, a man on the run, but from what exactly?

Lucas Milton is a terrific character. Scared, terrified that what he’s afraid of isn’t real, that it’s his mind breaking down, Lucas is a portrait of exhaustion, stress, and fear.

Manning starts to weave a story with many twists from their meeting point. It will include the overall mystery arc that hasn’t been completely solved yet, another one regarding Lucas’s fears, and still yet another. The last being a real surprise and sets up the next book.

I thought this was a great couple, the relationship and their storyline was well plotted, and kept me totally captivated until the end. Plus it was wonderful seeing everyone from the first story together as well.

The ongoing mystery and serious dangers everyone still faces from the mages and kidnapped shifters is still unresolved. I look forward to seeing how this expands further in the next book.

I’m definitely recommending this series and story to all lovers of paranormal romance.

Supernatural Affairs series:

āœ“ The Werewolf’s Heart #1

āœ“ Shifter for Brains #2

ā—¦ Crazy Like a Fox #3 – Dec 3, 2022

https://www.goodreads.com › showShifter for Brains by F.N. Manning – Goodreads

Two heads are better than one. What about two hearts?

Lucas Milton is usually good with numbers, but nothing is adding up quite right after a nasty car accident five months ago. Paranoid and afraid he’s in danger, the formerly brainy man is surely nuts… until a strange incident involving a fireball nearly leaves him extra crispy.

When Chase Slate finds a troubled beauty and smells another shifter on the scene, he’s sure there’s a supernatural cause for Lucas’s problems. So the detective investigates… even though he’s supposed to be busy with another case. He may not always play by the rules, but the werewolf does care about protecting others. And he might care about protecting Lucas more than he should.

When their fateful meeting leads to a case of mistaken identity, a greedy mage sets his sights on Lucas. As both men struggle to fight their growing attraction, they’ll need to keep their wits about them. Because a secret in Lucas’s past might make him valuable in his own right, and there’s a predator who will stop at nothing to claim him.

Can Lucas and Chase put their heads together and follow their hearts to find happiness, or will being outsmarted turn deadly in Shifter for Brains?

This is the second book in the Supernatural Affairs series of explicit M/M paranormal romance novels that follows the agents of the Ashvale Department of Supernatural Affairs. While familiar characters from the first novel will reappear, this story revolves around Chase and Lucas.

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: Claiming Rys (Dark Forest Pack #1) by Annabelle Jacobs

Rating: 4.5 🌈

I enjoyed Annabelle Jacobs’ Regency Park Pack series so I jumped onto her latest release and first book in her Dark Forest Pack series.

A strong mixture of magical mysteries, secrets, second chance at love with old lovers reunited, it goes further by bringing in another Realm and the Fae. The Fae, aren’t considered treacherous but a species where extreme care needs to be taken so as to not be indebted to them.

Rys Calder is a wolf shifter, a being with a past he hasn’t shared with those he’s closest too. That past betrayal has haunted him through the years.

Gabriel Mason is Calder’s past , one that’s deep inside the kidnappings and mysteries that are happening around them.

Jacobs storylines creates a suspenseful atmosphere, one wrought with strong character dynamics, chemistry, often a lack of communication, and a string of revelations.

I read it all the way to the end, then wanted more. I’m highly recommending this story and waiting on the ones to come. Happy reading.

Dark Forest Pack to date:

āœ“ Claiming Rys #1

ā—¦ Redeeming Nick #2 – TBD

https://www.goodreads.com › showClaiming Rys (Dark Forest Pack, #1) by Annabelle Jacobs | Goodreads

Synopsis:

All that time apart and yet the pull between them is as strong as ever…

Rys
Ten years ago Gabriel Mason betrayed me in the worst way. He made me question my instincts because I’d trusted him with a bone-deep certainty, and for that I will never forgive him.


Seeing him again after all this time sparks memories I thought I’d buried so far down they’d never surface. He’s as beautiful as I remember, but I’m older and wiser now, and I refuse to make the same mistakes again.

Gabriel
Rys Calder, wolf shifter and the biggest regret of my life. I loved him, and yet I didn’t share with him the one thing that eventually became our undoing. I broke his trust and I’ve carried that guilt for years. I knew seeing him again would hurt, but no matter how many times I’d imagined it, being on the receiving end of his cold stares and indifference hurt more than I’d anticipated.

Thrown together again with a killer on the loose, will the past continue to haunt them, or can they move past it and claim the future that fate always had in store for them?

Claiming Rys is an MM paranormal romance with second chances, fated mates, pining, angry alphas, and feisty ex-hunters.

Review: Fang’d (Evergreen Council #1) by Vin George

Rating: 4.5🌈

Vin George is another new to me author. Their excellent Fang’d , a paranormal romance, is the first in a new Evergreen Council series and I’m so excited I found it.

George has a somewhat different take on the usual shifter/hybrid vampire romance. Even on the species of vampires and weres themselves.

As a foundation story, Fang’d is such a excellent tale. It peals back the hidden layers of the world Charley Entwhistle and Lucien ā€œLucā€ Bradshaw inhabit as they race away from Charley’s hometown and serious wrongful accusations laid against Charley.

Vin George gives their characters and readers a suspenseful, gripping base as a staging point for the story. A dark night, a near crash, a flight into the dark! Then the tale gets oh so better.

Because the driver who, in his kindness in rescuing Charley, is the fascinating Lucien ā€œLucā€ Bradshaw .

Luc is so much more than he appears. Luc is also one of two narrators of this remarkable story. The other being Charley, of course..

There’s so much happening to Charley. Much of which he doesn’t understand. His life has been unusual, he’s adopted and had weird physical issues no one has tried to explain. Ones that have escalated since puberty. Now he’s accused of murder, something he knows he didn’t do . He’s hurt, confused, and running.

Charley is such a complicated character that a review can’t portray his real personality. Which is terrific because Charley is at the heart of the story, it’s revelations and astonishing mysteries that move the narrative briskly forward.

Luc is at his side , his equal in depth of character, emotional issues, including historical bigotry between species, homophobia within species, and hidden elements that I’m sure will come out in future stories. Luc is an amazing being.

But Fang’d happens to be packed with them. What a joy. So I’m eagerly anticipating the new release to bring us back into this universe and into these characters lives. There’s still so many mysteries to solve.

Did I also mention the heartwarming moments too? Yes , it has those as well.

Vin George just made it onto my auto buy with this story. It’s beautifully written, the characters are engaging and fully defined, and the story incredibly well plotted with new twists on the paranormal species.

If you’re a lover of the paranormal, then I’m recommending this story and author to you. It’s a fabulous read!

https://www.goodreads.com › showFang’d (Evergreen Council #1) by Vin George – Goodreads

https://www.amazon.com › Fangd-V…Fang’d – Kindle edition by George, Vin. Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Synopsis:

Who is the antsy, beautiful guy in my passenger seat? Or rather, what is he?

Wrongly accused of murder and running for his life, Charley took a chance on the hot stranger with a fast car. He didn’t expect the gorgeous Luc to have any insights into Charley’s increasingly strange symptoms. He certainly didn’t expect to learn the fantastical stories he’d heard as a child were true. And he definitely didn’t expect to feel so strongly for someone he only just met.

Luc’s impulsive offer has landed him in charge of a sexy, enticing, not entirely human someone. Charley might have vampire blood. Surely that should make him less attractive and not more? But the mysterious Charley is irresistible, addictive even. Luc is determined to protect him from anyone and anything…mortal or otherwise.

Fang’d is the sexy first book in the Evergreen Council series, featuring a bratty half-vampire on the run, his stubborn wolf-shifter protector, and a fascinating world of supernatural beings hiding in the shadows. HEA. Standalone.

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: The Witch’s Familiar (Familiar Mates #1) by T.J. Nichols

Rating: 3.75🌈

Somehow I missed this series when it began so I’m catching up now. T.J. Nichols Familiar Mates series has nine books to date and The Witch’s Familiar is the one that launches it all.

It’s a entertaining story, full of romance, magical characters, and thrills. I did find it lacking in world building, especially when we land into electro mage Jude Sullivan’s predicament with a paranormal ruling council, The Coven. He’s in real trouble, again, this time he could be stripped of his magic.

Now, it’s assumed and understood through some of the dialogue that the human world and magical exists together, the mundane hasn’t a clue about the paranormal side, and obviously it should stay that way. But as to all the rest of the structure and who the Coven is? Nothing.

Except all the serious stuff that’s implied in bits and pieces throughout the rest of the book. Nichols has left a hole here and hopefully each book will continue to fill in more of the series foundation.

Jude Sullivan is given a mission as a test, complete it successfully and keep his powers or fail and have them removed. Seems a bit excessive. Plus there’s a obvious enemy on the Council.

At the small town where the killings are occurring that Jude needs to investigate is a lone bear shifter, Rob Mackenzie. He’s the town mechanic.

I adore this character. Mack is exactly what you’d want in a bear shifter. His personality suits the regional location and his temperament.

The manner in which Nichols has the two men meet is a tad odd because who jumps to such wild assumptions without any research or clues. It made no sense. It was just one of those ā€œnarratively directedā€ choices that always seem so out of place.

Especially when the later combined dynamics and growing relationship indicates anything but character driven actions.

The creatures, their magical history were amazing, and the investigation/hunt to capture the mystery animal was a great feature. Including Mack’s reaction to everything.

I really enjoyed the romantic aspects of their relationship, but wish they had gone further with the familiar/mate part as it seemed so serious with big ramifications, but we got none of that.

We also had two characters , Jude’s enemy on the Council, and Mack’s ex, each of whom promised more drama. They faded out at the end.

Those are the issues that nagged at me.

The Witch’s Familiar (Familiar Mates #1) by T.J. Nichols is a quick read. Light, suspenseful with a terrific couple. If you can set aside those issues that I mentioned above, you will find this a very satisfying paranormal romance.

I’ve listed the entire series below. I’m onto the next. A vampire with a familiar!

Familiar Mates series:

āœ“ The Witch’s Familiar #1

ā—¦ The Vampire’s Familiar #2

ā—¦ The Rock Star’s Familiar #3

ā—¦ The Vet’s Christmas Familiar #4

ā—¦ The Fire Dancer’s Familiar #4.5

ā—¦ The Detective’s Familiar #5

ā—¦ The Siren’s Familiar #6

ā—¦ The Soldier’s Familiar #7

ā—¦ The Billionaire’s Familiar #8

ā—¦ The Firefighter’s Familiar #9

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Witch’s Familiar (Familiar Mates #1) by T.J. Nichols – Goodreads

Synopsis:

He can hold lightning in his hand, but will love slip through his fingers?

Jude Sullivan has one more chance to prove he isn’t a danger to the paranormal community. If he fails, he’ll be stripped of his magic, a painful process to make a witch human. As a test, the Coven sends him to Mercy South, Colorado, to stop a creature that’s been mutilating cows and scaring the locals. Jude hates cows and small towns. The Coven should’ve sent a nature witch.

Rob Mackenzie is the local mechanic and bear shifter. If the locals knew his secret, they’d run him out of town. He wants someone to really know him and not be afraid. With several chewed-up cows and some other weird happenings, he’s wondering if he’s no longer the strangest creature in Mercy.

After meeting Mack, Jude thinks he’s found the cause of the trouble. But the trouble is only just getting started when Mack realizes he’s Jude’s fated mate. As the cow-mutilating creature starts hunting in town, Mack and Jude will have to stop fighting their attraction and each other, to stop the creature from killing again.

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: The Witch’s Power Play (Covens of Eaton Falls #2) by Mia Monroe

Rating: 3.25🌈

ā€œā€œOkay, I understand.ā€ ā€œGood. I take my leave now.ā€ ā€œThanks for coming.ā€ ā€œI will always come when you ask. I’ll see you soon.ā€ ā€œYes, you will see me soon.ā€ The cat disappears into a slight mist.ā€

— The Witch’s Power Play (Covens of Eaton Falls Book 2) by Mia Monroe

There’s just so much I want to like about this series and story. Monroe is pulling together a interesting history of interwoven supernatural mating and wars, of inter-species bonding and Gods intervention.

All so fascinating that I really want to know where the author is taking the series.

But to navigate through the process of untangling the story threads, a reader must decide what’s their tolerance for characters whose dialogue is either so stilted or so overblown as to take a reader away from the story.

Leo and, here, Presley, the witches, are constantly ā€œgiggling ā€œ. That word is ever present. They had their heads together, giggling. He giggled. They giggled. Nonstop giggling. They also twirl, and just have personalities that, frankly, swing from varying degrees of maturity.

The vampires verbiage is oddly both a combination of something that supposedly sounds ā€œold ā€œ while also trying for hip. If you know what I mean. A strange unwieldy thing that doesn’t work.

Plus they go around carrying their witches as though they were young women from a bodice ripper.

While saying things like ā€˜I’m strangely attracted to him.I think of nothing else.’ Soooo many clichĆ©s here.

The characters themselves have real promise. Presley and Beto? Great dynamics and background. But you need to basically put them on mute after a while because it’s just to much. There’s a nice element of D/s here that is unexpected. But also a eye roll bit with the color pink . So for every one good thing that gets included, there’s bound to be another that’s zany.

There’s also a villain called The Beautiful One.

So. I breezed through this. Next time , if I continue, I’ll have to find a way to mitigate the dialogue and words that seem to populate like bunnies.

In the meantime, for those of you who adore this author, I’m sure you’ll have read it or it’s on your TBR list. It does have some really interesting themes going forward.

Want to know how it’s going? Check it out!

Covens of Eaton Falls:

šŸ”¹Never Trust a Guy With Fangs #1

šŸ”¹The Witch’s Power Play #2

šŸ”¹Vampire’s Make Bad Roommates #3 -July 14,2022

šŸ”¹Cosmic Spells and Vampire Lairs #4 – January 11, 2023

šŸ”¹A Traitor Shows His Hand #5 – March 9, 2023

Note: didn’t that last title seem a bit spoilery? So now we know the traitor is a guy. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to have said A Traitor Shows Their Hand? Hmmmm?

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Witch’s Power Play (Covens of Eaton Falls #2) by Mia Monroe – Goodreads

Synopsis:

How to tame a vampire isn’t in any of my spell books.

My life changed forever the night my coven was attacked. I was scared and alone until my bestie Leo showed up. I trust him with my life. Good thing since he dragged me to the home of a notorious vampire. Even worse, another equally terrifying vampire is in charge of keeping an eye on me.

I did my best to comply and keep my distance from the stoic, domineering man who I shared a room with. I may have tried to flirt with him a couple times, a totally dumb move considering vampires aren’t exactly fans of witches. It didn’t work anyway. Once I was able to get away from him and back to the safety of my coven, I hightailed it out of there. I thought I would quickly forget him. I was wrong.

When we reunite, Beto let’s a surprising secret slip, leading me to make a decision that we both might regret. Who am I to deny a man his need to submit? Will Beto decide to trust me with his desires? Can I learn to keep a vampire in check? Don’t know, but I’m up for the challenge. If the war doesn’t tear us apart first.

The Witch’s Power Play is an MM paranormal romance featuring a subby vampire who just wants to be good for someone, a sassy witch embracing his toppy side, a supernatural war causing havoc, a bunch of really annoying demons who show up at the worst time, and so much pining (at first). It is book two in the Covens of Eaton Falls series. Each book features a different couple with an ongoing conflict and therefore should be read in order.

Review: Never Trust A Guy With Fangs (Covens of Eaton Falls #1) by Mia Monroe

Rating: 3🌈

Mia Monroe is a fairly new author for me, having discovered her in a charity anthology. The cover and title humor of Never Trust A Guy With Fangs had me grabbing this book to see what the author was plotting for her series, Covens of Eatons Falls.

This is a paranormal romance between a vampire and a witch, with the start of a overall series thread about a larger multi-species storyline. There’s suspense, action, murder, and more romances to come.

Stretching over 5 books total I believe. See list and note at bottom.

The characters are nice at the beginning and luckily get stronger as the story goes on. There’s a two person pov, but we start out with the blank slate of one. To my mind it have been more interesting to have gotten the perspective of the one being ,at least ,who had a semblance of a foundation, so the readers had a grounding.

No, we and Leo’s ā€œuh , where are we? Oh, the bed of my enemyā€¦ā€ narrative just doesn’t seem to pull us really into the story. The dialogue runs along the edge of head smackingly idiotic and pearl clutching.

It keeps on in the same way. Hi you going to kill me. No. You going to kill me. No. You smell good. I think I love you. Me too. But we’re Romeo and Julian of the paranormal world. Np. Love is it!

This story and author has some terrific ideas and promise to it. There’s a lot here that , once you get to it , is interesting enough that you want to see how it plays out.

But there’s also enough plot holes (Leo: I can hide what’s happened, oh wait my eyes changed color! Never mind , the bad guys will never notice),silly florid language, and just plain nonsensical elements like the example above. It just interrupts whatever connection you might have had with the characters and storylines. And makes it that much harder to get it back.

The second book features another couple, another witch and vampire bonding that I think has far more chemistry then this pair. It seems to be one with a slight D/s aspect although how’s that going to play out when the witch is a scattered thinking healer (D) and the (s) is a huge vampire guard. Huh.

I love a great paranormal story and series. While this has potential, there’s so much that will put a lot of readers off . So this really isn’t it for me.

But if you adore instant love romances, almost campy dialogue, mustache swirling villains along the line of ā€œyou can’t keep him from usā€, combined with some interesting elements, then I have a book for you.

Covens of Eaton Falls:

šŸ”¹Never Trust a Guy With Fangs #1

šŸ”¹The Witch’s Power Play #2 -May 6,2022

šŸ”¹Vampire’s Make Bad Roommates #3 -July 14,2022

šŸ”¹Cosmic Spells and Vampire Lairs #4 – January 11, 2023

šŸ”¹A Traitor Shows His Hand #5 – March 9, 2023

Note: shouldn’t the author have said A Traitor Shows THEIR Hand? So ok now we know the traitor is a guy?šŸ¤¦šŸ¼ā€ā™€ļø

https://www.goodreads.com › showNever Trust a Guy With Fangs by Mia Monroe – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Waking up in my enemy’s bed is just the start of my problems.

The first rule of being a witch: don’t trust the vampires. My entire life has been filled with stories of our warring covens. We tenuously coexist in the New England city of Eaton Falls, where the locals think we’re merely the stuff of fairy tales and horror movies.

We live life as the mortals do, keeping our magic behind the scenes. Everything is fine until the day I wake up inside notorious Eaton Manor, in the bed of none other than the sexy and terrifying head vampire, Augustus Rainier, with no memory of how I got there.

His presence makes my skin tingle and my heart beat just a little faster. I know the inherent danger of associating with violent, often unpredictable vampires. I’ve got bigger problems, though, when I discover my coven is in hiding, leaving me on my own.

When danger shows up at Eaton Manor, it becomes clear it’s not only the witches in trouble. Both covens need to decide: do we fight separate battles against the same enemy or break every rule in our history and join forces to defeat a common foe? The other major question—will possessive and domineering Augustus let me go when this is over?

Never Trust A Guy With Fangs is an MM paranormal romance. It is book one in the Covens of Eaton Falls series featuring a rebellious twink of a witch with eternal optimism, an edgy vampire with a strong mistrust of witches, two stubborn and quirky covens, a threat from an unknown enemy, and a dangerous desire that could tear apart tradition, all in a beautiful New England backdrop. It is not a standalone.

Review: Dragon It Out (Blackhaven Manor #3) by Arden Steele

Rating: 4.5🌈

Dragon It Out, the third installment in Arden Steele’s Blackhaven Manor series, is my favorite yet. Fated mates is central to this series but instead of the quick mating of the previous novels, this is a slow mating romance, in a novella.

Surrounded by a mystery and full of suspense, with just a fantastic couple at its heart.

Uriah Maddox, dragon shifter , brother to siblings, Skye and Thade, is half of our fated couple. He’s thousands of years old, yet still mired in guilt over a past loss. One that’s keeping him from moving forward with his life, even when he meets his mate.

That’s Kit Meyers, human, and someone clearly in trouble. He arrives at Blackhaven Manor in at most inauspicious way. His car breaks down in the parking lot and he doesn’t have the funds to repair it.

Odd how things meant to be happen at Blackhaven just when they need to.

Scared Kit and huffy Uriah, in full out surly mode, are a great couple. One , a human, in survival mode, the other, a dragon, attempting to flee at every second, avoiding the being he knows to be his mate. Plus two exasperated siblings watching it all.

Combined with a very serious danger to Kit in a past that he’s on the run from? And Dragon It Out is just a great exciting fantasy romance, with a touching romance, and a suspenseful side element.

Steele’s ability to add small scenes with secondary characters in a diner, just make this story that much richer.

I enjoyed everything about this. As I said my favorite so far. And loving this series.

Smooth flowing, well crafted, and really quick romantic reads.

I’m highly recommending this and them.

Onto #4! Grin and Bear it.

Blackhaven Manor Series:

āœ“ Purrfect Harmony #1

āœ“ Night and Fae #2

āœ“ Dragon It Out #3

ā—¦ Grin and Bear it #4

ā—¦ Pixie Little Liar #5

ā—¦ Dead Over Heals #6

ā—¦ Silent Knight #7

https://www.goodreads.com › showDragon It Out (Blackhaven Manor #3) by Arden Steele – Goodreads

Synopsis:

As some of the last remaining dragon shifters in the world, Uriah Maddock and his siblings are regarded as something akin to royalty in the paranormal community. It’s one of the main reasons their hotel has become such a coveted destination for Otherlings. All he wants, though, is to be left alone. He’s not looking for love or romance. In fact, he actively avoids relationships and all their damning consequences. Too bad his meddling sister didn’t get the memo.

Kit Meyers is pretty sure he’s hit rock bottom when his car breaks down in the small, mountain town of Echo Falls. He has no money, no place to live, and no prospects. When a not-so-chance encounter leads him to the infamous Blackhaven Manor, he figures he’ll stay for a few weeks, earn some cash, then head back to the safety of the road. But all that changes when he meets a surly dragon shifter with wounded eyes and even more baggage than himself.

Uriah can’t commit to a houseplant, let alone to being someone’s mate. Convinced that Kit is better off without him, he’s prepared to leave everything behind if that means the skittish human will be safe and happy. Yet, as the days pass, he keeps finding new excuses to stay, until he’s finally forced to admit that he’s not going anywhere.Especially when he realizes he’s not the only dangerous person in Kit’s life.

Review: Principles of Spookology (The Spectral Files #2) by S.E. Harmon

Rating: 5 🌈

Principles of Spookology is an excellent story , and I expect it’s the perfect bridge between the first story where Rain Christiansen, FBI profiler, is a man undergoing huge changes in his life when we meet him. And the final book .

The first? Rain quit his job, went home to Miami . He was denying his ability as a bridge between life and death to help the ghosts he’s seen since early adolescence achieve peace and move forward. Here? Now he’s actually accepting or at least understands he needs some guidance or training of his abilities. Plus the stability in reconnecting with his family and lover has given him the support and strength to work with his paranormal talents.

This story is as much a bridge showing the growing depth and strengthening relationships that Rain is pulling around him in his return to Miami and home as it is the unusual missing persons/murder cold cases his department is working on.

The cases themselves have a way of reinforcing the growing talents of Rain as well as revealing weird information and aspects of the paranormal world that Rain was clueless about.

The author mixes everything together, the romance, the murdered characters who are now ghosts, the poignancy of their cases, the oddball humor and love of the Christianson family, with the structure of law enforcement investigations and death.

It’s fascinating, gripping, and a read you can’t put down. Well written, terrific characters, marvelous plots!

And it’s all leading up to a horrifying case involving a mass murderer on death row, who is asking for Rain to visit him in the last story,Book 3, Spooky Business.

I can’t wait to see how Harmon ties up all the plot threads, brings true acceptance to Rain , his relationship, and a modicum of respect for his Paranormal unit .

I’m moving swiftly on!

I’m highly recommending both preceding stories of this spooky trilogy! Love a romance with a ghostly aspect? Here’s a series you must put on your TBR list!

The Spectral Files : 3 of 3:

āœ“ P.S. I Spook You #1

āœ“ Principles of Spookology #2

ā—¦ Spooky Business #3

https://www.goodreads.com › showPrinciples of Spookology (The Spectral Files, #2) by S.E. Harmon | Goodreads

Synopsis:

No one said being a medium would be easy.


Rain Christiansen, former FBI agent and current cold case detective, is starting to think it’s the hardest job he’s ever had—and the most important. He’s determined to accept all the changes in his formerly well-ordered life, but that means embracing a whole lot of weird. There’s no instruction manual for meshing his work with his medium duties, and he’s painfully aware that he’s flubbing the job. So are the ghosts, who are becoming increasingly impatient. And stronger.


To complicate matters, he’s not sure what these spooktacular developments mean for his relationship. It certainly seems like Daniel McKenna, his partner in work and life, is in it for the long haul. But Rain can’t help but wonder how long that patience will last…and what he’ll do if Danny decides the intrusive ghosts are just too much.


Rain thought accepting his supernatural gifts would be the solution to his troubles. But he’s starting to realize his problems are just getting started.

Review: P.S. I Spook You (The Spectral Files #1) by S.E. Harmon

Rating: 5🌈

I have had author S.E. Harmon on my auto buy for a while now but somehow I missed this spectacular 3-book paranormal series ! I’m rectifying that now and just finished the marvelous P.S. I Spook You.

It’s the first story in Harmon’s The Spectral Files trilogy about a FBI profiler who can communicate with ghosts (he’s a bridge from living to the dead), the Detective he’s loves, and the cases they are involved in.

P.S. I Spook You lays down the complicated history of and between both men.

Rain Christiansen, FBI profiler, left the man he loved, his family, and hometown of Brickell Bay, Florida behind when he thought he was going crazy, seeing ghosts, ghosts who were talking to him. So he ran…all the way to NYC. A new job, drugs, and a doctor who said it was something to be cured.

Detective Daniel McKenna, cold case cop who was left behind with no idea why the man he loved up and ran to NYC.

Harmon details two damaged, haunted men who still are deeply in love with each other. She gives us a remarkable hippy family for Rain that’s a delight and one for Daniel that’s slowly revealed over the course of the book.

But it’s the amazing cold case of a missing girl that reunites them that really makes this story soar. Harmon’s ghosts are so poignant, from the smallest details in their expressions to the changes that happen as memories return. Harmon’s ghosts become tangible and real. Paranormal beings that need help , and Rain is so slow to accept the role he’s obviously been given.

This is a incredible element and I’m heavily invested in how Rain is going to grow into a role that’s he’s so new and unprepared for.

That goes for his partner and their relationship. Harmon’s characters react very humanly. Denial, the avoidance, then communication. Yet you can see the future areas where this ā€œtalentā€ of Rain’s is is quickly becoming a issue between them.

I was so hooked on the characters and storylines I was reading into the early hours. Then started on the next before I just had to stop. These people just got to me.

If you haven’t read this trilogy already? It’s an absolute must. Outstanding plots, fantastic characters and well developed relationships. It’s all here.

Ok I have Principles of Spookology to finish and then it’s onto Spooky Business. I can’t wait. Read all three in the order they are written to understand the plot and characters progression and development.

I’m highly recommending them all.

The Spectral Files 3 of 3:

āœ“ P.S. I Spook You #1

ā—¦ Principles of Spookology #2

ā—¦ Spooky Business #3

https://www.goodreads.com › showP.S. I Spook You (The Spectral Files, #1) by S.E. Harmon – Goodreads

Synopsis:

SSA Rain Christiansen used to be the agency’s golden boy. It just takes one moment of weakness, one slight, tiny, itty-bitty paranormal sighting, and all of a sudden, he’s the agency’s embarrassment. His boss gives him one last chance to redeem himself – go down to Brickell Bay, play nice with the local police, and leave the ghost sightings behind. Rain is determined to do exactly that, even if it kills him.

Cold-case Detective Daniel McKenna’s latest investigation is going nowhere fast. Five years earlier, high school student Amy Greene went missing after leaving her part-time job and was never seen again. Daniel is glad to finally have the FBI help his department requested, even if it does come in the form of his ex.

It doesn’t help that Rain is pretty sure he’s falling in love with Danny all over again – if he ever stopped. Add to that the frustration of seeing ghosts at every turn while he works a case that’s stalled in its tracks, and Rain is starting to wonder if second chances and happy endings are just for fairy tales.