Review: Skeleton Crew (Psycop 14) by Jordan Castillo Price

Rating: 4.5🌈

It’s been a while since I’d read any novels in this series but this author is one I automatically read so it seems like a good time to get back into the universe.

It’s recommended that you be familiar with the characters, their unique histories and backgrounds as well as the series as a foundation for the knowledge required here.

This is a complicated story that involves a layered plot, hidden secrets, beautifully developed mysteries, and an agonizing twist that puts all the cast in all types of imminent danger.

This along with the storyline of a escalating anxiety from main characters, Vic and Jacob, about Jacob’s nephew home alone during a violent storm while the couple who were his caregivers for the weekend find themselves in a increasingly dangerous situation. Without access to WiFi and phones.

Price does a realistic portrayal of the fears and distress both men are experiencing, for the boy and themselves because of the newness of the situation. Then there’s the horrific reality they currently face, of the dark basement and its own extreme dangers.

The scenes in the basement are some of the best in the book. Descriptively, the author is able to bring us down into that scary environment, continuing to elevate the horror and obstacles every one faces and then finally turning it into one poignant but terrifying scenario.

So well written.

And if that ending leaves you with a few chills, it should. That’s the playground for Psycop. Check out the full series to date below.

Psycop:

#1 Among the Living

#2 Criss Cross

#3 Body & Soul

#4 Secrets

#5 Camp Hell

#6 GhosTV

#7 Spook Squad

#8 Skin After Skin

#9 Agent Bayne

#10 Murder House

#11 Bitter Pill

#12 Other Half

#13 Subtle Bodies

#14 Skeleton Crew

Buy Link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Skelet…Skeleton Crew: PsyCop 14: Price, Jordan Castillo

Blurb

Although Victor Bayne is a valued asset of the FPMP, he still vividly recalls his PsyCop days: the eye rolls, the nasty looks, and the occasional utterance of the words “Spook Squad” whenever he showed up on a scene. So he really should empathize with Howard Jibben, the weekend lab manager known as Heebie Jeebie.

But does the guy really need to be so darn annoying?

Thanks to the researcher’s OCD tendencies, when a mysterious shipment arrives, what should be a routine ghost-check turns into an excruciating ordeal…made even worse by a freak incident that leaves them stranded in the FPMP’s basement.

Jacob may be the ranking agent on site, but even he can’t control the weather. Yet given the pressure he puts on himself to master his newfound ability, it’s as if he thinks the burden to free everyone is his alone.

Vic has never put much stock in luck, but the sheer number of disasters raining down on them can’t possibly be pure chance—and things are only getting worse. Is it a curse? Telekinesis? Sabotage?

Or is there something more sinister lurking in the shadows?

PsyCop is an ongoing series filled with supernatural action and delightfully awkward humor–with a steady undercurrent of gay romance. It’s best read in order, so if you’re new to the series, start with PsyCop #1, Among the Living…and prepare for a hauntingly good read.

• Publisher: JCP Books (May 20, 2024)

• Publication date: May 20, 2024

• Language: English

• Print length: 302 pages

PSYCOP SERIES
#1: Among the Living
What good is being a psychic detective if your murder victims aren’t talking?

#2: Criss Cross
Mysterious messages from Lisa lead Vic on a wild ride.

#3: Body & Soul
Three missing people. No bodies. No ghosts. At least the case gets Vic out of an awkward family dinner.

#4: Secrets
Is someone watching Vic’s every move, or is he imagining things? Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.

#5: Camp Hell
Vic delves into his repressed memories of Camp Hell and dredges up more than he bargained for.

#6: GhosTV
Lisa’s gone missing, and Vic and Jacob head to PsyTrain for some answers.

#7: Spook Squad
Victor has been avoiding the exorcism he owes the FPMP. Now it’s time to pay up.

#8: Skin After Skin
A sweeping look at the PsyCop series from Crash’s empathic point of view

#9: Agent Bayne
Victor might be through with the Chicago PD, but is he ready for the FPMP?

#10 Murder House
An undercover gig turns up more than Vic ever imagined.

#11 Bitter Pill
There’s a deadly new drug in town called Kick…and psychs find it irresistible

#12 Other Half
A wedding is stressful enough without a psychic investigation to power through

#13 Subtle Bodies (PsyCop Book 13)

#14 Skeleton Crew

Review: Suddenly Beck (Belong To Me Book 1) by Vawn Cassidy

Rating: 4.5🌈

I’ve read this author’s other paranormal/fantasy books and just love them, so I thought I’d grab up the contemporary romance series written as Wendy Saunders/Vawn Cassidy.

So far I’ve read just the first book but I can see that this is just the beginning of a wonderful new literary journey for me. A accidental one where one runaway Nathan Elliot flips a coin and, after a series of mistakes ends up in the Bay, a small coastal town near Newquay, Cornwall. Literally.

This is a heartwarming, sweet, and captivating story that has a gorgeous location, a memorable large family mourning the loss of its beloved father, a restaurant in need of rescuing, and two wounded men who seem destined for each other.

Suddenly Beck is a book I just immediately sank into, loving the characters, the Bay and all the various relationships that the author has written into this story. There is the growing relationship between Nat and Beck as they maneuver through the present tasks around them, learning slowly about their respective personalities. Then there’s Melanie, Beck’s mother who owns the restaurant and still mourns the loss of Sully her husband and the father of her large family. And all the many other fantastic moments and characters that Cassidy brings so beautifully alive as Nat becomes an integral member of the Bay and Beck’s family.

There’s more, so much more. Nat has a sister with a secret. And that large Ainsley family of Beck’s has many more relationships to share with us.

I can hardly wait.

This coastal town is a place I would love to visit often. I’m not sure the family is large enough! Highly recommended!

Belong To Me:

✓ Suddenly Beck #1

◦ Definitely Deacon #2

◦ Forever Finn #3

◦ Irrevocably Ryan #4

Buy Link

Suddenly Beck: (A Hot & Sweet MM Romance) (Belong to Me)

Blurb:

A surprisingly sweet, sinfully sexy, and deliciously funny romp along the Cornish coast.

Nathan Elliott has run away from home at the age of twenty-six. His teenage rebellion may have come ten years late, but better late than never. Leaving behind a world of wealth and privilege, and a strict patriarchal family that would never except a gay son, he’s ready to embrace life and make up for lost time, but nothing’s ever that simple. A coin toss, a delayed train, and a wrong bus later, and Nat finds himself in a small bay in Cornwall being hauled out of the ocean by a gorgeous stranger and wondering how the hell his life got so off track.

Beck Ainsley lives life by a very simple ethos, don’t get attached, don’t get involved and don’t fall in love. He’s been there, done that and got the t-shirt that reads I’m a gullible idiot. Now, he keeps his life simple; all he needs is his dog, his art, his rambling sea cottage overlooking the bay and a few choice waves to surf. He’s not looking for love or commitment, but when he ends up plucking a posh boy from London with incredible blue eyes from the ocean, Cupid doesn’t just shoot him with an arrow, he decides to club him senseless with the bow too.

One simple agreement. A summer fling, a chance to act on the insane attraction between them with no strings attached, and at the end of the summer they walk away.

There’s just one problem, fate is a fickle and capricious creature, and she has no intention of letting them walk away unscathed. They’re about to discover that sometimes the heart wants, what the heart wants…

From author Wendy Saunders writing as Vawn Cassidy, comes this hot and sweet, first time, MM romance that will leave you laughing out loud and fanning yourself from the heat…

The paperback version of Suddenly Beck contains a bonus short, The Italian Job featuring Nat & Beck

• Publisher: Tangled Heart Press (July 23, 2021)

• Publication date: July 23, 2021

• Language: English

• Print length: 326 pages

Join us for the tour and giveaway for Down the Line by AG Meiers (Other World Ink)

AG Meiers has a new MM romantic suspense book out: Down the Line. And there’s a giveaway.

Revenge is a Dangerous Obsession.

Dean Hunt needs the story of a lifetime—Since his uncompromising attitude got him fired, the investigative journalist is hell-bent to expose the powerful and corrupt Conway family. It’s a career move, and absolutely not a vendetta against the oldest son Noel, who ghosted Dean after a mind-blowing weekend together.

Noel Conway needs a new start—After years away, Noel has come home to rebuild the bridges he’s burned. Too bad his past caused a ripple effect he can’t outrun. Now, he’s asked to save his family from the one man he never expected to see again but can’t forget.

Dean is chasing front-page news, and Noel is trying to protect the ones he loves. But the line between enemies and lovers gets blurred when a dangerous criminal from Noel’s past resurfaces. Will the truth shatter their tentative trust? Or do they have a shot at happily ever after?

But none of that matters when suddenly Noel disappears…

Down the Line, the final book in the award-winning Jake’s Bar series, is a spicy, M/M romantic suspense featuring a rainbow-colored bar full of quirky characters, and all the romance you can handle. So, download today, and get ready to fall in love with Jake’s Bar.

Warnings: smoking cigarettes and weed in the hot tub, kidnapping (on page scenes restrained), verbally abusive father

About the Series:

The award-winning Jake’s Bar series is a set of steamy, M/M romantic suspense novels, featuring a rainbow- colored bar full of quirky characters, and all the romance you can handle.

Universal Buy Link | Amazon

Giveaway

AG is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card with this tour:

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

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47310/?

Excerpt

As Dean reached the top of the staircase, a man stepped out of the shadows in front of his door. Dean straightened his shoulders. “Detective Conway.”

“Hunt.”

In a parallel universe, they might have been friends. They were fighting the same fight. Had the same enemies. In this world, they weren’t brothers in arms. In this world, Dean had been cast as the villain.

“How can I help you this fine morning?”

“Open the door. We gotta talk.”

“Look, it’s been a long night—”

“Just open the damn door.” Conway snarled, pushing into Dean’s personal space.

Dean stood his ground. “Are you here in an official capacity? Because then, the answer is no, I won’t let you in. You have no warrant, no permission to search my property. I don’t consent—”

“Just shut the fuck up. None of us wants this shitshow to be on the record,” Con growled.

Dean, curious, took a step back and raised his empty hand, palm up. “Okay.”

He fished for his key, pushed open the door, and quickly disarmed his alarm system. Conway didn’t wait to be invited in, just crossed the living room, dropped his shearling coat onto the sofa, then walked over to the large window overlooking the river.

The view was the only redeeming feature of Dean’s otherwise-generic apartment. The mess didn’t help. There were dirty dishes piled up in the sink, a pizza box on the breakfast counter separating the cramped kitchen from the living room, and an unmade bed in the other corner of the room.

“For a guy who anxiously waited at my doorstep, you’re awfully quiet.” Dean smirked. “Coffee?”

“No.” Conway turned his back, now studying the row of framed newspaper front pages Dean had hung on the apartment’s interior wall. His personal collection of historic headlines—headlines that changed the world.

The oldest was from July 6, 1776. The Pennsylvania Evening Post, printing the Declaration of Independence on its front page. Next to it, the Daily Telegram, declaring the end of the Second World War. The two most recent, the New York Times’ “OBAMA: Racial barrier falls in heavy turnout” and, of course, the front page the day after 9/11.

Dean had added a few more personal favorites, like Moneta J. Sleet’s photography of Coretta Scott King at MLK’s funeral. The first Black man to win the Pulitzer for journalism.

Conway took his time examining each framed newspaper. Dean already regretted allowing the intrusion into his space. He felt exposed—vulnerable—under silent scrutiny.

Irritated, he started banging around the kitchen. He was in no mood to explain that looking at those headlines every day fueled his ambitions and inspired his dreams. Dean believed with every fiber of his being in the power of a free and independent press.

He turned on the coffee machine and leaned against the counter. As if Conway felt Dean’s angry glare across the room, he finally turned and stared right back. For a moment, they engaged in a silent standoff.

Unease flittered through Dean. Camille had been right. Her brother was seething with anger. And Dean had no fucking idea what he’d done to piss him off. He sighed and shook his head, then took two mugs out of the cabinet and put them onto the island. “Miguel, have a damn coffee. You look like you need it.”

“Says the man who clearly slept in his party clothes and crept home at sunup.”

“Guilty as charged.” Dean shrugged.

Conway curled his lip. “I do not know what my sister sees in you.”

It wasn’t a question, so Dean didn’t bother with an answer. “You wanted to talk? So, talk.”

Instead of talking, though, Conway pulled out a stack of papers. Pushing aside the coffee cups to make room, he spread them out over the counter.

Dean froze. The first blurry photograph featured Dean in another man’s arms. In the next, the same man was pressing Dean against a white porch railing, his own hands tangled in the man’s messy curls. Conway fanned the stack, revealing nearly a dozen more.

Dean and Noel Conway, kissing.

Suddenly, he was there again, the ocean breeze tugging on his clothes. Noel’s warm skin, tasting like sunshine and a hint of salt, his eyes blown with desire. Goddamn, so fucking beautiful, with that shy smile, whispered promises—

Dean’s throat was desert dry. His ragged breath and the hissing of the coffee machine came together like a fucking symphony. “I—”

“Save it. My sister thinks you’re this hotshot journalist. Full of passion. Braving adversity. Motivated by a noble cause. Yeah, fuck that. You’re after my family because Noel pounded your ass, then dropped you like he does everybody else. Your pride—your precious ego—is hurt because you’re just another notch in my brother’s carved-up bedpost.”

Conway grabbed his jacket and walked to the door. He turned and added, “Watch it, Hunt. You got no job. No friends. No prospects. But if you think you’ve reached rock bottom, think again.”

Dean contained himself until he heard his door close with a soft click. Only then did he allow himself to swipe papers, cups, and the fucking photos off his counter. The cups shattered

on the tile floor.

Author Bio

Eighteen years ago, AG Meiers came to the US for adventure and stayed for love. Currently, she lives in New England with her husband and two awesome kids—balancing work, friends and family, and writing.

When she has some free time, her favorite thing to do is travel and visit new places. Her past trips have already brought her to a variety of countries on four continents. She never passes up an opportunity to experience different cultures, diverse people and amazing locations.

Even though she has been dreaming up stories all her life, she has only recently started to write them down and share them with the world. As a writer she loves to put her characters through a lot of challenges, conflict and heartbreak, before she allows them to find their happy-ever-after.

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

Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/ag.meiers.1/

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

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/AG-Meiers/author/B07MCHQH5B

Review: Just George by Mary Calmes

Rating: 4🌈

It’s hard to put a rating to this book and mini-series about a beloved character that’s an important part of two popular series from Calmes.

If you’re a reader unfamiliar with this author and her series, this story won’t have the same appeal as it does for most of the readers who are bringing a wealth of background information , series history, and built in affection with George Hunt, military sniper, blk ops, and now security bodyguard.

For us, we’ve been there as he’s been assigned to Hannah, daughter of US Marshal Sam Kage and Jory Harcourt, niece of billionaire Aaron Sutter , George’s boss, and witnessed all their personal travails and relationship growth in true friendship. George is a strong personality and, even narratively, when his physical absence is noted, it’s made use of by the author in the various plot lines.

Scary competence is attractive. So it’s not surprising that everyone was clamoring for George’s story.

Parts of the beginning of the story have been mentioned or a part of other stories, but from other main characters perspectives. Now it’s flipped over to George’s point of view.

We get to see the moment George, through Hannah, really connects with

Kurt, Hannah’s therapist from a recent attempt on her life. It’s a little rocky at the beginning but as Calmes’ story reveals more of George’s past experiences and adolescence, how he relates to people becomes realistic.

Kurt, feeling one dimensional, adds depth and detail to his character as the events and story progresses. I go from not immediately connecting with Kurt, to liking him more and more by the end.

As always, Just George comes to a finish way too soon. All it’s proven is that George and now his relationship with Kurt need much more than one book to satisfy our need to know what happens next.

Love this.

With George:

✓ Just George #1

✓ Wintering with George #2

Connected Series:

A Matter of Time – 6 books

Marshals – 6 books

Buy Link

Amazon

Blurb;

George Hunt can think of nothing he’d like more than to skip the high-society fundraiser where he has to guard a precocious seventeen-year-old girl and her judgmental therapist, but there’s no way out of it. If anything bad were to happen and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself. So even though she’s grilling him about his dating life and the good doctor is psychoanalyzing him, he’s going to soldier on, because protecting his charges is what a knight does.

What he doesn’t count on is having to use both his training and his gun to make it through the night, or finding the last thing he ever expected… someone who actually sees him, not for the man he is, but for the man he could be with just a little bit of love.

Review: Just George by Mary Calmes

Rating: 4🌈

It’s hard to put a rating to this book and mini-series about a beloved character that’s an important part of two popular series from Calmes.

Scary competence is attractive. So it’s not surprising that everyone was clamoring for George’s story.

Parts of the beginning of the story have been mentioned or a part of other stories, but from other main characters perspectives. Now it’s flipped over to George’s point of view.

We get to see the moment George, through Hannah, really connects with

Kurt, feeling one dimensional, adds depth and detail to his character as the events and story progresses. I go from not immediately connecting with Kurt, to liking him more and more by the end.

As always, Just George comes to a finish way too soon. All it’s proven is that George and now his relationship with Kurt need much more than one book to satisfy our need to know what happens next.

Love this.

With George:

✓ Just George #1

✓ Wintering with George #2

Connected Series:

A Matter of Time – 6 books

Marshals – 6 books

Buy Link

Amazon

Blurb;

Review: Fake Dates and Fanged Mistakes (Fanged Mistakes Book 1) by Alice Winters

Rating: 5🌈

I’m an Alice Winters fan and this latest book is a prime example why. Fake Dates and Fanged Mistakes is the first in Winters new Fanged Mistakes series and contains all the best of a Winters novel experience.

Her characters are intelligent with at least one having a history that’s incredibly tragic or traumatic. The dialogue is witty, fast paced, sarcastic , and filled with humor. Same often applies to the scenes of tension, where the interaction between the characters is interspersed with moments of humor and quiet understanding is used as a basis for the solidification of the relationship, as it so often does here with werewolf Julian and vampire Casimir.

It helps that Winters has created a strong group of characters, including a poodle Gustov, that supports the couple in a number of ways, comedic, action wise, and emotionally compelling.

I spent so much of this book cackling over the dialogue, finding total enjoyment in the dynamic between Julian and Casimir that Winters is developing that the story just flew by.

There’s a faint mystery that’s surrounds Julian’s character but that’s left for future stories to unravel. Plus we have a fabulous grumbling romance in progress between a human detective and Casimir’s second in command sorta , these two alone had me howling! All kinds of shenanigans galore and a nasty villain to boot!

Really, this is golden Alice Winters. A fabulously scripted and gloriously entertaining narrative that had me laughing out loud and ready to read it once again when I was done.

I’m highly recommending this and ready for the next in the series.

Fanged Mistakes:

✓ Faked Dates and Fanged Mistakes #1

◦ Dire Straits and Entwined Fates # 2 – March 12, 2024

Buy Link:

Fake Dates and Fanged Mistakes

Blurb:

Julian:

This week hasn’t gone the best for me unless you count Casimir, the sexy ancient vampire, bringing me back from the brink of death (and tying my fate to his in the process). Not that it matters if the werewolves and vampires don’t stop their ridiculous feud, because someone is targeting them and widening the divide between our communities with each body they leave in their wake.

But as the alpha’s son, I have a plan to fix everything. I’m going to convince Casimir to fake date me to show the others that we can work together.

I mean… what could go wrong?

Casimir
Everything.

Literally everything could go wrong. Who is actually going to believe that I want this joke-cracking, cute werewolf tagging alongside me?

Honestly, do I even care if people get along? I really think I have much more important things to do than going on hardware store dates, learning the torturous art of holding hands, and attending awkward family dinners, like… staring at my dog… and… I’m sure there’s something else.

Okay, fine, maybe this whole fake dating scheme isn’t the worst idea that I’ve come across in the past five hundred years, but it’s definitely in the running. The two of us are just going to have a bit of fun while I stop whoever’s hunting down the vampires and werewolves… right?

Fake Dates and Fanged Mistakes has a sunshiny yet stubborn werewolf who just wants everyone to get along, dang it; a bored vampire who isn’t nearly as aloof as he wants to appear; paper napkins trying (and failing) to stand in for clothes; some awesome swordsmanship; and the last thing you’d expect to find in a secret cupboard.

Review: Perfectly Charmed Pixie: Parsnip’s Story (Perfect Pixie #3) by M. J. May

Rating: 5🌈

May’s Perfect Pixie series just took a decidedly darker turn in an already beautiful and layered world. Much like the vibrantly colored, glittery pixies the stories have been written about, Perfectly Charmed Pixie has at its heart, one Parsnip, a well known social pixie, as famous for his unusual aquamarine color as he is for his cable television series.

But the truth is on the cover. Parsnip’s fabulous Aqua is a fake. In reality, he’s faded to a ombré grey shadow. The lack of color born of trauma and the fact he was a prisoner of a pixie dust addict for months who drained him.

Yes, this story has a pixie dealing with his ongoing struggles with depression, PTSD, anxiety, and the very real consequences of his past. All by staring in a mirror. Plus Parsnip is fighting multiple internal and external battles here. With his fans and the Network over the expectations for his appearance, his insecurities, and his real fears for himself.

May has really outdone herself here. Because the series themes and world building just expanded in several quiet horrific ways.

Addiction to pixie dust has been mentioned before in the previous books but now we see the consequences. And worse . Because Parsley, Parsnip’s brother, is running a recovery home for those pixies saved from trafficking operations. But that’s still a minor aspect of the narrative.

A huge one is the warlock, Vander Kines, a fantastic character. Guardian to a young brownie, Byx, Vander owns a small shop that makes magical charms and he’s barely making ends meet. Mostly due to the fact he’s got a strong moral compass and won’t take jobs he feels is wrong or unlawful.

Vander and his ward, Byx, have a warm family relationship with a loss of a loved one that connects them. That beautiful dynamic carries over into the one that starts when Parsnips contacts Vander out of desperation.

Vander and Parsnips emotionally exist, at the beginning, outside of the circle of friends who form the basis of the strengths of the strange pairings here. But the subtle similarities in Parsnip’s relationship and personality bring them together with pixies Phil and Peaches, along with their fated mates. I loved this journey and all the tiny elements that the author wove into it. Btw? Those hair clips of Byx’s are incredible!

May’s attention to detail, however, is never lost by the sheer texture and depth of the new storylines being added into the universe, the darkness that is now so much closer to the characters than we thought, and new awareness of old dangers brought to light.

The different Pixie relationships are loving and unusual, the many beings who are important to the inner circle are expanding their storyline, and a new realm has opened up.

There’s so many key issues that May puts into play at various stages in the narrative that it’s chilling watching how they slowly develop into something more complex and threatening than has ever been hinted at before. It happens with whispers and the occasional nod from the characters that something is definitely amiss and will need to be investigated. Or something even more serious.

I got delicious shivers and a whole new appreciation for this author’s style and craftsmanship in this book and series.

The fourth book has a title. Is it part of a new series or this one? It’s most definitely connected. I needs it now I do.

Not familiar with this author? This is a fabulous place to start, with this series. But they really must be read in the order they are written in because of the relationships and events that occur that are building the foundation.

If I could give higher ratings I would.

Perfectly Charmed Pixie: Parsnip’s Story (Perfect Pixie #3) by M. J. May is a must along with the prior stories!

Absolutely gorgeous covers!

Perfect Pixie:♥️

✓ Perfectly Imperfect Pixie #1

✓ Perfectly Perfect Pixie #2

✓ Perfectly Charmed Pixie #3

Next: and part of this series/universe

◦ Perfectly Perplexing Zombie: Wendall’s Story – late fall/winter 2023

Buy Link:

Perfectly Charmed Pixie: Parsnip’s Story (Perfect Pixie Series Book 3)

Blurb:

Youthful arrogance and misplaced trust left Parsnip’s once beautiful aqua colors little more than shades of muted gray. As a social pixie and host of a popular TV show, Parsnip desperately needs to fool everyone into believing he’s that same, stunningly colorful creature. Warlock-made charms are all Parsnip needs to keep up the rouse. But the financial cost is high, and each activated charm steals more of his life force. Despite this, Parsnip’s willing to pay any price. After all, who would want a faded pixie?

Everyone knows warlocks have no moral compass. But if that’s true, why does Vander Kines turn down more commissions than he accepts? Barely able to keep a roof over his head, his shop open, his brownie ward fed, and beer in the fridge, Vander should jump at the large sums of money clients are willing to throw in his direction. But no amount of cash is worth the cost of his soul, and his only true concern is keeping the young brownie safe.

When a magical mishap with Parsnip’s warlock sends the pixie through Vander’s door, Vander refuses his request until he discovers Parsnip is his one and only. Now, he will go to any lengths to make Parsnip happy—even trading his own life force in place of Parsnip’s.

Unfortunately, Parsnip isn’t fooling everyone, and a witch with a vendetta is determined to expose his secret, and she’s willing to kill Vander and hand Parsnip over to his worst ogre nightmare to get what she wants.

True, unvarnished love is hard to find and sometimes even harder to accept. Having found it, Parsnip’s willing to do anything to keep it safe…even if that means giving up his charmed life.

Perfectly Charmed Pixie is the third book in the Perfect Pixie series. It can be read as a stand alone but would be more enjoyable if the first two books in the series are read first.

Perfectly Charmed Pixie contains beautiful pixies—no matter what their colors, an ornery yet clever brownie, a morally sound warlock, pixie dust addicted ogres, good and bad witches, a questionably reformed siren, more honeysuckle mead, magic, and finding your perfect, other half.

Review: Exercising a Demon (Possessive Love) by H. L. Day

Rating: 4.25🌈

Possessive Love is a 15 multi-author book series about demons in love. I love to explore a collection like this because of the opportunities to revisit authors I already enjoy to finding new ones to discover.

In the case of Exercising a Demon (Possessive Love) by H. L. Day it’s an author I’m happily familiar with. Day is on my auto read list and Exercising a Demon is a terrific sample for those readers not familiar with the author to get a feel for Day’s work.

Our main characters in this paranormal love story are a human named Jacob and a demon named Valvach. Jacob is sort of a human magpie when we meet him. He loves things sparkly and shiny, without looking like them too closely. Like the man he formed an immediate crush on and has decided he wants to become his boyfriend. All based on just seeing him.

Then there’s Valvach, a demon who doesn’t exactly fit in with the rest of his demonic family and their love for the family work in Hell. Valvach prefers reading, being helpful, and, adores animals. Not great characteristics for the lower realms.

The two meet cute and then everything becomes immediately more adorable as clueless bumps up against almost blind determination until reality and a family from hell wants to set things right.

The relationship is slow to develop but so cute. The characters are clueless but engaging, and their goals are so very important and rewarding that it’s easy to cheer them on.

Exercising a Demon (Possessive Love) by H. L. Day is the second book I’ve read in this collection and it’s another winner. Funny, with lovely characters. A definite recommendation.

Now to see what the next one has to offer!

Check out the rest of the Possessive Love series! 15 books by 15 authors

◦ A Slice For My Demon by K.L. Hiers & Mozzarus Scout

◦ Cuddly Demon by Aster Rae

✓ My Demon Husband by Jax Stuart ♥️

✓ Exercising A Demon by H.L Day ♥️

◦ Drop Dead Demon by B. Ripley

◦ The Demon’s Dealbreaker by Delaney Rain

◦ My Demon Rebound by Ashlynn Mills

◦ Curiosity Caught the Demon by Travis Beaudoin

◦ My Saintly Demon by RM Neill

◦ Terrible Lovely Demon by Odessa Hywell

◦ Son of the Arch Demon by Amanda Meuwissen

◦ Recalling My Demon by Colette Davison

◦ The Demon Undertaker by Alex J. Adams

◦ Gift for a Demon by Emily Alter

Buy Link:

Exercising a Demon: An MM paranormal romance

Blurb:

Love comes in all shapes and sizes. And sometimes it has horns and a tail.

Jacob’s in love. Again. Only, his future husband likes muscular men, and Jacob, well… isn’t. A few sessions at the gym, and he’ll have the leather-clad motorcycle courier eating out of his hand, though. And no, he won’t switch his attentions to his hot new personal trainer. Honestly, he won’t.

Valvach’s not your typical demon, preferring books over torture. Which goes down about as well as you’d expect in Hell. A move to the surface gives him the opportunity to start anew. To stay, he’s going to need to make a friend, someone to help him blend in. And sweet, curly-haired Jacob is the perfect candidate. If he can’t lick him, he can at least spend time with him.

When friendship blossoms into a passion that knows no bounds, Jacob and Val believe they’ve found the perfect match in each other. However, Hell isn’t so accommodating, and they find themselves with a fight on their hands to prevent being torn apart and relegated to different planes of existence.

Exercising a Demon is a MM paranormal romantic comedy featuring a demon who’s more of a lover than a fighter, a human who might finally have found the man/demon of his dreams, steamy sexual liaisons involving a tail, and a sweet demon/human pairing who accept each other for who they are and embrace each other’s quirks.

Review: Hellhounds Never Lie (Willow Lake Supernaturals, #1) by Lori Ames

Rating: 4🌈

Hellhounds Never Lie is the first in a new series, Willow Lake Supernaturals, by Lori Ames, an author I’m not really familiar with. I really enjoyed getting acquainted with her writing with Hellhounds Never Lie. It’s location is the town of

Willow Lake, a mixture of humans and supernaturals living together, albeit unknowingly by the small group of humans. It’s considered a haven for supernaturals, a safe sanctuary for all , regardless of pack or political affiliation.

Into this comes a badly wounded fire mage looking for a new home. This is Ash, whose escape from a criminal ex, and a DV and DA situation , has left him with scars inside and out. Ash is a lovely character and one easily invested in.

Ames has created an entire community of characters here to carry over from book to book. Alpha werewolf without a pack that’s part of the entire series arc, a Hellhound police captain, a cat whose supernatural identity isn’t revealed, and on it goes. So many magical hijinks afoot here, especially in the bar that’s the watering hole and gathering place for the town.

Dillon, the new Hellhound the arrives seeking Willow Lake, but ends up a misdirected at the beginning, is also a good character. He fit in well with a wounded fire mage and they have great chemistry. It makes the fated maté’s aspect easy to accept.

Some of the elements here by Ames just telegraph their intentions too easily. As in certain characters might as well have narrative red arrows above them pointing downward saying “bad guy, something wrong here”. So when at the point in the storyline they , gasp, show up as , well, bad, you’re not surprised. That’s why the ratings not higher.

But Ames is able to make a reader feel connected to the town and enough of the characters that, even with the predictable aspects of the plot and some minor characters, the enjoyment isn’t lost. Plus I’m curious about Ash’s best friend on the other side of those texts and he gets the next novel! And there is the ongoing mystery left to solve.

So I’m definitely invested in this series and author going forward. The DV/DA (off page) was handled with sensitivity and the mystery is good. I like the characters and the relationships as they develop. So onward to the next!

And a definite recommendation for this!

Willow Lake Supernaturals:

✓ Hellhounds Never Lie #1

◦ Wolves Always Bite #2 – Nov 1, 2023

Buy Link:

Hellhounds Never Lie: MM Paranormal Romance (Willow Lake Supernaturals Book 1)

Blurb:

A mage without magic. A hellhound without a home. A greedy wolf pack in the hills.

Ash is technically a fire mage, but he can’t do much. Turning his bedroom lights on and off without having to get out of bed isn’t exactly awe inspiring, not when anyone with the right gadget could clap and do the same thing.

Worse, sometimes he senses something bigger and brighter lurking under his skin, and it feels so familiar he knows it has to be his magic, but then he burps or sneezes, and the feeling passes. So it’s probably just allergies… or gas.

Yeah… Not exactly brimming with magical oomph. Not anymore.

It sucks.

But things start to change when he finds Dillon, a hellhound, being chased through the woods by an angry wolf pack. He is instantly smitten and it’s like something inside him unlocks. What’s even crazier is Dillon seems to think Ash still has magic… and now Ash isn’t sure what to believe.

What he does know is he’ll do what needs to be done to protect his friends and the little supernatural town of Willow Lake from the dirtbag wolves in the hills. Even with his magic on the fritz he can help, right? And, with Dillon at his side, what could possibly go wrong?

Tags: a hellhound looking for a home, a fire mage without magic, a talking cat, a small town full of supernatural beings, size difference (BIG hellhound, small mage), fated mates, Ash has scars inside and out, Dillon wants to hurt people who hurt Ash, Ash is always cold (hello, big fluffy pink sweaters even in summer), and a curious human BFF who knows nothing about supes but has a very active imagination.

Review: Dragon’s Dawn (To Kill a King, #1) by Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes

Rating: 2🌈

Upon completion, I’ve found that there’s a few interesting things about the book and some really problematic aspects of the story that make it less compelling reading.

Let’s start with the world building. Half of the information and history or perhaps less, is included here. And that arrives at the end of the story. Which means the reader and actually the characters are operating on incomplete knowledge and assumptions.

We can assume the world is based on arranged marriages that has nothing to do with affection. The people here are bonded to animals. When that started and why ? Don’t know, no history. We get zero information about how each being acquired it’s bonded animal. Only that the type of animal is indicative of status. Dragon high, I would imagine mouse low, or something. Blood has something to do with it but what is not specified.

So immediately, some of the most important and intriguing elements are missing. This type of choice continues throughout the book. Even worse is that when some of the missing pieces are hinted at, as in many children tragically die because the father has forced them to bond with animals they can’t control, do we get more? No. It’s dropped completely and not brought back up.

Instead the reader is dumped into a politically charged situation that we won’t be given any time to “hear about “ or process the various family members of Genys, the MC who’s to be married off the the man bonded to a dragon, Prince Mikhail Vasiliev. The royal family is the Vasilievs and there’s a whole Russian themed world going on here with dachas and other Russian elements, but it’s haphazard at best. Russian names, objects, but Kings not Czars. Should have just gone with it.

We get no sense of who Genys is before he’s married and actually not much of one after. He’s a very young 19 years old, who’s been protected by a strong mother. Genys is bonded to a mink, Grusha. Mink cute , no magic. But his character traits are all over the map. He’s an innocent but he’s not. Socially adept but not. He’s a sexual person but he’s a young 19 who’s been protected by his mother and out of his element. The authors did such a weak job of creating Genys that it’s hard to establish a connection with him.

Now another thing about this aspect of the universe, there’s no magic . The main one seems to be the one where you and the animal are one in a bonded sort of way here. So Genys gets a cute pet basically and Mikhail/Misha gets a dragon to ride if the dragon is amenable and not a jerk. But if something happens to the animal, it happens to the person too, a fact acquired later in the story. So it’s a narrative tool primarily for the plot for book 2. So they are one and the same but they aren’t the same.

Please define the elements when it’s this important to your story, authors.

Is that substance enough in the form it’s in to make this element a huge aspect of the book? Not here it’s not. It’s just missing too much foundation.

Both authors reach wide when going for a wider arc and plot line but they focus more on book 2 than on the story that’s laying the foundation for the series and events that follow. How do I know this? They include the first chapter of book 2 at the end of this story. SMH. Incredibly frustrating to see those events that should have been folded in here in some manner.

That’s like saying, if you are running a race, “ok I’m going to have to move sections of it around, let me get back to you about the map. “

And no I didn’t even like the romance, not that there was any, or relationship ( not much of that either) between the two main characters. No chemistry, no communication, zero respect. But they then immediately say I love you. Yes , it’s one of those.

The more I think about it, the problematic area far outweigh the few interesting ones. And there’s a King who’s not in his right mind but that’s not even a minor issue here. So much isn’t even addressed because there’s such a lack of world building, the animal bonding is nonsensical, and that’s a major part of the series.

When there’s an issue with even the smallest to the largest of characters, then the narrative becomes a storyline that’s constantly stumbling.

I’m surprised to find that with Sam Burns. And I won’t be recommending this.

To Kill A King series:

✓ Dragon’s Dawn #1

◦ Dragon’s Dusk #2 – Sept 28, 2023

Buy Link:

Dragon’s Dawn (To Kill a King Book 1)

Blurb:

Trapped in an arranged marriage with a beast of a prince, Genya has nothing but his beauty and wits to help him survive.

For nineteen years, I have carved myself into a dutiful son, a courtier of unimpeachable wit, and a genuine delight at a tea party. Now that my success in society has planted me in the path of Mikhail Vasiliev, it’s clear I’d have been better off keeping my head down.

Prince Mikhail is the second son of a traitor. Third in line to the throne, he has a reputation for violence, debauchery, and being a thorn in the side of his cousin, King Dmitri. That is, until the king decides to get him out of the way—by marrying him off.

To me.

Suddenly prince of a brutal, frozen land, I have no choice but to spy on my father’s behalf. From the morning of our wedding, my beastly husband and I have been at odds, but if I cannot win him over, I’ll find myself in the jaws of his colossal red dragon.

By the time I realize there is more between us than hostility and mistrust, it is too late. The die has been cast, the knife thrust, and our private battle is set to topple the whole kingdom.

Beauty gets tied to a real beast in this MM high fantasy romance, featuring: the cutest companion mink to ever bite the hand of a prince, two reluctant husbands who hate each other everywhere but between the sheets, and a heap load of court intrigue to ensure things go perfectly wrong for our murderhimbo and his slinky courtier beau.

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