I just love this and fell deeply under the spell of Winnie Rodriquez as he conquered not only Paris but his wonderful, brilliant professor, Dr. Alistair Creighton.
One of the many things I appreciate about this novel is the absolute joy I can see the author took in writing this. Itās everywhere, in every aspect of the book. The places that Winnie and Alistair travel to and visit while in Paris are all museums, shops, and special spaces that Hayes herself has been and the affection and love shines in her descriptions. Her views of Paris and the surrounding areas mirror Winnieās in so many ways in the wonderful outlook and appreciation.
I can also see the creativity and passion for this story in the outright hilarity of the conversations, dialogueās between Winnie and Alistair as they learn about each other, that joyful and deeply rooted in how special each is.
These characters are beautifully real, aware, vividly written, gorgeous characters. I couldnāt look away from the pages and their journey into a relationship and love. And Paris was a stunning background for them to discover that they were perfect for each other and fit together.
I could see both Winnie and Alistair so clearly, their personalities and clothes were as finely detailed as everything else.
My one quibble is I wanted more. One book isnāt nearly enough for this couple whoās spread across multiple countries. I would love to see them together again in books to come.
The fabulous stylist, the absentminded professor, and a Parisian adventureā¦
Winnie
Someone once said, when life gets you down and youāre feeling blue, brush yourself off and go to Paris!
Okay, maybe that was me.
Hey, I donāt regret taking an oddball assignment to assist a British professor abroad. I could use a break from my life as an aspiring hair and style guru in LA. The only worrisome snag is that the professor is determined to do everything on his own.
Not acceptable. Iām here to help the impossibly smart geek with mismatched socks who just happens to be my best friendās boss.
No, I donāt know nothing about history, but Iām nothing if not resourceful. What could go wrong?
Alistair
Iāve been called an absent-minded professor more than once. I donāt mind at all. My work is important and living on a diet of biscuits and tea while delving into ancient civilizations doesnāt seem so terrible. But Paris calls. And somehow, I have a new temporary assistant.
Winnie is a technicolor, whirlwind American with a wicked laugh and the subtlety of a steamroller. Heās brash and ridiculous andā¦funny, warm, lovely, andā
Oh no. This canāt be happening. I swore Iād never fall for anyone again.
Winnie can take Paris, but he canāt take my heart.
Every reader has comfort reads and comfort authors. Mary Calmes is one of mine. Sheās happily ever after. I know her heroes without even looking at her name on the cover. Theyāre highly competent in their abilities, gorgeous (whether they acknowledge it or not), full of warmth and kindness, especially for a certain inner circle of people. They shine.
And fall in love, usually deeply , quickly and forever. And Calmes makes a great story for their romantic journey to the point we believe in them.
They are fixers in a highly specialized agency, Torus Intercession, which has a unique and often powerful clientele. But the fixers themselves often have need of fixing as much as the people they are hired to work with. And the romance between them is quick, combustible, and as memorable as the men themselves.
I definitely have my favorites in the series. And while Get A Fix might not be quite at that level, I definitely enjoyed this story and the couple. Itās very close.
Thatās due to Cooper Davis, the Torus fixer. I fell in love with him as he helped Ainsley Cushing, mom to big brood and having airport meltdown along with Gemma, 2, at the Bangor International Airport. Its there we got to know him, watch him interact with Gemma,2, fill a overwhelmed Ainsley about himself as he helps her get her stroller and get back together before meeting up with her husband coming in on the next flight.
Thereās sequence after sequence of heartwarming moments, real and genuine in their ability to ground us in this character and the family we will get to know better.
Ashford Lennox appears at the wedding location, an Inn thatās not exactly what the bride or anyone else expects. Under construction, ghostly fog instead of photographic backdrop worthy snow covers the Bay and surrounding landscape, and the wedding party is a stressful affair. As youād imagine. All beautifully written and executed.
I enjoyed Ash. This relationship, as new as it is, is understandable. They both realize it is a hard like and lust with amazing potential. They want to see where it goes. I think thatās a great foundation here. The chemistry is sizzling and they are a terrific team.
Thereās other smaller elements I appreciated. Iām not sure if everyone will agree with me on this. The ex and how he was handled is one of those. I think he was very well done. Yes, heās an appalling man. But even those people have a right not to be outed. For me, Calmes made calm thoughtful choices about him. Iām sure others wanted a more dramatic comeuppance.
The ending was a bit abrupt but Iām hopeful that we see more of them in the upcoming wedding.
For me, this was another winner in a series I really enjoy.
Simply because your world collides with a shooting star doesnāt mean thatās a sign, does it?
Cooper Davis has a nice life heās quite fond of. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a job he excels at. As a fixer with Torus Intercession, heās entrusted with the well-being of the people relying on his guidance. He is protector, guardian, but most of all, as his boss always says, everyone needs to be better off once he leaves. The issue is, when heās asked to watch over the actor Ashford Lennox, heās not sure that leaving is what he wants to do.
Ashford Lennox is a movie star on the rise. He has everything heās ever wanted, except someone to love and call his own. Heās learned over the years that home is not a place but sharing a life with one special person you can count on. When he meets the man tasked with keeping him safe during a wedding, itās like a lightning bolt. Suddenly he can see his whole future unfolding.
Being on the same page is an epiphany for both, now if they could just make it to the happily ever after without getting shotā¦
K.J. Charles has written another delightful novel in the Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune series, The Duke at Hazard. Here, a severely insulated Duke is robbed of his ducal ring during an anonymous encounter . To get it back, he makes a bet that he undertakes the task without use of his power and authority. For a month. If he loses, he forfeits his greys, his beloved horses.
Charles does a fantastic job in establishing the personality of Severn at the beginning of the story, then as a man out of his depth on this mission, then again as one who is finally finding himself on the road. Itās an astonishing journey of development and growth. And it happens along with that of another personās remarkable story, and their relationship.
Severn becomes Cassian and journey companion to Daizell Charnage, a disgraced noble whose is helping him retrieve his ring . Along the way, each has experienced so much that they are able to recognize the men they both are , together and individually.
Itās a terrific story, the characters are well written, the universe authentic, and the relationship that builds is one that feels believable in its growth and obstacles encountered.
Additionally , Charles has included so many beautifully crafted side characters and well thought out elements here that together all add up to a truly satisfying experience for the reader. We enter into the story involved in Severnās journey and then get fully invested until the final sentence.
There were a couple of things that I had issues with. One was the character of Leo, Cassianās cousin. He was the one who prompted the bet, but it was his gambling problems that were real reason behind Leo wanting Cassianās greys. And his attitude of entitlement and expectations from Cassian was deplorable. It made Leo a ātiresomeā personality throughout the story, even afterwards when things had been resolved. I wonder if Charles realizes how thoroughly obnoxious he came across.
Lastly, the end feels too abrupt. Weāre told what their future might look like but little is actually shown. Itās just cut off. I wish we might have been given a glimpse or two. That would have been very satisfying. But itās a good ending and ties things together really well.
If you want to know further about the details of this story, see the authorās notes on the development of that all important card game and why the term silhouette isnāt used here. If youāre thinking about authenticity, this is exactly why everything rings so believable here. Charles does the work and layers it into the narrative. It shows in the depth and details.
Iām highly recommending this to all lovers of historical fiction and romance. And fans of this author, of course!
The Duke of Severn is one of the greatest men in Britain.
Heās also short, quiet, and unimpressive. And now heās been robbed, after indulging in one rash night with a strange man who stole the heirloom Severn ring from his finger. The Duke has to get it back, and he canāt let anyone know how he lost it. So when his cousin bets that he couldnāt survive without his privilege and title, the Duke grasps the opportunity to hunt down his ring-incognito.
Life as an ordinary person is terrifyingā¦until the anonymous Duke meets Daizell Charnage, a disgraced gentleman, and hires him to help. Racing across the country in search of the thief, the Duke and Daizell fall into scrapes, into trouble-and in love.
Daizell has been excluded from polite society, his name tainted by his fatherās crimes and his own misbehaviour. Now he dares to dream of a life somewhere out of sight with the quiet gentleman whoās stolen his heart. He doesnāt know that his lover is a hugely rich public figure with half a dozen titles. And when he finds out, it will risk everything they haveā¦
āOnce more we bid you Welcome, Travelers, to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries! Join us for another round of fantastic, space-and-time spanning tales by a talented group of some of the best authors to be found in M/ M romance. Whether you enjoy mystery, action, danger, or just sweet romance, there is something for everyone at the Carnival!ā
Many of this authorās books are on my fantasy rec list, and I always look forward to her novels. So when I saw that the multi-authors series, Carnival of Mysteries , was releasing a 2024 group of stories, I was excited to see The Wrong Familiar: Carnival of Mysteries 2 by Megan Derr among them.
The Wrong Familiar is a story that carries so many of the great qualities that I think of when reading a Derr novel. It has a great story, as well as characters that tug at you emotionally by their depth of personality and often angst-laden histories. The themes of loss, grief, self discovery, and love are woven together in a magical journey that culminates in a dramatic ending and our heroes happily sharing a home and a future.
As with so many of Megan Derrās characters and the worlds she has created for them to inhabit, one book isnāt enough for all the exploration i want in this world and story. Thereās so much detail and depth I needed to learn more about. That cave? We donāt see them returning there?
And itās also the main characters themselves. Ninos, a sylven mage who has spent his whole life, since the age of 5, under the care and supervision of the professors and Headmaster of Havenbright Academy of Magic in the Iron Strike Mountains. He undergoes a tremendous transformation, from the insulated, naive young man he is at the beginning to the strong, independent, intelligent and powerful mage we recognize at the end. One who has just begun to learn how to connect with and explore the range of his abilities. More, I definitely have to read more about Ninos.
And with him, thatās Sinn, his Raven familiar, partner in all things magical and a mischievous mind of his own. Sinnās journey is part of the storyās twists and turns here but heās a fabulous character. Sinn too needs further exploration.
Derrās narrative delivers action packed sequences, lovely animals as side characters, her usual wild imagery in terms of aspects of elements that effect the characters, and just intriguing notions thrown hither and yonder that subtly make you wonder.
Is the plot and overall story perfectly crafted? No, the family that all but abandoned Ninos is embraced without question or hesitation. The family themselves barely outlines. That section needed further attention.
Also when the villain appears, whereās his familiar? Although Derr gave us the answer as to what happens to them afterwards. That was a very good idea. Tie up that part beforehand.
My other concern was either an editor issue or possibly printing one. But it does show that even a small mistake shouldnāt be overlooked.
Towards the beginning, on one page a secondary characterās name is Tarsok. But several paragraphs later and he appears as Tarkan. Later on when heās come back into the narrative, his name has reverted back to Tarsok. Itās a small mistake , one that could have been easily corrected. But wasnāt. And it made me doubt and double check every single name and title in the book instead of totally investing myself into the journey as I should have done.
Things like this take me out of the story and disconnect me from the characters. And itās a quick fix. FYI.
The Wrong Familiar: Carnival of Mysteries 2 by Megan Derr is a book I highly enjoyed and one Iām recommending. Check it out alongside the new stories in this series.
Again, terrific covers.
Carnival of Mysteries 2 -2024
š¹Rook’s Time by Kim Fielding (sequel to Crowās Fate-2023)
š¹The Wrong Familiar by Megan Derrā
š¹The Villain Who Wasn’t by Liv Rancourt
š¹Blue Lightning by BL Maxwell
š¹Magic Escaping by Kaje Harper (sequel to Magic Burning 2023)
š¹Lighting the Darkness by Eden Winters – Aug 14,2024
š¹You Can Save Me by R L Merrill-Aug 21,2024
š¹Airs Above the Ground by Rachel Langella-Sept 10,2024
š¹Go for the Climate by Ander C. Lark
š¹ Flames of the Arcane by Nicole Dennis
š¹Midnight on the Midway by Morgan Brice
š¹Dust Bowl Magic by Zam Maxfield š¹Dragonspark by Elizabeth Silver
Ninos has been training all his life to be a sylvan mage. Trees, plants, herbs, flowers, fruits, berries, nutsāhe knows them all, and he intends to use that knowledge for the good of his home, a village he has not seen in more than a decade.
The final step to becoming a full-fledged mage is the conjuring and binding of a familiar, a faithful companion and guide who will supplement his power and remain at his side the rest of his life. Instead of a sylvan familiar, like a unicorn or stag, however, something goes horribly awry and Ninos finds himself bound instead to Sinn, a raven familiar meant for dark magics.
Neither is happy about it. Ninos wants a familiar who can help him with life, with growing and restoring a place destroyed by fire and plague. Sinn should be helping to raise the dead or cast blood workings. They were never meant to meet, let alone be bound.
Bindings are permanent, however, and cannot be broken. Their only chance at setting this wrong to rights is to locate the dark mage that Sinn was meant for, hope they in turn have Ninos’ true familiar, and perform a rare but not impossible switch…
ā¢ Publisher: (July 17, 2024)
ā¢ Publication date: July 17, 2024
ā¢ Language: English
ā¢ Print length: 202 pages
Carnival of Mysteries series. 2023 and 2024:
ā Crow’s Fate by Kim Fieldingā¤ļø
ā Step Right Up by L.A. Witt
ā Magic Burning by Kaje Harper ā¤ļø
ā Night-blooming Hearts by Megan Derr
ā Go For The Company by Ander C. Larkā¤ļø
ā Roustabout by Morgan Briceā¤ļø
ā Assassin by Accident by E.J. Russellā¤ļø
ā Dryad on Fire by Nicole Dennis ā¤ļø
ā The Extraordinary Locket of Elijah Gray by Kayleigh Sky
ā Smoke and Mirrors by Elizabeth Silver
ā You Can Do Magic by R.L. Merrill
ā Sting in the Tail by TA Moore
ā Gods and Monsters by Rachel Langella
ā The Black Robes of Flanders by Sara Ellis
Carnival of Mysteries 2 -2024
š¹Rook’s Time by Kim Fielding (sequel to Crowās Fate-2023)
š¹The Wrong Familiar by Megan Derr
š¹The Villain Who Wasn’t by Liv Rancourt
š¹Blue Lightning by BL Maxwell
š¹Magic Escaping by Kaje Harper (sequel to Magic Burning 2023)
š¹Lighting the Darkness by Eden Winters – Aug 14,2024
š¹You Can Save Me by R L Merrill-Aug 21,2024
š¹Airs Above the Ground by Rachel Langella-Sept 10,2024
š¹Go for the Climate by Ander C.Lark
š¹Flames of the Arcane by Nicole Dennis
š¹Midnight on the Midway by Morgan Brice
š¹Dust Bowl Magic by Zam Maxfield š¹Dragonspark by Elizabeth Silver
Kai Butlerās finale story, Ascendant King is everything I had hoped for. And it makes me so sad this series is over while leaving me completely satisfied with the ending and the way the author has tied up the storylines.
Butlerās trilogy and fabulous romantic arc ties up with thrilling storytelling, incredible character growth, and imaginative narrative visuals that continue to make me think.
What a journey this has been for Miles and Cade as one becomes Emperor of Werewolves and the other the King of his House, and so much more. This tale has so many complex elements and intricate magical detailing to the components that Butlerās creating and then slowly revealing. Itās breathtaking in conception and execution but as the reader is so focused on the action and character-driven dramatic scenes, itās elements that are apparent afterwards when you think about the story and events.
To say that I think the universe Butler created here can easily be extended beyond to further stories is one driven by love of the characters and need for more tales to see what happens next.
That unique pack, those bonded mates, that future that still holds so many questions. Yes, more please. Even the page length wasnāt nearly enough.
Now to wait for whatever comes next from this amazing author.
Miles Castillo has the one thing his mother never did: time. As he gathers new members to his pack and help in his war against House Bartlett, he canāt help but wish that Cade was more than a reluctant ally. But the ice prince has made his position clear and nothing Miles can do will change the history that divides them.
Still, as they both confront the echoes of their past, they must learn to work together and find something like a middle ground. With nothing to lose, Cade and Miles must make a choice that will save both of them.
Beth Boldenās intense, passionate Italian American Moretti family stretches over two series, sorry, three, as cousin Rocco is heading off to Christmas Falls towards the end.
The Moretti family, brothers or cousins, can be found as chefs or restauranteurs in the wonderful Food Truck Warriors and now in her Indigo Bay novels. And as I mentioned even more.
While these books are listed as standalone, they really arenāt as they need the foundation of the preceding novel to give the reader depth of understanding of the characters, their history, and the setting of Indigo Bay from the perspective of both stories.
Here, itās Enzo Moretti, a character who was introduced to readers in Sweet as Pie #1, but returning home (temporarily) older and as an established mural artist . Heās separated himself from the Moretti family culinary path, and has tried to do the same with his own life by his absence.
I thought Bolden, who always does an exemplary job of layering her characters, has made Enzo a person to relate to with his complicated family dynamics and own troubled journey to maturity . The author is also able to let us see into his artistic passion and processes as he creates the mural so important to the story and town.
Oliver Billings fled Florida and his family food business to move to Indigo Bay, opening up a fantastic ice cream shop, Cherryās. Oliver is just as much a beautifully written character as the man heās being paired with. The recipes are mouthwatering, the shop and employees are believable, and this stressed out, hard working man is a delight to watch get his HEA.
Of course, this starts as a fake boyfriend trope but Boldenās chemistry between the two is palpable and real. Also great are all the other people who live and are necessary for the story and their relationship. Mothers, families, friends. Just perfect.
I hope Bolden will give us Roccoās story too. And further adventures of the Moretti family. Iām so invested.
When Enzo Moretti’s mom lures him home to paint one of his famous murals in Indigo Bay, he expects an awkward family reunion.
Not an awkward matchmaking attempt.
And not Will Johnson, the new owner of Cherryās Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor and it turns out, also who sheās been boasting to about all Enzo’s perfect qualities.
He’s perfectly embarrassed, all right.
When Will suggests pretending to date might be easier than fighting his determined mama, Enzo knows he should say no. That Will is as tasty as his frozen desserts doesnāt matter. Enzo isn’t staying.
Instead, he plans a series of very public romantic dates. Dates that only end up proving that, yes, Will is as sweet as his ice cream, and no, Enzo isn’t as immune to romantic entanglements as he thought. The longer they continue the charade, the less it feels like a game of pretend and more like a truth he can’t avoid.
But can Enzo really admit his mom got it rightāand stay in the town he’s always wanted to leave? It’ll be tough to live down that “I told you so.”
Even tougher to leave Will behind.
Because what he never expected is for Will to be the cherry on top of this matchmaking sundae. He’s one tasty treat Enzo never wants to finish.
ā¢ Publication date: July 12, 2024
ā¢ Language: English
ā¢ Print length: 313 pages
INDIGO BAY series:
š¹Sweet as Pie #1 – Luca Moretti is very grumpy. Not just about his six younger siblings, or the four Italian restaurants he runs for his family, but about Oliver, who not only seduces him with all his delectable baked goods, but just so happens to be sweet as pie.ā
š¹Cherry on Top #2 – When Enzo Moretti’s mother lures him home to paint a mural in his hometown, he doesn’t expect her awkward matchmaking attempts. Or that the source of them is Will Johnson: the very cute new owner of Cherry’s Ice Cream Parlor. But the last thing he expects is for Will to suggest they fake a few dates to get his mother off their backs. Or that he’ll enjoy them quite so much.
I really told myself no more billionaire character romances. But, Iām a sucker for the Wake Up Married in Las Vegas trope so, of course, I immediately grabbed up the newest release, Marrying Mr Majestic by Lucy Lennox . Iām so happy I did.
I hadnāt read the first story which introduced the group of friends who became billionaires after creating a software program. Thatās Prince of Lies, which I might have to go back to read now that Iāve met the group.
But this story concerns Silas Concannon, in Las Vegas to stop a wedding (unsuccessfully) and Waylon Fletcher, mayor of the small town of Majestic, Wyoming. Heās in Las Vegas where he thought heād get married to help a friend out. Also unsuccessful.
A night out of commiseration in a bar ends with them married. And a fabulous novel ensues.
Never have I fallen so quickly and so hard for a location and group of people as I have for Way, his family and friends there on the streets , stores, and warmth of Majestic. And that goes for Silas, as he finds that he has found his home in every possible way when he pursues Way back west and finds a cowboy and town who needs him as much as he needs to be needed.
Lennox does such an amazing job in bringing the small town community of Majestic perfectly to life, believable in its rural close knit dynamics, the beauty of the landscape, and the realism of living there. The town is breathtakingly heartfelt and a great part of why this story works so well.
The author then crafts character after character that is as well suited and believable as the town itself, sets them down with jobs and lives we can relate to, and without any hesitation, the reader is absolutely living and walking with Way, JuJu, and Silas and everyone else who comes up to chat about the events happening. We are there.
We are part of that sexy, funny, and painful growing relationship between two men who are afraid itās going to fall apart on them. Yet who are so compatible and deeply in love. I found myself forgetting Silas was as rich as he was and appreciated the man Lennox had crafted, evolving there in Majestic. Waylon too, as he learned to lean on Silas.
Iām so in love with them both. Those epilogues (yes more than one) werenāt nearly enough to satisfy me because I love them all so.
Dev, a part of the billionaire brotherhood who ends up in Majestic, has his own story next. I canāt wait. Iām ready to pull up a chair on a porch and stay on in Majestic because thereās quite a few people there who need their own romances.
Iām highly recommending this place, these characters and this book. Itās a fabulous read.
Billionaire Brotherhood /group of friends:
ā¦ Prince of Lies
ā Marrying Mr. Majestic ā¤ļø (Silas and Waylon)
ā¦ Inheriting Miss Fortune (Devās story) – Oct 2024
Iāve made myself into many things over the years. A Yale graduate. A brilliant corporate strategist. A city boy. And, though no one outside my inner circle knows it, a billionaire.
One thing I never expected to be? Accidentally married to a straight, small-town cowboy named Waylon, the pride and joy ofā¦ *checks notes*… Majestic, Wyoming.
Sadly, what happens in Vegas does not, in fact, stay in Vegas, and before I know it, Iām trying to track my erstwhile husband down, divorce papers in hand and thrift store clothes on my back, desperately hoping the stranger I married wonāt realize heās suddenly entitled to a lot more than that shiny gold ring on his finger.
Unfortunately, Way has other plans.
His town is counting on him as mayor to bring the lucrative AdventureSmash wilderness race to Majestic, and he refuses to sign my papers until the deal is doneā¦ which means me and my second-hand blue jeans will be hanging around a lot longer than Iād imagined, pretending our one-night whatever-it-was was a love match for the ages.
As it turns out, Majestic is more charming than Iād expected, and Wayā¦ is not entirely without charms himself. It also turns out heās, ahem, not as straight as he thought he was.
Before I know it, dusty boots feel more comfortable than my shiny wingtips, coffee at the Love Muffin tastes better than Starbucks, and being the First Husband of Majestic starts to seem as important as any corporate merger Iāve ever negotiated.
But for a man with secrets to keep and a whole life waiting for him back in Manhattan, the only thing worse than Marrying Mr. Majesticā¦ would be falling in love with him for real.
Marrying Mr. Majestic is set in the same world as Prince of Lies, but both novels can be enjoyed on their own.
Iāve been binging this series so Iām sad to come to the last of the available books because Iāve definitely fallen in love with this series and group of characters.
The original focus of the series has expanded from the Ainsleyās and partners to their friends who are a devoted active extension of this warmhearted family. As the foundation and lovely group of people living in the bay has developed, this small town has never felt more welcoming and dynamic as it does now.
Wyatt Trainor is a Canadian immigrant, a veterinarian who works with Jesse Ainsley in his clinic and is finding that everything about the bay feels like home. Except for his love life. Wyatt is a wonderful character we started to get to know in previous books but really gets established here.
Itās Finn Gallagher whoās such a compelling character, that wounded man who has fled back to the bay, filled with secrets, pain, and an inability to see how he can move forward. On the surface, a successful straight movie star but Cassidy is able to give the reader the real man whose emotions are in turmoil due to his long held grief and repressed sexuality.
Cassidy is incredibly moving in crafting a strong storyline that pulls together several characters, three books, and a heartbreaking event and turns it into a realistic, compelling final chapter for everyone who was so deeply impacted by this event and loss.
Finnās story has so many great layers to it. Heās trying to determine his future, announce his sexuality, figure out his home, fight for a new relationship heās building with Wyatt and protect a old love/friendship from ramifications of all of the above.
Itās that last part, his best friend, and fellow actor, Sky, that I wish we had known about in greater depth. I understand it wasnāt her story but in so many ways, it was. And the glimpses we got of the character that Cassidy created, it was interesting enough that I wanted more. Of Sky and the unique family they seemingly formed at the end.
Cassidyās characters are so beautifully drawn, so real, thatās itās easy to become invested in each of their stories and their lives. I always want more of what happened next.
Plus thereās all these fantastic people that call the bay home that the reader looks forward to seeing in each story, like Molly and Bernard.
So now I wait, having happily binged my way through this fantastic series and this great story. Iām so excited to recommend them all but read them in the order they are written to get the relationships and event development as it happens.
Belong To Me:
ā Suddenly Beck #1
ā Definitely Deacon #2
ā Dear Las Vegas, Thanks for the memories #2.5 -author mailing list or paperback book
Finn Gallagher has it all, a beautiful girlfriend, a successful Hollywood career, a condo in Malibu and more money than he knows what to do with. He should be happy, but thereās just one problem, heās gay and heās been lying to the entire world. When he walks out on his career a couple of days into shooting his latest movie, heās finds himself inadvertently heading straight back to the small Cornish bay he grew up in.
Wyatt Trainor has only recently left his native Canada and relocated across the world, taking a job as a local veterinarian in a quiet little bay in Cornwall. Just out of a bad relationship, heās happy with hook ups and one night stands until a chance meeting in a dark nightclub brings him face to face with his celebrity crush.
But when a drunken encounter unexpectedly turns into something more, they find themselves admitting there might just be something there worth exploring.
I will admit Iām loving this series so much that Iāve grabbed up all the available novels and read them right through. So I know that the heartwarming feeling of found family and all inclusive community that the Bay represents just increases as each couple finds happiness and works through the trauma that comes with each homecoming and wonderful relationships.
Yes, Iām definitely a fan.
Definitely Deacon begins the migration home of for many of the important characters that are a part of the Ainsley family story. Deaconās impact here is enormous, both in his main character role and as a avenue to bring the series a influx of fascinating people/friends. Friends who themselves will then a become just as important in expanding the series foundation in terms of found family and types of topics covered.
Grief and loss is always central to this series. Whether itās the loss of patriarch Sully to cancer (one thread of the first book) or here the loss of Cody, Deaconās brother and close friend of the Ainsleyās, in a car crash, itās the impact of that loss, on all the those left behind thatās a factor here. And on the one that ran away.
Cassidy does a great job in developing the characters of Jesse Ainsley, twin to Beck, vet, with a long standing love for Deacon James, boat racer, party boy, the one who left the Bay after Codyās death. And what little friendship they had seems done. Jesse is a person who is easy to relate to, with some issues heās working hard to address.
Deacon is a character the author introduces under extreme circumstances. Then lets us get to know him as he recovers back in the bay, where the past and his present combine to finally get him , along with Jesse, and all the rest of the group there, to move him forward.
This is painful, funny, emotional stuff. Also sexy and romantic. That ending was satisfying and hilarious. Thereās a follow up short story called Dear Las Vegas, Thanks for the memories. Itās available either for free when you sign up for the authorās newsletter or if you buy the paperback. Either way, a must giggle fest.
Now to await, along with the authorās many other books/series, the book four. And more, hopefully.
These are all a definite recommendation.
Belong To Me:
ā Suddenly Beck #1
ā Definitely Deacon #2
ā Dear Las Vegas, Thanks for the memories #2.5 -author mailing list or paperback book
Deacon James lives his life at two speeds, a hundred miles an hour and stop. Heās spent the last decade travelling the world, winning races, partying with the most beautiful men and women, and living life on his terms, a life which was pretty close to perfectā¦ with just one caveatā¦ heās never quite been able to get over the boy he left behind. His best friend Jesse has always made him yearn for something heās too afraid to face and cutting him out of his life seemed like the only answer.
But things are never that simple. When Deacon wakes from an accident in Italy with Jesse asleep in the hospital chair beside him, he discovers Jesseās been keeping secrets of his own.
At a crossroads in their life, theyāre faced with a choice, build something deeper and stronger from the ashes, or let words unsaid and secrets tear them apart forever.
From author Wendy Saunders writing as Vawn Cassidy comes this second chance, friends to lovers, hurt/comfort with a HEA.
The paperback copy also includes the bonus short Dear Las Vegas, Thanks for the memories.
This short story can be accessed by joining the authorās mailing list. The story is adorable!
Itās been a while since Iād 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.
Itās 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 Jacobās 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 thereās 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. Thatās the playground for Psycop. Check out the full series to date below.
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 āSpook Squadā 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 researcherās OCD tendencies, when a mysterious shipment arrives, what should be a routine ghost-check turns into an excruciating ordealā¦made even worse by a freak incident that leaves them stranded in the FPMPās basement.
Jacob may be the ranking agent on site, but even he canāt control the weather. Yet given the pressure he puts on himself to master his newfound ability, itās 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 canāt possibly be pure chanceāand 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 humorāwith a steady undercurrent of gay romance. Itās best read in order, so if youāre new to the series, start with PsyCop #1, Among the Livingā¦and prepare for a hauntingly good read.
ā¢ Publisher: JCP Books (May 20, 2024)
ā¢ Publication date: May 20, 2024
ā¢ Language: English
ā¢ Print length: 302 pages
PSYCOP SERIES #1: Among the Living What good is being a psychic detective if your murder victims arenāt 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 Vicās every move, or is he imagining things? Just because youāre paranoid doesnāt mean theyāre 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 Lisaās 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 itās time to pay up.
#8: Skin After Skin A sweeping look at the PsyCop series from Crashās 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 Thereās a deadly new drug in town called Kickā¦and psychs find it irresistible
#12 Other Half A wedding is stressful enough without a psychic investigation to power through
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 