It’s hard to say no spoilers when the blurb just goes ahead with the most shocking element of this book as well as the ending of the last.
But where most novels would have a hard time finding a storyline that then raises the narrative bar for the characters and series arc, Hailey Edwards has no problem moving forward with another great book that’s thrilling, emotionally compelling and plot wise extremely complex.
This is a fantastic story that I had to read twice, and then immediately regretted it because the next in the series isn’t released yet. It’s that incredible a series that I need to go straight into the next book.
Frankie’s development goes into areas I hadn’t even considered, making me even more excited about the future. There’s new mythology, new gods and powers but even greater depth to the relationships and family dynamics.
Hailey Edwards is writing an excellent series and an amazing character arc with Frankie.
A must read.
Great cover art both for storytelling and characters.
Cover by Damonza
Illustration by Marouane Hs
The Body Shop series:
Fair Market Value #1
Amber Gambler #2
Midnight Auto Parts #3
Cheater Slicks #4 – Dec 25,2025
Other linked series:
The Potentate of Atlanta (6 book series) – this is set within The Potentate apparently
The Beginner’s Guide to Necromancy (9 book series) in Savannah
The whole dying thing sucked, but Frankie isn’t going to dwell. She’s focusing on the positive. She’s alive. Ish.Her family is safe. Her business is booming. She’s even got a boyfriend. Everything is coming up roses in Thunderbolt, Georgia.
Until a client decides she needs more time and makes a run for it in her loaner body. Too bad for the client, the last thing Frankie does before a loaner hits the showroom floor is microchip them for this very reason. Finding the runaway soul will be a piece of cake.
Or it would have been if she hadn’t bumped into Carter, who’s working a case that gets tangled up in Frankie’s repo. Missing women. Stolen cars. Alien abductions? The only way to get Frankie out of trouble is to help Carter uncover who’s behind it all. And pray the answer isn’t her client.
• Publisher: Black Dog Books, LLC. (January 4, 2025)
In The Gargoyle and the Romance Writer author Chloe Archer continues to explore the mysterious magic of the town while bringing in new characters and adding new details to the dimensions of this universe.
Its all very exciting.
Archer had me at Max “Maxie” Poppins, the absolute star of the first book of the series and still unseated fav character of mine. As the bestie of romance writer, Ryder, he’s one of the reasons Ryder has made the move to Monster Hollow and Max remains a true emotional connection to everyone else around the town. This in turn helps his more awkward, less socially inclined bestie, Ryder, become at ease with its inhabitants and his new surroundings.
That’s the new main character and half of the latest couple.
Ryder Thomas (aka Ryder St. James) the romance writer of the title and a man with a dangerous threat to deal with. Ryder was a foster child like Max. Ryder, however , ended up with a widely different and damaging family. He is given a sensitive and realistic characterization by Archer.
Ryder’s past experiences drives his emotional perception of love, his own inability to recognize, accept and even acknowledge that it exists.
Then there is Vash Dark Wing, a Scottish Gargoyle, with his own complicated background and current situation to deal with. He too is a well defined character who will reveal new depths of personality and emotions as the story and their relationship progresses.
Really, Archer gives us a little bit of everything here. A stalker and a couple of mysteries, a serious heartbreaker for Vash that now ties up a storyline from The Orc and the Manny, and a slew of new potential characters and romances to come . All from a delightful new source.
Oh and lots of sex! And a wonderful, fun drunken street scene. More of these please.
I had such a great time reading this. And am sorry I’ll have to wait in next year to get the next book in the series.
A yes to the book, and series if you are a fan of paranormal romance and this author!
Welcome to Monsters Hollow, where love knows no bounds—even in a town full of monsters!
A quirky romance writer in hiding. A sexy gargoyle lover turned bodyguard. And a stalker that just won’t quit…
Ryder Thomas (aka Ryder St. James)
I assumed writing swoony romance novels about humans and Otherkind might attract some unsavory attention. But I never imagined I’d have an obsessive fan stalking me. Fortunately, my BFF Max has an in with a town he assures me can keep me safe.
As a former foster kid, I’m pretty resilient, but this situation is messing with my sleep and I’m on deadline for my next book!
About the only thing that can help at times like this is some regular mind-blowing… release. Trust me, solo methods just aren’t enough and hooking up with randos isn’t my style. I need someone safe who can reliably rock my world in the bedroom and maybe help me with my research as a bonus!
Enter the hunky Scottish gargoyle who’s been flirting with me ever since I arrived to hide out in Mystic Hollow. We come up with an ideal no-strings and no-feelings arrangement until I leave town for my next book tour.
After all, romance is just a fantasy I write about in my books–right?
Vash DarkWing
From the moment I met Ryder, I wanted to know more about the bonnie, brave man who speaks his mind. With no filter.
When he proposes a few weeks of mutually beneficial shagging before his book tour starts, I immediately jump on the chance to, well, jump him. Just a bit of fun and maybe friendship.
Hell’s bells, but Ryder slips past all my defenses and wins my affections without even trying! Now, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep the man I love safe. Even if it means putting my heart as well as my life on the line.
The Gargoyle and the Romance Writer is a 106k novel that features an inappropriately curious novelist, a sexy Scottish gargoyle, a specialty harness for aerial…shenanigans, a creepy stalker, and true love for the win. This is the second book in the Monsters Hollow series and can be read as a standalone.
Reviewer’s note: No , no they really can’t. These aren’t even close to being standalone stories. Who knows why they are putting this on their descriptions? It makes no sense. SMH
In the author’s notes, Reynard states that Accidental Bonds is her debut novel. Well, it’s a remarkable story, whether it’s her first book or one of many.
Accidental Bonds, the first in the Elemental Bonds series, follows the meeting of independent mage Elijah Lauring with Alpha Victor Mills of the nearby Mills pack. Victor has come to Elijah to contract for a mage’s help with failing pack wards.
That’s the basis for an exciting, extremely well written, and highly suspenseful paranormal tale. This contains so many great elements. It has a frenemies to bonded mates romance, a dark magical series mystery that’s, frankly, extremely frightening and well scripted, and multidimensional characters that continue to develop throughout the storyline.
Yes, please, I’m well and truly hooked.
There’s not just the standard wolf shifter mating, but another type to consider. The mage aspect is equally interesting and important for the story as is the pack/wolf shifter elements. There’s a lovely balance not just between Elijah and Victor, but also between their foundations, their history, and friends.
Every part of this narrative, Reynard creates a strong sense of definition to her characters and the storytelling, crafting layers that include foundation building for the series and backstories of the characters.
That mage shop, with its dust motes, odd vials, and weirdly intuitive cat becomes a place that’s believable and visually lush. The same goes for the Mills territory, the woods and the surrounding landscape and down to the small pack of endearing individuals we get to meet. Real, grounded in their stories, and the pack they are a part of.
The blackness and mystery that’s a great part of this story and series is truly frightening. Keeping it both real and unknown is a marvelous element.
My biggest frustration? I couldn’t go immediately to the next story! I loved this so much I wanted to see what happened next asap.
Reynard does give this couple a good HFN, meaning they are settled but the series mystery continues. The next book will follow different but connected characters, one from each group of friends. Like I said, I can’t wait.
I’m highly recommending Accidental Bonds (Elemental Bonds Book 1) by Marie Reynard. It’s an amazing book, especially as it’s her debut novel. Grab it up and enjoy!
It was meant to be temporary. Fate had other ideas.
Victor Mills would do anything to protect his pack, even work with magic he detests. When the wards safeguarding his territory start to deteriorate, he’s forced to hire a local mage to fix them. He could tolerate the abrasive stench of sorcery, if only the mage didn’t also smell like everything his wolf has ever wanted.
Elijah Lauring has no intention of tying himself to a shifter pack; his neutrality pays the bills. Repairing the Mills pack wards should be a one-off job, but the spell he casts to tap into Victor’s energy stubbornly refuses to fade. The intoxicating connection that lingers between them plunges his magic into chaos right when he needs it the most.
As they grapple with their conflicting desires, they soon discover the wards aren’t the only thing decaying. An evil is infecting the pack land, and they must learn to trust each other and their growing bond to defeat it. If they fail, Victor’s pack will pay the ultimate price.
Accidental Bonds is a steamy 115k M/M paranormal romance featuring a broody wolf shifter, a headstrong mage, meddling friends, a perpetually unimpressed cat, and knotting. It’s perfect for readers who love thrilling action, snarky banter, and characters who rub each other in all the wrong ways before they realize the right ones are much more enjoyable. While it guarantees a happy ending for its main couple, the overarching plot does contain cliffhangers. Please look inside for content warnings. (This series does not contain mpreg.)
Trigger warning:
This book contains scenes with elements of dubious consent and mentions of rape in a historical context.
— Accidental Bonds (Elemental Bonds Book 1) by Marie Reynard
Honestly, I finish each story thinking this is the best yet of the series. Then the next surpasses it, building on the complex storylines and characters relationships the author is creating and linking together in an epic as yet unfinished fantasy tapestry.
Each new couple incorporates a deeply unique perspective on love and relationships. While May has bright humor , magical wonder, and so much lively personality floating through the narrative, the darker side is never far away.
There’s so many serious elements included with each being, most to do with their history but not always. With Phil, it’s his outsize physique as a pixie, or Parsnip, whose horrific past of capture and permanent damage adds a dark series thread, as well as a dramatic well developed emotional plot for his book. Each character’s aspect of their life that has caused them pain and or sorrow has to be revealed, investigated, emotionally developed , and, fully explored in every possible aspect before the ending.
So many serious themes and topics. Slavery, addiction, low self esteem, bullying, self harm, the list goes on as to what May has narratively tackled in this series. And done a spectacular job of it.
Now comes Wendell. A lovely, kind, warmhearted human being who was cold heartedly murdered and turned into a zombie. Only Muriel, a powerful witch intervened, and Wendell became conscious, still a zombie but himself still. Unique in many ways.
A incredibly special way. Which brings Hellfire Rayburn, Fairy Queen Silvidia’s most trusted and feared warrior, into the role of main character after being a wildly popular secondary character in the preceding books.
The zombie and the fiery fairy warrior walk into the bar. It would be a joke if it wasn’t a tragedy in itself. May makes the reader feel every bit of the emotional pain and suffering every character is undergoing here.
The author has managed to make Wendell such a bright, engaging, and vulnerable young man, however dead he may be. As he’s falling apart, the reader is provided a window into his thoughts and feelings, which not only serves to connect us further but breaks our hearts. Wendell feels alive inside but is very much aware he isn’t. He wants to cry but can’t, he wants to blush, but a dead, rotting body betrays him. May quietly makes the reader cry when Wendell can’t.
Then comes Hellfire Rayburn, or Ray, who himself undergoes a huge mental and emotional transformation . Exposure to Wendell does that. Listening to Ray’s ancient inner voice, his arguments about Wendell with himself, then his growing sense of affection for the zombie, then mounting fear and anguish, it mirrors our own thoughts and feelings.
This author’s has such a superb gift for writing highly emotional scenes that escalates the anguish that the reader and the characters are feeling, as bit by bit, necrotic patch of skin by skin, Wendall’s time to a final death approaches.
She encapsulates all the details of the deteriorating flesh, Wendell’s emotional state, and his friends hope and horror as they scramble for some means to stop it.
What May also does so extraordinarily well is subtly continue to run darker plot threads through the current storylines. So that as you’re reading and totally aware of the scenes before you, lurking on the edges are the barest of mentions of what the author has to come.
The pixie dust addiction and slavery thread is there as a small topic. A hint of something that needs to be addressed in the near future. The most evil villain I’ve encountered is suddenly invigorated by events here. Please someone help get his comeuppance.
There’s no listed title for the next story but I have a guess which I’ll keep to myself.
It says in the descriptions these books can be read as standalones No they cannot. They are absolutely narrative building bricks for each other, which eventually leads to the next one, and finally a magical whole.
This series and each book is at the top of my TB recommended list. A must read/must have if you will.
Wendell and Ray gave me so many heartbreaking moments but so many more beautiful ones. What a special gift.
Again, another gorgeous cover in a series of them.
Blessed with eternal fire, Hellfire Rayburn is Fairy Queen Silvidia’s most trusted and feared warrior. In a world living under fairy rule, Ray’s accustomed to serving his queen by upholding the law. Now, Queen Silvidia wants more.
Wendall Galen never expected to wake up reanimated as a zombie. Then again, he never expected to be murdered either. Wendall’s second life is far better than his past human life. Unfortunately, the diluted bit of fairy DNA he didn’t know existed interferes with his reanimation. With his body deteriorating, Wendall’s second life is destined to be a short one.
Queen Silvidia might have discovered Wendall’s living life too late, but she won’t let the last remaining descendant of her beloved, deceased brother perish. A fairy bond is needed to preserve Wendall, and Hellfire Rayburn still has his to give away. Wendall just needs to accept the eternal bond. Too bad he’s a zombie with a conscience.
Wendall won’t condemn Ray to an eternity bonded to someone Ray doesn’t care for, let alone love. He would rather perish than do that. Despite Wendall’s refusal, or perhaps because of it, Ray’s smitten with the human-turned-zombie and can’t imagine a life without him.
But Wendall’s deteriorating body isn’t the only threat. His murderer is still out there and fearful Wendall will reveal his secret. Power breeds paranoia, and Wendall’s murderer is oozing with one and being taken over by the other. Having awakened one of the most dangerous and feared creatures alive, Wendall’s murderer is willing to wield that power no matter the cost.
Wendall’s good nature calls to Ray, but that same sacrificial nature threatens to steal him away. Hellfire Rayburn never dreamed a day could come when his eternal fire failed him, his queen, and his love.
Perfectly Perplexing Zombie is the forth book in the Perfect Pixie Series. Each book relates to previous installments but can be read as a stand alone. They are more enjoyable if read in order. This book follows Hellfire Rayburn and Wendall Galen’s paths to their HEA
Perfectly Perplexing Zombie contains a zombie that didn’t follow the rulebook for creation, a millennia old fairy warrior, a human with delusions of grandeur, a powerful djinn that just wants to be left alone, a power hungry alpha werewolf, witches, priestesses, warlocks, vampires, a faun, and good old fashioned interspecies teamwork. It is a slow burn novel that focuses on finding and acknowledging love in unexpected places.
Micah is such a great story. Masters pulls together so many important pieces of her foundation elements in bringing the romance of fascinating puzzle creator incubus Camden Torrence and demon architect Micah Bailey.
Just the idea of that particular humongous, thousands of years old door of a puzzle, buried in a cave beneath a mountain and needing, no, wanting to be solved, is a fabulous idea. And that it’s Cam who’s got the superior knowledge, and bubbling excitement as well to solve it? Amazing. He’s a grand character who gets better, funnier, deeper as we and Micah, get to understand him.
Micah himself, with his family connections to Gideon, Asher , and the family (grandmother) who basically runs things , is another gem of a character. Through Micah, the demons are explored as a species, their dense physique due to teleportation. Even learning the subtle facial expressions are readdressed through the relationship between Micah and Cam, and even Cam’s interactions with Micah’s family.
Cam’s not without his own personal issues to deal with, and they are dealt with by being able to communicate and by understanding each other’s personalities and needs. I love it when an author does this, instead of letting the main characters flounder about, they communicate and share what they’re thinking and feeling, like mature beings.
Not to say there isn’t some absolutely spew worthy sentences and moments here. Because there totally are. Made my day! And this book so giggle snort gold ⭐️! And no will not quote them. Read them and enjoy them in context.
There be dragons here! Appearances by Brandt, Wil, Steffen and others were wonderful. And will send me back to their series , Here Be Dragons, which is one of the linked series to the original Hidden Species.
We get Hortplatz, now becoming as real a town as any character, with its high mountains, townspeople, and places we can recognize. Cold, and with it’s own charm.
If I have a small quibble, it’s that after all the buildup and intricate details of that puzzle door, it ended too abruptly. Perhaps it will be continued in book three, but it feels incomplete here as far as Cam goes and his “new life” which we don’t get. We need a chapter or at least several pages to bridge the gap between the ending and the new future town scenes to feel grounded imo.
But that’s a quibble in a book I very much adore. From the plot to the characters, this story had me from the beginning, perfect Louisa Masters.
Now onto book three.
And yes, I’m highly recommending this and all the connected series:
Wanted: Demon assistant for incubus genius. Personal services required…
Nobody ever expected to find a secret cave protected by a giant puzzle door in the mountains near our village. Even more surprising was the knowledge that it’s been there for thousands of years and was created by a dragon. I’m not the only one who’s dying to find out what’s inside.
It’s no hardship to assist the puzzle expert who’s coming to solve the door. That thing is an incredible feat of engineering, and the man who’ll solve it is bound to be intelligent and interesting. But from the moment I meet Camden Torrence, I’m forced to reassess… everything.
He’s intelligent and interesting, sure. But he’s also scattered. Clumsy. And I want to bury my face in his mop of curls and stay there forever.
A relationship wasn’t on my agenda, no matter what my matchmaking family wants. But as the weeks go by and we get closer to discovering what the secret treasure is, Cam becomes an integral, undeniable part of my life. How can I not fall for a man who, despite past hurts, is the living embodiment of sunshine in our snow-laden village?
I never thought the love of my life would turn out to be an adorable, absent-minded incubus, but now I can’t imagine existing without him. The challenge? Convincing him to stay even after the puzzle is solved.
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!
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.
Dealing Him In is the start of a new Kings universe series by Charlie Cochet and it’s a terrific one. So easy to dive into the high action and sexy romance between retiring Fire Chief Valentino “Val” Serrano and Kings bodyguard Santos “Saint” Cavallero that my time with the book just slid merrily by.
There’s age gap, bi-sexual awakening ,a mystery, bombs, adrenaline rush, and real chemistry between two men so this romance really ignites and makes me feel as though this relationship has a firm grounding to it.
While you don’t have to be familiar with the other series and characters, it certainly makes it easier when they appear to support Val and Saint in their tentative romance and baby steps toward a HEA, and through the entire events that will occur during the storyline.
There’s plenty of drama to be found here, and various types of support needed.
Each man has realistic doubts about the relationship, the age gap and barriers raised due to personal issues and their own struggles. Cochet did a balanced job in creating a healthy relationship with the men, and advice from friends that carefully helped them understand the stumbling blocks they had raised between each other.
Have to admit I loved the use of the Malinois, but that’s on me. I’m such a sucker for dogs , especially when they’re used appropriately as the author does here with Chip.
Wonderful work all the way up to and through that adrenaline rush of an ending! Fabulous first book of a new series and addition to the Kings Security universe.
Now to wait on the release of book two next year!
Until then I’m highly recommending Dealing Him In (The Kings: Royal Flush Book 1) by Charlie Cochet !
Santos “Saint” Cavallero had his life all figured out when he married his high school sweetheart, joined the Navy, and became a SEAL. After years of being deployed, Saint comes home for good, only to discover his wife has fallen for another man. Now divorced and a bodyguard for Four Kings Security, Saint loves his job and his found family. His dating life? A hot mess, until the spark of an unexpected attraction strikes him like lightning, leaving Saint confused. Why is he feeling hot and bothered over the ruggedly handsome Fire Chief?
After twenty years of service, Valentino “Val” Serrano is passing his fire ax on to the next Fire Chief. His retirement starts off with a bang, literally. Val is saved by the young, hot bodyguard he’s been dreaming of for longer than he cares to admit, but Saint is straight, isn’t he?
Val and Saint get roped into working on Val’s tavern, but Val is determined not to let Saint get under his skin. He’s been here before, and he’s not about to risk his heart, no matter how hot and flirty Saint is. When a killer sets his sights on Val and puts everyone he cares about in harm’s way, there’s suddenly more at risk than their hearts. If Val and Saint don’t stop the killer, their whole world could burn to the ground, and the possibility of a future together will go up in smoke.
FOUR KINGS SECURITY UNIVERSE
STANDALONES
Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts-Standalone (Spencer and Quinn. Quinn is Ace and Lucky’s cousin.) Can be read any time before In the Cards.
FOUR KINGS SECURITY
🔹Love in Spades-Book 1 (Ace and Colton)
🔹Ante Up-Book 1.5 (Seth and Kit)
Free short story
🔹Be Still My Heart-Book 2 (Red and Laz)
🔹Join the Club-Book 3 (Lucky and Mason)
🔹Diamond in the Rough-Book 4 (King and Leo)
🔹In the Cards-Book 4.5 (Spencer and Quinn’s wedding.)
FOUR KINGS SECURITY BOXED SET
Boxed Set includes all 4 main Four Kings Security novels: Love in Spades, Be Still My Heart, Join the Club, and Diamond in the Rough.
BLACK OPS: OPERATION ORION’S BELT
🔹Kept in the Dark-Book 1 (Standalone series can be read anytime)
THE KINGS: WILD CARDS
🔹Stacking the Deck-Book 1 (Jack and Fitz).
🔹Raising the Ante-Book 2 (Frank and Joshua)
🔹Sleight of Hand-Book 3 (Joker and Gio)
THE KINGS: WILD CARDS BOXED SET Boxed Set includes all 3 main The Kings: Wild Cards books: Stacking the Deck, Raising the Ante, Sleight of Hand, and bonus story In the Cards.
Morgan Brice’s entry, Roustabout, is true to this author’s wonderful ability to weave a complex emotional story that’s a mixture of paranormal elements, mysteries, horror, the mundane, and the romantic.
The theme of a mysterious other worldly Carnival of Mysteries plays so well to this author’s strengths in terms of her characters and plots. The circus’s elements are beautifully crafted, right down to the title Roustabout who is defined as circus workers who handled materials for construction on fairgrounds.
Brice has used the circus/carnival aspects of the theme not just as the series intended but also in building a character as well defined as RJ Tucker, a psychic who’s spent years as a circus roustabout since fleeing abuse as a foster kid. Brice’s characters, one or both , are often depicted as emotionally wounded or physically scarred by their past history, carrying their trauma forward into whatever scenario the storyline might lead.
That’s certainly true for RJ, and Roustabout. Part of the mystery here is watching Bartlett Gibson, necromancer and an agent for the Tennessee Bureau of Supernatural Investigation, assigned to track the con “Ghost Boy” down , figure out who he’s dealing with and why this man is stealing from these people in a manner that feels so personal.
But Brice’s universe isn’t a mundane one, each character has a paranormal aspect to their character, so it follows that there’s an equally magical element to their storylines aside from the Carnival of Mysteries. Which in a Brice way, can indicate a darkly complex element or character to act as a catalyst or villain, as it happens in Roustabout.
This story ends up being a fabulous mixture of romance, emotional drama, mystery, police investigations and politics, paranormal characteristics , intense magical battles, and even the anguish of the realities of foster care as seen through the eyes of RJ’s memories. Brice digs deep into the circus culture so we even get the secret language, Cizarny that’s spoken within this mobile world. Such a richly crafted tale.
I love the chemistry of RJ and Bart together. They have that same energy and sense of belonging that makes them a great couple and team.
According to Morgan Brice, they appear as an established couple in her Kings of the Mountains series. So maybe this was her chance to give them an origin story. If so, how wonderful.
I’m highly recommending Roustabout. And now I’ll be off to check out that series above.
Carnival of Mysteries series:
✓ Crow’s Fate by Kim Fielding❤️
✓ Step Right Up by L.A. Witt
✓ Magic Burning by Kaje Harper ❤️
✓ Night-blooming Hearts by Megan Derr
✓ Go For The Company by Ander C. Lark❤️
✓ Roustabout by Morgan Brice❤️
✓ Assassin by Accident by E.J. Russell❤️
◦ Dryad on Fire by Nicole Dennis – Sept 13
◦ The Extraordinary Locket of Elijah Gray by Kayleigh Sky – Sept 6
◦ Smoke and Mirrors by Elizabeth Silver – September 20
◦ You Can Do Magic by R.L. Merrill – September 27
◦ Sting in the Tail by TA Moore – October 4
◦ Gods and Monsters by Rachel Langella – October 25
A con man and a government agent walk into a carnival…
Bartlett Gibson is a necromancer and an agent for the Tennessee Bureau of Supernatural Investigation. He’s hot on the trail of RJ Tucker, a psychic con man who has eluded him at every turn and led him on a merry chase. Pursuit leads to grudging respect in their game of cat and mouse, which becomes a high-stakes game of seduction. Bart chases RJ to the Carnival of Mysteries and realizes that nothing is as it seems. A dark witch’s curse ups the ante, creating a deadline for revenge and redemption, and the clock is ticking.
Falling in love breaks all the rules. Can Bart and RJ stop the witch, break the curse, and find a way around RJ’s spot on the “most wanted” list before time runs out?
Roustabout is a fast-paced MM paranormal romance filled with supernatural suspense, snarky humor, crafty carnival workers, sarcastic ghosts, midway magic, hurt/comfort angst, adversaries-to-lovers tension, and a very happy ending!
Part of the multi-author, shared-world Carnival of Mysteries series. Can be read as a stand-alone.
“That is totally spacy! Oh my God, Duri, that is super spacy! Like beam me up, Socrates!” Eli huffed and glared at me. “What now?!”
Excerpt From
The Chanteuse and the Bodyguard
Yes, as Gigi/Eli says “what now?” What am I going to do without this absolutely magnificent, beautiful, and heartfelt series about drag queens getting their happily ever afters In Mother Sitka’s Campo Royale’s drag club in Wilmington, Delaware.
I love so many of Locey’s other hockey players and series but this? It’s special. And that narrative magic has grown book by book, couple by couple. It started out strong and it’s ending just as endearing and more deeply satisfying than when we first all met backstage at the club, amidst drag queen chaos.
Locey gives us a mystery, a new perspective on a drag queen who’s been a part of the series from the beginning, that’s Jo Jo Jewels! Aka Duri Yoo, a Queen whose makeup and drag appearance is inspired by the Asian BL characters and anime series he’s so crazy about . Jo Jo and Gigi are also the only queens who actually sing their own songs instead of lip-syncing.
Duri is such a beautiful character, whose personality and demeanor are due as much to his family and cultural background and support as it is to his own sweet nature. Concerned about his body , due to harmful bullying, and past relationships, Duri is a darling we can immediately relate to.
As his bodyguard does. Keaton Black Bird, owner of his own security firm, has had his firm hired to guard Gigi when fan letters and gifts turn violent. As Duri is Gigi’s best friend, the duty extends to both.
Locey weaves a wonderful story , one that draws the reader in on many levels. There’s the funny, snarky friendship between Gigi and Jojo, two queens sharing wigs and tea backstage, the family Duri has at home, and then the marvelous developing romance between Duri and Keaton .
It’s almost impossible to choose which aspects of this book I enjoyed most. Gigi is a favorite of mine, able to deal out the bast shade while being all up in everyone’s business. What a Queen! And to pair her up with Duri, who’s drag is so different and who’s personality is just as mesmerizing but in a totally unique way, it’s just works to highlight each of them to the best extent.
The romantic relationship side between Keaton and Duri let’s us into each person’s world, their backstories, their fears, their “realness “, and the foundation where they connect and relate on a emotional level. Outwardly different, inwardly touching and connecting. Locey makes it so easy for the reader to see into this dynamic and get it!
We love these two characters together immediately and jump right on their journey together.
It’s a wild one, complete with stalking fan, nasty gifts, and some very scary moments. If the stalking is a trigger for you, please take note.
It all ends on a positive and lovely note back at Campo Royale with all the Queens and their significant others.
Is this the end? Likely. But perhaps, if we’re good, Locey might deliver up a Christmas reunion story or two to help us through our withdrawal.
I’m so sorry for the series to end, but thrilled I got to know them all. I’m absolutely recommending all the books, this included.
Read them in order for a fabulous journey through the love lives of the Queens of the Campo Royale!
It’s going to take all his skills to keep an innocent songbird safe.
Duri Yoo is struggling with life. Maybe the funk that’s hanging on his shoulders like a soggy sweater has to do with his thirtieth birthday, which is just around the corner. Maybe that blah feeling is due to everyone at the Campo having found their true heart’s desire except for him. Over the past few months, Duri has started questioning everything right down to if he needs to change his stage name from Jo-Jo Jewels to…well, he hasn’t a clue. All he knows is that he’s feeling down in the dumps. Heck, even his fellow queen has picked up a new secret admirer/super fan. He’d stamp a high heel in vexation, but the way things are going the darn heel would snap right off. When he’s sure life couldn’t get any worse, he’s proven wrong. And yet horribly right…
Keaton Black Bird’s job is straightforward. He’s hired to protect people. Generally, ridiculously rich business tycoons or heads of state. Being hired to keep a drag queen out of harm’s way is a new one for the former Secret Service agent. However, he’s being paid incredibly well to ensure that one of the Campo Royale’s performers isn’t harassed off-stage while the tiny queen’s hockey playing boyfriend is on the road. It’s while he’s protecting one drag queen he meets another, and the connection to Jo-Jo Jewels is undeniable. Keaton’s never been in such a unique situation before. All the men in his past were more or less like him: austere, professional, athletic. Jo-Jo is none of those things, but the owner of Black Bird Executive Protection is falling hard and fast for the delightful and quirky songbird. Unfortunately, emotions tend to cloud the mind, and Keaton and Duri soon find themselves in a situation that’s far more dangerous than either of them could have imagined.
The Chanteuse and the Bodyguard is a bodyguard romance with an anime-loving songstress, a rugged guardian, lots of BL adoration, a huge loving family, rainbow-toned wigs, unexpected danger, and a techno-colored happily-ever-after. (This book contains scenes of stalking/violence that some may find upsetting.)
I probably wouldn’t have picked up this story except that the author is Annabeth Albert, an auto read.
While age gap is a trope I read, something about dating the sons of best friends hasn’t set right with me, especially when paired with a substantial age gap. Add in other factors of familiarity of knowing the person as a child and those stories ride a fine line.
But Albert’s story, the first of a new series, successfully addresses every aspect of those issues and has written a very moving romance. It’s also a fascinating one, in that one element, a ongoing cold mystery case investigation, is left to run into the next novel and appears to be a connecting bridge to all the books in Safe Harbor.
Give me a mystery and I’m a happy reader!
Albert has always been able to get intimately into the mindset of military men. Whether they are still in service, or in the case of Monroe, a recently retired Lieutenant in the NCIS unit of the Navy. He’s returned to Safe Harbor, near Portland, Oregon, to handle the sale of the old Victorian he inherited from his great aunt and then move to San Francisco, where he plans to live an anonymously contented gay life.
Albert paints Monroe’s return to Safe Harbor as a choice both joyous as he connects with his friends and tumultuous as aspects of his plans start to become less manageable. And things he thought he knew about his aunt and life make him rethink his perspectives.
Monroe is a multifaceted person. Far from the expected textbook of a naval officer, Albert gives us a man of emotional riches and dimensions. Those sensitive layers are revealed from the beginning. And to a person we absolutely know to be Knox. Whose own personality and character traits are the yin to Monroe’s yang.
Love Knox as deeply as I do Monroe. He’s another well crafted character who keeps revealing more depths and details to his personality and background as the story progresses.
Albert is able to build a believable relationship between two men, equal in intensity and intelligence, whose passion for each other overrides any consideration for age differences.
The reader gets invested in the relationship because of the chemistry and excellence of the dynamics being shared between them. The history of needing to feeling safe as a child that’s never left behind as an adult. That deep desire to have a true home. That all rings true.
As does the power of the fear of rejection that comes from losing the love of a friend or parent who doesn’t approve.
All this great storytelling that encompasses a romantic relationship, a town and its people, and an ongoing mystery. I’m 100 percent in and invested.
I can’t wait for the next book to be released. The listed books can be found below.
Until then, I’m highly recommending Bring Me Home (Safe Harbor Book 1) by Annabeth Albert.
Note. Two person POV until it switches at the end to include a third person to set up the next story in the series. I understand why but it’s still strange to switch format that late in the book.
I’ve inherited my aunt’s historic house in small-town Oregon, and I need to fix it up and sell it fast before I move on to my big-city dreams. I’m one of the navy’s best investigators, but twenty years of living in base housing means DIY isn’t part of my extensive skill set.
Luckily, my best friend has the solution: his twenty-three-year-old son. Knox recently graduated from college, needs a room for the summer, and comes with a giant cat and years of remodeling experience.
Not only is Knox all grown up and hot as sin, but I recognize him. He’s the bossy, bearded guy I shared the hottest kiss of my life with. No way can my buddy find out I’ve got it bad for his son. But with all the stripping, hammering, and drilling, my defenses crumble one dance break at a time.
As our sexy secret summer fling continues, Knox also proves himself handy at fixing my grumpy mood and wounded heart. Now I can’t imagine a future without him. I can solve any problem the navy throws at me, but I have no clue what to do about loving Knox or the damage this could do to my decades-long friendship.
Can we build a forever together, or are we destined to go our separate ways?
BRING ME HOME is a small-town Dad’s-best-friend MM romance. It features a forty-something grumpy former naval investigator, a much younger ray of sunshine, a matchmaking cat, sexy times in unusual locations, enough heat to burn the neighborhood, and a warm fuzzy hug’s worth of found-family feels. Dual point-of-view and big fluffy HEA guaranteed!
BRING ME HOME launches the brand-new Safe Harbor series from acclaimed author Annabeth Albert. Knox, Monroe, and the rest of Safe Harbor, Oregon, welcome readers to a historic town with a tight friend group, memorable secondary characters, quirky businesses, and long-held secrets. Each book stands alone with a fresh couple, but the background mystery of the town’s secrets ties the series together.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 