How the Necromancer in the Gold Vest Saved My Life: Who Woke the Dead? #4 (Princes of Mayhem) by Jocelynn Drake feels more like a stepping stone to more adventures than it does a series finale. One of the reasons why is that this is a prequel series to the authorās Lords of Discord series (the vampire Variks) and now, happily, a lead in to a new series about those chaotic male witches who are both Skyās best friends and form his coven. Be still my heart.
So yes, Drake packs a ton into the fourth story of this crazy but highly entertaining serialized story about a powerful necromancer who finds a loving boyfriend in a human fantasy romance author and they continue to have grand adventures together along with their friends and demon minions!
Who Woke the Dead doesnāt come together as fully as a whole storyline like the previous books have. This felt more like a group of engaging events loosely tied together leading the characters and readers to a HFN for Sky and Nolan.
In each small scenario, Nolan and Sky get to discuss their experiences and why they are so different and yet well suited for each other. Whether itās Nolan taking care of an exhausted Sky after heās made sandwiches for the underworld (an element I loved) or having an after party for witches, this couple just is #couplegoals. They are supportive, committed, and they communicate, with humor and sexy affection. Whatās not to love?
So maybe it doesnāt matter that thereās not an all consuming drama here but two men finding each other and becoming boyfriends under extraordinary circumstances. Plus I love me some Dandy Dogs! More of these please!
I really hope Drake makes a second season of this series. Iām really excited to see what happens next on this coupleās journey.
In the meantime, Iām looking forward to the witches series starting with the blood witch , Moon. Heās up first.
Iām highly recommending the series (must read all four stories) , then continue on.
How the Necromancer in the Gold Vest Saved My Life:
ā Disaster #1: Fun With Family
ā Disaster #2: Pet Problems
ā Disaster #3: Date Night
ā Disaster #4: Who Woke the Dead? – finale
Related new series with connected characters:
Kings of Chaos- the witches of above
ā¦ Two Thousand Dreams (Kings of Chaos Book 1)-Nov 10,2023
Sky would like to point out that this is NOT his fault.
But, yes, something has escaped, and it has all the dead crawling out of their graves.
Naturally, the humans are freaking out.
Except for the sexy one living across the street.
Nolan is ready to jump into the fray and help Sky round up the underworld fugitive.
Sky’s going to need all the help he can get–not just from his coven but all the witches he can get his hands on.
How the Necromancer in the Gold Vest Saved My Life is a serial comprising four novellas that follow the insane adventures of necromancer Skylar Wallace and his next-door neighbor Nolan Banks. This is the final book and contains witches, demons, underworld minions, more sandwiches, stolen smexy time, an angry Grammy, and something scary running wild in Connecticut.
āChoose love not in the shallows but in the deep.ā – Christina Rossettiā
ā French Fancy (The Model Agency Book 2) by Lily Morton
French Fancy rose right into a tie for the top spot for favorite Lily Morton romances and, happily, into my small comfort read list of books I must have by my bedside to grab as needed for emergency occasions.
I picked it up when I got the notification it was out and, finished at 4 am in the morning, as a grumpy canine companion can attest to. I probably would have finished sooner but I kept going backwards over certain areas, laughing until I had tears in my eyes, or giggling in sheer appreciation of some of the sharpest dialogue and snappy interchanges in recent memory between characters.
Help me, some of those phrases are setting me off still! I donāt want to bring them up here for several reasons. One, I doubt Amazon would let most of the quotes get through with their racy content but more importantly, itās because I want the readers to have the spontaneous delight in coming across them in context and having their own reactions! Whatever they may be.
This book and characters just does it for me! Ticks all my boxes in terms of excellent storytelling, fabulous writing, and memorable characters.
I could talk about character development and depth of personality but, honestly, the best thing I can say about French Fancy is that itās not as if Iām reading a story about characters , but seeing people living their best lives, finding their true paths with help from their friends and families, whether they be through blood or through a foundation built by connections. I absolutely feel I know and genuinely love these people, would recognize them if I met them.
If someone asked me about them, I think I might actually reply as I would if youād asked about a friend āyes, theyāre doing fabulous last I heard , finally!ā.
Pip Simmonds, Olivier Durand, the gorgeous villa Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, they have found a permanent place in my heart. It didnāt take long. My TBR pile will suffer as Iām heading back for a reread.
I really need more of them and look forward of getting that in future books to come just as saw delightful , moving scenes with Dean and Jonas and Ruby, their daughter.
I wish I could go higher than 5. Oh well.
Lily Morton goes deep into the fears of loss, the endurance people are capable of, the strength of the support of families and friends, and, finally, how, the power of love can overcome even the most painful of barriers.
French Fancy (The Model Agency Book 2) by Lily Morton is a fantastic book and one Iāll have one reread. Iām highly recommending it!
Pip Simmonds is the twinkiest twink in London. Heās loud, proud, and packed to the brim with sass. But when heās laid low by illness, even his hotpants lose their sparkle and his worried boss sends him to the South of France to recuperate in his holiday home.
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is beautiful, and the periwinkle-blue villa is luxurious, but the real draw for Pip is the villaās other residentāhis bossās younger brother, Olivier Durand.
Olivier owns a perfume empire and has spent his whole life running from any other form of commitment. Heās worldly, carefree, wild, and the perfect choice for a holiday fling.
Drawn together by proximity, the two men become lovers and friends and then something more. Something special. But will their special bond hold true after summerās end, when they both must return to their real lives?
This is the second book in the bestselling Model Agency series, but it can be read as a standalone.
Iāve enjoyed A. E. Waspās hockey romance series, Hot Off The Ice, since the first book debuted back on June 29, 2017. That was the lovely City Boy, about farmer Dakota and closeted NHL player Bryce Lowery.
Now at book 7, with 2 more novels planned, the series continues with the Seattle Thunder going strong and a new troubled arrival from Las Vegas coming for a second and perhaps only last chance to make it in the NHL.
Bad Boys is a hurt/comfort, age gap redemption love story. And when it works great when it stays on the main coupleās relationship, and Noahās journey to a more well adjusted, healthy adult who can then carry that new understanding over into his career. Those things make Bad Boys a terrific read.
Thereās many aspects to Bad Boys that A.E. Wasp does so well narratively speaking. Her characters are so well done, layered with their own unique personalities and combined with elements that speak to their passions and strengths. If theyāre hockey players, we see the difference in physicality between them and other people. We get great team dynamics and a depth of understanding about the game. For characteristics, if theyāre cooks, business peoples or whatever, Wasp has given each the right amount of detail that they can standout and still be able to be believable and alive. This will add to the richness of the story and hurt it when certain people drop out of sight.
The relationship between Adam and Noah is engaging and wonderful to be a part of. Itās funny, serious, sexy , and real. While there is an age gap, itās not mentioned or discussed much here, in the relationship or elsewhere. I only found that odd when it was brought up that Adam had played with Noahās father, however, no mention of either manās age at the time (Adam or Noahās dad), although it was said Noah was very young at the time.
Wasp brings therapy into the storyline as a means to get healthy and understand what is driving certain aspects of a personās behaviors. And how to counteract these behaviors through therapy. Itās a great tool for both men and the league. It was wonderful seeing it here.
Team dynamics, Noahās redemption within the team and himself is real and fully worth the book. You can see him struggling with his toxic relationship with his father, itās ramifications, and his mental awareness that allows him to move forward. All amazing elements here.
Same goes for Adamās grief over his failed marriage and hidden secrets about his dead husband. That actually needed more page time for Adam to finish that chapter of his life. But the author is speeding towards the finish line.
Which brings me to what is still bothering me about this story.
Usually itās a case of the disappearing animal character that has me so irritated. But here itās a father, island, and a married couple. Read on but thereās spoilers ahead.
Elements that werenāt allowed to come to fruition or were dropped completely. āļø Spoiler Alert āļø
1. Noah Bratermanās toxic father and his relationship with him. The last mention of this man was that the coach was fielding his insistent nasty phone calls, informing Noah the man was coming across as unhinged. Not a single word or sentence afterwards was given over to this man or large section of Noahās redemptive storyline where he dealing with the toxicity of an adolescence and adulthood under this man. Itās an emotional matter not dealt with, and I canāt understand that. Itās not logical not to include at least some semblance of closure.
2. Then in a connected storyline thread, thereās the unexpected, startling way that the island and mansion were made to disappear from Adamās life. Towards the end, Dev , the BIL, arranges for a Japanese firm to buy both the island and mansion. Deal done, and a major narrative element is dealt with and vanishes. Just a few sentences and buhbye. Goodbye to all the important scenes, places, whales, the boat, everything. Which brings us to big number 3.
3. Guess who else disappeared with the mansion and island not to be mentioned again. The all important, ever heartwarming fabulous strong women characters who live on the island too. The ones who have been Adamās support system for years and who the readers get to know and love almost as completely as everyone else in this book. Thatās Annie or Ms Potts and her ceramic artist wife, Tracy. They live on the caretakerās cottage on the island and are a big part of not only Adamās life, past and present, but become part of Noahās as well. After parting with Adam in an emotional scene to tell him to, basically, go get his man, they disappear. Not a word about these important people is written again in this book. No goodbyeās, nothing. Not even a vague statement of missing them.
āYouāre moving off the island?ā Paul asked.
āYep. Itās sold. House and island together.āā
ā Bad Boys (Hot Off the Ice Book 7) by A. E. Wasp
A.E. Wasp writes in her authorās notes that it took her years to finish this book. If thatās the case, then I would have expected that the issues that popped up and have stayed with me to the detriment of the overall polished product and satisfaction I derived from Bad Boys to have been resolved.
I wonder about these issues. In the epilogue, the happy couple talk about inviting people over to their new place. Guess whoās not included in that list? Yup, the women who held Adam together.
If I was Waspās editor, that would have been on my list for things easily inserted that would have been expected and made readers happy.
So it turned out that Bad Boys is a good book but not a great one. Iām interested in seeing what the next two books will be about. And if some of the things that are a bit flawed here can get corrected in books to come.
Iām recommending this as a good hockey romance, part of a terrific series, and one that fans of this author wonāt want to miss.
Noah Braterman’s hotheaded attitude may cost him his NHL career before it truly begins. After alienating his current teammates, coaches, fans, and the press, Noah gets a second chance to prove his worth when heās traded to the Seattle Thunder with one ultimatumālose the attitude or lose his spot on the team.
Enter Adam Labatt, former NHL player, and Noahās last, best Vegas fling.
After his own rocky past in the show, Adam turned himself around and is now being asked by his old mentor to help Noah learn to play well with others. Living in isolation on his private island and still guilt-ridden over the way his marriage ended, how can Adam possibly mentor anyone? But the man he shared an unexpectedly intimate passionate night with is worth fighting for, even if he has to fight Noah himself.
Forced into close quarters, the walls theyāve erected to protect themselves crumble as they share their hopes, dreams, and fears.
Fate brought them together. Now itās up to them to find the courage to face the world unafraid. If they do, they just might create a future better than they could have imagined that night in Vegas under the desert stars.
The second in Andy Galloās Mages and Mates series, It Spells Trouble picks up after the events of the first book. There we met the renowned Hollen family, one of the worldās most powerful group of mages. That book set the series theme of a Great Group of Guardians made up of a certain kind of mage/fated mate pairing, one thatās in need of replacing the current ancient pair with a new one.
Mage Jannick Pederson is half brother to Mage Bartholomew Hollen of book one. We met Jan there and got to know him, along with his troubled background and impetus personality.
Here we see the growth and maturity those events have brought on and get a new understanding of the man we barely knew. Gallo also provides a deeper perspective into the Hollen family dynamics and Janās relationship within their inner circle.
The framework of the story is a frightening one. Human children are being kidnapped and the reasons are unknown. Magic is at work here. So mages are needed to track down the missing.
Gallo introduces a new faction of paranormal beings, Gryphons and a conservative pack that has become a nightmare for those who live under it. Itās a relevant aspect of a fantasy world.
Gryphon shifter Conall Arwan is assigned by the Alpha, his father, to help Jan investigate the kidnappings. Conall is another layered, fantastic character as is Jan and each forms a strong bond with this investigation.
Gallo dives into the juxtaposition of families, issues of loyalty and obedience, and heritage and identity here with these two beings. All that laid next to an investigation into missing children and the dangers they may represent.
I was absolutely into this story and their relationship. Several times I was reaching for a couple of tissues.
This series and theme has me hooked. Plus love those covers!
If youāre a fan of fantasy, fated mates, and great world building, Andy Gallo has a series for you.
Mage Jannick Pederson thought it was a simple assignment: help the gryphon leader find some missing human children and then go home. A noble cause, even if he didnāt much like the abrasive jerk. So why didn’t someone tell him heād be working closely with the leaderās son instead? That hot piece of perfection could make even happily-single Jannick give up his no-strings-attached ways.
Gryphon shifter Conall Arwan has simple goals for his life: get his PhD in pediatric shifter social work and stay off the radar of his disapproving father. When his father orders him to work with a hot but arrogant mage to find missing human kids, all Conall sees is how it pushes back his graduation date. Again. And even if the mage unexpectedly turns out to be not so badāand maybe even a little sweetāthereās still no future for them. Conallās dad has plans for him and they donāt include getting involved with a sexy, infuriating mage.
But fate has other ideas.
It Spells Trouble is a 75K word fated mates romance with a hearty dose of steam and a guaranteed happily-ever-after. This book is part of the Mages and Mates series and includes a plot to destroy the world, a desperate decision with far-reaching consequences, and one pissed off gryphon father.
Each book in the series can be read alone, but they are better read in order.
Embracing this story is like embracing the all of lifeās experiences, wrapped up in one amazing book. Youāre going to laugh, breathe in the joys and heartbreak of family life, the memories that bring one feelings of incredible loss and that of deep love. Itās startling in the intimacy of emotions and vibrancy that Sterling is able to bring to the characters, both adults and children, that the reader meets here.
To misquote a famous story, your heart will grow three sizes by the end of your journey with this small family and you will embrace every moment.
Itās one enormous narrative hug and it tops all the books in this fabulous series to date.
Iāve been waiting for this as itās been hinted at in the previous stories. The vaguest of scenes with the Poppins like nanny Penny Lane and the fabulously rich and beautiful Agnes Cameron. Each has close ties to all the other characters in the series and weāve seen them countless times throughout other books in various scenarios.
Now they finally get together as Agnes has decided to adopt, after being an important part of her brotherās family and an aunt to his children. We dive in as Agnes arrives at a foster care home and meets the young girl who will become her daughter, June.
I donāt need to say that this is such an emotional moment for them and us as well. Itās done in such a sweet manner, and one thatās allows Agnes to have an intimate moment to let June express herself and then bond over their love for books.
This scene really sets the tone for the story and relationship between Agnes and June. Itās believable, genuine, and heartfelt.
The rest that follows involves Penny Lane arriving as the nanny, a necessity because of the factors at play here. Agnesā status as a beloved aunt, wealthy woman, and someone who isnāt totally prepared for all the needs that a newly adopted child might have now has Penny Lane there to support them and guide them through as a family.
If only they hadnāt hooked up those several times and now cannot stop thinking about each other.
This story incorporates some amazing elements. Both women end up working through some deep psychological issues and adolescence trauma while giving June the opportunity to have the security and stability she craves for herself. Itās launches a family as they create a new core relationship in the most incredible location, a spot the reader sees so clearly due to Sterlingās beautiful rich descriptions.
This is a very sexy lesbian love story with a great HEA, their chemistry is off the charts and their relationship is layered with their own unique personalities and issues to overcome.
And June. I absolutely love June. Sheās a young girl I recognize so much. The growth K Sterling writes into her from the moment sheās seen in the backyard of the foster home to the girl at the end of the book, we understand and cherish her journey.
Books like this almost should be the series finale because they are so well written, so beautifully nuanced in their narrative that any book that follows will seem faded by comparison.
Itās hard to say goodbye to āthe new queens of Manhattan ā but Iām sure Iāll be revisiting them again soon.
Until then, Iām absolutely recommending this book and the series. Totally fabulous!
Plus that cover? Itās Penny Lane and Agnes all the way! Outstanding!
Despite being born into one of the wealthiest families in Manhattan, Agnes Cameron hasnāt had that many good things in her life. At fifty-two, sheās ready to change that. Sheās adopting a child and putting her playgirl days behind her. Agnes is done piggy-backing and cherry-picking the best parts of her brother’s life and is ready to finally have a family of her own.
Enter Penny Lane Tucker: thirty, vegan, and a wild child who occasionally sleeps in trees. Like her older brother, Penn, sheās a nanny extraordinaire. There isnāt a problem Penny canāt fix with a little elbow grease and creativity. And while she believes in soulmates and the power of love, Penny suspects fate is playing tricks when she’s sent to The Killian House and meets her new clients.
Their brothers might not be aware, but Agnes and Penny haveā¦history. Of course, neither wants to be the one to explain why Reid should send a different nanny. Instead, both decide to play it cool for the sake of Agnesās newly adopted daughter, eight-year-old June.
That proves to be a challenge when the trio heads to the Tucker family cabin in the Catskills for the summer. Sparks fly and love blossoms as Penny learns that she’s not who she thinks she is and that Agnes and June just might be her soulmates. But can Penny trust wayward Agnes with her heart? And can Agnes prove sheās ready to put her wild ways behind her and tame her enchanting nanny?
Hammer and Fist is a two-part series by Jennifer Cody thatās mind boggling in structure, absolutely labyrinthine in its creative threads and fantastically complex world building and characterizations.
As of now the author is alternating between the two connected series , Lexatalion and Geminatus, and their characters/arcs. But from the events in each series second books, I expect thatās about to change with the stories that will follow as the major threats and threads feel like theyāre about to converge.
But first the extraordinary events that have occurred here in Gale: Geminatus Book Two. The titles, like the characters themselves, are so multifaceted and complex. Not a complete Geminatus, a single being with two physical avatars that function almost in sync with each other, the title character here is not only partially Geminatus, but also human, and demon, as well as Fae origin, although exactly how he came into being is as yet unclear. But his demonic origins are known with each of his individually functioning avatars, Hunter and Ranger, containing certain elemental magical powers. One the Inferno of the first book, the second the Gale of this story.
Honestly, the storylines are far too complex, the character development and ideas behind them equally complicated and wildly compelling thatās itās impossible for a review to cover the important aspects of this element. Especially as , per the cliffhanger at the end, Cody is further enlarging on exactly what might be the roles of the avatars within this Geminatus.
Mind blowing.
We do get to see one of the āoff page events ā from Brick and Brass (Hammer and Fist: Lextalion Book 2) occur here and mentions of the magical occurrences that will shape both series going forward.
But thereās plenty of mystery, horror, death, and bodies here for everyone to deal with. Itās part of what Hunter had been dealing with since his teenage years in town as well as part of a larger investigation.
How Cody pulls both together is brutal, exciting,and full of suspense.
Thereās lots of action, surprises, and some twists and tons of anxiety for the future. I canāt wait for the next books to arrive.
Apparently, via authorās note, itās looking like at least two more books will be coming each to finish this off. Maybe more. I can believe it. So beautifully complex and getting even more so.
Iām highly recommending this but read them in alternating order ( the first book ones, then both book twoās) from the beginning otherwise youāll be lost.
Hammer and Fist Series
ā Sledge and Claw (Hammer and Fist: Lextalion Book 1)
ā Brick and Brass (Hammer and Fist: Lextalion Book 2)
After nearly losing an avatar, Iām ready to sign on with IDIA, the Interdimensional Immigration Agency. I need their resources to figure out what the hell is happening to my town. Townsend keeps attracting rogue non-humans and other extraterrestrials, and Iām half convinced itās ritual sacrifice, but who would bring people here to die? And am I being used to kill these people, or is it happenstance that Iām the one defending Townsend from the violent non-humans?
As I get closer to answers, mysteries and portals pop up and someone starts targeting the people I care about. Iām not usually known for losing my patience, but if these people want to fuck around, theyāre going to find out what happens when they do. With the help of my new friends in the agency and the trainer theyāve assigned me, Iāll find out whoās threatening the people under my protection, and when I do, theyāre going to regret going up against a prince of hell. I might look like a Geminatus, but Iām so much more than that.
Gale is a 68k word Urban Fantasy with darker themes including dark magic, murder, gore, mutilation, ritual sacrifice, and suicide. Mild cliffhangers happen in UF and this books isnāt an exception
I really enjoy Michele Notaroās work so I immediately picked up her release, The Human’s Incubus: A Brinnswick Story 1 . Itās the first in a new series but one thatās connected with two of her other larger series, and shared universe . Those would be the Ellwood Chronicles and Brinnswick Chronicles world.
Honestly, I donāt think Iāve read any of those books, but I will be after meeting some of the characters who crossed over from there into this story to help out our main characters.
That would be Hugo, a human with an angst-filled history and Zaos, an incubus with an emotional backstory whoās determined that Hugo is his viramore, his soulmate.
Unlike Michele Notaro’s The Magi Accounts series which Iām reading and throughly in love with, this isnāt the dark fiction that is. While it does contain hints about Zayās horrific childhood, thatās all itās got. See the authorās trigger warning. It does seem itās more from the narrative in another series.
And thatās a bit of an issue as far as the world building goes. That the knowledge of the world is assumed because of the other series. Thereās enough of a framework to fill in some necessary details but the overall structure isnāt quite there.
Does it spoil a terrific story? No. I loved getting to know Hugo and Zay, watching them navigate their way through Hugoās problems, the idea of their bond, Zaosā large family, and their (much needed) interference in their lives here.
I canāt wait for the next story and chapter in their relationship to be released. That will be The Humanās Heart (A Brinnswick Story Book 2). No date as yet.
Until then Iāll be heading back to pull up on the connected series and the universe I missed out on.
Iām definitely recommending this to all fans of the author and fantasy fiction.
A Brinnswick Story series:
ā The Human’s Incubus #1
ā¦ The Humanās Heart #2 – TBD
Trigger warnings:
āMentions of past child abuse/ sexual abuse (nothing on page).ā
ā The Human’s Incubus: A Brinnswick Story 1 by Michele Notaro
When an incubus tells you heās your soulmate, do you stay and listen or run and never look back?
Iāve spent most of my life knowing that supernatural creatures exist but never really interacting with any, so my knowledge of them is limited. Still, who wouldāve thought a demisexual incubus was a thing?
Well apparently, not only is it a thing, but I have one who claims to be my soulmateāor viramore, as he calls it. And now he has it in his head that heās going to save me from my past.
I think he might have a few screws loose, but something about him intrigues me, and I find myself drawn into his orbit. Could he be telling the truth? Could he really be my soulmate? Or should I be running from him the way Iām running from my enemies?
The Humanās Incubus is the first book in A Brinnswick Story series and is a MM paranormal romance. This series takes place in the Ellwood Chronicles and Brinnswick Chronicles world, but it’s not necessary to read those series first in order to enjoy this one.
Here we are at the penultimate story and it ends with, gasp, a cliffhanger! Ok , no surprise as this is a serialized story and thatās in keeping with the format. So itās very much to be expected.
But before that happens, author Jocelynn Drake gives our main characters, adorable , powerful necromancer Skylar Wallace and his human equally adorable author and neighbor Nolan Banks a first date to remember.
Does it go off the rails immediately? Absolutely! Spectacularly wrong in all the right and humorous ways? You bet!
Where the previous story went dark, dark, deeply serious into the worst that Skyās paranormal life and world offer to Nolan, a human newly discovering that humanity wasnāt alone. Date Night flips the narrative showing Nolan that magic and magical beings have a lighter side.
Itās a wild ride, literally, of a date night.
Even a suspected element thatās anticipated to be one of anguish and horror has an unlikely twist.
Thereās plenty of side characters, including the vampire Varik brothers and mates. And Skyās witchy best friends.
Honestly my hardest thing right now is the fact that thereās only one more book to come.
How can Drake deliver such fantastic characters, give us the potential for more revelations about them and their lives and leave us at four books? Short ones at that?
I believe the author needs to conjure us up a sequel.
Anyway, the finale is coming. Itās called Disaster, Who Woke the Dead?Naturally.
I canāt wait.
Absolutely recommending this and that. And the series.
How the Necromancer in the Gold Vest Saved My Life:
Life has settled down and Nolan has agreed to go on a date with Sky. There’s just one catch: Sky has to promise that it’s a totally normal, non-magical date.
I bet you can already see where this is goingā¦
It would have been a totally normal, non-magical date if it weren’t for the purple fungus, a completely minor nonlethal mostly harmless but useful poisoning, and the pig.
Sigh…Will Nolan give him a second chance after this mess?
How the Necromancer in the Gold Vest Saved My Life is a serial comprising four novellas that follow the insane adventures of necromancer Skylar Wallace and his next-door neighbor Nolan Banks. This is book three of four and contains vampires, werewolves, witches, spells gone bad, good friends who should never call during a date, and a pig. Really. This will make your worst date look amazing. And did I mention itās a full moon?
I absolutely loved this story! Micah Rose was a character whose complicated journey started with the Miami Piranhas team and series .
A damaged, angry man, Micahās transformation was a side storyline that was so compelling that the reader just wanted to know why he was so hurt and broken that it almost cost him his career in Miami.
In The Game, Bolden gives her readers the answers. We finally understand the hardships and pain that drove Micah to make the decisions he made to arrive at the man he was in the Piranhas. As well as the new man heās become that asked for a trade at the end of that series.
Thatās our starting point. After the events at the end of The Star which saw a teammate caught betting on game play, a trade was made and it brought Micah Rose to the Charleston Condors.
It also brought him back into the life of the man he loved and left. Beckett West. The other half of himself. The other half of the famed Northwestern āWallā when they played together in college. And the events that drove them apart.
Boldenās exemplary narrative charts the awkward moments between the tentative first reunion between them through the all the detailed history and emotional scenes that will bring forgiveness and redemption to them both as well as love and HEA.
This is a story about forgiveness, families in whatever form that may take, love and redemption. Bolden dogs deep into both lives to find the reason for their own suffering and eventual forgiveness. Itās a remarkable story.
And if I had thoughts that Micah was to easy to forgive his motherās actions perhaps thatās on me and not the character. Within the narrative, it was believable and grounded within the people and families.
The next book has a tough bar to fly over. I look forward to seeing what the author has to offer.
Meanwhile, Iām absolutely thrilled to recommend this series by Beth Bolden. Start at the beginning and work , book by book, through the series. Just outstanding writing, fabulous action sequences, football commentary, characters and relationships, etc. 15/10 recommend.
Charleston Condors:
ā The Star #1
ā The Game #2
ā¦ The Score #3 – Oct 31,2023
Boldenās connected Football series (characters appear/are mentioned
Micah Rose is ready for a clean slate. He mightāve messed up his rookie year with the Miami Piranhas, but being traded to the Condors is the best way to put all that behind him.
The Condors are rebuilding, too. New owner. New coach. New players. New rules.
But one rule hasnāt changed: donāt marry your ex-best friend in Vegas.
Beckett West isn’t looking forward to seeing Micah again. Back in college, they shared not only a ride-or-die friendship, but a ton of sexual tension they never acted on.
That was before Micah pushed him away.
Still, Beckās never forgotten their last drunken night together. Not only did they finally confess their feelings, they both promised if the day ever came when they played on the same team again, they wouldn’t waste the chance to be together.
But Beck didnāt expect that day to ever be this day.
He certainly didnāt expect to wake up in bed with Micahās ring on his finger.
Or that heād never want to take it off.
But it turns out the only man for him is the one man he could never forget. The one man heās always wanted to make his.
āI only want two things in this world… I want you and I want us.āANONYMOUSā
ā The First and Last Adventure of Kit Sawyer by S.E. Harmon
Iām such a fan of Harmonās books so I was thrilled to see a new story recently published.
The First and Last Adventure of Kit Sawyer by S.E. Harmon is a fabulous roller coaster of a storyline! It folds in so many different elements and does so in a complex, entertaining, and emotionally engaging manner.
It begins with the character of Christopher āKitā Sawyer. Heās the son of famous archaeologists, men and women, including his parents, who were renowned for their courage, intellect, and incredible ability to make the most amazing archaeological discoveries, oneās guaranteed to inspire and motivate others as well as fund more research.
But for Kit Sawyer, thereās another path. One chosen because of a medical condition he was diagnosed with in childhood. One that saw him left behind as his grandparents, then his parents soared away cementing their legacy. Research and analysis with his feet firmly planted beneath a desk rather than on a pathway through a jungle.
Kit is a remarkable figure. We absolutely connect with him. We understand his feelings, that of resentment, anguish and love, bitterness and sadness that is threaded through with memories of love and loss. And the everyday struggles of his life with epilepsy.
The Sawyer family is a complex one. Each member having a believable drive and hold on each other, whether living or dead. That the Sawyer legacy is one the cutās feels true.
That extends to a stepson thatās often treated more like a son of the blood in Kitās eyes and the other main character here.
Ethan Stone is an equally complicated person. His personal history dovetails with that of Kitās, their lives are so deeply embedded in each otherās. But the story will extract a different perspective of their lives from each other than each had been harboring. Thatās part of the rawness and joy of this story.
Harmonās use of the adventure to explore these menās lives and history in a way to bring them fully into each otherās hearts again. Itās wonderful, itās a bit bittersweet, and a bit scary.
Perfect!
Thereās a mystical element here that puts them on the path to find a hidden Aztec city and civilization. Maybe even find a god along the way. All fabulous and truly exciting!
The last part is one wild, heart stopping moment to the next! Itās exhilarating!
The ending is a happy one but leaves the couple open for new adventures, which I certainly hope we will get.
I could see this and them as a series. Iām all in! So great in every aspect, the journey through the jungle, the cultural aspects, the romance, and the magnificent characters. Bring on the next new chapter!
In the archaeology community, Christopher āKitā Sawyerās family is a legacy. And while he may be a historian, not a treasure hunter, he thinks he does a pretty good job of living up to the Sawyer name. He’s a book-smart research fanatic and does his best work at his tidy desk. No fedora and whip for him, if you pleaseāa nice cup of coffee and a comfy chair will do. But decoding an ancient relic soon gives him more adventure than he bargained for.
Unwittingly, he unleashes a force he doesn’t know how to control. And now he has to reunite the relic with a powerful Aztec God. The trouble with that? Kit doesnāt where to find the Tlalocās temple. No one does, in fact. Finding it could be a discovery for the ages. It could also lead to his untimely death. So…yay? But itās not like he has a choice. So off to the Mexican jungle he goes.
At least he isnāt going alone.
Ethan Stone, former stepbrother and overall pain in the rump, horns in on the expedition. An experienced archaeologist, he’s only coming along at their grandfather’s requestāwhich annoys Kit to no end. But he knows Ethan is just the right person to get them through the jungle safely. Itās just too bad someone is trying to beat them to the temple. And heās willing to do anything to get there first.
Ethan thinks Kit is in over his head. Kit is secretly afraid he just may be right. In manners of archaeology…and manners of the heartā¦.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 