Tag: #newbookreleases

Review: Sweet As Pie by Beth Bolden

Rating: 5🌈

Beth Bolden’s Sweet As Pie is everything I needed and all I love about contemporary romances. This genre is able to encompass so many different styles, elements, types of characters and storylines that I can choose right now between a beautifully written novel about grief and loss or this heartwarming tale of family, food, and two chefs in need of each other.

Bolden’s story called to my heart at the right time. Letting me know I needed her superbly written tale of a romantic journey between two lonely hardworking chefs. One from a large Italian family of California restaurateurs and the other a baker of exquisite pastries in a small South Carolina town , Indigo Cove, with a romantic legacy that bears his family name.

Luca Moretti, a family of restaurateurs we’ve met before in Food Truck Warriors, is instantly recognizable as the overworked (self induced) , tightly controlled brother who sees himself as the person who has sacrificed himself for his family. He’s intense and very stubborn.

And believable. I’m sure there’s some readers who are able to see him as someone they know. Bolden makes his personality and our ability to further understand him enlarge when he meets baker Oliver Billings.

Oliver, a genuine creative genius with baked goods and a fine businessman, understands Luca in a way his own family hasn’t been able to. Kindred spirits from opposite sides of the country.

They bond over food, Luca’s mission to save his aunt’s deli, their love of family with all its attending issues, and finally their love for each other.

I was so caught up in their love story, this small world of people, and , yes, the food they were creating, that I hardly noticed the time.

The author is able to pull me into this world so completely for so many reasons. One it’s her love of her subject matter. Not love, but food.

Beth Bolden is an excellent conveyor of her passion for food and its chefs. Whether she’s writing about bakers or sous chefs, chefs in fine restaurants or those madly cooking fare in food trucks, it always feels, passionate, authentic , exhilarating, with the aromas and , yes, flavors, coming through the pages.

I’ve drooled while reading these pages.

And her characters are rich with warmth, lively with humor, living, breathing human beings that capture your heart and mind.

This is a book that will be a comfort read for me. Give it a chance. I bet it will be for you too.

It’s a must have and must read!

Sweet As Pie is everything!

Related Series:

Food Truck Warriors series

Buy Link:

Sweet as Pie: a MM Grumpy/Sunshine Standalone188Kindle Edition$5.99

Description:

Luca Moretti is grumpy—and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Wrangling six—Italian—siblings and the family’s restaurants would make anyone cranky. But when his mother requests that he save his aunt’s struggling Italian deli in charming, picturesque Indigo Bay, he has no idea that he’s about to overdose on sweetness.

Luca expected his aunt’s stubbornness—she’s a Moretti, isn’t she?—and his cousin’s resistance to actual work, but the last thing he expected is the absolute ball of sunshine known as Oliver Billings.

Oliver loves Indigo Bay. Loves owning his small artisan bakery, Sweetie Pie’s. Helps nice old ladies cross the street. Even volunteers for the local Sweethearts Festival.

Sweet isn’t really Luca’s style, or so he thinks. But when he discovers Oliver can be a little spicy too, his prickly exterior begins to crumble like a well-baked crust.

If Luca isn’t careful, he’s going to develop a taste for sweets—and a particular baker’s pie.

And one or two servings will never be enough.

Review: Body by Mage (Supernatural Affairs #4) by F.N. Manning

Rating: 4.75🌈

This series has exponentially expanded its world building and arc themes with each new book. It’s dramatically improved over the previous stories while making the series consistent.

Body By Mage brings us a very familiar character to focus on. The ex small bit thief, recovering magical magpie of a minor mage, Rob Walters is back.

Snarky, sarcastic, well meaning but just can’t help it if trouble comes along, constantly chattering Rob, is off doing a favor when he runs into a mess.

That’s he’s trying to steal something for a good cause doesn’t help him. It’s in the sex club office of its owner, Orion Lennox. He’s an incubus who’s been looking for Rob. There’s been a slew of dead bodies and Rob has a hint , whether he’s knows or not, as to who’s behind it.

This meeting leads to a story of fantastic proportions. As well as an unexpected romance and so many twists, that I gobbled this story up and was ready for more.

Manning has written a tale that has so many storylines to grab your attention and make you think about all the various characters. The complex relationship dynamics, especially that of the incubus and mage, the balance of power, and other aspects of their lives are so strong that you forget at times the reason they met to begin with.

The dead bodies, the brutal backgrounds, and the monsters that are coming.

Manno G’s take on Hell is interesting and I’m sure will get more fleshed out when the finale is released.

But this story is completely complicated all on its own. It has a remarkable story, great characters, quite a few twists and revelations. And a cliffhanger too.

I actually enjoyed that.

Yes, I’m definitely recommending Body by Mage (Supernatural Affairs #4) by F.N. Manning . The series to date. But read them in the order they were written. Just marvelous!

Supernatural Affairs:

✓ The Werewolf’s Heart #1

✓ Shifter for Brains #2

✓ Crazy Like A Fox #3

✓ Body By Mage #4

◦ The Soul of An Angel #5 – September 24, 2023 series finale

Buy Link:

Body by Mage: Gay Urban Fantasy (Supernatural Affairs Book 4)

Description:

To stop a killer, a mage and an incubus need to get closer magically… and sexually. But their hearts are off limits. Right?

Crime doesn’t pay. Not for Rob Walters. Being a petty criminal has only given him lots of enemies and a dwindling supply of magic, so he’s trying to turn his life around. But when the mage nearly resorts to his old dirty tricks during a moment of weakness, a gorgeous incubus catches him and gives him an offer he can’t refuse… a job offer.

When a deadly sex demon starts draining people dry and dropping bodies, Orion Lennox will do anything to stop the rogue predator who gives their kind a bad name. He’ll even team up with a loud-mouth mage who drives him crazy. The incubus assumes keeping things professional will be easy, but the growing magical and sexual connection between them is hard to resist.

Catching this monster is Rob’s best chance to atone for his past mistakes and level up his magic. Learning what makes mysterious, unbelievably sexy Orion tick is a nice incentive too. But his previous encounter with the dangerous demon they’re hunting nearly destroyed him. Can Rob save the day and get the guy, or will the monster finish him off for good this time around?

Body by Mage is the fourth story in the Supernatural Affairs series of passionate M/M paranormal novels. Each book focuses on a new couple but reading in order is best for those who wish to avoid spoilers.

Review: Loki and his Master (Demon Gods Book One) by Rhys Lawless

Rating: 4.5🌈

Rhys Lawless has gotten to be a must read for me so I picked up this latest book not realizing it’s part of a much larger world of two , now three , connected series, set in the Cursed Hearts universe.

I haven’t read those but found it didn’t handicap me as much as I expected in terms of background. Lawless fills in much here in terms of foundation for the story’s structure so it’s easy to mentally files bits and pieces away as the tale progresses.

And what an entertaining story it is.

Combining various mythologies, particularly Norse, Polish, and adding in twists and mashups to the story narrative makes this fantastic storytelling.

Creating a fantasy landscape of demon gods, witches, and a host of other paranormal beings to use as characters is exciting, imaginative and dangerous while still being a titch familiar for grasping that being’s history. And that works for the reader in every aspect of the storyline.

Especially when the book opens upon a tragedy of immense personal pain and suffering. The loss of one young witch’s entire family by a brutal attack.

Tomasz, a young witch who’s never been able to utilize his powers, is filled with the need to find his family’s killers and get his revenge. But how?

Here comes along a central character who’s a bridge between every book. A ancient witch who lives under a bridge with the answers.

Tomasz needs help and gets it in the form of a demon mate. In this case, it’s Loki, the master trickster! They are sealed together in a master/slave relationship that’s a complicated forced binding.

It’s explored on several levels here by Lawless. The guilty feeling it causes in Tomasz that he’s forcing/must force Loki into the position of having no will, no say , complete servitude. It’s an anathema, especially as their affection grows stronger towards each other.

With Loki, a slave status or that of being forced into a submissive relationship, fills him with rage. He’s a god on a personal mission. It also will turn out that this element will have further philosophical implications, as certain plot points are revealed , that Lawless could but doesn’t fully give narrative voice or space to all the deeper issues it brings up.

Things like if a god has been forced into servitude for all the wrong reasons but it still has ended up being the right thing to do, should it have happened? Does one have the right to take away someone’s freedom for the greater good?

That’s not sufficiently clear or explored here despite being raised several times by more than one person and in more than one way.

However, there’s so many other plot threads to deal with that things like this get overlooked or handled in a way that doesn’t quite have the necessary support for such heavy questions.

The plot lines converge swiftly towards the end, leaving the climax feeling a bit too rushed for all the characters and great plot twists involved. I hope to have more of the children and a certain “not cat “ in future stories. They were fantastic.

Lawless sets us up for the next pair and development in this series. I guess I’ll be spending some of the time looking into those preceding series.

I’m recommending Loki and his Master (Demon Gods Book One) by Rhys Lawless for the levels of detail, the mythology, the characters, and the fast paced, highly entertaining story. Oh and the kinky sexy storyline.

That too. D/s hurt/comfort anyone?

Demon Gods:

✓ Loki and his Master #1

◦ Hades and His Witch #2 – TBD release date

Buy Link:

Loki and his Master: A contemporary fantasy romance (Demon Gods Book 1)

Description:

The trickster god is free and he’s under my command.

When I asked the old witch under Camden Lock for help with avenging my family’s murder I didn’t expect her solution would be to invoke a powerful god.

Loki is big, strong and pissed!

Thankfully he’s bound to me so he can’t hurt me.

But the only way he’ll ever help me get my revenge is if I help him find someone really important first.

The problem is the more time I spend with him, the less I’m able to resist him.

But I can’t let my guard down.

He might say all he wants from me is to punch my V-card and end the people that killed my family, but I know he wants something more.

And I’m scared it has the potential to destroy everything.

How can a young, meek little witch like me tame a god like him?

Loki and his Master is the first book in the Demon Gods series, a spin-off series set in the Cursed Hearts universe.

Demon Gods is a contemporary fantasy MM romance/urban fantasy MM romance series where mythical gods are re-incarnated into the 21st century and let loose to destroy, avenge and fall in love with young little witches. Written in British English with US spelling and grammar.

Tags:

mythical gods modernized, witches, demons, master/servant, Ds, age gap, punching his v-card, hurt/comfort, forced co-operation, beauty and the beast vibes, alpha protector, tragic past, big/small pairing, lover in peril, trouble magnet, I don’t know if I can trust you, urban fantasy world, morally gray main characters, Polish folklore, Norse mythology

Review: In-Laws Vs Outlaws ( Hitman Vs Hitman Book 5) by Cari Z and L.A. Witt

Rating: 4.75🌈

Say it isn’t so! The final story In authors Cari Z and L.A. WItt series, Hitman Vs Hitman is here. Those two irascible, delicious, utterly murderous, incredibly wealthy couple, August Morrison and Ricardo Torralba, are getting married.

Of course, it’s utter mayhem and madness when you have the large, warm hearted Torralba family hosting the wedding and meeting August’s parents, the patrician and decidedly less enthusiastic billionaire business billionaires for the first time.

Add in a ex wife, ex detective, ex Mafia boss, all friends now, and what could go wrong?

The authors lay in the humorous aspects of this story but also, not surprisingly, give us the doubts, the family dynamics issues, and all the deeply human elements that erupt during such a momentous time. Areas where the men need to examine their own lives and relationships in order to move forward.

I adored this. It showcased exactly why we’ve come to love this couple and continue with their journey book after book.

So, do I believe the authors are really done with them? Hmmm. Let’s just say if the men start speaking loudly after retirement, I won’t be surprised to see another story eventually emerge.

They are truly hard to say goodbye to.

I’m recommending you read the series and then this story. It’s got the best of both men, the heart and the soul. Great way to see them out.

Hitman Vs Hitman series:

✓ Hitman Vs Hitman #1

✓ Sniper vs Spotter #2

✓ Killer vs Kingpin #3

✓ Cop vs Capo #4

✓ In-Laws vs Outlaws #5 – finale. That’s what they said.

Buy Link:

In-Laws vs. Outlaws (Hitman vs Hitman Book 5)

Description:

Really, guys? Seriously?

A fifth book after we said you were getting a standalone?

Oh, and now you want a wedding. Because you’ve made it through four books and—

You know what? Fine. But we’re not going easy on you.

Bet you wish you’d just gone to Vegas don’t you, August and Ricardo?

In-laws vs. Outlaws is the final—so help us, it really is the final—book in the Hitman vs. Hitman series.

Review: Got Me Talking (Vet Shop Boys Book 7) by Casey Cox

Rating: 4.5🌈

Got Me Talking is the penultimate story in Casey Cox’s heartwarming series about a small Virginia town Veterinary Clinic’s doctors search for and finding their HEA.

You can feel the series winding down as the last of the characters find their partners and lasting relationships. Yet Cox’s stories remain strong and compelling, with each person getting a new chapter of their lives to move forward with their biggest dream, a person to love who loves them back.

Jeremy has been a staple in the series as this quiet baker behind the wonderful baked goods at Daley’s Bakery, a place that’s been featured throughout the series. He’s grown as a character but now gets his story and HEA.

One of the major element here is stuttering. Jeremy has suffered in the past because of the rejection and mistreatment he’s endured due to his struggles with speech. Only with Tyler, a former Vet Shop Boy veterinarian and his best friend, and the other vets and partners, does he feel accepted.

The newest hire at the Vet Shop Boys is an older English veterinarian, who’s relocating to the US for personal reasons. Montgomery is in storage, emotionally and almost physically. He’s committed to a rental property and still grieving the loss of his mother, as well as getting over his divorce.

Cox sets up a chance meeting with both men that’s believable, incredibly sexy, and lets us inside each of their minds as something unexpected happens between them.

It also helps us understand the need for communication when the logical moment arrives where they meet again. And the difficulties that arise when it doesn’t happen.

I love the way Cox is able to pull the reader into the world of these characters to the point where we sense their insecurities, their need for shielding themselves from being exposed emotionally. That’s on both sides. Montgomery is also frail, but his quiet, almost frozen demeanor hides the turmoil threatening to come out whereas Jeremy’s fears carry forth with every word he utters.

Their relationship is slow and moving. I wish it was longer. The age gap and health issues had some surprises towards the end.

It’s that ending that’s shows more than anything the series is almost at a close. We’re not in Virginia anymore.

And that’s ok.

One more unhappy vet to get his HEA in Got Me Feeling and then the series is done.

It’s a lovely show. I’m thrilled to see Jeremy get his romance and happy ending. There’s realistic elements but I expect that from the series and author.

It’s why I’m recommending this and the entire series. Well written, wonderful characters and plots of interesting elements, moving scenes, sexy, and warm-hearted. Love it!

Vet Shop Boys series so far:

✓ Got Me Hoping #1

✓ Got Me Wishing #2

✓ Got Me Looking #3

✓ Got Me Thinking #4

✓ Got Me Going #5

✓ Got Me Merry #6

✓ Got Me Talking #7

◦ Got Me Feeling #8 – finale Oct 23,2023

Buy Link:

Got Me Talking (Vet Shop Boys Book 7)

Description:

What do you call a herd of rhinos? A crash. That about sums up my life, too.

Having spent the last three years caring for my dying mother, I need a new leash on life. So I say goodbye to the UK and take a job opening at a small-town vet clinic in the US.

Via a layover in New York. Where I get, ahem, laid over.

With a man.

Not something I’ve ever done in my forty-three years.

Not something I intend on repeating.

Which won’t be a problem since I’ll never see the guy again… Until I step into the local bakery.

There’s no way anything can happen between Jeremy and me. I’m lost, grieving, and, oh yeah, straight. He also happens to be fifteen years younger than me. So what is it about the sexy baker that’s suddenly got me talking?

Got Me Talking is book 7 in the Vet Shop Boys series and can be read as a stand-alone. Expect a silver fox British vet having a bi awakening, an adorable baker with a stutter, age gap, plenty of humor, found family, and a heartwarming happily ever after!

Review: Got Me Talking (Vet Shop Boys Book 7) by Casey Cox

Rating: 4.5🌈

Got Me Talking is the penultimate story in Casey Cox’s heartwarming series about a small Virginia town Veterinary Clinic’s doctors search for and finding their HEA.

You can feel the series winding down as the last of the characters find their partners and lasting relationships. Yet Cox’s stories remain strong and compelling, with each person getting a new chapter of their lives to move forward with their biggest dream, a person to love who loves them back.

Jeremy has been a staple in the series as this quiet baker behind the wonderful baked goods at Daley’s Bakery, a place that’s been featured throughout the series. He’s grown as a character but now gets his story and HEA.

One of the major element here is stuttering. Jeremy has suffered in the past because of the rejection and mistreatment he’s endured due to his struggles with speech. Only with Tyler, a former Vet Shop Boy veterinarian and his best friend, and the other vets and partners, does he feel accepted.

The newest hire at the Vet Shop Boys is an older English veterinarian, who’s relocating to the US for personal reasons. Montgomery is in storage, emotionally and almost physically. He’s committed to a rental property and still grieving the loss of his mother, as well as getting over his divorce.

Cox sets up a chance meeting with both men that’s believable, incredibly sexy, and lets us inside each of their minds as something unexpected happens between them.

It also helps us understand the need for communication when the logical moment arrives where they meet again. And the difficulties that arise when it doesn’t happen.

I love the way Cox is able to pull the reader into the world of these characters to the point where we sense their insecurities, their need for shielding themselves from being exposed emotionally. That’s on both sides. Montgomery is also frail, but his quiet, almost frozen demeanor hides the turmoil threatening to come out whereas Jeremy’s fears carry forth with every word he utters.

Their relationship is slow and moving. I wish it was longer. The age gap and health issues had some surprises towards the end.

It’s that ending that’s shows more than anything the series is almost at a close. We’re not in Virginia anymore.

And that’s ok.

One more unhappy vet to get his HEA in Got Me Feeling and then the series is done.

It’s a lovely show. I’m thrilled to see Jeremy get his romance and happy ending. There’s realistic elements but I expect that from the series and author.

It’s why I’m recommending this and the entire series. Well written, wonderful characters and plots of interesting elements, moving scenes, sexy, and warm-hearted. Love it!

Vet Shop Boys series so far:

✓ Got Me Hoping #1

✓ Got Me Wishing #2

✓ Got Me Looking #3

✓ Got Me Thinking #4

✓ Got Me Going #5

✓ Got Me Merry #6

✓ Got Me Talking #7

◦ Got Me Feeling #8 – finale Oct 23,2023

Buy Link:

Got Me Talking (Vet Shop Boys Book 7)

Description:

What do you call a herd of rhinos? A crash. That about sums up my life, too.

Having spent the last three years caring for my dying mother, I need a new leash on life. So I say goodbye to the UK and take a job opening at a small-town vet clinic in the US.

Via a layover in New York. Where I get, ahem, laid over.

With a man.

Not something I’ve ever done in my forty-three years.

Not something I intend on repeating.

Which won’t be a problem since I’ll never see the guy again… Until I step into the local bakery.

There’s no way anything can happen between Jeremy and me. I’m lost, grieving, and, oh yeah, straight. He also happens to be fifteen years younger than me. So what is it about the sexy baker that’s suddenly got me talking?

Got Me Talking is book 7 in the Vet Shop Boys series and can be read as a stand-alone. Expect a silver fox British vet having a bi awakening, an adorable baker with a stutter, age gap, plenty of humor, found family, and a heartwarming happily ever after!

Review: Cosmic Cardio (Once Upon A Bite Book 2) by Charity Parkerson

Rating: 3.75 🌈

Charity Parkerson has written a darkly funny trio of sexy vampire romances. Short tales of life cut unexpectedly, savagely short for three young men who end up with their HEA, no, it’s a true forever ever after, unless they see the sunlight, as they each get a vampire forever after.

I really adored the first story, Little Pest. I thought the author was able to bring about so many layers to her characters, let us into what made the unusual relationship between a “little” vampire who needs to be loved and taken care of and a ancient vampire who’s been lonely and lost in bitterness. The Daddy kink is well done, the humor works, the plot just came together. All in Las Vegas.

Cosmic Cardio just doesn’t rise to the same levels. The comedy is missing, and I understand that, given the elements. But something similar was also in place in book 1, and Parkerson found a way to insert a humorous scene or two. Here it’s death, revenge, instant sex, and instant love/affection. All as a way to control a murderous teenage vampire on a rampage. A stepdad vampire as a revenge act. A overwhelmed single dad agreeing because he can’t control his teenager. Oh my.

Hmm. Nope, maybe if there had been a longer scenario, more time for the men to get together, lay out the plan to control angsty vampire teen with an attitude problem. The author has a huge comic relief element there and never explored it. That might taken this a more likable and interesting way.

Instead it’s all let’s have quick sex for the adults. Tiny exposition, and boom step vampire.

For me , it harder to care about any of them this way. Even Cosmo who we met briefly in Little Pest.

At the 75 percent level, Parkerson’s characters take a turn into realistic form. We see a believable sense of multi-dimensional interpersonal relationships, and a true understanding of family dynamics arrives. That remaining part of the book is perhaps its best . It’s certainly it most emotionally real and satisfying.

I liked it but didn’t adore it. Still a great cover.

Now onto Must be Clowning, book 3.

Clowns. I hate Clowns. Thank you, Dumbo, very much. But I’ll read it and hope that the humor , wit, and well rounded storytelling I found In Little Pest makes a return.

Until then, I’m recommending Once Upon A Bite series of quick paranormal vampire tales. Like romantic horror Bonbons, make a swift snack with them!

Once Upon A Bite:

✓ Little Pest #1

✓ Cosmic Cardio #2

◦ Must be Clowning Me #3 – May 8, 2023

Note: love these covers!

Buy Link:

Cosmic Cardio (Once Upon a Bite Book 2)

Description:

Cosmos feels like he’s just found himself. Then a young vamp rips everything away from him. Now he must get his revenge.

In his twenties, Cosmos fluttered around, doing every odd job imaginable. Only recently has he discovered his passion: fitness. He’s started his spin class, Cosmic Cardio, and—for the first time—everything in his life feels complete. Until one bite at a club ruins everything. Now, there’s only one thing Cosmos can do to reclaim his pride. He has to find the vampire who bit him and destroy his life.

When Vega’s ex left him with a teenaged son years ago, he thought being a single dad would be his biggest challenge. Then his son came home a vampire. Now his son won’t stop turning people against their will. When Cosmos shows up angry and bent on teaching his son a lesson, Vega is just fed up enough to let it happen. After all, it’s not like Cosmos plans to kill him. He simply intends to marry Vega and be the step-vampire from hell. Vega has already had one nightmare marriage. At least Cosmos intends to co-parent. What does he have to lose? Only maybe his heart. That’s nothing he hasn’t lost before.

Cosmic Cardio is the second book in Charity Parkerson’s Once Upon a Bite series. These books are meant to be short, fun paranormal romps to brighten your day.

Review: Leave No Trace (The Elite book 2) by Sammi Cee and Michelle Frost

Rating: 4🌈

Another in the multi-author thriller series, The Elite, I found Leave No Trace to absolutely be a fun, sexy murderous romp of a novella.

A young cute man, who dearly needs someone to take care of him ISO assassin. Killer Daddy pls apply!

Well actually he goes on the hunt for the killer to hire him and finds a Daddy to love. The Daddy finds a boy with an obsession to do good. What could go wrong?

This story is way too short for these wonderful characters and great premise. It’s needs more exposition and maybe a sequel. I’m up for both.

It’s a definite recommend!

The Elite Multi-Author series (9 Books):

✓ Reckless Roulette by Alice Winters

◦ Leave No Trace by Michelle Frost and Sammi Cee

◦ Ace of Maids by K.L. Hiers

◦ Poison Hearts by Jennifer Cody

◦ Liar’s Gambit by Kelly Fox

◦ Dealer of Secrets by Davidson King

◦ Bullets & Butterflies by Maz Maddox

◦ Love for the Reaper by Charlie Cochet

◦ Chance Encounter by Luna David

Buy Link:

Leave No Trace (The Elite Book 2)

Description:

A hitman with a reputation. A boy with a past.

Trace took a job at The Anonymous—the most exclusive club in the city—for a very specific reason. Only now that he’s there, he’s not sure how to get what he needs. He sure didn’t expect a killer Daddy to help him figure it out.

Kol always closes his contracts, and he never leaves loose ends. The powerful families of the city pay him to clean up their messes and keep their secrets—an arrangement that only works because he gives his allegiance to no one. Being a lone wolf has kept him alive, but even lone wolves get hungry.

A simple contract and one wrong turn bring Trace and Kol crashing together with a twist neither of them saw coming.

Leave No Trace is a novella in the multi-author series The Elite. Each book can be read as a standalone and in any order. What links these books together is The Anonymous, a club beneath the gritty city where only the elite are welcome.

Review: A Hellhound Called Derek (Mated to a Human Book 1) by Michelle Frost

Rating: 3.75🌈

I’ve recently stumbled into several new short paranormal romance series, each by a different author. The authors are new discoveries as well. So a novella works so well to get a feel for their writing style and love for the subject matter.

A Hellhound Called Derek (Mated to a Human Book 1) by Michelle Frost is about 87 pages. Frost gives us a barebones framework for the universe, humans and paranormal beings are, for reasons political and social, given mates from each other’s species. Names plucked from folders, mated, and hopefully, a HEA.

We meet the three paranormal beings getting their mates sitting in a bureaucrat’s office, waiting for their names. Each will have books in the series. First up is Derek, Alpha Hellhound. The way in which he chooses his mate from the folder pile makes sense.

His human mate is adorable. Hollis runs along the lines of the cute, human in need of a protector character but he’s still engaging and earns our sympathy.

The storyline does a good job of building a relationship given it’s a short story. Same goes for the dramatic elements.

There’s a subplot with a human hate group that needs more foundation, more details to come in future books I’m sure.

But in 87 pages, we get a quick romance, terrific characters, and an ongoing dramatic arc. I enjoyed it. Very entertaining and looking forward to the other stories.

Pick them all up and read them in one fell swoop!

A definite recommend!

Mated To A Human series:

✓ A Hellhound Called Derek #1

◦ A Warlock Called Jacob #2

◦ A Vampire Called Leander #3

Buy Link:

A Hellhound Called Derek (Mated To The Human Book 1)

Touch his mate and you’ll wish for the fires of hell.

Alpha of the Hellhound enforcers, Derek doesn’t think he has time for a mate until the Paranormal Council of the city gives him one.

Hollis is smart, funny, vulnerable…human, and his police commissioner uncle has designs to use Hollis’s new mating for his own ends.

He’ll learn quickly not to mess with a hellhound’s mate.

A Hellhound Called Derek is the first in this fast-paced novella series where the paranormals are all deliciously protective of their humans…no matter what type of trouble they get into.

Review: Asher (Demons-In-Law Book 1) by Louisa Masters

Rating: 4.5🌈

Asher, the first in Masters’ new Demons-In-Law series about the fabulously wealthy Bailey clan of demons, see Gideon now mates to Lucifer Sam in the connected Hidden Species/Here Be Dragons series.

It all happens in the very isolated picturesque village of Hortplatz, high in the snowy, very snow mountains of Switzerland, where it has housed an entire settlement of demons.

After a visit by a verified surprises Lucifer Sam , there to meet his bf’s family, it becomes a mission to help them understand the world they live in, it’s diverse paranormal activity and species.

Enter Garrett Smythe! Masters excels at the instant connection, the chemistry that also brings a personal bond. The sex and the emotional touches that come from that first night between Garrett and Asher set the tone for what follows.

They are magic together. Absolutely believable as a couple bonding and in love.

The formidable Bailey family is led by Damaris, the family matriarch. Warrior, politician, all around scary person who adores her family, I love this character! The many Baileys , all the cousins to grandchildren are beings you want to spend time with. I enjoy the species history and physical biology that Masters has written that makes this and them so fascinating.

The other half is, of course, Hellhound. That’s Garrett. And his cousin Alastair. His cousin is a well known character, part of several books. As much as I love him exuberance and way out there actions, here Alastair was actually too much. He had lost some of his charm and veered into being a bit of an irritant. He’s just getting used too much without the necessary underlying depths that made him a better person.

Garrett has those qualities and it makes him a fully dimensional Hellhound. And teacher, anthropologist, and loving new husband.

The relationships between the many characters, teachers to students, children to their large families, families to their community, it’s real protective, and loving. I smiled through the entire read.

This story is funny, surprising, sexy, and has a great twist at the end to bring in familiar faces and a bridge to the next book.

I’m only sorry I can’t go directly onto the next book. But I’ll wait and perhaps reread some of the stories from the two previous series. It’s a great universe!

This is one I’m highly recommending!

Demons-In-Law series:

✓ Asher #1

◦ Micah #2 – September 2023

◦ Zac #3 – TBD early 2024

Buy Link:

Asher (Demons-In-Law Book 1)

Description:

When your imaginary boyfriend turns up in your hometown, marriage is the only option.

I’m not anti-relationship, but my life is good right now, and love is not a priority. Too bad my grandmother disagrees. People say she’s scary, and sure, some of her enemies went missing under mysterious circumstances, but she loves me and wants the best for me… which, right now, is marriage. The matchmaking is a lot, and she’s not letting up. What’s a demon to do except invent a long-distance boyfriend?

That backfires hard when the one-night stand I based my fake boyfriend on arrives in our tiny village. Garrett’s here to help our cut-off town assimilate with the rest of the Community of Species. He’s not expecting to find he has a boyfriend he knew nothing about.

It doesn’t take me long to convince him to agree to my new plan. I need the matchmaking to stop; he needs our insular little community to accept and trust him. The perfect solution: marriage. A business agreement with a time limit.

Just business.

Until he demands more. A sexy, nerdy hellhound in my bed isn’t a deal breaker.

But as we get closer to our end date, it gets harder for me to imagine life without him. And when my little cousin goes missing, it’s Garrett who saves the day… and reveals secrets the village didn’t know we had.

In this hilarious spin-off from the Hidden Species series, Gideon’s cousins get their time to shine… beginning with Asher and his brand-new hellhound husband.