Review: The Hidden God of Open Doors by Tavia Lark

Rating: 3🌈

It didn’t immediately register but I had read this before as a short story in the Heart2Heart Valentine Day’s Anthology. It worked there, surrounded by other like stories and given a foundation by the Anthology basis of the Heart2Heart matchmaking process, a well established tradition and built upon by each story.

As a standalone? Removed from that structure and foundation? Unfortunately, without a solid narrative support, it doesn’t really make the type of satisfying story you would expect from Tavia Lark.

I love the premise and the potential of this story. That someone has been imprisoned for an indefinite amount of time within a small room for a unknown reason is horrifying. Especially as we get glimpses into his tiny room and his personality. Then Lark flips over to Raider, who, along with his sister Val, owns and runs a shop for magic items and are newly immortal.

Ruin finally gets to communicate with someone else when mysteriously they are hooked up via the Heart2Heart dating app.

I can’t see where this was expanded from the original version. The story is still a good concept but given the trauma of being held prisoner for thousands of years and then having a relationship, albeit a verbal one? I would have thought Rune’s reactions to have been considerably more intense and internalized.

The backgrounds of the locals or location need further explanation, especially as that’s where Rune was imprisoned. As it was there is so many unanswered questions.

The Hidden God of Open Doors by Tavia Lark is a sweet paranormal short story. A quick read that needs more attention to detail and depth of character.

Cute.

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comThe Hidden God of Open Doors – Kindle edition by Lark, Tavia. …

Blurb

Forget finding his perfect match. Rune is just desperate to talk to someone.

Rune is lonely, immortal, and trapped in a mysterious prison. Objects appear and disappear as the decades pass, and his only companions are the books and television. He hasn’t spoken to a real, live person in over two hundred years.

Until one day a phone appears, with a magical dating app already installed.

The app promises to find Rune’s perfect match for Valentine’s Day. Rune is tempted, even though he knows that’s impossible. Nobody wants a perfect match they can’t meet.

Then he matches with Raider—a confident ex-treasure hunter who shamelessly flirts past Rune’s loneliness.

And Raider doesn’t believe in impossible.

The Hidden God of Open Doors is a short Valentine’s Day MM romance about a trapped immortal, the flirty treasure hunter who wants to discover everything about him, and the dating app magic that brings them together.

Previously published in the Heart2Heart Volume 7 Paranormal Anthology

Publication date: January 24, 2025
Language: English
Print length: 62 pages

Review: Treasured by S.J. Himes

Rating: 3.25 🌈

Treasured by S.J. Himes Is a 72 page fantasy romance which is about what my list-crammed, holiday strained brain can handle at the moment.

Short, sweet, easy mystery. Nothing complicated. Nice quick read..

Himes’ story about a Dragon ISO his forever Treasure and a young man in definite need of … well being said Treasure… is likable and sweet. I felt it had more promise than it’s 72 pages could deliver in fact.

Himes has the makings of a terrific little murder mystery here but not enough “time” or length to develop it. Instead we get something (a great start/weak explanation and ending) and someone (a nonsensical villain) that’s just doesn’t make much sense and feels contrived. Especially considering how strong a start it got and how it pulls the reader into being invested in a relationship between Alaric and Tarquin.

Had the author spent time here making this element more than a quick plot device and instead a deeper story thread to grow the main characters relationship, this could have been a very different book.

Same goes for Alaric’s mother and her drama which launches the story. It too never becomes the greatly emotional element it is supposed to be. And her story isn’t actually resolved as the house isn’t fixed snd all the bills aren’t paid and she’s sort of fading into the background.

So yes. There’s many wonderful elements at play but not many actually do more then show up and stand around. There’s just no time for them to do anything.

That’s a shame.

If you just want something to breeze through and it’s sweet, a bit sexy and a HEA with dragons. Here you go! It’s got all that! At 72 pages.

Synopsis:

Needing employment to help his ailing mother, Alaric Keening gets a job as a billionaire dragon’s clairvoyant. He never imagined his almost useless talent would ever become a marketable skill, and even worse–the sight of his new boss leaves him breathless. That was the worst, until the first day on the job, he finds himself nearly dying in the arms of his new boss.

Tarquin is a storm dragon, and he’s been alone for centuries. Fleeing the Great Wars, he sacrificed his old territory and made a new home in Montreal, collecting companies to fill the void left by the loss of his hoard. Running an international company in the magical world means hiring a clairvoyant to protect his assets, and yet there is nothing to protect his heart when Alaric Keening walks into his office.

Between trying to keep Alaric alive and trying to find who’s out to kill Tarquin, they can’t deny the connection that goes far beyond that of a boss and his new employee–but that of a dragon and his treasure.

Treasured was previously published as the short story, A Caller From Montreal, in the Heart2Heart Charity Anthology Vol 4. It has been expanded and lightly edited with new content. Word count is 25,000 words

https://www.goodreads.com › showTreasured by S.J. Himes – Goodreads

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