Review: The Chosen One Universe: Vol Two by Macy Blake

Rating: 4.75🌈

The second volume of Chosen One books is where I realized they weren’t being grouped according to series but in a reading order.

Series broken up and interspersed with each other, along with single stories, to give the overall Chosen One plot arc a flow with the characters, relationships, and events as they occur inside each novel.

So with Volume Two we get:

🔹Hell On Earth: Hellhound Champions #1(already reviewed)

🔹Next to Nothing: The Chosen One #3

🔹Hell to Pay: Hellhound Champions 2

🔹Double or Nothing- extra bonus about Sawyer’s brother, Mikey.

All four books, in that order, keep setting up the reader and the characters for the ever developing arc and multiple relationships of the Chosen One and the battle he’s facing.

We get new Guardians, new mates for characters who will , if they aren’t already, hugely important to the safety of the Chosen, and his mission to find that being responsible for all the black magic and devastating events his evil has caused.

Blake’s writing brings us into multiple lives here. Those of the severely damaged children, of the traumatized adults that still carry all the pain and damage within and on them from those years of captivity. Damage that’s carved into them and is able to make us empathize with them completely.

When bear shifter Ben cries out, it’s not just his siblings that feels his anguish, but us too.

There’s fierce battles, high suspense, and lots of very hot sex , with mates who can’t get enough of their men.

There’s also some very funny elements as well. Need those to mitigate the dark moments that are becoming faster and more severe.

All the characters are amazing as is the multi storyline development. It’s getting increasingly complicated. Blake is upping the game, adding in mythology as well as new beings, layers of history as well as new people and their mates . It’s a lot to track as each is so important to the overall picture but it all meshes.

I hadn’t anticipated this type of collection but it’s great. It makes sense and stops a person from having to jump around from series to series. Love it!

So onto Volume Three! I’m picking up speed here! This is a binge reader’s paradise!

I’m highly recommending this and Volume One.

Happy Reading!

https://www.goodreads.com › showChosen One Universe Volume Two by Macy Blake – Goodreads

https://www.amazon.com › Chosen-…The Chosen One Universe Volume Two: An MM Paranormal Fantasy Shifters Series …

Have You Been Chosen?

For the first time, Macy Blake’s two bestselling paranormal fantasy series are being published in a three-volume mega-verse box set!

Each volume will feature three full-length MM novels with dragons, hellhounds, vampires and more, with never before published bonus material. All in reader-requested chronological order.

Volume Two:

Hell on Earth: Hellhound Champions Book One

As alpha of the hellhounds, Meshaq is tasked by his goddess to be the police of other creatures. When he meets the mysterious Drew, a human on the run, Meshaq is drawn to him in a way he doesn’t understand. His duty is clear, but his feelings for Drew have him longing for things he can’t have. Magical forces collide, beginning a battle that will require all of Meshaq’s skill as the goddess’s champion. He may be the enforcer of the supernatural world, but Meshaq is in danger of losing his heart.

Next to Nothing: The Chosen One Book Three

Sawyer is closer than ever to fulfilling the ancient prophecy of the Chosen One, but the bonds between him and his newest guardians are giving him doubts. With his reluctant hippocamp and an egotistical fae prince, Sawyer has his hands full in more ways than one. The rules are changing, and Sawyer has to adapt quickly if he’s going to keep up, especially after he’s whisked away to the land of the fae, a place with cryptic customs. One misstep could very well lead to his death.

Hell to Pay: Hellhound Champions Book Two

Hellhound beta Solomon has no complaints. Life is fine. His pack and his goddess-given duties as a protector of the human realm are enough. So what if he’s a little bored and a smidge lonely? His scheme to get to know his human pack mate comes at the worst possible time, especially as Cody is convinced he works for a group of elite mob enforcers instead of the protectors of the supernatural world. When a magical attack draws Cody into the supernatural world, can Solomon convince Cody to join them in a dangerous mission to defeat a terrifying creature bent on raining destruction on them all?

Includes bonus short story:

Double or Nothing

Mikey Smith lives with what he calls his “flickers”. When he’s out in the world, sometimes other people flicker and change into something terrifying that no one but him can see. He’s been diagnosed with epilepsy, but part of him knows what he sees is real. When two men walk into his coffee shop, his world is turned upside down when they transform into something else… and they know he can see them. Asher and Quillon aren’t expecting to add a third into their mix… but neither of them are opposed to the idea either. When they meet Mikey, they’re drawn to him from the first moment. He’s a human exposed to their world, though, and the consequences are severe. Can Asher and Quillon protect their new human mate from the forces that threaten him?

❤️Chosen Universe Multi-series Reading Order:

1. Sweet Nothings- Prequel
– The Chosen One

2. The Trouble With Love
– Nothing But Trouble, Book 1

3. Santa Trouble
– Nothing But Trouble, Book 2

4. All or Nothing
– The Chosen One, Book 1

5. Nothing Ventured
– The Chosen One, Book 2

6. Hell on Earth
– Hellhound Champions, Book 1

7. Double or Nothing

8. Next to Nothing
– The Chosen One, Book 3

9. Hell To Pay
– Hellhound Champions, Book 2

10. Give Him Hell
– Hellhound Champions, Book 3

11. Nothing Gained
– The Chosen One, Book 4

12. Stop at Nothing
– The Chosen One, Book 5

13. Sweet Spot

14. All Kidding Aside
– Magical Mates, Book 1

15. Stop Kidding Around
– Magical Mates, Book 2

16. Hell Breaks Loose
– Hellhound Champions, Book 4

17. Logan
– Chosen Champions, Book 1

18. Gideon
– Chosen Champions, Book 2

19. Jamal
– Chosen Champions

20. Cosmo and the King

21. Aleron
– Chosen Champions, Book 3

Review: Pixie Little Liar (Blackhaven Manor #5) by Arden Steele

Rating: 4.5🌈

I can’t begin to tell you how much I’m enjoying these adorable supernatural romances by Arden Steele. They go by so quickly and smoothly. Although each is a fated mates trope, Steele manages to put such a interesting spill on every new couple’s story and matchup, that I eagerly anticipate what I’ll find with the new tale!

Emerys Whitehill, part pixie and part Fae, has been a staple of all the stories so far. He’s a gorgeous, genuinely happy , blue-haired, bartender with a mysterious predilection for anticipating the future. I love Emerys!

So great he’s getting his mate, especially when he was part of a mystery in the last storyline. It’s resolved here , btw.

That’s when his mate shows up in a totally unexpected role. Cyrus Rathbone, Hellhound and employee of the MOA. That’s the de facto Otherlings Judge/Jury/Jail/Execution Organization who handles all the affairs between species and races.

Seems sweet, adorable Emrys has been accused of multiple murders and his newly revealed mate is there to take him in.

Delicious.

It’s a fabulous story. Exciting, romance on the run, a relationship that’s growing through communication and discovery of remarkable talents. Steele incorporates characters from Grin and Bear It, as well as our usual beings.

Pixie Little Liar is one romantic entertaining, engaging romp. I adored every bit of it.

This series and characters are a real joy.

Meet Emrys and Cyrus. Enjoy their romance and relationship! I’m highly recommending them!

Blackhaven Manor Series:

✓ Purrfect Harmony #1

✓ Night and Fae #2

✓ Dragon It Out #3

✓ Grin and Bear it #4

✓ Pixie Little Liar #5

◦ Dead Over Heals #6

◦ Silent Knight #7

https://www.goodreads.com › showPixie Little Liar (Blackhaven Manor #5) by Arden Steele – Goodreads

Synopsis:

There’s a heaviness to the air, the kind that makes the hairs on the back of Emrys Whitehill’s neck stand on end. Something is going to happen. Something big. Something that will change him forever. Despite his powers of precognition, however, a hellhound walking into the hotel to arrest him for a crime he didn’t commit is the one scenario he never saw coming.

As a seasoned bounty hunter, Cyrus Rathborne thought he had experienced it all, but realizing his most recent target is his mate throws him completely off his game. While he can’t deny the connection, Emrys is wanted for the murder of a royal, and he won’t let those big innocent eyes deter him from doing what is right. Yet, the more he gets to know the sweet pixie, the harder it is to shake the feeling that the guy might actually be telling the truth.

He should have trusted his instincts.

It soon becomes clear that someone is determined to make Emrys disappear—permanently—and the only thing standing in their way is him. Transforming from hunter to protector, Cyrus will risk everything to keep his mate safe, because what started as just another job is now the one mission he can’t afford to fail.

Review: The Spooky Life (The Spectral Files #4) by S.E. Harmon

Rating: 5🌈

Once again S.E. Harmon’s spectacular series has managed to ride that edge of horror, scaring the ever loving crap out of me, while providing me (and her magnificent characters) with so many witty, hilarious conversations and sayings that sellers out there in Etsy should be pounding at the author’s proverbial door asking for the right to put them up on crafting projects.

Rain Christiansen and fellow detective, Daniel McKenna, are finally getting married. They’ve set the date. Now if they can wade through all the wedding planning mountains of decisions people made for them, and wedding agenda items that have gotten so out of their control. Then they just might make it to wedded bliss.

I love this series and the characters. The author gives us an established couple that’s recovering from the traumatic events of Spooky Business, rebuilding their house, and trying to move forward with their future, in all its quirky, exasperating, and often murderous aspects.

Even in the most mundane periods of Rain’s and Danny’s life, ghosts are bound to make an appearance. As they do when Rain and his future MIL are touring a possible wedding venue.

This ghost and her request will lend The Spooky Life a fascinating, multilayered paranormal investigation that will eventually have major horror overtones. Just a fantastic element. Gives me the chills still thinking about it.

As to the rest? It’s witty, sarcastic, full of the found family that has been gathered through the paranormal crime unit , Rain’s hippie parents, his sister, Danny’s family, their aging GSD, and all the rest. Each adding memorable scenes, warmth, and often gentle hilarity to the mixture.

I would love to see another story, with their kids they are planning for. But if this is the last one, I’m content.

The author is leaving them at a wonderful place .

The Spooky Life (The Spectral Files #4) by S.E. Harmon is a outstanding story in a great series. It’s got fabulous characters and complicated plots. Read them in the order they are written for character and relationship development.

I’m highly recommending them all.

The Spectral Files :

✓ P.S. I Spook You #1

✓ Principles of Spookology #2

✓ Spooky Business #3

✓ The Spooky Life #4

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Spooky Life (The Spectral Files #4) by S.E. Harmon – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Rain Christiansen isn’t sure he’ll ever fully understand the supernatural. But he’s finally finding his groove as a reluctant medium and cold-case detective. That’s not to say everything is going smoothly—there’s a wedding in the works, after all. He’s finally taking that enormous step with fellow detective, Daniel McKenna, and he couldn’t be happier…about the marriage. Not so much the wedding. The hoopla is enough to make him wish for a quick flight to Vegas and an Elvis officiant.

At least work is keeping Rain and the PTU plenty busy. Their latest case involves Hannah Caldwell, a silent ghost who can’t—or won’t—speak. She still manages to request that they find her dear friend, Cherry Parker, so that she can say goodbye. Piece of cake. Finding people is pretty high on the list of things that Rain does best.

But when it comes to ghosts, nothing is ever quite what it seems. Before long, his simple missing person’s case takes a dark and twisted turn. And Rain realizes he’s been so busy trying to protect Danny that he forgot to protect himself.

If he doesn’t turn things around—and quickly—his spooky life might be cut short for good.

Review: Marriage is Murder (Sawyer and Royce: Matrimony and Mayhem #2) by Aimee Nicole Walker

Rating: 5 🌈

It’s that halfway time , Sawyer and Royce have committed to each other through proposals, but they haven’t set a date, or done much else to further getting married.

First up is Jayce (Royce’s brother) and Hols, Royce’s close friend and police coworker. Sawyer’s too. They are getting married soon if they can manage to keep a wedding planner.

In the meantime, there’s a masked armed robbery team that’s giving the SPD trouble, a murder victim with a arrow through the heart, and old troubles for Sawyer.

Good times.

The twisty turns of the murder case is marvelous. It may have given Royce and company headaches, but I enjoyed that aspect of this story completely! There’s so many unexpected elements and new twists in the investigation that do get neatly resolved that you’re positively gleeful along with the detectives when they solve it.

Past history continues to cause issues for Royce and Sawyer just as both men work together to make their own way to a marriage and future family . It’s Royce’s stress over his troubled family members and their effects upon those he loves. With Sawyer, it’s the Sheriff who’s homophobic actions and outright hatred caused him to leave his old job for his mental health.

This aspect of their relationship that works with both of these storylines is one I thoroughly believe in and applaud. They work through what they see as potential problem areas, in their relationship/or job or both, by thoughtful communication, picking apart arguments calmly, and respectfully. It’s a joy to read about adults having a working, loving, relationship that grows deeper with each story. With great sex too.

There are threads of heartbreak and ones of realistic “it is what it is “ endings, especially when working on cold cases. Not everyone gets a happy ending.

But we get enough glimpses of past people , getting along, doing ok, that it’s believable, and satisfying. It feels real.

I love all the characters within this universe. Savannah is the perfect place for all these perfectly imperfect people. I can’t wait for the next installment.

This was so incredible. How horrifyingly wonderful can their wedding be?

I’m highly recommending this and all the connecting series. What a gift.

❤️Sawyer and Royce: Matrimony and Mayhem series:

✓ The Magnolia Murders #1

✓ Marriage is Murder #2

◦ Killer Honeymoon #3 – July 1, 2022

The Zero Hour Trilogy preceded this one.

https://www.goodreads.com › showMarriage Is Murder by Aimee Nicole Walker – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Spring is in full bloom, love is in the air, and Cupid has taken deadly aim in Savannah.

Newly engaged, Royce Locke and Sawyer Key are ready to set the date and charge full-steam ahead into their happily ever after, but homicides and unresolved conflicts keep getting in their way. Neither detective has met a case they couldn’t solve, but their latest investigations will push their limits and challenge their faith when the line between friend and foe becomes blurred. And if that weren’t enough, a random encounter with a stranger will trigger a series of events that could either make or break the couple.

Love—often a thriller, sometimes a killer, but always worth the battle.

Marriage is Murder is book two in the Matrimony and Mayhem trilogy, the second story arc for Royce Locke and Sawyer Key. ** New readers should start with the Zero Hour trilogy before reading Matrimony and Mayhem. ** Marriage is Murder is a continuation of Royce and Sawyer’s happily ever after as they move into the next phase of their lives—professionally and personally. Though some storylines span the trilogy, this book does not end in a cliffhanger. Heat, humor, heart, and homicide abound. You have been warned.

Review: The Dragon Experiment (Here Be Dragons #3) by Louisa Masters

Rating: 5🌈

What an absolutely hilarious, sexy, thoughtful, fantasy mystery romance. The Dragon Experiment really has it all here. Starting with the confidently engaging Fabian Draco, the dragon species historian who’s constant search for knowledge of all types is only equaled by Fabian’s enormous amounts of sexual encounters. Of all types, of all genders , species and areas of play.

When Fabian’s straying attention can be pulled towards any one subject or being at any given moment. Fabian’s brilliant brain is more likely to be off wandering through the amazing dragon archives then focusing on the car about to hit him.

This incredible character is a true joy and such a source of so many emotions here. For both the reader and Dr. Rhys Griffith. Or Dr. Rhys as Fabian will call him at first .

They met during a confusing encounter, at least for Fabian’s pov, at a mall, where Fabian thought he was getting a very pretty “purity “ ring from someone handing them out at a booth (The Professor’s Dragon #2).

Flash forward, the ring isn’t coming off Fabian’s finger, (not that’s he’s the one concerned) ,and it turns out it’s actually a medical gathering instrument for a research project headed Dr Rhys Griffith

Rhys is a sorcerer who’s research, involving sexual energy and metaphysics just might be more important then anyone expects.

This story is a romance, and a mystery, one that carries huge implications for all races. How it’s researched and resolved is as satisfying as how the romance grows into a solid relationship.

It’s funny, strong with multiple characters and storylines. There’s several hints about the next book and the character who so badly needs his story told.

I just adore this couple, especially Fabian. He’s right out of that fabulous school of brilliant absentminded Professors. Only this time he’s a sex positive dragon. Be still my heart.

The Dragon Experiment is a well written fantastic novel , filled with engaging characters and a plot that adds so much to the series foundation as well as overall arc the author is building.

Read all the stories in this universe so you’re familiar with the events that have occurred and the characters and relationships that are referred to.

I’m highly recommending them all, including this one.

Happy Reading!

🔹Hidden Species Series first, followed by…

Here Be Dragons:

🔹How To Date A Dragon #0.3

🔹Dragon Ever After #1

🔹The Professor’s Dragon #2

🔹The Dragon Experiment #3

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Dragon Experiment (Here Be Dragons #3) by Louisa Masters – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Who knew sleeping around could save the entire species?

I’m a simple dragon. Give me knowledge, give me research, give me rings for my hoard, and give me athletic men who want to get sweaty between the sheets… or anywhere else. Those things make me happy. Other things… well, who cares about those?

Turns out, I should have cared. Or at least paid attention. Because I somehow signed up for a scientific study run by a shy, nerdy sorcerer with the body of a god. And the study just happens to be about my favorite form of exercise.

It doesn’t take long for me to know I want to do more than science with Rhys. I’ve never been the kind of dragon to mix feelings with fun, but Rhys could be the one person who meets all my needs, even if he won’t wear a ring on every finger.

But when his research becomes more important than any of us could have imagined, our relationship enters a new phase. Now it’s up to me to show Rhys how much he’s worth… both to me and to the future of his species.

Review: Grin and Bear It (Blackhaven Manor #4) by Arden Steele

Rating: 4.5🌈

Grin and Bear It (just love the names) reverts back to the instant recognition and almost as fast bonding between the fated mates of this terrific story.

But Arden Steele’s novella does change up some elements that I sort of took for granted, given the plots of the other books. I really appreciate the surprise aspect of this.

Thorne McIver, super magical bear shifter and protector of Royal families , in this case a royal Elven prince. He’s a special Guardian, of a renowned and highly feared security team. Now he’s at the annual Summit of Allies Races Council/DARC held at Blackhaven Manor with the Prince who’s representing his Elven race.

Steele has gone both into history and mythology while constructing the character and species for Thorne and his team of Guardians. It’s fascinating and imaginative. Perfect, really, especially when called into action.

Throne’s mate is a human. Wren Covey, concierge at reception area of Blackhaven Manor, along with Kol. He’s a delightful character. With a decidedly painful past, Wren is someone who Steele shows to continually move beyond his own bad experiences to become a gentle, genuine person, with a kind heart and occasional inability to focus.

We adore him immediately as does the others we know from previous stories.

Through Wren, we get the first inkling of growing human backlash against the Otherlings and their status within human society. That’s been a subdued element before but here it’s a big factor in Wren’s family life and the weekend conference.

That’s new. So is the worry apparent in the Dragon siblings.

The drama here is woven through the mating story and the growing new relationship between Wren and Thorne. It kept me absolutely engaged. Especially as new details about Thorne’s species , his MOA security detail, and , what their future plans entail.

Hint? It comes from Dragon it Out. What a fabulous way to end it and give ideas for future stories.

This series and couples just keep getting better and better. And the universe just keeps expanding with new facts, organizations, and , of course, couples.

I’m highly recommending Grin and Bear It (Blackhaven Manor #4) by Arden Steele and the series.

Blackhaven Manor Series:

✓ Purrfect Harmony #1

✓ Night and Fae #2

✓ Dragon It Out #3

✓ Grin and Bear it #4

◦ Pixie Little Liar #5

◦ Dead Over Heals #6

◦ Silent Knight #7

https://www.goodreads.com › showGrin and Bear It (Blackhaven Manor #4) by Arden Steele – Goodreads

Read Free With Kindle Unlimited

AVAILABLE AT AMAZON

Synopsis:

Thorne McIver is no ordinary bear shifter. He’s the monster whispered about in the dark, the beast feared in battles, and for hundreds of years, he’s used his formidable gifts to protect the royal families of the paranormal world. So, when he’s tasked with escorting the elven prince to a council meeting at Blackhaven Manor, he figures it’s just another assignment.

Until he meets a stunning human who fills in all the pieces he didn’t know were missing.

When he’d first started working at the hotel, Wren Covey had been a mess. He’d known almost nothing about Otherlings, their culture or rules, and everything had terrified him. Barely a year later, there’s not much he hasn’t seen, and hardly anything fazes him. Or so he thought, because nothing could have prepared him for being the mate to a genuine living legend. 

When an attack on the hotel tests his already divided loyalties, Thorne finds himself torn between love and duty. Though honor-bound to protect the prince, his instincts will always be to put his mate first.

Now, he’ll have to find middle ground and figure out how to do both, or his happy ending will be over before it even begins.

Review: The Bachelor and the Cherry (Campo Royale #2) by V.L. Locey

Rating: 5🌈

The Bachelor and the Cherry is one of my favorite V.L. Locey stories. It also takes place in a series and universe that’s shaping up to be up among the very top of those as well. Which is pretty amazing, considering how much I adore her hockey series and romances.

But the Campo Royale , with its strong air of being everything from a great performance hall to a sanctuary for those stumbling in from the harsh reality of a world of family rejection, disownment, religious intolerance, and abuse, becomes that place you don’t want to leave.

Presiding over it all, is the fabulous, beautiful, and sharp tongued Mother Sitka Patel. Drag Queen Superior, owner of Campo Royale, and at the moment, still in withdrawal from the last devastating relationship.

Outside of drag, he’s Jordan Stevens, 50 years of trying to escape the effects of aging and the results of some very bad relationships. Jordan/Mother Sitka is such a magnificent character. I could see her clear as crystal, from her sarcastic wit to the warmth with which she embraces her girls and club. The wealth of the years of experience that Locey layers into her makes Sitka/Jordan such a powerfully emotionally complicated individual that your belief in them never falters.

Yampier Perez is equally strong as the naive, hopeful southern boy, determined he’s got talent to make it, no matter how many times someone beats him down. Or up.

Even if it’s his Cuban family who’s fists are flying.

So many Yampier Perez out there. Runaways, throw aways… so few lucky enough to end up outside of a Campo Royale. Heartbreaking.

The extended Campo Royale cast of found family , the Queens, their friends and boyfriends, the other employees, everyone contributing such warmth, genuine layers of humor and snark, that adds such richness here.

The relationship, friendship, and then romance is such a satisfying journey to read and watch develop. I just curled up and was so invested in this story that I couldn’t put it down.

A Drag Queen is that very embodiment of fierceness, bravery, courage, and strength. Someone, at whatever level, whatever gender, is expressing their truth for all to see! It’s beautiful, and fabulous!

The Bachelor and the Cherry (Campo Royale #2) by V.L. Locey allows us a glimpse into a slice of that world.

I’m highly recommending it. And the author if you’re not familiar with her!

Campo Royale series:

🔹The Viking and the Drag Queen #1

🔹The Bachelor and the Cherry #2

https://bit.ly/3jR9RHU

Synopsis:

Is he brave enough to stop hiding behind his persona and give love one final try?

Jordan Stevens has crammed a lot of living into his fifty years. Some of those years have been good, some bad, and some he would just as soon forget. The world isn’t always kind to an aging queen. Lovers begin to scamper into forbidden fields, your padding tends to slip, and you spend more time with egg whites than most pastry chefs. Heartache is nothing new to the man who embodies the acid-tongued Sitka Patel on stage every night, which led Jordan to vow to never trust another man under eighty again. He has his club, his drag family, and his Bombay cat Heckle. Who needs the hassle? That philosophy had served him well, until a stunning young thing with dark chocolate eyes shows up at the back door of Campo Royale with a suitcase, a sad story, and a dream.

From the time he was old enough to spell the word sequin, Yampier Perez knew that someday he’d be wearing them. One of three children born to Cuban immigrants, Yampier was always a little glitzier than the other neighborhood boys. His love of fashion design and performance arts was barely tolerated at home and even less so in the hallways of his rural Georgia high school. Yet, Yampier never let his light be doused, not even the day his older brother caught him modeling his sister’s prom dress. Beaten, disowned, and on his own before graduation, he found himself having to work seedy jobs doing even seedier things, until he saved enough cash to head to the Big Apple. That money has now run out, leaving him stuck in Wilmington with no food, no place to stay, and no family. Little does he know that stumbling into the Campo Royale Club, half frozen and weak from hunger, is about to bring him everything he has yearned for.

The Bachelor and the Cherry is a gay age gap romance that features an aging drag queen, a virginal newcomer, lots of sass, wigs galore, hurt/comfort, family found, and a richly sequined happy ending.

Check Out This Fabulous Romance by VL Locey!

 

Cover Design: Meredith Russell

Length: 63,000 word approx.

Campo Royale Series

Book #1 – The Viking and the Drag Queen – All Buy Links

Is he brave enough to stop hiding behind his persona and give love one final try?

Jordan Stevens has crammed a lot of living into his fifty years. Some of those years have been good, some bad, and some he would just as soon forget. The world isn’t always kind to an aging queen. Lovers begin to scamper into forbidden fields, your padding tends to slip, and you spend more time with egg whites than most pastry chefs. Heartache is nothing new to the man who embodies the acid-tongued Sitka Patel on stage every night, which led Jordan to vow to never trust another man under eighty again. He has his club, his drag family, and his Bombay cat, Heckle. Who needs the hassle? That philosophy had served him well until a stunning young thing with dark chocolate eyes shows up at the back door of Campo Royale with a suitcase, a sad story, and a dream.

From the time he was old enough to spell the word sequin, Yampier Perez knew that someday he’d be wearing them. One of three children born to Cuban immigrants, Yampier was always a little glitzier than the other neighborhood boys. His love of fashion design and performance arts was barely tolerated at home and even less so in the hallways of his rural Georgia high school. Yet, Yampier never let his light to be doused, not even the day his older brother caught him modeling his sister’s prom dress. Beaten, disowned, and on his own before graduation, he found himself having to work seedy jobs, doing even seedier things, until he saved enough cash to head to the Big Apple. That money has now run out, leaving him stuck in Wilmington with no food, no place to stay, and no family. Little does he know that stumbling into the Campo Royale Club, half frozen and weak from hunger, is about to bring him everything he has yearned for.

The Bachelor and the Cherry is a slow burn gay age gap romance that features an aging drag queen, a virginal newcomer, lots of sass, wigs galore, hurt/comfort, family found, and a richly sequined happy ending.

USA Today Bestselling Author V.L. Locey – Penning LGBT hockey romance that skates into sinful pleasures.

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, Torchwood and Dr. Who, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a pair of geese, far too many chickens, and two steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in one hand and a steamy romance novel in the other.

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Review: Elven Game (Roman and Jude:Monster Hunters#2) by Rhys Lawless

Rating: 4.75🌈

The strange, tormented romance of Jude Cohen and Roman Meyers, whose families are the Elven equivalent of the the Montagues and the Capulets , continues on in Elven Game.

Jude, a game coder, had figured out in the last story, that all the monsters everyone were encountering , except for Royal, were ones he had help create for a online game.

Together, Jude , Roman, and a encapsulated Royal in a charm, head to NYC to fight the monsters.

That’s where author Lawless basically explodes a already complicated plot into shards of high action, deeply painful scenes involving family, shocking revelations about trust and the truth behind everything they thought they knew.

Grab your popcorn, because you won’t be able to put this down!

Jude and Roman are still so new in their relationship. Plus Jude is still figuring out who he is within his status as a Elf and a being who can handle the Aether. That enormous stuff.

Lawless does an excellent job with both characters, their personalities and mindsets in this incredibly stressful situation. One that with each new stage adds more pressure to them personally and to their new relationship. So well written that their emotions just pull at you!

While all that is occurring, Lawless is throwing new wild monsters to fight at our heroes, that also includes Royal in some heartbreaking scenes. As well as Addy, Jude’s grandmother and Roman’s former partner.

As noted in the description, this book ends on a cliffhanger. Sigh.

I really dislike cliffhangers. But I will say the reader will see this coming.

So after this fantastically woven tale of heartache, bruising revelations and fast paced ,white- knuckle action of fantasy warfare, I’m more than ready to wait to see how Lawless handles the finale in Elven Heir. It’s due out in August of 2022. I’ll be here waiting.

In the meantime, if you’re a lover of fantasy romance and fiction, start reading this series from the beginning in order to understand all the intricate character relationships, plot storylines, and family histories.

I’m highly recommending them both.

Roman and Jude:Monster Hunters:

✓ Elven Duty #1

✓ Elven Game #2

◦ Elven Heir #3 – Aug. 19, 2022

https://www.goodreads.com › showElven Game – Monster Hunters #2) by Rhys Lawless – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Monsters are swarming the world…

And it’s all my fault!

The game I’ve been coding for over two years is finally released. And so are the creatures within and wreaking havoc in New York City.

Roman and I have to stop them.

But before we can, we have to figure out how it happened and who is responsible.

Everything I’ve come to know about my legacy comes to a head when we venture from the small town of Hamlet Cove into the world of monster-hunting in the Big Apple.

The rules have changed and the world is burning.

Is it too late to save it? Or will we burn with it?

Elven Game is a gay urban fantasy romance with two magical elves, a powerful baby troll, and a cataclysmic event that threatens the dimension.


Caution: This book has a cliffhanger ending!

Review: The Scars That Bind Us ( The Magi Accounts #1) by Michele Notaro

Rating: 4.5 🌈

The Scars That Bind Us, the first book in Michele Notaro’s urban fantasy series, The Magi Accounts, takes in a scary, horrific universe, especially if you’re not human.

Here , the revelation that mages and shifters existed along side humanity did not go over well. WWIII happened, countries, governments, peoples and environments were devastated and divided. So too were species. With shifters and the magi at the bottom of the species pile.

I won’t recount it here. You can read it. People so fearful of those that make them feel less powerful ,the prejudice. So they relegated to a status as “others “ ,as less than equal. Easy to control, confinement to compounds. Tagged. Registered.

Notaro ‘s has the ability to bring the ability to transfer these devastating elements to this universe and the lives and conditions the shifters and magi now live under.

It’s very emotional reading when the narrator is magi Madeo Driscoll, compound born, paired to another mage Jude Driscoll, almost since birth. A dyad. Paired magi which increases their magical strength . Which for the government meant sending them out to fight in wars when they could barely walk. More tools than people, or children in this case.

The anger, trauma, and damage Mads (for Madman) carries within him and in the enormous amount of scars on his body is there in his words and actions throughout the story and events.

Jude, his soulmate and brother, whose presence has seen everything Mads has and been there to help heal him, is as quiet and powerful a man as Mads is verbally and emotionally angry. Yin and Yang. So great a couple and yet there’s no romantic attachment. It’s a brotherly love and bonding.

The other love is coming in the form of Cosmo Ono-Nai , alpha of a pride of Lion shifters and the new team Mads and Jude are supposed to work with.

The story has a wonderful found family element with another young magi, Logan Torres, that was rescued from a brutal attack by Mads and Jude. As well as the overall arc and storylines that stem from the tears in the universe that a mysterious group on Earth keep opening up and the monsters that pour through.

Notaro manages to build a continuous atmosphere of anxiety and suspense due to the unstable nature of the status of our characters. They basically have no rights, no say over their future so when we or Mads start to get invested in a relationship, any of their relationships, it comes with a equal amount of trepidation and fear.

It ends with a uneasy HFN.

Which makes me want to grab for the next one immediately.

There’s a trigger warning at the beginning of the story. It’s about assaults that happened in the past, off page. But even without them happening in current time, there’s enough emotional content that it’s intense , and might make some people feel very uncomfortable. Please read the warnings so you can make the best decision for yourself.

Tremendous storylines, great characters and amazing world building, as awful and believable as it feels.

I’m highly recommending it.

The Magi Accounts:

🔹Our Hearts That Tie Us #0.5

🔹The Scars That Bind Us #1

🔹A Kiss To Revive Me #1.5-4/19/2022

🔹The Shackles That Hold Us #2 – release date TBD

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Scars That Bind Us (The Magi Accounts #1) by Michele Notaro – Goodreads

What kind of mage would be crazy enough to crush on a shifter? Me. Apparently me.

The world is a messed-up place. Especially for those of us who have magic, and I know just how terrible it can be firsthand. Which is one of the reasons I try to stay away from people… humans and shifters especially.

Unfortunately, the NHSO forces magi to work alongside shifters to help protect the humans from taragorians—scary beasts from another realm. Which means I’m thrown onto a new team and forced to work with Cosmo Ono-Nai, a lion shifter.

And for some reason, I can’t keep my eyes off him.

The Scars That Bind Us is a 115K word novel and the first book in the MM urban fantasy series, The Magi Accounts.

*Intended for adults only. Please read the trigger warnings at the beginning of this novel.