Tag: Scattered Thoughts Recommended

Review: The Christmas Collection: Three Heartwarming MM Holiday Romance Novels by Garrett Leigh

Rating: 4🌈

Garrett Leigh offers up three Christmas stories in this collection, all of which have ties to her other series which are linked or shared within the novellas. They are, in the order they are used within this collection:

Angels In The City

Hometown Christmas

Christmas Mountain

Some I liked more than the others but all were warmhearted, holiday romances that I enjoyed.

Angels In The City: This was a great way to start the collection. Sacha Antonov, a “fixer” brought in to help a company on the same floor as the one run by Jonah, they have a meet cute moment in a stuck elevator just before Jonah’s expected appearance at his parents biggest holiday party/event they throw for everyone of note.

A impulsive invitation, and equally surprising acceptance later , and there’s a jump start to a relationship between two people of widely different backgrounds but shares interests and growing attraction.

I really liked the characters and storylines, even without the ties to the cousin Alexei from Rebel Kings MC series which I don’t think I have read.

Hometown Christmas. Rami and Fen. One a chef struggling with his Greek food cart in the market and the other a ex military soldier with PTSD running a shelter and trying to find his way out of his own trauma. Well done , but it’s hard to go into the depths of such heavy issues in such a small length of page space. The shelter isn’t a real place on paper, we don’t have a feel for the work there or the people that need it . That element, as important as it is, just isn’t well defined. The couple is lovely though.

Christmas Mountain. This is the longest of the three stories and the one I wavered over the most.

While I eventually ended up liking Yani , I did a lot of head smacking over how , he was written initially. I get the overwhelming stress but the shear idiocy of the beginning of the story was something that made it hard to get any connection to him. His constant need to flee a situation before having any discussion, or conversation with others, again, this aspect of his personality was a huge factor in almost disliking him. I couldn’t understand the author’s need towards his character and path.

But eventually, halfway or more, things got better. But that first half was hard going for this reader.

It might not be for others. They might find themselves relating to him. I did like the ending. Thought the drama and explanation for how Gavin Ritchie was his own hero a little underwhelming. I got little sense of what really happened.

Overall, a lovely warmhearted holiday collection. A definite recommendation.

Lovely cover.

Buy Link:

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Christm…Three Heartwarming MM Holiday Romance Novels by Garrett Leigh

Blurb:

!! Dive in to the heartwarming world of MM holiday romances with Garrett Leigh’s THREE bestselling novels, complete with EXCLUSIVE bonus content for all THREE books !!

Angels In The City

Jonah & Sacha. A fake relationship with a stranger, an office romance filled with doughnuts and white knights, and an addictive arrangement that fast evolves into a deeper connection neither man can give up. Don’t miss the exclusive bonus epilogue featuring Alexei from the Rebel Kings MC series!

Christmas Mountain

Rami & Fen. The single dad probation officer caring for his dead brother’s baby. The wounded gentle giant with the biggest softest heart. Get ready for a heartwarming holiday story you’ll cherish forever, along with an exclusive bonus epilogue featuring Embry from the Rebel Kings MC series!

Hometown Christmas

Yani and Gavin’s friendship takes a festive turn as they venture from friends to lovers this Christmas. Fleeing a painful breakup in London, Yani finds himself drawn to brooding Army VET Gavin Ritchie. They’re not looking for love. This is a no strings arrangement. But love finds them all the same. Dig into this sweet and steamy holiday romance, plus enjoy an exclusive bonus epilogue featuring Nat, Marc, & Jamie from the Between Ghosts universe.

“Must read books for any MM romance fan. Don’t miss out on the love, laughter, and holiday magic Garrett Leigh has gifted us with these wonderful boys.”

Review: Catered All the Way by Annabeth Albert

Rating: 4 🌈

Catered All the Way by Annabeth Albert is this author’s annual Christmas story and it’s a heartwarmer!

Albert writes to two of her strengths, the military and gaming community, which are combined in Atlas Orion and Zebediah Seasons. They are the reason to read this book.

The main characters are Atlas, a Navy SEAL support Chief , and Zeb, a gamer who’s a successful streamer and influencer, able to turn his passion into a business.

The location is Kringle’s Crossing, the same town from The Geek Who Saved Christmas, and centers around the Seasons family store and drama. Atlas is the best friend of Zeb’s older brother, Gabe, and was a fixture at the Seasons house growing up due to his parental dysfunction.

It’s a two person perspective, with a bi-awakening and a multiple plot lines about the struggling family and their dynamics . Some of these, like everyone’s love and concern for Gabe’s expectant wife are wonderful. We see everyone function as a loving unit. But other aspects that are just as important got a limited amount of attention to the detriment of the narrative imo. That happens when the story is jam packed with characters with issues and layered with multiple elements.

Atlas is a terrific character. With his family background and current status as in SEAL support, he was realistic. Especially since Albert let us have glimpses into his career, action on the job (great helicopter moments), that grounded him. We got some of that with Zeb, interacting with his fans, but no actual gaming.

Zeb’s complicated. For the character of Zeb, it’s his long time crush on the seemingly straight Atlas. Did Atlas actually know Zeb was gay? And Zeb has decided that this holiday season is the time to see if there’s anything in his crush on a straight Atlas.

One frustrating aspect of Zeb’s character is the disrespect he constantly takes from Gabe over his successful career and passion for gaming. He works at Seasons part time to help out not for the money but to assist his brother and his business. But the same man willing to take a chance on Atlas is a doormat for the verbal abuse his brother constantly gives him until the book is about finished.

The excuses the author writes for this aspect of their relationship, the acknowledgment and somewhat “apology “ from Gabe to Zeb is astonishingly shallow and takes a mere sentence or two. Then it’s a throwaway line about the brother needing to see a therapist about anxiety and it’s done. So two impactful elements dismissed with little real depth or resolution.

Luckily, the remaining storylines are carried out in the narrative to a fully balanced conclusion. The men actually talk about what and how they feel , then act accordingly. Zeb and Atlas work beautifully as a couple, their relationship and romance is the reason to read the book. Also because you enjoy the author and Christmas stories.

There’s also several discussions about grief and loss, as every character here is very much mourning the loss of the parents of Zeb and Gabe, that includes Atlas who saw them as stand-ins for his own neglectful family.

I don’t feel that this was as fabulous as The Geek Who Saved Christmas, it’s still a good holiday story. More due to the main characters and not some of the secondary elements which in this case took away from the story.

Adorable cover as always.

Buy Link:

Amazonhttps://www.amazon.com › Catered-…Catered All the Way: A MM Holiday Christmas Romance by Annabeth Albert

Blurb:

Tis the season for a hopeless crush on my older brother’s best friend…

This year will be different. I’m all grown up, my gaming channel is a huge success, and I finally have the confidence to make my move on Atlas Orion, the hottest chief in the navy.

However, I don’t intend for my smooth move to be covering Atlas in cranberry sauce. Not at all how I want to reintroduce myself to my new roomie and coworker. Atlas is in town to help save Seasons, my family’s historic holiday gift shop and event space. Seasons is booked solid with catered parties, so we need to avoid any more disasters.

Like my malfunctioning air mattress. We’re down to one bed, two dudes, and a whole lot of holiday-fling temptation. Atlas has never been with a guy, but I don’t have to do much persuading. And what better way to explore than a secret romp? No strings, and no one has to know.

The problem? With every passing week, I fall harder for Atlas, who’s far more than his drool-worthy muscles and heroic job. He’s kind, funny, makes me breakfast in bed, and each midnight snowball fight brings us that much closer to heartbreak.

Atlas can’t stay in Kringle’s Crossing forever, and I can’t imagine leaving the only place I’ve called home. Our feelings run deep, but is it a holiday illusion? Can we find our way to a lasting future?

CATERED ALL THE WAY is a brand-new, full-length holiday romance from the beloved author of THE GEEK WHO SAVED CHRISTMAS. Lovers of stand-alone swoon-worthy Christmas stories will fall for this geek + military pairing. Full of spicy first times, bisexual awakening, quirky small-town residents, and guest appearances from some fan-favorite characters, this only one bed, brother’s best friend romance is sure to find a place under many trees! Dual POV and the happiest of endings guaranteed.

• Publisher: (December 4, 2023)

• Publication date: December 4, 2023

• Print length: 250 pages

Review: The Nanny with The Nice List (Nannies of New York Book 5) by K. Sterling

Rating: 4🌈

I have been waiting for Gavin Selby’s story since he made his appearance with his best friend in Briarwood Terrace, the old townhouse in Manhattan where he lives with Reid Marshall,owner of the nanny agency of the series.

Gavin’s quiet intensity, stately dress , and determined demeanor as well as hidden history just made even his briefest appearances objects of curiosity. The reader really wanted to know more about him. And the character Dash’s obvious crush on him, another ongoing thread, from book to book.

So I was prepared for an emotional and revelatory journey for the reader and Dash into Gavin’s past and the present. I expected the author’s usual excellent job of bringing Gavin’s entire story into the narrative forefront here so we could understand why he is the way he is. The trauma and damage he has endured to become the man who has allowed himself to become smaller inside, fearful, and alone. Boxed in emotionally by his father and events.

Sterling has been so outstanding at this in the past, but here, whether it is the nature of the situation or the holidays, we feel distanced from the causes of Gavin’s problems and past life. Even the threats, potential threats to his current life , are ephemeral, never feeling anywhere near substantial.

I think that’s because Gavin’s past, his father, any interactions he might have or had with him are on a “as told to” basis. That puts this entire situation and part of the story on a different perspective, one without any real immediate impact or emotional connection.

That’s unlike the evolving romance and relationship building up between himself and Dash. That’s sweet and sexy and vulnerable. It’s lovely watching these two grow and Gavin dare to love, especially at Christmas.

But it throws off the balance of the story because the other half is the secrets/ongoing conflicts with Gavin’s father. Which is done off page or through other sources or people. That’s taking away the power and the build up from this aspect of the plot.

At one point, I was just getting frustrated, thinking about how little was at the center core of all that secrecy. Especially when there’s all those powerful friends at hand.

So yes, sweet, sexy, loving romantic story but the entire plot itself was not a great success. A good one but not great. The romance and holiday season aspect was a delight. But the parts that centered around Gavin’s character and background didn’t really work. His past history, his family trauma, his father were all too distanced narratively from his storyline to make the impression that the story wants them to have.

Read it because the series is wonderful and you want Gavin’s story. And because it sets up the next and what is possibly the last of the series, Reid Marshall’s romance, One Night With The Nanny.

Nannies of New York :

✓ The Last Nanny In Manhattan #1

✓ Giles Ashby Needs A Nanny #2

✓ The Handy Nanny #3

✓ The Enchanting Nanny #4

✓ The Nanny with The Nice List #5

◦ One Night With The Nanny #6 – May 16, 2024

Buy Link:

The Nanny With The Nice List: Nannies of New York Book 5

Blurb:

This Christmas, Dash Griffin finally gets his man.

The library needs a new Santa to read stories to its littlest patrons and Dash has lots of friends who would be perfect. But instead of asking any of them, he sets his sights on quiet, uptight Gavin Selby. Dash has known for some time that the cranky accountant is the one for him. When he uncovers Gavin’s secret, Dash sees his chance to prove just how right they are for each other. Not only will Gavin become the library’s new Santa, but Dash is on a mission to deliver the brightest, most romantic Christmas ever.

Gavin has done everything in his power to protect his friends and paid a dear price. But he was happy to toe the line as long as everyone else got their happily ever after. Now, the price for Dash’s silence is pumpkin spice lattes and walks in Central Park. Gavin is happy to endure the holiday markets and wear a Santa costume if it means Dash will keep his secret. But can Gavin keep his most dangerous secret to himself? Or, will Dash finally discover that all Gavin wants for Christmas is him?

The Nanny with the Nice List is book 5 in the Nannies of New York series. It’s a sweet and steamy MM romance with lots of pining, a grumpy/sunshine pair, 10 year age gap and a sexual awakening. Plus, all the wonderful found family vibes that lovers of the Nannies in New York series know to expect.

*Paperback includes additional illustrations, playlists, bonus chapters, and more!

Review: Drop Dead Demon by (Possessive Love) by B. Ripley

Rating: 4.25🌈

Ripley’s Drop Dead Demon is another good installment in the Possessive Love collection.

It starts with a familiar thread about a young boy , a toddler, in an impoverished situation . His young mother needs to work so leaves him alone in a poor hotel for long periods of time. He’s scared and unhappy until out of the dark his imaginary friend comes.

Usually in other books it’s an adult but here, what emerges from the darkness is a little being the same age as himself.

What a great idea and way for the narrative to go forward.

Both Brady, the human, and Roth, the demon, interact as children at the beginning of the story. While Roth has more knowledge about what Brady is to him, he’s still a child, and he’s listens to Brady with a child’s heart, however otherworldly.

That Ripley lets us meet them at this stage makes the next step in their journey even more painful.

The narrative necessarily moves ahead in time to Brady as a successful model.

What happened to Roth is something I’ll leave to the story.

Ripley does a good job reacquainting the main characters with each other but there’s so much else going on, that it’s pushed back to make page time for other elements to be addressed. There’s a prophecy, a demon brother for Roth who’s been “topside” for years with a sudden dramatic backstory to deal with, and Legion , an entity who is literally a cast of thousands.

Somewhere, our main focus , the bond between Brady and Roth, starts to get a little bit fuzzy.

When the story pulls back towards them, it refocuses our connection to the characters, their relationship, and the perils they face.

There’s several twists that Ripley has in store for the readers and characters. A few were, I thought, bittersweet at the end but realistic given the damage done. One wasn’t as thought through or as well executed as it seemed. A all powerful being that couldn’t fully set everything right or destroy the one thing that set things up? I wondered about that.

Anyway, I was left with a few questions about the overall storytelling that I felt was unresolved at the end.

But the relationship, the main characters, how it all began? Wonderful. And so many other smaller things that made this a really enjoyable read.

Check it out. The entire collection is listed below.

Check out the rest of the Possessive Love series! 15 books by 15 authors

◦ A Slice For My Demon by K.L. Hiers & Mozzarus Scout

◦ Cuddly Demon by Aster Rae

✓ My Demon Husband by Jax Stuart ♥️

✓ Exercising A Demon by H.L Day ♥️

✓ Drop Dead Demon by B. Ripley

✓ The Demon’s Dealbreaker by Delaney Rain ❤️

◦ My Demon Rebound by Ashlynn Mills

◦ Curiosity Caught the Demon by Travis Beaudoin

◦ My Saintly Demon by RM Neill

◦ Terrible Lovely Demon by Odessa Hywell

◦ Son of the Arch Demon by Amanda Meuwissen

◦ Recalling My Demon by Colette Davison

◦ The Demon Undertaker by Alex J. Adams

◦ Gift for a Demon by Emily Alter

Buy Link:

Drop Dead Demon: An MM Paranormal Romance

Blurb:

Roth

From the moment I first saw Brady, I knew he was my mate. He thought I was just his imaginary friend and I let him believe that because at his side, I felt more complete than I ever had before. I didn’t mean to ever leave him, but I didn’t have much of a choice. I may be a Prince of Hell, but my father’s rule is absolute and out of his fear that I will someday overpower him, he had me imprisoned when I was just a child.

But, I was freed.

Rescued from where I’ve been held for far too many years, the only thing on my mind is claiming Brady as mine. I have lingered in the darkness without him for so long that seeing him now is like a breath of fresh air, but he’s starting to change. My father may have worried about who I would become, but it’s my mate he truly should have feared.

He is beautiful.

He is terrifying.

He is mine.

Brady

As a lonely child, Roth was the only thing I could count on. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t real, my imaginary friend was there when I needed someone. Roth meant everything when nobody else would let themselves get close to me. When I got older, he disappeared as make-believe things are supposed to and I put childhood behind me, moving on into a career on the runway as a sought after fashion model.

But Roth is back.

He says he’s a demon and I am his mate. We were created for each other, he tells me, but there are beings conspiring to keep us apart. They’re scared of what he will become when he claims me, but they should have feared me instead because I am no longer the lonely little boy I once was.

I am loved.

I am powerful.

I am his.

Review: Mind Scrambler by Ofelia Gränd

Rating: 3.75🌈

Mind Scramber is in the same universe/series as the wonderful Soul Eater and Ghost Dater. Where the other books involved the fated mates couple of mage Detective Thaddeus Ezax and werewolf ghost Sandulf Hunter, Mind Scrambler focuses on the boss of the Rockshade Paranormal Investigators Department, panther shifter Kol Jaecar.

Kol Jaecar has always presented himself as a dominant, formidable figure in the mixed team of beings that includes a psychic, shifters of several species, a mage and his ghostly mate. It’s a team that doesn’t always function well together with the different pack dynamics in play.

Gränd is able to bring a more complex picture of the personalities and the squad into the storyline here than was previously shown. Maybe that’s because the author was laying out the foundation for the universe and the characters. Elora, the psychic, becomes a more interesting and fully explored character here . We understand her reluctance in using her powers and how the shifters see her interactions with them in regard to their own power dynamics. It’s a great window into into both individuals.

The author opens up her universe and storytelling by enlarging her perspectives even as we meet Elora’s empath brother, Elijah.

He’s already in enormous danger and physical pain.

Trigger warnings for readers should include that this character has undergone extreme domestic abuse and violence, physical and psychological. He’s kidnapped and the implications are unclear for his future. For those readers who are uncomfortable about these issues, please take note.

Elijah has been written as someone who is fundamentally different from everyone else, even his twin. His empathy makes it difficult to tolerate the constant company of beings and their emotions pressing against him. Then pack on a history of abuse and little education of the paranormal species around him, and he becomes a traumatized victim in more than one way.

I thought that the characters and the mate relationship between Kol and Elijah was sensitively handled. Elijah couldn’t just fall immediately into an instant intimate relationship with Kol after the horrible abuse he’s endured under the ex he’s been hiding from. That would negate so much of the trauma and damage. So having it slowly grow made sense.

But I had issues with some of the other things that the author wrote into the narrative. Some felt like drama for drama’s sake. That (spoiler alert) second kidnapping was a bit of an eye roll in every way.

And for a group that’s a part of the Rockshade Paranormal Investigators Department, aka Paranormal police, there felt like very little procedural work going on. Especially when they were trying to find a certain person at the end. Some things were too easy to figure out. Had it been a tv show, I would have been throwing popcorn and shouting out the answer.

The drama there was the showdown in the Interrogation room where Elijah and Kol could have their say with the villain. That is what it was there for, exposition and dramatic moments.

Then came the epilogue.

I really liked the story but came away feeling there were quite a few loose ends that needed some work and explanations.

We are left not knowing what happened to certain important characters and certain magical abilities that were employed by the villain.

Is Ofelia Gränd going to follow up on these elements with another book? I don’t know and that’s more than a little frustrating.

So while I thought this was a better written story In some ways, with more well rounded characters, there were also some narrative elements that were not fully explored or characters that were left without closure.

Hopefully there’s another book to come along that will pick up where this one left off to answer some of these questions.

This author writes some really interesting stories and this is one of them. Pick it up, read the warnings, and enjoy.

Stories in this series:

✓ Soul Eater

✓ Ghost Dater

✓ Mind Scrambler

Buy Link:

Blurb:

Years ago, empath Elijah Long made a bad decision, and he is still paying for it. He’s kept hidden from his abusive werewolf ex for years, but when he wakes in a dark room, cuffed to a wall, he knows he’s out of luck. Elora, his psychic sister, will come for him, he just has to endure long enough to give her a chance to find him.

Captain Kol Jaecar of Rockshade’s Paranormal Investigations Department detests slow times at work, so when Elora wants time off to search for her brother, Kol treats it as if it’s a real case and starts an investigation. What he assumed was a brother not picking up when his sister called turns out to be something else.

Elijah experiences people’s emotions so strongly, it prohibits him from living a normal life. Spending time in the city is out of the question, yet it’s where Elora takes him once she finds him. Elijah does his best to keep his distance, especially from the growling man Elora brought to his rescue. Elijah will never make the mistake of getting close to a shifter again.

The moment Kol smells Elijah, he knows he’s his mate, but how to get close to someone who doesn’t want to be near you? The man who abused Elijah is still on the loose, and Kol calls in the entire team to hunt him down. But how are they to keep Elijah safe when he can’t be around people? And how will Kol stay sane if he can’t touch his mate?

• Publisher: JMS Books LLC (January 30, 2021)

• Publication date: January 30, 2021

• Print length: 198 pages

Review: Cair (Veiled City #1) by Eryn Hawk

Rating: 4.25🌈

Eryn Hawk is a new author for me so I was really curious to see what her Veiled City series was going to be like.

From the description, the LGBTQIA paranormal romance has many familiar themes that readers of this trope will recognize. The human raised by a single mother told to stay away from the Otherworldly side. He’s recently been dumped and is jobless and needs a new home as well.

The other main character is royalty, has made a promise he’ll regret, and will find his soulmate in the human.

That’s familiar in this genre. But Hawk has done some really interesting things with it in the book and series, enough that it makes the story and characters feel fresh and a narrative I could get connected to.

That cover gives the reader hints as to where Hawk is taking her Fae physically. I like a different approach to the Fae and this is certainly that. Cair is all about his physicality and approach he takes to the fact that his soulmate has shown up unexpectedly. I wish Hawk had spent as much time on deepening Cair’s history and how he has spent his time on this side as the author has building up Cair’s half brother Teighan.

I felt I actually had a better understanding of that brother than I did of Cair and his status within the family. The coloration, the sister, that all needed to be enlarged.

Luca was a great character from the beginning. Endearing, intelligent, curious, and written with a snarky dialogue with captures the attention of the reader, he’s quickly the most interesting character of the story.

Then, surprisingly, it’s Teighan, the half brother of the broken horn, sarcastic manner, and one way ticket out of the Fae family, that’s next in line for my favorite and invested emotional connection. Cair , the royal soulmate, and Alex, the human bff, fall in afterwards.

The story has a few formulaic elements , some wonderfully sexy and funny ones, and just a great romantic atmosphere overall.

Hawk plans for a lot more books so it’s hard to tell if some of the elements I found missing are ones the author intends to write into the novels in the future. The hints of danger towards the couple and the mystery about Luca’s past are all left hanging here.

I really enjoyed Cair and am looking forward to seeing what the next in Eryn Hawk’s Veiled City series brings. This is a definite recommendation for people who read fantasy or paranormal fiction and romance.

Veiled City:

✓ Cair #1

◦ Teighan #2

◦ Luca #3

Buy Link:

Cair: MM Paranormal Romance (Veiled City Book 1)

Blurb:

Twenty-five-year-old Luca Elliot lives in a city divided. The humans and the supernaturals mostly keep to their own kind, but Luca—curious and desperate for work—crosses the border and finds himself employed by a tall, stupidly handsome Fae with killer horns. He should be intimidated, but instead, Luca is utterly captivated. Falling for the boss is a bad idea though, right?

Cair Haryk is only a visitor to the human world and, between his position in the Fae kingdom and a bargain he made years ago, he can never remain. He’s content with that until he meets Luca—his soulmate—and hires him to work in his high-end lounge. Cair tries to guard his heart, but fate has other plans and, despite his best intentions, he falls for the pretty little human. Hard.

Luca can’t enter the Fae realm, and Cair’s time in the mortal lands is drawing to an end, so while the attraction between them is irresistible, their situation is impossible. They can’t be together. It’s tragedy and heartbreak just waiting to happen.

Isn’t it?

CAIR is a MM paranormal romance with spice, size difference, and soulmates. It features a lovable human trying to find his place in the supernatural world, and a secretive Fae who’s not as detached as he pretends to be. CAIR is first in the VEILED CITY series, which is best read in order due to the overarching plot. Each book focuses on its own pair and their HEA.

If you want to know more about this story’s tropes, kinks and warnings, visit my Instagram (authorerynhawk) for a full content list—or check the content warning at the beginning of the book.

No mpreg.

Review: Casting Light (Shadow’s Lure Book Two) by Alice Winters

Rating: 4.5🌈

Casting Light ends the duology or two-part series, Shadow’s Lure by Alice Winters. I both loved this and had my frustrations with this end novel, all of which stem from the author’s typical style of storytelling.

Starting with the wondrous, that would be the narrative elements. They are imaginative, incredibly complex, especially with the light and dark magic themes embedded into the characters and many plot lines. The shades, the Casters, the dark history of the characters and their world that’s revealed, layer by layer, as the story unfolds, is thrilling. By turns, suspense filled, humorous, highly entertaining, or strewn with blooded bodies filled with magical rage, the plot is complex and contains quite a few twists to keep the reader engaged.

The characters are well written but are also where I have my frustrations with the novel and author’s writing style, one I enjoy by the way. The secondary characters end up being the most interesting ones simply because they are less chatty, unencumbered by paragraphs of conversations filled with what feels like overly cutesy dialogue or just so unendingly smirky. That’s Andras, by the way. He’s a tragic figure but his dialogue often makes him annoying rather than funny. It’s the wonderful way Winters has with this type of character and snappy dialogue but taken a tad too far. It’s the stage where it feels repetitive and that’s the place where it’s irritating, at least to me.

Andras and Bastian are a good match with each other’s stories and magical backgrounds. Bastian especially is a favorite of mine, so endearing and emotionally layered. Even the shade snake works for me incredibly well here when it comes down to the fighting and battle with The Hooded Man. That too was an excellent choice by Winters and a fabulous moment.

Oliver and Ronan, they were both great and their development throughout the series was a huge success. It’s one of the things this author does well with secondary characters, making them so important and necessary to the reader and the narrative that we need more of them.

Casting Light contains many chilling, suspenseful scenes and dramatic moments to make this a great read and way to finish off Shadow’s Lure. I was happy to see how the characters were able to get on with their lives, and satisfied with the explanation of the new status quo.

I’m definitely recommending this but read the series in the order that they are written, otherwise it won’t make any sense.

Shadow’s Lure (complete)

✓ Cast In Shadows #1

✓ Casting Light #2 finale

Buy Link:

Casting Light (Shadow’s Lure Book 2)

Blurb:

Bastian

When life dragged me down, I assumed I’d never get back up. I never guessed that Andras—the dark magic user I was always told to fear—would not only give me a helping hand but draw me into his arms and protect me from those who wished to harm me.

I never imagined that Andras and his “danger noodle” would be there to make me laugh, to care about me, and show me what it means to be loved. But now, the two of us have to prove to the Casters that we won’t be knocked down. Not when we don’t know who we can trust… and when there’s something darker coming for all of us.

Andras

As the hunt for the book that started all of this comes to a head, our enemies are getting closer, but so is the truth of what happened when my light magic was taken years ago. While they’ve fought to tear us apart, they’ve done nothing but draw us together as well as nearer to the truth.

I’m determined to finish this so I can get my happy ever after with the man I love and show him all of the little things he missed out in life. Oh, and so he can make me more chili.

Casting Light is the thrilling and humorous conclusion to the Shadow’s Lure duology.

Review: The Nightingale Prince (The Songbird Princes, #1) by Zack Bel

Rating: 3.5🌈

The Nightingale Prince is a first novel from author Zack Bell and it’s a wonderful jump into the world of paranormal fiction.

Bell is establishing a universe that’s full of mythological elements, deeply rooted in a past history and past lives of the beings we’ve barely met and just gotten to know. The author has chosen a main character who’s just as ignorant of the world around him as the reader as our guide through the story, a format that allows both the reader and the person the same distance from the events as they occur.

Bell is creating such a vast, complicated arc and universe that at moments within their narrative it becomes a bit unclear as to what the characters are actually thinking, what their motivations are, and where they actually came from. This series is one where the characters have many rejuvenations and their past lives and actions are currently reverberating through the present day.

Confusing? Yes, but interesting? Very.

The romance between Toby who thought he was human ( he’s not, he’s a reincarnated Fae), and the ancient nature Fae, Amaethon, who’s living on the grounds of the magical house Toby has inherited, is a weak aspect to the story. It starts off as an instant love without much connection between them to back it up, so it’s hard to invest in it initially.

Does it get better? Yes, as does the other threads, but there’s so much more going on that Bell needs to lay down in terms of knowledge or drama, that the emotional connections are oftentimes dropped. Or not connected enough because our attention is everywhere.

But the cast of characters? Intriguing. The drama? Well done, including the battle scenes. The more I read about certain sections of the universe and mythology, the more I want to know about the pieces that aren’t laid down yet or fully.

Bell gives the reader and characters a cliffhanger at the end of The Nightingale Prince to set up the next story to come, The Lyrebird Prince.

I think Zack Bel did a great job with their first published novel and I’m looking forward to reading the next one in the series.

Buy Link:

The Nightingale Prince: An MM Fae Romance (The Songbird Princes)

The Songbird Princes:

✓ The Nightingale Prince #1

◦ The Lyrebird Prince #2 – TBD

Blurb:

The crown of a Fae Prince is a dangerous thing

Toby’s boyfriend just kicked him to the curb, so when he inherits a decrepit mansion in the remote Aussie bush, he jumps at the chance for a break. He finds a charming little town full of big personalities, and a handsome, mysterious gardener. But Toby will soon discover that everything he thought he knew is a lie. He’s not even human.

The Fae are real, and he’s one of them.

The ancient nature Fae Amaethon has buried the pain of losing his lover a century ago. These days, he finds plants easier to talk to than people, but Toby pulls him out of his shell so easily. When the same evil that took his lover returns, he’ll fight to protect Toby and the chance to love again.

An ancient magic is reawakening, and Toby is the heir. To make matters worse, Fae hunters want him dead, and they’ll destroy this quiet town to stop the Nightingale Prince from rising.

Amaethon and Toby will have to fight together to survive, and failure means the end of all Fae kind.

The Nightingale Prince is a paranormal MM romance with a touch of the gothic. Book 1 of The Songbird Princes, each book follows a different main couple with a HEA, but the series must be read in order. May contain: Lots of chocolate chip cookies, a crumbling mansion with a library to put Belle to shame, an eccentric old lady who might’ve given King Arthur his sword, a magical housekeeper, and a badass witch librarian. It contains explicit content. Check the copyright page for content warnings.

Review: Cast In Shadows (Shadow’s Lure Book One) by Alice Winters

Rating: 4🌈

It took me a while to get into the storyline and connect with the characters. Alice Winters is a favorite author of mine and one of her trademarks in writing is the types of high energy characters and their roles within her narrative structure. There’s always one that has a certain amount of overpowering verbal quality and quirky character. He is often the most dangerous player, impetuous, charming, chaotic, unpredictable and often quixotic.

Here he’s mysterious , murderous,and borderline abusive towards Bastian , the Caster he kidnaps. And we don’t know why. That’s potentially a big problem. Because he’s not charming enough yet to overcome that . Not at the beginning.

I’m talking about Andras, a dark magic user who can take over dead people’s bodies. A interesting element in itself because Winters is asking the reader to connect and develop feelings for an entity whose body can be deposed of. I really like this factor. And as the plot plays out, the character too.

But the chitter chatter snappy dialogue and constant murderous tone/thoughts that Winters uses in her other books and characters ,in fact , made Andras less attractive in the first part of Cast In Shadows, the storylines more dense, because the verbiage was distracting.

Especially when on the other side was a young man who was already being abused by his cult like family and domineering father. That’s Bastian, who is at the bottom rung for everyone, on both sides. Except the reader, who feels sorry for him. Bastian is an appealing figure and one who’s easily the most engaging for the reader.

Because he’s being beaten down by everyone and everything here. We emphasize with him. Constantly.

On the other hand, it’s a challenge to understand the chemistry between the Andras who’s kidnapped him and Bastian, who hates his life. Unless it’s a case of Stockholm syndrome.

Eventually, a wider plot and a mysterious revenge motivation is revealed, but not necessarily completely. This is a “tip of the iceberg “ sort of world building scenario where only bits and pieces get scattered around for the reader to gather up and process.

I’ll admit there’s some interesting and fascinating stuff here. And the hints being thrown around look towards some whoppers of future revelations. That second book should be great. But you have to read through the sometimes murky mess that’s the Cast In Shadows, especially at the beginning.

So I’m recommending this for fans of the author, the genre, and for the really interesting elements Winters has in store for the characters and series.

Shadow’s Lure:

✓ Cast In Shadows #1

◦ Casting Light #2 – Sept 19, 2023

Buy Link:

Cast in Shadows (Shadow’s Lure Book 1)

Blurb:

Andras

When the light-magic users known as Casters took everything from me, I vowed to make them pay.

Little did I know the perfect opportunity would show up in the form of a sweet Caster the moment I took his arrow to the heart… literally. Bastian knows that I’m made of dark magic, the very thing he’s been taught to destroy. But instead of turning away from me, he takes a chance on me, leading me behind the walls of the group out to kill me.

Bastian makes me remember that there’s more to life than revenge—although I can’t help but love the look he gives me when I cause chaos. But what I don’t realize is there’s someone who’s been watching me, someone only Bastian can help me fight.

Bastian

How is it that a man wielding dark magic is the only one who can save me?

Even though Andras goes against everything I fight for, I can’t stop myself from drawing him into my life.

What’s worse is that it’s clear he wants something from the Casters, but when he makes me laugh and feel like I’m living for the first time in my life, it’s impossible to turn him away.

When I find myself caught in a web of lies between those I trusted and those I feared, I realize the only one I can rely on is the one person who’s forbidden.

Cast in Shadows contains an antihero with no filter and a strange obsession with chili, a “pet” who sleeps through all the excitement, and possibly the least romantic movie date ever.

Review: Bad Boys (Hot Off The Ice Book 7) by A. E. Wasp

Rating: 4🌈

I’ve enjoyed A. E. Wasp’s 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 couple’s relationship, and Noah’s 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.

There’s 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 they’re 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 they’re 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. It’s funny, serious, sexy , and real. While there is an age gap, it’s 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 Noah’s father, however, no mention of either man’s age at the time (Adam or Noah’s 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 person’s behaviors. And how to counteract these behaviors through therapy. It’s a great tool for both men and the league. It was wonderful seeing it here.

Team dynamics, Noah’s 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, it’s ramifications, and his mental awareness that allows him to move forward. All amazing elements here.

Same goes for Adam’s 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 it’s a case of the disappearing animal character that has me so irritated. But here it’s a father, island, and a married couple. Read on but there’s spoilers ahead.

Elements that weren’t allowed to come to fruition or were dropped completely. ⛔️ Spoiler Alert ⛔️

1. Noah Braterman’s 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 Noah’s redemptive storyline where he dealing with the toxicity of an adolescence and adulthood under this man. It’s an emotional matter not dealt with, and I can’t understand that. It’s not logical not to include at least some semblance of closure.

2. Then in a connected storyline thread, there’s the unexpected, startling way that the island and mansion were made to disappear from Adam’s 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 Adam’s support system for years and who the readers get to know and love almost as completely as everyone else in this book. That’s Annie or Ms Potts and her ceramic artist wife, Tracy. They live on the caretaker’s cottage on the island and are a big part of not only Adam’s life, past and present, but become part of Noah’s 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 goodbye’s, nothing. Not even a vague statement of missing them.

“You’re moving off the island?” Paul asked.

“Yep. It’s sold. House and island together.””

— Bad Boys (Hot Off the Ice Book 7) by A. E. Wasp

A.E. Wasp writes in her author’s notes that it took her years to finish this book. If that’s 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 who’s not included in that list? Yup, the women who held Adam together.

If I was Wasp’s 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. I’m 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.

I’m recommending this as a good hockey romance, part of a terrific series, and one that fans of this author won’t want to miss.

Off The Ice Series:

✓ City Boy #1

✓ Country Boy #2

✓ Skater Boy #3

✓ Boy Toys #4

✓ Boy Next Door #5

✓ Boys of Summer #6

✓ Bad Boys #7

Buy link:

Bad Boys (Hot Off the Ice Book 7)

Blurb:

Behave or be benched.

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 he’s traded to the Seattle Thunder with one ultimatum—lose the attitude or lose his spot on the team.

Enter Adam Labatt, former NHL player, and Noah’s 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 they’ve erected to protect themselves crumble as they share their hopes, dreams, and fears.

Fate brought them together. Now it’s 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.