Vow Maker is the fourth and supposedly final book in Lily Mortonās Mixed Messages series. After 7 years together, Gabe and Dylan (Rule Breaker #1) , are finally getting married. If they can agree on a wedding planner.
In true Morton style, what ensues is a story that embraces all the aspects and emotional elements a complicated couple brings to the decision to get married. In turn, itās downright hilarious, sobering and deep when their discussions turns to the past and the barriers that had come between them, warm-hearted, and sexy.
The Gabe and Dylan here have settled into their relationship with a deep love and understanding of each other. Mixed in with interactions with the close friends and family weāve gotten to know through the previous books, itās a joy to jump back into this universe like a old friend.
Mortonās beautiful writing and exquisite way with characters and relationship dynamics connects the reader immediately with the issues that have blocked the coupleās successful journey to marriage. Gabeās old nightmares, his fears , become real to us as his past rises up to haunt him.
What he does and how he believably works through this damage pulls us emotionally even more into this couple and their future.
One of the greatest new elements and characters is their chosen wedding planner. To go further with any reveal on him is to spoil some truly guffaw inducing moments. Heās a gem and Iām hoping he gets his own romance.
Itās hard to believe that Vow Maker would bring an end to our journey with this charming, complicated crew of men. Iām hoping not. I not ready to let them go.
I am highly recommending this story but please read their beginnings in Rule Breaker to see how it all started. Iāve listed them out below.
However, after seven years of being engaged, thatās looking slightly doubtful. After going through ten wedding planners, theyāre gaining a reputation somewhat akin to Henry the Eighth on the wedding circuit.
From bestselling author Lily Morton comes the sequel to Rule Breaker. A romantic comedy novella full of family chaos, meddling friends, sexy bathroom encounters, and love. Always love.
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Unless itās noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.
Conspiracy of Dragons marks the end of Louisa Mastersā Here Be Dragons series and itās Steffenās story that brings everything to a surprisingly strong and emotional close.
Steffen is a dragon whoās character has always ridden that edge of humor with a element of mystery and pathos about him. His overly suspicious, oftentimes paranoid tendencies, even as the head of security for Brandt and Here Be Dragons, brought about some comic scenes as well as sad ones over the previous novels.
But here we get to travel next to him, see into his traumatic past, and realize what a tremendous character of depth has been lurking around the periphery all this time. From the heart tugging revelation of what constitutes Steffenās hoard to a hidden love thatās enduring all his fears and pain to continue to nurture and support him, Steffenās romance extends beyond the couple backwards to their history, encapsulates their current relationships, and then tries to envision a new future for all.
Thatās quite a story.
It picks up shortly after The Dragon Experiment where the life force has shown them that humans must re-learn how to use their magical abilities, otherwise all the other beings, except dragons, will eventually perish. That humans should regain magic has Steffen terrified.
Weaving that overall species goal, as seen through Steffenās perspective, as well as through others trying to figure out best to slowly and safely implement this is wonderful. We get to have many of our favorite characters from all the stories involved (Alistair, Gideon,Samā¦) as well as those so important to Steffen and his growth here.
Thatās Wil. A gentle, warm-hearted dragon whoās essential to Steffen in every way. While Steffen is the center here, Wil is Steffenās heart. Their story is painful, sexy, quietly strong, and loving. Perfect for a finale.
A suspenseful hunt, a surprise character, and a joyous element previously revealed in an earlier story help round out the narrative themes and bring the series to a satisfying close.
I will be very sad to see these characters go. I have come to love them so.
If you havenāt found this series or author, thereās a reading list of connected universe story/series.
Read all the stories in this universe so youāre familiar with the events that have occurred and the characters and relationships that are referred to.
Iām highly recommending them all, including this one.
Itās no secret that Iām hard to handle. People get annoyed by me. Sometimes theyāre amused, but not for long. Itās not easy to deal with a paranoid conspiracy theorist, and I stretch everyoneās patience.
Everyone except Wil. He was there at the beginning, when I left my old life behind, and heās stuck with me since. Heās been my friend when no one else wanted to. Patiently taught me how to fit in. Heās the one person I know I can rely on.
Heās the only man I can see myself ever being with. The only man I would want to spend eternity with.
But when my past rears its ugly head and the stuff of my nightmares rises from the dead, the hope of a happy future rapidly fades. I need him more than ever, but I canāt risk him. I canāt let anyone use him against me.
Torture doesnāt have to be physical to hurt. And Iām not going to let myself be hurt again.
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Unless itās noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.
The Trials is the fourth and looks to be the final story in Cari Zās Spell Saga series. The authorās note sort of leaves it open as to whether we will return to this universe and couple or not.
So Iām treating it as a finale. And that comes with additional expectations. The Tank, the previous book, showed us different characters, a unique location, and deepened the histories and dynamics between the people involved. But in some respects it restricted itās narrative down to further explore on a different, more detailed front what was happening with the war, magic, and our characters.
Here we get to see the consequences of those actions and decisions in The Trials. The Trials refers to the magical spell weapon Anton Seiber promised to deliver, under threat, to the Emperor of France. A spell not even his lover, Imperial Investigator Camille LumiĆØre, wanted to see in their hands.
The Institute, that locked down tight magical fortress, is the main location once more, albeit more research prison than educational institution.
Where this story absolutely excels is in the tormented status of Anton Seiber, the horrifying reasons behind it, and the new dynamics it forces into the relationship between Anton and Camille.
The authorās creativity when crafting both the new spell and itās effects upon others, Anton included, are so terrifying because itās the readers imaginations that fill in all the horrors and unimaginable emotions that the spell initiates. Then we see what is doing to Anton, someone weāve come to connect with, and the spell becomes vile beyond belief.
When Anton and Camille, and the spell are at center, the story is incredible.
However, for one thatās a finale, other aspects seem lackluster, rushed, or just one dimensional.
The entire element with the old and new emperor is lacking any grounding here. The actions of various characters (important ones) seem oddly flexible considering itās war, the fact that the Lord in question is acting beyond rational thought into obsession about the magical weaponry and itās devastating effects. Dr. Grabler, in particular, goes from one stance in The Tank, to another where his prize former student/friend is almost expendable without any foundation laid out for any of the elements here. These haphazard storylines (magical corruption, major characters who sort of disappear at the end, rushed exposition in the epilogue) all works against the finely crafted parts of the series and main storyline. That of Anton and Camilleās romance and history.
It all feels just so unfinished. Not at all what a finale book should be.
It was exciting, truly excellent in sections, and absolutely entertaining.
For that Iām definitely recommending The Spell Saga series and this novel.
All Anton Seiber, newly-minted Master Thaumaturge, wants is to use his training to support himself out in the world. Well, that and to see the man he loves, Imperial Investigator Camille LumiĆØre, more than once every six months.
Getting to the Institute is a mess that Anton barely survives, and thatās just the beginning of his troubles. Drawn into a web of lies and betrayals, Anton will have to use every trick he can conjure to surviveāand perhaps hand over the most diabolical spell in the world in exchange for saving the life of someone he loves.
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Unless itās noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.
Ariana Nashās Shadows of London series comes to a close with Without A Trace. Itās a finale story thatās got the complexity and character surprises weāve come to expect from this author and series but itās also has some of the flaws that have kept it from fulfilling the promise itās showed from the very beginning.
First the elements that made Without A Trace a moving, complex story. At the close of Truth or Dare #4, Alexander Kempthorne and Dom have been āpresumed deadā and are now happily living new lives together under new identities.
They are powerful with their matching ātricksā, yet Alexander is determined not to tell Dom the complete truth about their shared past history. That lack of communication and transparency has haunted their relationship and will shatter their current one.
The rigid character personalities that Nash has built for both Alex and Dom are the best aspects of this story. Each man with his rich, tortured past, has their reasons for a lack of clarity and trust while still being deeply, painfully in love with each other. They have depth.
The magic, the latents, the horrors lurking under London. All extremely well done. The torture and bigotry thatās shown towards latency. Believable.
But for all the terrific descriptions, horrifying scenes, and chilling dialogues, thereās the whole frustrating , frankly unrealistic Kage Mitchell element to factor in as well as a couple of villains so blatant that they might as well as worn a sign.
But itās the Kage Mitchell element thatās the most bothersome. He of the ālet me commit many betrayals, atrocities, actually kidnappings and murder attempts ā and is then let walk away time and again because āawww, soft spotā. Heās really only there for one reason. To make a certain reappearance at the end and then boom. If you list everything about this character and his actions and story appearance, itās complete nonsense. Kage Mitchell is a narrative tool and not an especially good one. More an annoying, one note replaceable one.
Given what Domās background is and then how Kageās actions impact Dom, Alex and the other, itās not only unbelievable but frankly a storyline that disconnects one from the events happening because itās so implausible.
Kage is that ill conceived narrative subject that just kept popping up and stomping over all the lovely complex proceedings. Right to up to his laughable unreal last words at the end.
Too bad.
Still , itās a good fantasy series. With many exciting things and aspects to it, including a strong couple at its heart.
Alexander Kempthorne has one more secret to tell, but it could cost him everything. Including Dom.
The windswept Scottish Highlands.
Everything has changed.
With new names and new lives, Dom and Kempthorne should be living their happy ending, but itās not over yet.
Kage Mitchell knows theyāre alive and heās discovered the single most devastating secret Kempthorne has yet to tell Dom.
There is no other option. Kage Mitchell must die.
But heās the least of Kempthorneās concerns. With their identities revealed, and a war brewing between latents and normals, the shadows are on the rise once again, and an old threat awakens beneath London. A threat that could change latents, and the world, forever.
Kempthorne has spent his whole life running from his past. But now, the past is back, and alone, Kempthorne’s not strong enough to win this fight. When the terrible truth is revealed, will Dom forgive him enough to fight with him?
The Shadows of London series comes to its climatic finale in Without a Trace.
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Please note, the Shadows of London series is set in London and the characters are all British (so is the author). Although the series has been edited in US English for the US market, to include US spelling and grammar, many English slang words and spelling remain as part of the character of the work.
The events of Love and History run concurrently to The Professorās Date and works beautifully to tie all the original couples up into their HEA as well as give us a heartwarming romance for one of the remaining Script Club members and a new boarder at the lovely old historic house theyāve been renting the entire series.
Almost everyone has either moved out as they have found their partner and established themselves in their careers. The ones left at the house are Tommy and Holden, both Professors at CalTech, both geniuses going for their PhDās. All the other scientists/geeks in their circle have moved out, forcing them to rent to jock friends of Blake (Asterās boyfriend).
If youāve read The Professorās Date, then youāre aware of how certain events will play out regarding the house. So having Lane use it as a dramatic element is a bit awkward. We know thereās no real threat there.
I wish another thread was used to have Holden thinking of moving on other then the loss of the house. Cole and Ezra had a realistic reason. They needed a location closer to work, which made sense. Holdenās emotional ties also felt believable. A renovation versus a loss of lease perhaps?
Anyway, the romance between Holden Galymer ,astrophysicist, microbiologist ,Phd candidate at CalTech and jock/lawyer in the making Ezra Marsden turns out to be incredibly bumbling, sexy, and sweet.
Ezra has been an irritant on Holdenās nerves since he moved in. With a dislike for clothes past the front door, and a disregard for respecting or replacing someone elseās groceries, Ezra is a itch Holden canāt scratch.
Lane is excellent at creating two wholly opposite characters and then making the reader see how perfect they are for each other. As she does here.
Each man has issues they are still working through. Especially Ezra. A lively outgoing demeanor hides someone whoās dealing with deep grief and anger over his father as well as a inability to come fully out of the closet as bisexual. Holden too has many layers and things that he keeps hidden. Those issues impact his feelings and ability to move forward into relationships.
How Ezra and Holden stumble through into love and HEA includes some wonderful events, some painful moments, and a outstanding wrap up with every couple in the series.
Itās a treat and a great way to say goodbye.
This is a series I really enjoyed. I had my favorites (who doesnāt) and was absolutely entertained.
If you love contemporary romance, this is a group of men I think youāre going to love. Including their finale. Iām definitely recommending this!
Hot Lips is the last of The Hot Cannolis series. It is written by Tara Lain, when the original plan was to continue to coauthor , with Eli Easton, all four books was halted by Lainās personal health issues that had Easton and Lain dividing up the last two stories.
She mentions all this in the prologue but I bring it up again because unlike the other books, Hot Lips seems the only story removed from the encompassing āembraceā of the Canoli compound and family weāve come to love. Even Tito, one of its main characters, is an enigma. His personality , with those vague hints of shyness, a lack of history, and a real disconnect to everyone in the Canoli family, wasnāt that interesting.
The reader, through every book, has no idea, who this shadow is.
Thatās completely opposite of every other novel where we had a semblance of the person we were to meet going in. Here? Nothing.
Lain assembles Titoās personality like a puzzle at the same time sheās crafting her storylines, and Iām not sure it works. Itās not a smooth or fluid construction.
Tito ās character has endured trauma. Has PTSD, has become housebound. Has another identity. Lain piles onto Tito multiple layers of elements that donāt have āpage timeā for full treatment. Thereās mystery, kidnapping, stalking , and other elements that would act as trigger warnings.
Then thereās Ari Cohen, the undercover Detective. Heās huge, sweet, has a great cat. I mean heās a good character but his role within the Canoli āuniverse ā is barely there when Uncle Rick asks him over to talk to Tito. Which is a real stretch here.
I think thatās part of my issue here. All the preceding books felt like a part of a family. They naturally flowed together. They had history, substance , a firm foundation that the storylines and characters stood upon.
This easily could have been a standalone with nothing to do with the Canolis. It felt like the author kept pushing to make connections to the series instead of letting it be what it was, itās own novel.
So it ends up being something that almost succeeds but doesnāt because it tries so hard. Sweet romance with trigger warnings.
The Hot Cannolis series:
ā¦ Firemanās Carry (The Hot Cannolis #0.5) by Eli Easton
Sometimes there are too many closets to come out of.
For two years, Titoās been hiding from his past in the midst of his uncle and auntās big, crazy, compound full of relatives in a tiny town in California. Now his pastās come to get him ā and threatens not only Titoās life, but to reveal the secret that will get Tito kicked out of the family he loves. Time to fight back! Ari Cohen, a tough cop on the hate crimes task force, knows about hiding and fighting, since he spends his life undercover searching out bad guys. Ariās got a big secret too that perfectly matches Titoās –both in and out of bed. But donāt play hearts and flowers yet. The price they have to pay for the match may send them running back to their closets ā if Tito can stay alive long enough to get there.
HOT LIPS is a M/M romantic suspense mystery, packed with sexy secrets, danger, family love, and a crazy, one-eyed cat
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Unless itās noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.
Duskās Devotion is a terrific way to wrap up this western romance trilogy with its roots in another hockey romance series.
Locey ties up all loose storylines and manages to end the nasty ongoing feud thatās been a persistent flashpoint point of so many troubling events between the two major neighboring ranchers.
Told from one point of view, that of Kyle Abbott, long time ranchhand/irrigator and well established character from the preceding books.
It seems to be winter, the prodigious amounts of snow falling is about right for a Wyoming winter, especially around the Tetons. And the storm that blew in on Kyle as he went out to the furthest part of Blue Ice Ranch to feed and water the herd of cows pastured out that way until they could be brought in for calving and market.
I got into this section of the story. I love the Tetons, have ridden out there, and find its beauty beyond compare. Whatever the season. But to stay in Wyoming and be someone who has to work outside during the winter takes a certain fortitude. And love for the land which Locey captures very well.
Itās out at this remote cabin where Kyleās staying, that as a blizzard arrives, so does a visitor.
What a fantastic idea and dramatic element!
It has so many different aspects to the idea of this entrance and itās ramifications.
Shep McCrary comes from that despicable neighboring family of ranchers known for their bigotry, racism, homophobia, and actual crimes committed against the local indigenous peoples.
Heās not one readers are immediately going to get involved with, unless the conditions are right.
Well the conditions are right.
Although it takes a minute, Shep and his Dun stallion invade Kyleās cabin, and then the blizzard keeps them all there.
I wish we actually had more of their developing relationship during the time they had alone. Instead we get a good start, then told of the passing of time, boom , someone is knocking on the cabin door with food and times up.
What should have been drawn out and intimate moments is over too soon imo.
Understandable, as thereās a bunch more exposition to get through.
Itās back at the ranch. Where multiple characters are processing feelings about seeing a hated McCrary in their midst. Thereās also some sort of minimal communication about a future between Kyle and Shep because of family issues.
No spoilers.
And then thereās still major thefts going on to be solved as well as past enormous ones regarding the dinosaur digs to uncover.
So thatās quite a few storylines to process and then resolve.
Locey does, everything gets a investigation, thereās a huge dramatic development thatās potentially devastating, and a final exposeā that solves everything.
I only wish that ending and the culprits had felt more fleshed out , and believable. Not the rationale but the people. They felt too one dimensional to care about.
Thatās a bit of a shame because the story is well done . It just has a lot of work to carry as the last book in the trilogy. I loved the romance! I just wish that had been given more focus.
If you love contemporary romance with a cowboy twist, this is a terrific series. Put it on your TBR list!
Blue Ice Ranch (previously named Prairie Smoke Ranch series)
Can love warm the hearts of two enemies facing the wrath of a Wyoming winter storm?
Kyle Abbott is slowly discovering that being midway through his thirties and being married to your job isnāt all itās cracked up to be. There has to be more to life than random hookups, horses, and cattle. If only he could find a person who excites and ignites his passions like everyone else has at Blue Ice Ranch, heād be a happy man. He hopes. Confused about his life, he volunteers to spend a month out with the cattle to sort through his bewilderment. Knowing thereās a blizzard on the horizon, Kyle sets out fully prepared and ready for anything.
Anything except the unexpected arrival of rival rancher Shep McCrary. When the half-frozen man shows up at the remote cabin where Kyle has hunkered down with the herd, his conscience demands for him to allow Shep to come inside. Offering food and warmth to another human being is the least he can do, right? Even if the man is a swaggering, hateful jerk whoās far too pretty for his own good and knows it. When the two are forced to spend time together, Kyle begins to see that there is more to Shep than he ever imagined. He might actually kind of like the pompous creep at times. Whoever said there was a fine line between love and hate sure knew what they were talking aboutā¦
Duskās Devotion is the final book in the Blue Ice MM contemporary western romance trilogy with enemies-to-lovers, a blizzard, lots of forced proximity, family dynamics, suspense, a mystery solved, and a happy ever after.
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Unless itās noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer
Killer Honeymoon wraps up the second series for the detective couple of Sawyer Key and Royce Locke. Their story starts with the wonderful Zero Hour trilogy and now, temporarily at least, concludes with their wedding and a honeymoon almost to die for in this last story of the Matrimony and Mayhem trilogy arc.
What a truly entertaining story Killer Honeymoon proves to be. Walker incorporates all the elements that we expect from the coupleās relationship, humor, thoughtful introspection, respect, and deep abiding love as well as a heathy sex life, and weaves a tale of murder carried out in a tiny resort town. One that theyāre honeymooning in.
We get a moving wedding, a hilarious jaunt to their destination, and then a lakeside mystery and murder worthy of any fabulous cozy!
Walker never lets our focus off of the fact that itās Sawyer and Royceās honeymoon, with all the resplendent joy and happiness they have in the fact they are each otherās husbands, with a new future and family ahead of them. We get to revel in that along with them.
Whether they are investigating a element of the murder, or a break in, some aspect of the fact they are newly married threads into the picture. Itās lovely. Plus the manner in which they establish a pattern to investigate just says partners in every way. Walkerās writing is so amazing here pulling all the elements together on so many levels.
As always, the surrounding cast is a solid aspect of the story. They are well defined and just plain terrific characters. From the cranky Frank to the spiraling Evan, each is believable.
Itās a neat mystery and is wrapped up in a suspenseful, edgy climax. Outstanding.
The ending is so good. And leaves us and them in a great place with the ability to make a return sometime in the future. Honestly, we need now to see more of Dolly.
Walker has two more books in the works that relates to this universe, one specific to the end of this story.
The next will be Topher Carnegieās story (and Julian Fineās) in About Last Night. Expect to see that September 20, 2022.
Then finally Emilio Mendoza and Abe Beecham get their romance in Just Say When. Thatās out on December 20, 2022. Be still my heart!
Thatās two novels to look forward to!
And I expect Walkerās not done with these guys just yet.
Iām highly recommending this and all the series novels.
Read them in the order they are written for the full character relationship development!
ā¤ļøSawyer and Royce: Matrimony and Mayhem series:
Newlyweds, Royce Locke and Sawyer Key, embark on a honeymoon road trip where their biggest threat should be dodging drunk tourists on golf carts. But their arrival on South Bass Island lands them in the middle of a contentious battle between lifelong islanders and a property developer who wonāt accept no for an answer. Tempers soar as the barometric pressure drops, signaling a dangerous storm brewing on the horizon and across the street. Minding their own business becomes impossible when a homicide wrecks their vacation and puts Royce and Sawyer in the path of a twisted killer.
Will their honeymoon be two tickets to paradise or a one-way trip to the morgue?
Killer Honeymoon is book three 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. ** Killer Honeymoon is a continuation of Royce and Sawyerās happily ever after as they move into the next phase of their livesāprofessionally 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. 18+
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Unless itās noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.
It almost hurt to write this review because it wasnāt the one I was really expecting to write. I have loved this series since Rachel Reid began it. And a diehard fan of Shane and Ilya since they premiered in Heated Rivalry, a favorite novel among many here.
So like so many readers and fans of both author and Game Changer , Iāve been eagerly anticipating the series finale and the novel which would bring some closure to the 11 years long closeted romance of Shane and Ilya.
What I didnāt expect was that I felt the first 25 percent of the book, perhaps more , was such a slog, that I came close to putting it down completely.
The characters I had connected with were missing. Chemistry gone. Shane was the one I had the most issues with. Self involved, complaining, non communicative. Other than sex, I couldnāt see what Ilya saw in him. The relationship and dynamics from Heated Rivalry had dimmed and the sparks doused.
I couldnāt believe this was it.
It wasnāt until the halfway mark, when dramatically the narrative picked up, and their relationship became energized once more that I was invested in their lives, romance, and the story.
There had been serious elements introduced. Depression, family history, suicide. But it was one-sided narratively speaking. And it served to only connect us to Ilya and his shaky emotional status. Leaving Shane in a removed story bubble, away from the relationship and the feelings connecting us to Ilya.
The emotional ties only reached back out after the story was halfway through.
Then we got safely back on established familiar relationship ground. One we recognized from Heated Rivalry, but with personal growth accounted for.
Shame it took that long because the remainder of the story was excellent. It wove plot threads from Role Model into the storyline here, making terrific use of those characters and elements.
Reid also found the missing humor, to intersperse with the serious issues of LGBTQIA+ athletes acceptance in sports, outing, and, the stress of being a pro athlete on relationships.
The last section of The Long Game was everything Iād hoped for and wanted for this couple. It turned into the perfect way to send them off.
I just wish it had happened sooner. That the book was a complete Gordie Howe Hat Trick instead of a one goal win.
But Iāll take it. Iām sorry to see the series end. Just as I am to see the end of every hockey season.
Iāll look forward to the next Rachel Reid with the same enthusiasm as the start of the new season and run for the Stanley Cup as well.
If youāre a lover of hockey romance, contemporary romance, and the works of Rachel Reid, this series is for you. Iām highly recommending it.
Game Changers Book 1: Game Changer Book 2: Heated Rivalry Book 3: Tough Guy Book 4: Common Goal Book 5: Role Model Book 6: The Long Game
The sequel is finally here! Shane and Ilyaās story, first seen in Heated Rivalry, continues in this long-awaited hockey romance from Rachel Reid.
“Everything you could want from this magnetic couple! A passionate, sexy, emotional sequel that grips your heart! Shane and Ilya forever!” ā#1 NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely, author of Hopelessly Bromantic
To the world they are rivals, but to each other they are everything.
Ten years.
Thatās how long Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov have been seeing each other. How long theyāve been keeping their relationship a secret. From friends, from familyā¦from the league. If Shane wants to stay at the top of his game, what he and Ilya share has to remain secret. He loves Ilya, but what if going public ruins everything?
Ilya is sick of secrets. Shane has gotten so good at hiding his feelings, sometimes Ilya questions if they even exist. The closeness, the intimacy, even the risk that would come with being open about their relationshipā¦Ilya wants it all.
Itās time for them to decide whatās most importantāhockey or love.
I really debated about that rating because this is an fantastic series and , from a overall perspective, it deserves a 5 rating.
However, this collection has a few elements that, as a group I feel tended to take away from the anticipation and potential of a powerful finale.
Give Him Hell, Hellhound Champions #3, is actually my favorite of the three. Nickās story has it all. A traumatic adolescence, a damaged man whoās history has given him a mission in life thatās as much mystery as he is. Itās full of found family, magical beings, a great relationship, and , really, a huge amount of character growth.
Nick and Hellhound Jedrek are perfection. And now I understand all Nickās Alpha appearances in the other series. This book is that foundation.
Now to the rest.
Nothing Gained and Stop at Nothing are the two books that essentially tie up Sawyerās Chosen One storyline. Sawyer needs to complete his circle of Guardians, get his guide, figure out how to defeat his brother , and win the war.
So huge! Right? There are some fantastic elements here. Ones that mix mythology, spirit animals and communication, even past lives to a very fascinating degree. How does someone correct past mistakes if past knowledge has been purposefully erasedā¦ by them? Interesting , deeply complex questions. With equally labyrinthine answers. That takes two books to unravel.
Great stuff.
Other beautifully crafted sections? That regarding the wounded, wary Guardian Dakota. He was so well written, so intriguing that you wanted more. Of his history and that of the family we got introduced to. They were all so interesting and unique.
And that was a issue with the last Guardian. All the other great Guardians had powers, some had wounded backgrounds, fascinating personalities, and, honestly, a visible reason to be a part of the Guardian circle. And not just because each represents a Element. The last missing Guardian? Cute as a button but made no sense other than as a āplug-in ā storylight character, whoās aspect could go comedic āhigh maintenance twinkā or āadorable boy toyā. No history. No layers.
Even his āanimal ā had me scratching my head in the manner he called it/them.
But even that part , as one dimensional as it is compared to all the other Guardians, doesnāt seem as overdone as all the ongoing multi-partners sex scenes.
When they started, it was sexy and a way to cement the polyamory relationship between Chosen One and his Guardian mates. It made sense.
But here, as the danger grew overwhelming, the partners were wounded, tired, even hospitalized, the orgies never abated. Research continues around them, or on top of them. People get called away from them and return to them.
It makes them less sexy. More like slot A into Slot B type of activity when the amount of sexual activity exceeds story plot. It was almost at that level. A āreally.. again?ā type of sex scene.
A lightweight major character , too many sex scenes seemed to slow the narrativeās forward motion as it moved towards its tumultuous and scary series finale.
Blake does a outstanding job with formatting that momentous battle into something truly heart stopping and highly suspenseful. From that battle onward itās a careening, wild ride to the finish. A very satisfying one too.
The epilogue is the only aspect, that has , again, just a few things that bothers me. The Guardians and Sawyer have their happy ending. But a character, whoās played a huge part in this series, and was involved in a traumatic incident, gets written off with a sentence. That struck me as all sorts of wrong and , frankly, undeserved, given his status within the group. More about his situation was definitely called for. The reader was invested in him. As was Sawyer and the group. I donāt get it.
Other characters also just disappeared. I donāt know if itās Into future storylines and novels but precious time was spent here getting us involved in them so donāt we deserve to know more?
I think what was missing overall in the last Chosen One stories is a sense of narrative flow and emotional balance. Sex scenes over plot and character resolution. A rush story wise because so much went forward quickly , narratively speaking.
And this is why I had issues with the rating. I read them together, and whether that made the issues I had more glaring or not, I wonāt know. The whole series is incredible. The maxed out battle and finale absurdly fantastic! A true āIām crying, hold your breath ā battle!
Then thereās Sweet Spot.
The fourth is a standalone novella , about Guardian Eduardās widower father, Augustus, and the young man he meets on a island getaway. Itās a second chance at love, age gap sweet story with a slice of kink. I love it.
Iām highly recommending this series. You would be reading the last Chosen books in the order anyway so you might as well read them in this collection and get the wonderful other books as well.
The other series in the Chosen One Universe are ongoing which Iām thrilled about. Thatās Magical Mates and Chosen Champions. Stay tuned for more Chosen goodness.
For the first time, Macy Blakeās 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 Three:
Give Him Hell: Hellhound Champions Book Three
Nick Smith is a man with a mission: find the place where heād been held captive as a child and discover what happened to the kids he left behind. He needs answers, especially since he discovered he can shift into a lion. Instead he finds a huge Viking of a man with flaming eyes who threatens Nickās shaky hold on his control. When Nickās past collides with a powerful, evil force causing havoc in the supernatural world, Nick races to find who is responsible for the current rash of dark magic. With a hellhound at his side, what could go wrong?
Nothing Gained: The Chosen One Book Four
With the truth finally revealed that Sawyer is the son of a powerful goddess, Sawyer must find the strength to fix the broken magic in his world. Thereās only one problem: he has no clue how to do it. Even with six of his eight mates at his side, Sawyer doubts he has what it takes, especially as he is growing weaker by the day. With his newest guardian hiding in the shadows, Sawyer has to find the answers before itās too late, for both him and his mates.
Stop at Nothing: The Chosen One Book Five
Rising forces of darkness are attacking faster than Sawyer and his mates can mount a defense. Itās time to fight, but Sawyer has too much to lose to risk disaster. The final pieces of the puzzle are falling into place, but they leave him with more questions than answers. He heads into the final battle without the knowledge…or the powerā¦to win. Sawyer only knows one thing: he will stop at nothing to keep his mates safe.
Includes bonus short story:
Sweet Spot
When the goddess tells Augustus Eastaughffe to go to the mountains to find what he needs, he’s more than happy to comply. The billionaire griffin is in the midst of a deepening mystery and expects to find some of the answers he seeks. Instead, he finds a captivating human who proves to be sweeter than any he’s ever met.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 