Review:  The Pushy Pixies Are Going Down (Hopefully) (Carry A Faerie #2) by Michele Notaro

Rating: 4🌈

The second novel in Michele Notaro’s Carry A Faerie series, The Pushy Pixies Are Going Down (Hopefully) is an entertaining tale , one jammed packed with emotional drama of the group of characters as well as their multiple personal storylines.

There’s sub plots which have a series mystery element associated with abducted fantasy creatures. A big storyline that’s building is one that features the younger characters of mages Aeson and Chaos, now working at a local museum. Their story is prominent here in, not just because they require the help of Miles (Empath) and Winter (Null) to take care of another pixie infestation but as we can see, they aren’t doing as well personally since we saw them last. 

Miles and Win’s relationship moves forward in several ways, including the reveal of their own histories. 

 But most interesting, a third POV is added to the mix at the end of the story. 

The characters of the young mages and the fantasy animals/familiars are fantastic. Detailed, engaging and engaging. Their circumstances are such that the reader is immediately empathetic to their story. 

Which is why another aspect of this book is bothering me. Hard to go into details without spoilers but for the author to go down this route so early in the series (and having set up the situation to go bad considering the characters involved), makes me wonder why and what Notaro’s thoughts were.  Especially given the sensitivity of the storyline. 

This series seems to veer from comedic scenarios to extremely complex emotional dark scenes and histories. And I’m not sure it’s giving enough context and depth to the latter.   And this talented author is more than capable of doing so. See her series, The Magi Accounts. 

I’m recommending this story. It’s cute, shows lots of potential and has great characters. 

It will be a year before the next book is released.  I’ll be looking forward to it. 

Carry A Faerie (3 book series):

Did It Have To Be Gnomes?! #1

The Pushy Pixies Are Going Down (Hopefully) #2

Gremlins, Goblins, And… What Is THAT? #3 – November 5,2026

Buy link 

 Book 2 of 3: Carry A Faerie 

Blurb 

Am I afraid of gnomes? Maaaaaaaybe.

Did I take on a huge gnome job anyway? I sure did.

Am I about to ask my crush for help? 

Well, I have to ask someone, right?

I get called out to a huge mansion with the biggest number of invading gnomes I’ve ever seen, and I’m not sure who to call to help. And I definitely need some help. 

So when Winter Montgomery just so happens to stop by, I know I have to ask him. I’ve been crushing on the handsome guy from afar for years, so now’s my chance to get close—and get some much needed support. 

As long as I don’t let him see just how much I hate gnomes—okay, I’m actually terrified of them, but he doesn’t need to know that… right?

Did It Really Have To Be Gnomes?! (Carry A Faerie Book 1) is a MM urban fantasy and the first book in Miles and Winter’s love story. Each book will have its own supernatural problem with a HFN ending for the couple, but there will be overarching plot themes throughout the series

Publication date

July 31, 2025

Language

ā€ŽEnglish

Print length

296 pages

Book 1 of 3

Carry A Faerie

Review: Go Fetch (Magnus Pack Book 2) by Shelly Laurenston 

Rating: 4ā­ļø

Another entertaining read in Laurenston’s Magnus Pack series. Go Fetch features Miki, the hacker/bar owner bestie of wolfshifter Sara. Sara now lives in California with her Alpha mate. But Miki has unresolved issues with Conall VĆ­ga-Feilan , who knew he was hooked as soon as he laid eyes on his Alpha’s best friend, the pint-sized Miki Kendrick in Texas. 

Their chemistry and dynamics are hilariously different from the previous couple but it’s so good that it keeps the reader happy and invested in their relationship. 

The drama and ongoing storyline of pack issues is not well defined or given enough foundation here. It seems to carry over into the third book. But there’s little framework for this intense plot and species plotting. 

Had the author laid out a trilogy wide storyline that encapsulated this arc and events this would have been a more compelling and well grounded series and novel. 

It’s still highly entertaining and recommended.Just wishful thinking on my part. 

Cover design by Deranged Doctor Design.

Magnus Pack: 

  • Pack ChallengeĀ 
  • Go FetchĀ 
  • Here Kitty, KittyĀ 
  • ā€œMiss Congenialityā€ in When He Was Bad anthology

Buy link

        Go Fetch (Magnus Pack Book 2)

    

Blurb 

How much trouble can one small female be to a modern-day shapeshifting Viking? Well…it really depends on local gun laws.

Conall VĆ­ga-Feilan, direct descendent of Viking shifters, never thought he’d meet a female strong enough to be his mate. He especially didn’t think a short, viper-tongued human would ever fit the bill. But Miki Kendrick isn’t some average human. With an IQ off the charts and a special skill with weapons of all kinds, Miki brings the big blond pooch to his knees—and keeps him there.

Miki’s way too smart to ever believe in love and she knows a guy like Conall could only want one thing from her. But with the Pack’s enemies on her tail and a few days stuck alone with the one man who makes her absolutely wild, Miki is about to discover how persistent one Viking wolf can be.

  • Publisher: Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency
  • Publication date: July 11, 2016
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 243 pages
  • Book 2 of 3: Magnus Pack

Review:  Dragon Actually (Dragon Kin, #1) by G. A. Aiken 

Rating: 4ā­ļø

Written by Dragon Actually contains two complete stories. Dragon Actually and then one that’s a bit of a prequel, Chains & Flames. But the order here is actually better imo. 

The first story is the violent journey of Annwyl the Bloody to remove her heinous brother from the throne and save her people. During a heated battle, Fearghus the Destroyer, a dragon of immense power and fearsome legend, comes into her path in an unexpected twist. 

Annwyl is battle hardened , often violent, and physically powerful. Shes also with rage and prone to battle madness. We get little of her background except that it was extremely abusive,  physically damaging. Her father, the dead King being even worse than the brother who succeeded him, the brother being an obsessive horror. 

The dragons, yes, a huge group of excessive personalities, a ruling family of them, are well defined. Each with a specific character and definitely non-human traits. Hair color as an element of dragon color, while not new, is nicely done here and matches a type of personality as well it seems. 

There’s some hilarious scenes as Annwyl and Fearghus get acquainted with each other. Arrogance and rage are well matched within their relationship dynamics. 

Fearghus’ sister is another favorite character along with Annwyl’s general.  I could wish that her brother and that history was better explored here. We don’t get a full picture of him, his upbringing, or what drives him here. Nor those around him. So the battle is one-sided. And that leaves the narrative a bit unbalanced.

The relationships between dragons, dragon and human are all very different. So you don’t really feel like the dragons are ā€œhuman codedā€ which is great.  

The dragon queen and consort are intriguing. Which makes it great that the second story included here is their origin romance and the Queen’s journey into her role.  It’s appropriately titled Chains & Flames. 

Both are very sexual creatures, kinky, and the story is full of their sexual encounters as she fights her mother for the Crown and control over her life. Think collars and chains and Claiming. 

Which brings me to the covers.

Oh that cover. It does read total dragon fantasy but for what age group? Both  are very spicy, kinky violent stories. Heads rolls, lots of sex scenes, some with chains and collars but in a different definitely non-villainous aspect.  Does that cover read that? Hmm don’t think so. It’s so cute. 

The author, G. A. Aiken , turns out to be a pen name for author Shelly Laurenston, an author I recently discovered (and love) and am now working on her backlog of books. So is that two writers in one? Looks like! 

Anyway, here’s another older series about dragons, dragon shifters, women warriors, and roads to romance. I enjoyed it! A lot. But if you want a sweet fantasy novel, this isn’t it. Bloody swords, battles, and raging women? Yes. Read this. 

Dragon Kin:

Dragon Actually #1

About A Dragon #2

What a Dragon Should Know #3

Last Dragon Standing #4

The Dragon Who Loved Me #5

How to Drive a Dragon Crazy #6

Light My Fire #7

Feel The Burn #8

Bring The Heat #9

Buy link

        Dragon Actually (Dragon Kin Book 1)

    

Blurb 

It’s not always easy being a female warrior with a nickname like Annwyl the Bloody. Men tend to either cower in fear—a lot—or else salute. It’s true that Annwyl has a knack for decapitating legions of her ruthless brother’s soldiers without pausing for breath. But just once it would be nice to be able to really talk to a man, the way she can talk to Fearghus the Destroyer.

Too bad that Fearghus is a dragon, of the large, scaly, and deadly type. With him, Annwyl feels safe—a far cry from the feelings aroused by the hard-bodied, arrogant knight Fearghus has arranged to help train her for battle. With her days spent fighting a man who fills her with fierce, heady desire, and her nights spent in the company of a magical creature who could smite a village just by exhaling, Annwyl is sure life couldn’t get any stranger.

She’s wrong . . . 

And just wait until you meet the rest of the family . . . 

  • Publisher: Zebra Books
  • Publication date: August 26, 2008
  • Edition: Reprint
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 353 pages
  • Book 1 of 9: Dragon Kin