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  • Home
  • REVIEWS+RECS
    • MANGA
    • BOOK REVIEW
    • SOUNDTRACK
    • QUOTE
    • TRAILER
    • DESERT ISLAND CASTAWAYS
    • BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
    • Reviews A-Z
    • MINI MOVIE REVIEWS
  • MEMES+TAGS
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    • LAST YEAR I WAS READING
    • FLICKer FADE SUNDAY
    • TAGS
    • MISC POSTS
    • PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
    • FIRST LINES FRIDAY 56
  • TOURS & BLITZES
    • COVER REVEAL
    • GIVEAWAYS
  • About + Ratings
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    • ADVERTISE WITH US
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  • manga,  Uncategorized

    MANGA: St. Men’s Cafe

    May 1, 2020 / No Comments

    St. Men’s Cafe – Oki Mamiya

    Maki is an ex-model who now works as a waiter for a shop that opens as a cafe during the day and as a bar during the night. How he comes to work at such a place is the story.

    A Valentine’s Day hook-up between a bartender and a waiter. S’alright.

    Read More
    neverhollowed

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  • book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: Murder at Pirate’s Cove by Josh Lanyon

    May 1, 2020 / 4 Comments
    49090387. sy475

    Secrets and Scrabble: Murder at Pirate’s Cove – Josh Lanyon

    Ellery Page, aspiring screenwriter, Scrabble champion and guy-with-worst-luck-in-the-world-when-it-comes-to-dating, is ready to make a change. So when he learns he’s inherited both a failing bookstore and a falling-down mansion in the quaint seaside village of Pirate’s Cove on Buck Island, Rhode Island, it’s full steam ahead!

    Sure enough, the village is charming, its residents amusingly eccentric, and widowed police chief Jack Carson is decidedly yummy (though probably as straight as he is stern). However, the bookstore is failing, the mansion is falling down, and there’s that little drawback of finding rival bookseller–and head of the unwelcoming-committee–Trevor Maples dead during the annual Buccaneer Days celebration.

    Still, it could be worse. And once Police Chief Carson learns Trevor was killed with the cutlass hanging over the door of Ellery’s bookstore, it is.


    I’m super excited about this latest Josh Lanyon series!

    I read a lot of mysteries from procedurals to paranormals but I think this might be the first time I’ve come across a true blue MM cozy.

    Lanyon loves paying homage to classic golden age mysteries and to the genre as a whole which is something I really liked about her. Many of her MCs are mystery writers and/or bookstore owners, sometimes antique dealers, frequently with love interests involved in law enforcement.

    Her latest protagonist’s name is Ellery Page (love the name!). He is a screenwriter, an abysmally bad actor and the owner of Crow’s Nest, a failing bookstore inherited from a long-lost dead relative. He lives in a mansion that’s literally falling apart as we speak. Also inherited from said dead relative.

    I liked that the story was written in Ellery’s third person POV instead of a first person POV. As with most of her protagonists, his ‘voice’ brings in those colorful snarky descriptions frequently deployed by writers to make things more dramatic. I had fun going through his thoughts but I wish Lanyon would shake things up and write from the more stoic love interest’s POV too.

    As genre tradition dictates, our amateur sleuth pokes his nose into other people’s business in an effort to clear his name of murder. Most of it involved soliciting gossip from people who were very much willing to share. This is safe enough. But then there was one TSTL-ish moment when he did a little B & E on a dead man’s house. Aaargh!!! I was so exasperated! I wanted to smack him in the head for stupidity.

    We also meet Police Chief Jack Carson, the lead investigator of the case who time and time again warned Ellery to stay out of trouble. Carson is your usual Lanyon love interest. At first glance, an abrasive man of few words who as the story progressed would reveal his hidden not-so-bad-afterall side. This happens in almost every Lanyon book but somehow I’m not tired of it yet. I still get a thrill whenever the ‘good’ side is revealed

    He and Ellery oh so slowly edged towards a tentative friendship. And that’s all there is. This story has no romance and zero steam. This is a big plus for me.

    The story is set in a quaint seaside town of Pirate’s Cove. I’m the type of reader who typically gloss over descriptions of places so I’m glad that the book was able to establish a sense of place and town culture without boring me with too much details. We are also introduced to a fair share of quirky town fixtures sure to pop up in many of the books.

    I had a great time letting the story unfold. The mystery was a good one. I couldn’t guess who the murderer was until the very end. I only realized on hindsight that major clues were dropped and I totally missed them.

    Murder at Pirate’s Cove is a quintessential cozy. Even with the templates fully in place, they do not detract to how enjoyable everything is. The author was able to keep things fresh and engaging. All in all, this is a charming little addition to her oeuvre.

    Recommended if you like amateur sleuths who couldn’t lie to save their life, pirate cosplay murders and puppies who wouldn’t quit.

    P.S.

    Josh Lanyon books here.

    Rating:
    4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits

    Soundtrack: Trouble is a Friend
    Artist: Lenka
    Album: Lenka

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    neverhollowed

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    ME AND MUSIC TAG

    February 16, 2021
  • song,  Uncategorized

    Soundtrack: Trouble Is A Friend by Lenka

    May 1, 2020 / 2 Comments

    Soundtrack to Secrets and Scrabble: Murder at Pirate’s Cove by Josh Lanyon

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    neverhollowed

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  • Uncategorized
    May 1, 2020 / No Comments

    Trouble will find you no mater where you go, oh oh
    No Matter if you’re fast no matter if you’re slow, oh oh
    The eye of the storm and the cry in the morn, oh oh
    Your fine for a while but then start to loose control

    He’s there in the dark
    He’s there in my heart
    He waits in the winds
    He’s gotta play a part
    Trouble is a friend
    Yeah trouble is a friend of mine. oh oh

    Trouble is a friend but trouble is a foe, oh oh
    And no matter what I feed him he always seems to grow, oh oh
    He sees what I see and he knows what I know, oh oh
    So don’t forget as you ease on down the road

    So don’t be alarmed if he takes you by the arm
    I won’t let him win, but I’m a sucker for his charm
    Trouble is a friend
    Yeah trouble is a friend of mine, oh oh

    Oh how I hate the way he makes me feel
    And how I try to make him leave, I try
    Oh Oh I try

    Read More
    neverhollowed

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  • trailer,  Uncategorized

    MOVIE FEATURE: We Are Three

    May 1, 2020 / No Comments
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  • Uncategorized

    RELEASE BLITZ: Working Stiffs: Thirteen Short Stories by Various Authors (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    May 1, 2020 / No Comments
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    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Fade In by V.L. Locey (Giveaway)

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  • Uncategorized

    BLOG TOUR: Far Away by Bryan T. Clark (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    May 1, 2020 / No Comments
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    RELEASE BLITZ: Of Scales & Fire by Natalina Reis (Giveaway)

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You can never have too much MM romance or indie music. Welcome and enjoy your stay!

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Book images and promotional materials are from Goodreads or media kits provided for blog tours, cover reveals and release blitzes. Manga covers and other images are sourced through Google image search. The two dorks in the header image is from a manga by TogaQ & Kikuchi Neko. The cat logo is my own design. Reviews and other writings found in the blog are mine unless otherwise stated. All Buy Links to Amazon and Bookshop in my posts contain affiliate links.

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🌈boy's love manga | MM romance | music | giveaways and more 🐾

neverhollowed
neverhollowed Never Hollowed By The Stare @neverhollowed ·
10 Jun

𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲—𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬.

COVER REVEAL: Shaken and Stirred by Lilly Atlas



https://neverhollowed.com/2025/06/10/cover-reveal-shaken-and-stirred-by-lilly-atlas/

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neverhollowed Never Hollowed By The Stare @neverhollowed ·
10 Jun

NEW RELEASE BLITZ: The Spy by Mell Eight (Excerpt & #Giveaway)


https://books2read.com/the-spy

https://neverhollowed.com/2025/06/10/new-release-blitz-the-spy-by-mell-eight-excerpt-giveaway/

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neverhollowed Never Hollowed By The Stare @neverhollowed ·
9 Jun

Unrequited love can make you blind.

COVER REVEAL: Doink by Crea Reitan



https://neverhollowed.com/2025/06/09/cover-reveal-doink-by-crea-reitan/

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neverhollowed Never Hollowed By The Stare @neverhollowed ·
9 Jun

Sometimes growing up means growing apart in this queer take on As You Like It featuring first loves and friend breakups, from award-winning author Julia Drake.

BOOK TOUR: Lovesick Falls by Julia Drake



https://neverhollowed.com/2025/06/09/book-tour-lovesick-falls-by-julia-drake/

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