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REVIEW: That Mafioso Magic by Nicholas Bella
Mages & Mayhem: That Mafioso Magic by Nicholas Bella
Private detective, Adrian Elias, knows what trouble looks like, and ruthless mobster and lion shifter, Sage Tamir, was just that with a capital T. On top of smelling like heaven, the man has the face of an angel, with a body made for unbridled sin. A combination Adrian finds very hard to resist.
Unfortunately, someone is trying to kill Sage and they’re using magic to do it. Sage usually takes these types of matters into his own hands, but this time, he’s out of his league. He believes the only person who can help him is the down-on-his-luck detective. Problem is, Adrian doesn’t want to take his case because he feels it may be too dangerous. Never mind the volcanic-level attraction they seem to share for each other raising the stakes. Magic and mayhem awaits.
Reader Advisory: 18 and older. Strong adult situations and language. A sarcastic PI and a no-nonsense mobster will keep you turning the pages way past your bedtime. Best order that pizza, because once you start this book, you won’t want to stop.
That Mafioso Magic is the first book of the shifter paranormal/urban fantasy series, Mages & Mayhem, by Nicholas Bella. The fated mates pairing of a lion shifter mafia boss and a private detective mage intrigued me right away.
Firstly, Sage Tamir and his pride of all-female lions is so Wakanda-coded, I was imagining Killmonger, yes, him, since Sage is a bad boy after all, and the Dora Milaje as mafiosos. Sage is also a mage, though not a particularly strong one. He makes his spells look more powerful than they really are, so he’s feared as the Lion King who can also do magic.
Adrian Elias is also not a particularly strong mage, but he can do enough to help him beat bad guys and solve cases as a PI. My first impression of Adrian was that of a grizzled John Constantine-type character, so I was surprised to learn he was only 26 years old. I would have preferred him to be older, but Adrian is gritty, resourceful, and doesn’t back down from a fight, not even from a powerful vampire archduke.
The first meeting between Sage and Adrian was a nuclear explosion of uncontrollable primal lust; they had people running out of the room, scrambling to get out of their way. When heads cleared and things cooled down, they learned about a grimoire and their destiny. They agreed to collaborate to find out who is trying to kill Sage while also continuing Adrian and his partner Xavier’s investigation into a missing child.
I really appreciated that the author avoided the training trope but was able to create a believable way for Sage’s and Adrian’s magic to grow stronger. I also liked that they were neither the least nor most powerful but strong enough to stand toe to toe with formidable enemies.
I enjoyed the world-building, the secondary characters, and the dynamics between the main characters, as well as the various plot threads. However, the narrative presented two key plot threads that were exciting on their own, but when combined, they felt diminished. Additionally, there was too much telling instead of showing, which would have been more effective.
The opening chapter where Adrian and Xavier were rescuing children and fighting the bad guy was very suspenseful and chilling. Sadly, the continuation of the search for the missing child possessed by a demon seemed like an afterthought. If the book had been written solely as a police procedural or murder mystery, it would have been quite riveting.
The mafia business where Sage and Adrian had to ask a favor from Sage’s vampire nemesis, Archduke Salino Laurent, was hella fun but all over the place. Salino is fabulously sinister and gorgeous! I wouldn’t be surprised if the three end up a poly.
Kinda want them to poly given how Sage and Adrian are both attracted to Salino while also hating his guts. I can’t wait for the vampire archduke to cash in his favor! Pretty obvious who’s my favorite character here.
Overall, That Mafioso Magic could benefit from a tighter, more cohesive writing that could enhance the story’s impact. Still, there is plenty to like about this series, plot threads I’m looking forward to, and characters I’d love to see more of. It’s not setting my world on fire, but it’s keeping it alive with just enough magic and mayhem,
Rating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked itSoundtrack: Lionhearted
Artist: Porter Robinson feat. Urban Cone
Album: Worlds
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That Mafioso Magic: Kindle | Audiobook
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REVIEW: His Bane by Courtney W. Dixon
The District: His Bane by Courtney W. Dixon
PLEASE READ THE BLURB AND WARNINGS IF YOU’RE SENSITIVE TO TRIGGERS! And please, please be careful of spoilers and giving away endings of books. Use spoiler tags.
He is mine. I don’t care how long it takes. I will have Malik Amin.
Sullivan Beauchamp
Some people call me a monster. A psychopath. As if I care what others think. So what if I relish in the mayhem of slaughter or enjoy feeling the life blink out of someone? I am who I am. It was Malik who eventually brought me to his home and trained me to hone my skills to work under him as an assassin. Malik Amin is my equal, and he will be mine in all ways as soon as I can chip away at his ridiculous and completely unnecessary self-loathing.
Malik Amin
Sully lost everything as a teenager on my order. When I found him covered in blood four years later, I should have put him down, knowing what he was. Instead, I took him in to train him. It works for us until he wants me more than as a mentor. I cannot allow it. But if Sully is anything, he is a master at persuasiveness and discovering my weaknesses.
Reading in order will add more pleasure to the reading experience since some of the books end in a series cliffhanger. But they can technically be read as standalones.
CW: internalized homophobia of MC, murder of family, off-page molestation and rape, psychopathy, murder, torture, consensual sexual mutilation between MCs, betrayal.
His Bane is the second book of the dark assassin romance series, The District, by Courtney W. Dixon. This is a found family of queer assassins founded by Malik Amin and Sid Virgil that takes any jobs, no questions asked. The only rule is no hits on children.
Sullivan Beauchamp is the only survivor of an assassination of his family when he was 12 years old. He was put in foster care only to be sexually abused by his foster father. When the abusive asshole killed Sully’s favorite foster brother, Sully took immense pleasure in ending the bastard. While on the run, he was tracked down by Malik and taken under the older man’s wing.
Malik has been monitoring Sully since he went in foster care, but not close enough to know about his home life. Noticing the teen’s psychopathy and his potential, he offered the 16-year-old board, lodging, and training. He might have gotten more than he had bargained for because Sully kept pushing his buttons and pursued the older man with the kind of obsessive-possessive determination only psychopaths possess.
I loved Sully from the get-go! With so many bad things done to him at a young age, from his cold, harsh father to the abusive foster parent, Sully learned to rely on his instincts and intellect, harnessing his rage as a physical force to defeat bullies and bad guys. His favorite weapon is his 25,000$ knife gifted to him by Malik. His favorite music genre is disco.
Sully is immensely self-aware, constantly evaluating himself and learning about emotions and relationships so he can give Malik what he needs. He doesn’t expect other people to understand him. But far from angsting about it, I loved how unapologetic Sully is about who he is. Malik gets him, and that’s all Sully cares about.
Malik is of Syrian descent and a former member of a Syrian gang. The man is 19 years older than Sully, and unlike his self-assured protege, Malik is a mass of self-pity and woes rooted in childhood trauma.
It’s one of the reasons he keeps putting Sully at arm’s length, even though he wants the younger man. He’s also carrying the guilt from a big secret that he should have revealed to his mentee early on, but he didn’t, so it came to bite him in the ass in the form of a Sully meltdown.
Compared to the first book, His Death Bringer, this is a tad less disturbing but still as dark. Please heed the content warnings, especially if blood play is not your thing, because Malik and Sully are heavily into that.
This is not a romance of warm fuzzies. This is a complicated relationship between a traumatized older man who’s touch-starved and hungry for affection, even if he has a hard time admitting it, and a psychopath who doesn’t feel many emotions. This is a slow-burn of 13 stubborn years and a hot/cold dance of one step forward, two steps back, where the hurt comfort comes with a knife and scars are tokens of love.
Sully did all the heavy lifting while Malik is mired in what Sully calls “pathetic self-pity.” There were hardly any private interactions that didn’t devolve to sex, while Malik hopes they can be a normal couple that is more than just sex, a.k.a. the old man needed hugs and cuddles.
There were hardly any proper communications. I say this one is on Malik, who has his electric fences up while Sully was asking Luca (His Death Bringer) for advice and reading romance novels, trying to grasp the mechanics of being in love and the to-dos in a relationship. Our boy was really trying, bless his psychopathic heart!
Something to watch out for is the content-warning confrontation scene between Malik and Sully. It was nothing short of powerful and cathartic! Sully’s jumble of emotions was intensely palpable, and his breakdown was heartwrenching. Malik finally pulled his head out of his ass, but still left me partly unconvinced.
So I didn’t squee, but I rooted hard for Sully. His growth and resilience as a character, his single-minded determination to go after what he wants, and his willingness to go beyond his “limitations” as a psychopath for Malik are what made the book 4 stars for me.
His Bane is a story of kindred souls, warring feelings, and lifelong devotion. It is not a fairytale romance, but love at knife’s edge, painful, intense, and all-consuming.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Knife’s Edge
Artist: Tiger Army
Album: V…_P.S.
I’m ridiculously thrilled about how spot on the book model is! Red hair, copper penny eyes, and all black suit: that’s our Sully!
The District is best enjoyed in chronological order. Meet Luca, survivor, bunny cuddler, and sweetest soul ever, and his dark angel, Dante, in His Death Bringer.
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REVIEW: Mercy by Ian Haramaki
Mercy – Ian Haramaki
A PRIEST AND HIS ANGEL…
Father Ilya Pavlovich Sokolovis a lonely priest and pariah of his small town. Tasked with killing an injured monster in the woods, Ilya is certain of his death. Instead, he heals the monster’s injury and lifts its curse, revealing a handsome, memory-less man.
Cocksure Danya is a man lost in an unfamiliar world. He struggles to recall his past life, flashes returning as he and Ilya grow closer. Soon, his appearance begins to change once more, but not into a beast — instead, Danya grows into something just like the Sun that Ilya has worshiped all his life.
With complicated pasts between them, the two must work together to deal with the corruption of Ilya’s own church, as well as their blooming feelings for one another.
Mercy by new-to-me author Ian Haramaki has that irresistibly eye-catching cover typically found in YA books, so I went into it blind.
The opening chapter is a mesmerizing scene of the unpopular priest-healer, Ilya Sokolovis, forced by the townsfolk to slay the beast in the forest, only to secretly take the beast back to his church to heal it. The beast then transformed into a man, Danya, who had no memory of what had happened to him.
The following chapters felt like time was standing still, a.k.a. nothing was happening. The pace trickled like molasses as the grumpy, neurotic, and touch-starved Ilya struggled with his attraction to the undeniably lovable Danya, who promptly latched on to the young priest with the enthusiasm of a Labrador retriever.
As cute as all that, it was a struggle to continue, and I had to put the book on hiatus twice. It was that blah, which was too bad because it had many interesting aspects, and the premise was intriguing. The pairing of an angel and a priest isn’t something I encountered often, and I need more of it!
The setting is a Russian-flavored alt-history set in the 1920s, in a small town. Most of the technology, such as radios and telephones, was invented by a woman, which we later learn was connected to one of the MCs.
Their religion worships the Sun Mother and Moon Father. Ilya is a priest of the Sun, a position he inherited from his father. Magic and magical creatures exist, and angels, who were sons of the Sun, and demons, who were creatures of the night, show their presence to humans.
Their world captured my interest, but unfortunately, it wasn’t well-developed. It mainly included fleeting references with minimal details. The elements felt like a jumble of surface-level fantasy, a vague historical atmosphere, and modern language that seemed out of place and didn’t blend with the overall setting. And there wasn’t any magic done all, which was a huge disappointment.
Ilya’s late father is well-loved by the town, and when he fell ill and died, the people blamed 10-year-old Ilya because he could not heal his father. This is a grudge they have carried until now. His mother was especially bitter and harsh, and she hated him with vitriol. Ilya did all he could to avoid her.
Understandably, Ilya is a mass of guilt, anxiety, and woes. Unfortunately, most priestly love interests are of this mold, which I found rather tiresome. The only man of the cloth I knew who’s chill and happy with himself is the motorcycle-riding vicar Archie Thorne of Seven Summer Nights by Harper Fox. That was a joy to read, so give us a happy gay priest MC, please!
The plot is very romance-centric, and happily, it delivered! The pace also sped up considerably when the two MCs became romantically involved. The dynamics between Danya and Ilya were fun, fluffy, and hella swoony, and I loved how the author played off their opposite personalities. Most of the conflict was external, and this highlighted the strength of their bond and protective instincts.
Danya and Ilya went overboard with the Russian petnames, which were silly but also ridiculously cute! Danya, truly a son of the Sun living up to being Ilya’s solnishko, just wants to love on his human, protect him at all costs, and tinker with his many gadgets. His positive effect on Ilya made the book worth reading!
Mercy is a story of healing and embracing happiness. It has a lot of potential, and with better execution, it could have been a real gem. It might be slow-paced and simplistic in some aspects, but the love story at its core shines true.
Rating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked itSoundtrack: Light Prayer
Artist: School Food Punishment
Album: amp-reflection
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REVIEW: Deadly Lineage by M.J. May
Deadly Lineage – M.J. May
Shunned by most species and abandoned by their warlock fathers, necromancers are marginalized, feared, and reclusive. Erasmus Boone is different. His warlock father chose love instead of abandonment. Unusually powerful and talented, Boone’s embraced his necromantic abilities and managed to carve out an existence within a world that would rather he not exist at all.
Humans aren’t the most respected species. Hell, they’re just a step above termites in the eyes of most. Detective Franklin O’Hare has never taken derision towards his humanity to heart. Determined to do the best given his human limitations, Detective O’Hare does whatever it takes to right the wrongs of the world—no matter the species concerned—even if that means working with a necromancer. Besides, Erasmus Boone isn’t so bad. In fact, he’s temptingly perfect.
Seeking solace after a difficult case, Boone walks the typically peaceful gravesites of Trinity’s Holy Cross Cemetery. The gentle hum of contented, long-dead souls ease Boone’s mind—until he’s hit with an unearthly cry unlike any he’s heard before. Unfortunately, that first soulful cry isn’t Boone’s last, each wail revealing a disconcerting pattern. There’s a serial killer in the wind, and their murders are resulting in souls with painful, missing pieces, leaving their voices incoherent and
indecipherable.Boone and O’Hare must work closely together if they’re going to stop the killings. O’Hare learns quickly that keeping Boone safe from disgruntled clients and serial killers is a never-ending and nearly impossible task.
As O’Hare and Boone grow closer, so does the killer. They need to figure out who’s indiscriminately murdering seemingly unrelated species, and why the victims’ souls are devastated beyond repair, before Boone becomes another victim on the ominous list.
Deadly Lineage is the first book in the Necromancer Tales series. This series is a spin-off of the Perfect Pixie series and takes place in the same world but can be read as a stand-alone. Deadly Lineage is a M/M romantic fantasy mystery with an unusually sane necromancer just trying to make a living, a humble human detective attempting to ignore his attraction to the aforementioned necromancer, an arrogant but redeemably overprotective warlock father, a twisted serial killer, a questionably agreeable all-powerful djinn, damaged souls, humans-some redeemable and some not, a steamy Mississippi summer, and far too much sweet tea. Deadly Lineage has a HFN ending.
Mentions of violence, murder, souls bruoght back from the beyond, speciest bigotry, and a few characters of questionable morals and sanity.
Deadly Lineage is the series opener of Necromancer Tales, a paranormal/urban fantasy spin-off of Perfect Pixie by M.J. May. This is a world where supernatural creatures live openly among humans. The story is in dual POVs.
The opening scene immediately grabbed my attention with jobbing necromancer Erasmus Boone chilling in an old cemetery, then tasked to summon the soul of a murder victim. Hovering around him is Police Detective Franklin O’Hare, in charge of the crime scene, and really because the good detective is crushing on the necromancer.
This was the first of what became a series of murders in which the souls of the victims were torn apart. Erasmus was puzzled, as only a necromancer—whether working alone or in collaboration with a witch or warlock—has the ability to do such a thing. He is the only known necromancer in the area.
Like most necromancers, Erasmus is a solitary creature, but he’s sweet-natured and full of southern charm. As a necromancer, he would have been chased out of his neighborhood if not for a kindly neighbor couple. In more vulnerable moments, he finds comfort in his mother’s reminder that he is loved.
Among the various supernatural species, necromancers aren’t very popular. People tend to associate them with necrophilia. Even their own warlock fathers shun them since necromancers tend to become mentally and magically unstable as they grow older and thus have short lifespans. Warlocks can sire only sons, and they’re either warlocks or necromancers.
One of the key aspects is Erasmus’s relationship with his father. His father is one of the most powerful warlocks in the US, and he loves Erasmus, despite Erasmus being a necromancer, and their time together might be short. He’s fiercely protective and readily provides Erasmus with protective charms even if he’s on the other side of the country.
Erasmus is friends with the djinn Aurelia, the best character in the series. As a creature bound to a master, she values having the power to choose. She can be unemotional and has a different perspective on things that humans take for granted, which is amusing whenever she sassed people in her flat tone. She saved the boys every time they’re in a tight spot, and I think she likes the option to do so.
Franklin is Captain America gorgeous and just as protective of his necromancer. He’s as dedicated to his job as he is to keeping Erasmus safe. It’s ridiculously cute whenever he gets into protective boyfriend mode, even when they weren’t boyfriends yet. And the romance is so slow burn, all we get are kisses and sweet tea, granted, they are some knee-melting kisses.
Erasmus’ relationship with Franklin is supportive, refreshingly drama-free, and one of the healthiest, even before they admitted their attraction to each other. I really liked that the author took time to build their romance instead of forcing an HEA. It made me excited for the next books.
The plot focused on the mystery and Erasmus’s connection to it. It’s pretty easy to guess the perp, but far from a letdown, it was fun tagging along with Erasmus and Franklin on their investigation. It also made the world-building more immersive, especially for me as a first-time reader of the Perfect Pixie/Necromancer Tales world.
Their world is not perfect, but I enjoyed reading about it. The highlights are the established magic system, necromancer history, the characters’ connections, the state of their world in general, and their everyday life. It’s fascinating because it’s what the real world would be like if supernatural creatures existed in the here and now.
Also, there were intriguing open threads that would be fun to follow in the sequels. And was that a power-up? Let that be a power-up!
Deadly Lineage is about the sins of the fathers and the trials of sons. Dark with that laid back Southern vibe, overall, it’s a comfort read that is just this side of deadly,
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: I’m Only Human Sometimes
Artist William Control
Album: Babylon
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DEADLY LINEAGE: Kindle | Audiobook
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REVIEW: Lights, Camera, Passion by Isabel Lucero
Lights, Camera, Passion – Isabel Lucero
Playing a lead role in a book-to-movie adaptation with a wild fan base? Sign me up! The only downside is that I’m cast alongside Jacoby “Heartthrob” Hart—Hollywood’s golden boy. If only they knew he was an uppity, pompous snob.
We don’t get along, and if you’re reading the tabloids, you’d assume it was because I “stole” his girlfriend, but they have it all wrong. Jacoby and his cold shoulder started this, and now we’re set to play lovers. The only thing I’d love to do is strangle him, but I’m a professional.
Behind the scenes, we’re either bickering or avoiding each other, but when the cameras start rolling, I can’t believe how much chemistry we have.
One night, during a passionate argument, something happens that I never anticipated. The chemistry that started out as an act turns into much more behind closed doors, but we both have secrets, and Hollywood is a hard place to keep those.
Contains mature themes.
Lights, Camera, Passion is a Hollywood contemporary romance by Isabel Lucero, author of the intense and bloody Dysfunctional.
The plot is life imitating art when two antagonistic actors, Jacoby Hart, and Roman Black, are paired in a live-action adaptation of In Another Life, a popular queer contemporary romance novel. The novel is a love story between the openly gay Andrew and the closeted Will, forced to keep their relationship a secret due to Will’s conservative religious background.
The story hits so close to home that it’s right on Jacoby’s and Roman’s doorsteps. And we witness these two A-listers’s clandestine trysts while dodging friends and co-workers.
The first part where the two actors were thrown in a cabin to get to know each other followed by the filming where they discovered their connection was the most fun! The author brilliantly captured the dynamics and the explosive chemistry between Jacoby and Rome. The long-time secret crushes and mutual pining made things even more delicious!
The book is in their dual POVs and I loved the contrast between their public and private personalities.
Jacoby is reserved and formal, a black-suit-only kind of guy. But when he can be himself, he snarks, likes to take charge, and has a romantic streak that makes Rome swoon.
Rome is a cocky, outgoing, colorful-suits-and-lace-shirts kind of guy. When he’s alone with Jacoby, he’s surprisingly shy and likes to take orders.
The succeeding parts were not necessarily boring, but they were not that exciting either. It was Jacoby and Rome going about their daily lives, meeting family, and doing actor things. The mundane everyday alternates with some intensely passionate alone time, and angstying about coming out.
Most stories about closeted celebrities usually have their coming out moments wrenched out of them, typically through a scene where they’re discovered before they’re ready.
Here, Jacoby and Rome came out on their own terms, prepared, confident, and just happy to let the world know they were together. I really liked how the author executed the coming-out scene. It was cute, sweet, and so ridiculously romantic. The lack of drama made it even more refreshing!
Lights, Camera, Passion is a romance that when from reel to real. While there was a lull, it’s emotional, thrilling and heartfelt on the moments that matter most!
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Another Life
Artist: Dirty Nice
Album: Planet Weekend
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LIGHTS, CAMERA, PASSION: Kindle | Audiobook
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REVIEW: His Death Bringer by Courtney W. Dixon
The District: His Death Bringer – Courtney W. Dixon
PLEASE READ THE BLURB AND WARNINGS IF YOU’RE SENSITIVE TO TRIGGERS! And please, please be careful of spoilers and giving away endings of books. Use spoiler tags.
He calls me his dark angel, but I’m merely a killer. A bringer of death.
Luca Davenport
He is my angel, sent to be my death bringer to save me from my tormentors and betrayers—those who sold me into slavery when I was only eight years old. Angel came in with guns blazing and black wings that were made to crush his enemies and envelope me in love. He belongs to me and I belong to him. We are destined. After he saves me from my captors, we hunt down the remaining men who had abused me for eleven years to make them pay in blood.
Dante Varga
He is a broken boy of no more than nineteen. He sees me as an angel, but I’m simply a killer. An assassin for hire. I can’t save him. I can’t take care of him. There’s no room left in my dying soul to care about someone. Not anymore. But I can’t turn him away either. I should kill him. He’s a witness. But I feel compelled to protect him at all costs. Saving him will either shatter the ice around my heart or destroy me. Either way, Luca is dangerous.
Reading in order will add more pleasure to the reading experience since some of the books end in a series cliffhanger. But they can technically be read as standalones.
CW: graphic violence, murder, rape, torture, human trafficking, explicit content
** Note: This book has been re-edited in December of 2024. Several grammatical errors have been fixed and some scenes have been adjusted for sensitivity issues. If you download this book before then, these changes will not be available on your Kindle. But you can get it updated. **
His Death Bringer is the stirring opener of The District, an assassin, found family series by new-to-me author Courtney W. Dixon.
The first thing you need to know is that the book is quite dark, so you must heed the content warnings. It stars Luca Davenport, taken when he was eight years old and subjected to horrific abuse as a sex slave for 11 years. Luca mentions the tortures he experienced, and it’s so stomach-churning I had to put the book down several times.
He was accidentally rescued by Dante Varga when the assassin was sent to kill all the evil men from the crime family who held Luca captive. Dante had no idea the young man was there when he went about his mission. Luca immediately fell in love with his rescuer, called Dante his “dark angel” and hired the assassin to punish all the bad men who hurt him.
Luca is 19 years old and remains childlike since his captors restricted his education. He also has a streak of ingenuity, is surprisingly insightful, and so resilient he survived and wreaked his vengeance. With Dante’s help, he learned to fight, protect himself, and take control of his life.
Dante doesn’t know what to do with Luca, isn’t equipped to deal with trauma, and doesn’t have space in his life for another broken soul as he is just as fractured himself. It was cute how he tried so hard to resist Luca and before he knew it, the younger man not only stole his heart, he was helping put the pieces back together, too.
With all the violence and dark themes, the relationship between Dante and Luca is sweet and tender. The hurt-comfort worked its magic to warm hearts and heal souls through trust, patience, and a whole lot of TLC’s. Realistically, though, it would have been best if Luca had professional help to deal with his trauma.
Cleo, Dante’s Cane Corso and bestest girl, stole the show as Luca’s emotional support dog and fiercest protector. Dante’s District brothers came through with no hesitations, rallying behind him and Luca with guns blazing.
The District is a found family of assassins-for-hire led by Sid Virgil and Malek Amin. The most intriguing member is Sullivan, the resident psychopath who’s lusting after Malek. The older man has his steel walls up, so I’m excited to see how Sully breaks through in the next book.
His Death Bringer is a story of survival and healing. It’s a young man’s journey to reclaim control of his life with the help of a dark angel seeking retribution. Overall, the journey is daunting, the revenge sweet, the feels intense, and the HEA so damn worth it!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Angel
Artist: Alice Phoebe Lou
Album: Shelter
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HIS DEATH BRINGER: Kindle | Audiobook
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REVIEW: Prodigal by Avril Ashton
The Council: Prodigal – Avril Ashton
One man intent on reclaiming his birthright. Another denied his own. The secrets between them should keep them apart, not bring them closer.
The first time someone tried to kill Gideon Winters, his mother took the bullet meant for him. He was thirteen. The second time they came for him, his father faked Gideon’s death and sent him into hiding. It’s been fifteen years and he’s finally out of the shadows, ready to claim his rightful seat on The Council, the secret group of seven with the ability to make or break corporations and countries.
The son of a powerful man who refuses to acknowledge him, André Tesfaye leads a quiet life of monotony that’s upended when he gets trapped in a random robbery. Whispered warnings abound about the man who saves him, but he’s too busy getting lost in Gideon’s ice-blue eyes to listen.
André is the weapon Gideon plans to use to exact revenge on the people who took so much from him. Wanting him, loving him, puts everything at risk, and tests Gideon’s loyalties and focus… Which is a shame, because a battle is on the horizon.
And Gideon has acquired a weakness.
Prodigal is the first book in The Council, a brand new series by bestselling m/m author Avril Ashton. It features forced proximity, opposites attract, interracial romance, and Av’s signature heat and angst.
Prodigal is the first book of The Council, a series by new-to-me author Avril Ashton that features my go-to trope du jour: billionaire secret societies.
Unlike Park Avenue Kings, where the secret society is unified, Prodigal chronicles the upheaval of The Council’s status quo when the son of a recently deceased council member, Gideon Winters, secured his seat through a series of machinations and assassinations.
Gideon has been groomed since childhood and was biding his time until the right moment to strike. To gain leverage on one council member, he convinced the man’s secret son, Andre, along with his adopted sister Juliet, to stay in his penthouse.
Andre has a chip on his shoulder the size of his absentee father, whom he never met. He was forced to stay with the famous billionaire Gideon Winters when the man saved him and Jules from bad guys. Jules adored Gideon right away. Andre doesn’t trust the man but has nowhere to go.
The premise grabbed me right away and the concept is very intriguing. Sadly, the execution didn’t live up to the promise.
The romance came out of nowhere. Gideon and Andre went from barely talking to professing forevers with hardly any build-up. But this is the only part that made them unconvincing because they were pretty fantastic together! The author did a fabulous job making their chemistry sizzle deliciously!
Father-and-son relationships are the central theme, highlighting the contrast between Gideon’s loving relationship with his dad and that of Andre’s connection the stranger who fathered him.
With daddy issues up the wazoo, the vibe is often angsty and bitter, and it’s usually Jules’ cheerful personality that lightens that mood when things get too intense. Jules is 15-years old but her characterization makes her seem 10-years old.
The plot lacked depth and was all over the place, yet it was also compelling enough to keep me hooked. It aimed to depict Gideon as a morally grey character, which he is, but the execution was clumsy. It also turned out the wrongs Gideon was seeking to avenge were the schemes of a dead character, which felt rather anti-climactic because it took away a villain comeuppance scene.
Prodigal isn’t the strongest series opener but it still has its merits. I’m still interested to see where Gideon and Andre would take The Council, so I’m looking forward to Book 2.
Rating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked itSoundtrack: Prodigal Son
Artist: Rationale
Album: Rationale
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REVIEW: A Bright Celestial Sea by Chani Lynn Feener
A Bright Celestial Sea – Chani Lynn Feener
Pryor Oro came to the Olympus to find a missing Imperial, not fall for one.
On the space station Olympus, a disappearance and a theft has captured the attention of the Intergalactic Police Force. Assigned to the case, Pryor heads to the World Ship in order to search for a missing prince. While there, he’s forced to work with the Emperor, Wystan Aurelius, who seems to never let Pryor out of his sight. Confused over why a man he’s never met is acting so possessive, Pryor’s urgency to solve the case and get away from Olympus and its ruler intensifies, even as the unruly Emperor starts to grow on him.
Wystan Aurelius finds life on a World Ship dull, until Detective Pryor steps onto his ship, and into his territory.
More concerned with discovering who has stolen missing medical technology, Wystan couldn’t care less about a vanished prince from another planet. At least, not until he sees how invested in the case Pryor is, and realizes how upset he gets when he doesn’t have the Detective’s full attention turned his way, and his way only. Wystan finds himself at a crossroads. Force Pryor to accept him by telling the truth? Or win him over the old-fashioned way?
Wystan’s secrets could unravel everything, but he isn’t the only one hiding things. Pryor’s privy to some classified information could end up turning the entire galaxy for a loop. Together, the two must navigate through their emotions and the seedy underside of Olympus to solve the case before it’s too late, and life, as they both know it, is altered forever.
A Bright Celestial Sea is another book written by Chani Lynn Feener in the same sci-fi universe as Between the Devil and the Sea and A Sea of Endless Light. It does not have a name yet, but I’ll call it IPF-verse since the Intergalactic Police Force is one thing common with the other books. Also, the MCs are IPF detectives with secrets they desperately want to stay buried.
The opening puts us right in the thick of things. From what I could suss out, a member of the Tiberian imperial family, nephew to the Empress, is missing. A critical illness, a top-secret nano-technology, and a classified medical procedure were uncovered. There’s an assassination attempt, and either imperial twins, sons of the Empress, might be involved, but then they were supposed to be dead.
All of this happend in Olympus, which is the world ship of the Vexans.
I spent half the book untangling the convoluted plot. For one, I was confused by all the names that came up. I was audiobooking this, and the Tiberian Imperials had very close-sounding names that I didn’t immediately realize there were several of them.
Roth is the nephew, the party boy wasting Tiberian tax money on lavish shindigs across the galaxy. Rath is his twin and is said to have died at birth or missing (I’m not sure). Ross is the twin most favored by the Empress, so he’s spoiled rotten. Rune is the unwanted, sickly spare.
The world-building was just enough to establish there are world ships, essentially artificial planets, and Olympus is ruled by twin Vexan emperors Wystan and his sister. The two alternately ruled every six months. It seems the Tiberians and Vexans are born in pairs, and this is a key element here.
Also, Vexans have the most beautiful eyes, which are the color of galaxies. The cover grabbed me with the image of Wystan and his eyes.
It helped that I had read the other books, so I was able to piece together the setting. Similarly, we have an IPF team led by Detective Pryor Oro and Inspector Castor (forgot his last name). Immediately, sparks flew as Pryor butted heads with the cocky and shamelessly flirty Wystan, who made it clear he wanted the detective.
Also, Pryor is a Tiberian, and saying the case hits close to home is a gross understatement, as we later discover.
The author was building some delicious antagonistic USTs, but I couldn’t fully enjoy it. I was too busy trying to understand what was going on. This is also the very thing that makes the mystery so compelling. I was in the dark until the bad guy showed his cards.
The second half was full-on squee-tastic BL manga vibes, with my favorite childhood connection trope working its magic. Because Pryor was that abused young boy Wystan wanted to protect once upon a time ago, and adult Pryor is strength, competence, and hurts rolled into one irresistibly gorgeous package.
The detective is still dealing with PTSD and amnesia, and the emperor is that possessive, adoring seme patiently waiting for his hot/cold yet can’t stay away uke, to remember and/or admit they knew each other as children. Meanwhile, it wouldn’t hurt to shower the overworked detective with TLCs and assist, a.k.a. insert himself in the investigation whether the detective wants him to or not.
This part tied beautifully with the mystery, giving us an edge-your-seat villain showdown and a slow-clap-worthy takedown of the person who hurt Pryor the most. It was fanfuckingtastic! And so satisfying, especially knowing what Pryor had gone through. It totally made the book for me!
A Bright Celestial Sea is a story of unwanted children, secret identities, and inescapable ties. The “cold open” and figuring out who’s who took some time for me before the story hit its stride. But I’m thrilled I stuck around. Ultimately, It was a rewarding experience.
Overall, a complex mystery and a sweet sci-fi romance between two men who shine the brightest at their most vulnerable.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Celestial Bodies
Artist: Ghost Data feat. Jovani Occomy
Album: The Occulus Occult
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A BRIGHT CELESTIAL SEA: Kindle | Audiobook
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REVIEW: Devilish by Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine
Devilish – Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine
In a world where everything is within his grasp, love is the only thing that’s ever eluded him.
Lucien Vale is temptation incarnate. Devilishly charming, wickedly confident, and sinfully sexy, he rules Manhattan’s most elite clubs, indulging the city’s darkest desires with a knowing smirk and a whisper of seduction. He’s built an empire, played the game to perfection, and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty when it serves the greater good.
But love? That’s always been just out of reach.
Then he sees Kai Daniels—a man too raw, too vulnerable, and too damn captivating to ignore—being used by someone who doesn’t deserve him. And Lucien doesn’t hesitate. He steps in, knowing full well that some things aren’t meant to be owned.
But Kai’s past isn’t ready to let him go. His tormentor is powerful, relentless, and determined to make them both pay. As the stakes rise, Lucien is forced to become the man he’s kept buried—the one who doesn’t just play the game but makes sure his enemies never play again.
Now, with danger closing in and their connection burning hotter than ever, Lucien and Kai must decide if they’re willing to risk everything for a love that was never part of the plan.
* * * * * *
Devilish can be read as a standalone novel in the Park Avenue Kings world, but for maximum enjoyment, read after Savage.
Devilish is the second book of Park Avenue Kings, a billionaire secret society romance by bestselling author duo Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine.
Our King this week is Lucien Vale, owner of a multinational sex club empire and secretly longing for that perfect sub to complete his life. One night in his club, he spotted a young man, Kai, mishandled by a wannabe dom and swooped in to rescue him. Learning Kai had nowhere to go, he offered to let him stay in his penthouse, no strings attached.
I initially dismissed this book as a hurdle to overcome before Alesso and Father Vitale’s book. The way his character was presented in the first book, Savage, it would seem Lucien is an over-sexed lothario ready to debaucher any pretty young thing in his wake. It didn’t help that the authors dressed him in silk shirts with too many buttons open, which screams tacky and sleazy.
Boy, was I wrong!
Lucien turned out to be quite angelic. He likes taking care of people and is a natural provider. He instinctively knew how to put the skittish Kai at ease, catering to the younger man’s needs and protecting Kai, who’s a victim of human trafficking, from his abusive owner. And without asking for anything in return.
The first parts of the book were cute and fluffy. Lucien is surprisingly cultured and well-read, often regaling Kai with obscure trivia. His house rivals a museum crammed with precious art and artifacts. He whisked Kai to Monaco for protection and entertained him with stargazing. And you know what they say when a boy shows you the stars…
So yeah, Lucien won me over. Green flags all the way!
Kai is sweet and playful, with a submissive side that fulfills the dom in Lucien. Homeless at 15 and a survivor at 23, Kai still has an innocent air about him. I loved how he embraced learning everything he could about the wider world. It’s fun listening to him banter with Lucien. Our boy can sass with the best of them.
The romance is slow-burn and achingly tender. It was a beautiful meeting of souls where the dom with a heart of gold found his perfect sub who loved and trusted him completely.
BDSM isn’t my jam, so my asexual ass found the detailed account of their BDSM scenes tedious and boring. One thing is certain: Lucien always treats Kai like the treasure he is.
My complaint is that we need more scenes featuring the Kings because most of their appearances are too brief. We are teased with each King’s quirks but honestly I think their brotherhood would be more memorable and dynamic if it’s not treated as a mere device to group a bunch of attractive but deadly billionaires together.
The secret society part drew me the most and just like Savage, I wish the books were more mission-focused rather than romance-focused. Seriously, a missed opportunity especially when you have a powerful and highly-specialized group such as the Kings.
Overall, Devilish is a charming portrait of an ideal dom/sub relationship. Equal parts sweet and spicy, sometimes fierce, sometimes gentle, always wholehearted.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Constellations
Artist: Tokyo Shoegazer
Album: Moonworld PlaygroundP.S.
Park Avenue Kings books can be read as standalones but meeting each King is a pleasure.
Savage is about the Shadow King and his meet-mysterious with an intrepid journalist.
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REVIEW: Sweet by Howl Avery
Sweet – Howl Avery
Will wants to meet the perfect man, but it’s easier said than done in such a small town. His crush of over a year has no idea he even exists, and ignoring his best friend’s advice has only made the problem worse. Rather than limiting himself only to who’s available locally, Will turns to the digital world.
Cas is ready to move on after his last relationship ended in death. Right away, he meets the perfect candidate through a new anonymous chatting app, with only one problem—he quickly learns his new friend’s identity in the real world. If this budding relationship continues, it’ll only be a matter of time before Cas is recognized for who he is as well.
As Will and Cas steadily become closer, their attraction cannot be denied. Nor their similarities. Cas embraces the darkness in Will like no one ever has, creating a mutual obsession that needs to be satisfied in the real world. Maybe Will has finally found the perfect man for him—if he can look past Cas’s homicidal tendencies.
Sweet, a dark romantic thriller by Howl Avery, might change how you see honey. Needless to say, it comes with a long list of TWs, including rough sex, toxic codependencies, humiliation and degradation, consensual non-con, sounding, fisting, and murders.
Will has been crushing on Bailey, a fellow Farmer’s Market vendor, for a long time now. He and his best friend Jesse manage the store for the farm they both work for. Will also just started talking anonymously to a guy on a dating app. Later, he learned his name was Cas.
Will felt an instant chemistry with Cas right away, and he’s tentatively exploring their connection to see if Cas wants to take it further. Meanwhile, Jesse confessed he has feelings for Will, and they begun sleeping together. Will is still crushing hard on Bailey, whom he started stalking, and also pining like hell for Cas.
The love geometry should make this a DNF for me but strangely enough, it didn’t bother me. Will’s connections to these men worked their magic, holding the plot together and fueling the mystery.
In a typical MM romance, the MC would only be sleeping with the love interest, which is a dead giveaway. So even if I figured out Cas’s identity early on, the red herrings effectively had me second-guessing, especially since Will had on-page sex with all three.
Both Will’s and Cas’s POVs were shown.
Cas is a psychopath who uses a convenient, if novel, way of cleaning up evidence. He’s a demisexual who had his awakening because of Will. Cas couldn’t find it in him to kill the man, nor could he get him out of his mind. In other words, he’s obsessing and stalking.
And that’s all we know about Cas because he’s an enigma till the very end.
Will’s characterization was confusing. The opening chapters showed him with crippling social anxiety, barely able to say a word to Bailey. My image of him was that of a short, skinny guy who’s a bit geeky. With Jesse, he was hella toppy and dominant, and I was surprised to learn he’s actually taller than Jesse.
I don’t mind a shy character who likes to take charge in the bedroom. However, Will’s personality was all over the place, sometimes acting like a different person entirely. I chalk this up to the writing. Cas wore different masks depending on who he was talking to, but it still felt cohesive.
One thing’s for sure: Will falls hard for his mystery man and wants to be the end-all and be-all for Cas. Will is the farthest from vanilla, systematically testing Cas’s limits, hence the trigger warnings. Their relationship is a fuck-up codependency of crazy meets insanity, so better get out of their way or burn! It was fanfuckingtastic!
Some aspects, especially the latter parts, were rushed, which is unfortunate because this is a story worth savoring. The ending was so abrupt I was left with my mouth hanging open. This book badly needed an epilogue. It is not perfect, but I was completely hooked and finished it in one sitting.
Sweet explores the complexities of human connection, and the interplay of sweet personalities and darker desires. Overall, a thrilling story of mutual obsession, depraved, alluring, inescapable.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Got You (Where I Want You)
Artist: The Flys
Album: Holiday Man
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