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    REVIEW: All Of Us Murderers by K.J. Charles

    All Of Us Murderers – K.J. Charles

    The lush Gothic drama of Crimson Peak meets the murderous intrigue of Knives Out with an LGBTQIA+ love story to die for from award-winning author KJ Charles.

    WHO WILL SURVIVE LACKADAY HOUSE?

    When Zeb Wyckham is summoned to a wealthy relative’s remote Gothic manor, he is horrified to find all the people he least wants to see in the world: his estranged brother, his sneering cousin, and his bitter ex-lover Gideon Grey. Things couldn’t possibly get worse.

    Then the master of the house announces the true purpose of the gathering: he intends to leave the vast family fortune to whoever marries his young ward, setting off a violent scramble for her hand. Zeb wants no part of his greedy family―but when he tries to leave, the way is barred. The walls of Lackaday House are high, and the gates firmly locked. As the Dartmoor mists roll in, there’s no way out. And something unnatural may be watching them from the house’s shadowy depths…

    Fear and paranoia ramping ever-higher, Zeb has nowhere to turn but to the man who once held his heart. As the gaslight flickers and terror takes hold, can two warring lovers reunite, uncover the murderous mysteries of Lackaday House―and live to tell the tale?


    All of Us Murderers is K.J. Charles‘s take on books with covers of women with fabulous hair fleeing ominous gothic mansions. The story is set in Dartmoor during the Edwardian era.

    The author established the forbidding atmosphere right at the opening scene. Zebedee Wyckham arrives at a tall iron gate of a creepy, isolated mansion, and immediately all his instincts tell him to run far away from there. The thing is, Zeb is not a believer in ghosts, so he’s more annoyed to learn that he’s summoned to Lackaday House along with his estranged brother, Bram, his wife, Elise, and a couple of other cousins he barely knew, Hawley and Colonel Dash.

    Bram is 10 years Zeb’s senior, an art critic whose tastes run more classical and traditional. He’s arrogant, sanctimonious, and belittles Zeb every chance he gets. Elise is an aloof, icy beauty known to cuckold her husband with none other than their cousin, Hawley.

    Hawley is an avant-garde artist and a callous womanizer. He frequently butt heads with Bram not only because of their different views on art but also because of Elise. Dash is a middle-aged soldier, a man of action who isn’t easily affected by the supernatural.

    Wynn is the master of the Lackaday House, also a cousin, and is friends with Dash. He’s portrayed as a jovial host, but, like the rest of the Wyckhams, he has questionable relationships, suspicious activities, and dubious intentions. His ward is Jessamyn, the 18-year-old granddaughter of Wynn’s great, tragic love.

    He proposed that whichever of the cousins wins her hand will inherit everything. This proposal not so much as stir the pot as set the whole kitchen on fire when tempers frayed, ghosts started appearing, and people lost their minds

    Zeb is also shocked to discover that Wynn’s secretary is Gideon Grey. They had a spectacularly bad breakup, a.k.a. Zeb’s the reason why Gideon lost his job, and now desperately doesn’t want to lose his current post, so Gideon is sternly warning him not to mess it up for him again.

    Lackaday House, with its sprawling grounds, dangerous moors, and replicas of famous landmarks, is the backdrop and a major character of this twisty-turny, and hella spine-tingling gothic tale. It’s curses, bad blood, and unspeakable acts up the wazoo, the sense of impending doom thick in the air! The creep-tastic vibes gave me goosebumps, the dark imagery was so potent, and the characters were so effectively loathsome that I dreaded their scenes

    It was both exceptional writing and off-putting, making the middle part a slog because I really hated most of them. But I also can’t look away. I was that morbidly fascinated spectator, covering their eyes while peeking between fingers. I wanted to remove a star in my rating, and also commend the author.

    The pace in the 3rd arc went considerably faster when pieces were starting to fall into place for Zeb. It was one tragedy after another, one horrid reveal after another, building up to an edge-of-your-seat run-for-your-life climax.

    The ray of sunshine in this murk is the sweet rekindling of sparks between Gideon and Zeb. Zeb described Gideon as one of those serious people who could be intimidating. Gideon’s a bit older. He was Zeb’s supervisor in their previous job. He’s organized, controlled, and very capable, while Zeb is chaotic, exuberant, and a bit absent-minded. Zeb has undiagnosed ADHD since it’s the 1900s.

    Gideon was really serious most of the time. After the initial antagonistic interactions, they cleared the air, reunited, and suddenly Gideon smiled, laughed, and came alive. Holy hell, he was a revelation! The chemistry was just magical! They’re one of my favorite couples from the author

    Overall, All of Us Murderers is a convoluted revenge scheme, a messy family drama, and an endearing second-chance romance. The suspenseful storytelling combined with emotional depth, vivid characters, and a gothic atmosphere so immersive that it made all of us captivated readers.

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

    Soundtrack: Secret of Life
    Artist: Lord Huron
    Album: Vide Noir


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    REVIEW: The Monster of Elenhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht

    The Monster of Elenhaven – Jennifer Giesbrecht

    The city of Elendhaven sulks on the edge of the ocean. Wracked by plague, abandoned by the South, stripped of industry and left to die. But not everything dies so easily. A thing without a name stalks the city, a thing shaped like a man, with a dark heart and long pale fingers yearning to wrap around throats. A monster who cannot die. His frail master sends him out on errands, twisting him with magic, crafting a plan too cruel to name, while the monster’s heart grows fonder and colder and more cunning.

    These monsters of Elendhaven will have their revenge on everyone who wronged the city, even if they have to burn the world to do it.


    The Monster of Elenhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht is my Halloween read, and what a fabulously creepy little novella it is!

    Elenhaven is a German-flavored coastal city of a fictional kingdom in the north. Its sea is black, and eldritch creatures are said to crawl out of its depths. Its factories are almost gone, and the city is barely recovering from a plague that struck some years ago. The sun makes its appearance a few short months after winter, which is most of the year.

    Unknown to the residents, a monster is lurking in the shadows. This monster cannot be killed, not even with bullets, knives, or being dropped from a tower. This monster, who calls himself Johann, took a special interest and began stalking a gentleman named Florian Lichenbloom, who harbored his own dark secret.

    The world-building is eerily atmospheric. I can easily picture the forboding coastline, grey overcast skies, and Elenhaven, which seem to be perpetually sinking in the shadows. The lore is detailed enough to answer questions and complete the narrative, but also left me wanting another visit to Elenhaven for more because it’s hella fascinating!

    There is romance here, but this is not romance, so we know what that means for our couple. Still, this was so good, I didn’t mind. The ending was bittersweet and satisfying, and also creeptastic if you think of all it implies.

    This is horror, and if there is such a thing as cozy horror, this novella is the epitome of one. After all of Johann’s skulking around and his confrontation with Florian, the two played house and proceeded to kill me with Johann’s outrageous flirting and Florian’s adorably blushy tsundere-ing.

    All while secretly carrying out Florian’s devious plot for revenge, which at first glance was just an eye-for-an-eye thing but is really one of the most insidious plans one could unleash on the whole world.

    The cuteness was on a different level that I momentarily forgot there’s devilry afoot. As the story progressed, we learn of Florian’s tragic past and a surprising connection to Johann, a full circle built on grief, rage, despair, and dreams. It was devastating and beautiful, painful and sweet, and ultimately, a gift to be carried wherever the monster went.

    Overall, The Monster of Elenhaven is a story of kindred souls, revenge, and tragedy. It began with curiosity and ended with a gift. A spine-tingling tale where dreams come to life as a nightmare that fulfils the heart’s deepest, darkest desires.

    Rating:
    5 Stars – absolutely perfect

    Soundtrack: Black Water
    Artist: Of Monsters and Men
    Album: Beneath the Skin


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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 bits

    Soundtrack: 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 it

    Soundtrack: Light Prayer
    Artist: School Food Punishment
    Album: amp-reflection


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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 it

    Soundtrack: Prodigal Son
    Artist: Rationale
    Album: Rationale


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    PRODIGAL: Kindle | Audiobook

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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 bits

    Soundtrack: Celestial Bodies
    Artist: Ghost Data feat. Jovani Occomy
    Album: The Occulus Occult


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