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RELEASE BLITZ: Something Borrowed by Lily Morton (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: JFH: Just F**king Halstead by Gigi Degraham (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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RELEASE BLITZ: Creek by Nora Phoenix & E.M. Lindsey
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REVIEW: Death In The Spires by K.J. Charles
Death In The Spires – K.J. Charles
The newspapers called us the Seven Wonders. We were a group of friends, that’s all, and then Toby died. Was killed. Murdered.
1905. A decade after the grisly murder of Oxford student Toby Feynsham, the case remains hauntingly unsolved. For Jeremy Kite, the crime not only stole his best friend, it destroyed his whole life. When an anonymous letter lands on his desk, accusing him of having killed Toby, Jem becomes obsessed with finally uncovering the truth.
Jem begins to track down the people who were there the night Toby died – a close circle of friends once known as the ‘Seven Wonders’ for their charm and talent – only to find them as tormented and broken as himself. All of them knew and loved Toby at Oxford. Could one of them really be his killer?
As Jem grows closer to uncovering what happened that night, his pursuer grows bolder, making increasingly terrifying attempts to silence him for good. Will exposing Toby’s killer put to rest the shadows that have darkened Jem’s life for so long? Or will the gruesome truth only put him in more danger?
Some secrets are better left buried…
From the bestselling, acclaimed author of The Magpie Lord and The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen comes a chilling historical mystery with a sting in the tail. You won’t be able to put this gripping story down!
Death In the Spires is foremost a murder mystery. While there are some queer romantic elements, it is one man’s quest to solve the decade-old murder of his friend, an incident that destroyed his life.
The story is set in Oxford at the turn of the century and in Jeremy Kite’s POV. Jeremy, a mathematics major, is there on a scholarship. He’s painfully conscious of his club foot and provincial accent, especially when surrounded by sons of lords and maharajahs.
On his first day, he was adopted into a group that became known as the Feynsham set.
Toby Feynsham – a marquis’s son and fearless leader of the group. He has the audacity of someone who doesn’t worry about the consequences.
Nicky Rook – Toby’s best friend since childhood. Nicky is blunt and sarcastic. He’s also known to be in love with Toby. Later became Jem’s lover.
Hugo Morley-Adam – a rich man’s son and a celebrated athlete. He and Nicky were fencing rivals. Hugo is a likable fellow and has political ambitions
Ella – Toby’s twin sister and the more cerebral of the two. A statuesque woman, Ella is a chemistry major. She and Aaron started dating later on
Pru – Ella’s friend and a mathematics major. Pru is petite, more introverted and, like Jem, came from a working class background
Aaron – an African man majoring in medicine. Aaron is also into athletics and frequently runs with Hugo. They also discovered he cannot act when the group auditioned for a Shakespearean play.The group made waves around the campus and even starred in Cymbeline, a hit among the students. At their peak, the Feynsham set was glorious. Then Toby was found dead, everyone was suspect.
Ten years later, Jem received a letter accusing him of the murder, so he decided to investigate.
I love Jem! He’s smol, he’s tired, he’s jobless and almost broke, and his leg hurts, but our boy’s not leaving any stones unturned. He’s a man who wants to start living his life and he can only do that if he puts spectres of the past to rest once and for all.
The plot alternates between flashbacks to university days and the present day. Jem was forced to swallow bitter truths, reopen old wounds, and reveal secret crimes during his investigation.
The complicated relationships of different personalities, their spectacularly vitriolic fallout, and their begrudging reunion interweave with the author’s go-to themes of class difference, excesses of privilege, the importance of consent, and the right to bodily autonomy.
Jem also reunites with Nicky. The romance here is very HFN. I didn’t like it but we were warned this is not romance-centric.
I love the dark academia vibe! K.J. Charles always has a way of making her settings immersive. Gaslit streets, pea soup fog, imposing ancient buildings, and shadowy figures stalking Jem popped up like movie scenes in my mind.
The mystery was twisty-turny, suspenseful, and very effectively made me thoroughly invested in finding the truth. I thought I had a handle on it, knowing the author’s style, but she still pulled off some unexpected reveals.
And, of course, the writing. Apart from the nuanced characters and plot twists, the author’s sharp wit, humor, and overall word wizardry make reading a breeze while also being a masterclass in writing.
Overall, Death In The Spires is a vision of youth through rose-colored glasses and jaundiced eyes. Brilliantly written, wonderfully atmospheric and as gripping and addictive as promised!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Shake It Out
Artist: Florence + The Machine
Album: Ceremonials
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Death In The Spires. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
DEATH IN THE SPIRES: Kindle I Audiobook
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REVIEW: The First and Last Adventure of Kit Sawyer by S.E. Harmon
The First and Last Adventure of Kit Sawyer – S.E. Harmon
In the archaeology community, Christopher “Kit” Sawyer’s family is a legacy. And while he may be a historian, not a treasure hunter, he thinks he does a pretty good job of living up to the Sawyer name. He’s a book-smart research fanatic and does his best work at his tidy desk. No fedora and whip for him, if you please—a nice cup of coffee and a comfy chair will do. But decoding an ancient relic soon gives him more adventure than he bargained for.
Unwittingly, he unleashes a force he doesn’t know how to control. And now he has to reunite the relic with a powerful Aztec God. The trouble with that? Kit doesn’t know where to find the Tlaloc’s temple. No one does, in fact. Finding it could be a discovery for the ages. It could also lead to his untimely death. So…yay? But it’s not like he has a choice. So off to the Mexican jungle he goes.
At least he isn’t going alone.
Ethan Stone, former stepbrother and overall pain in the rump, horns in on the expedition. An experienced archaeologist, he’s only coming along at their grandfather’s request—which annoys Kit to no end. But he knows Ethan is just the right person to get them through the jungle safely. It’s just too bad someone is trying to beat them to the temple. And he’s willing to do anything to get there first.
Ethan thinks Kit is in over his head. Kit is secretly afraid he just may be right. In manners of archaeology…and manners of the heart….
Some of the earliest movies I recall seeing at the theaters were the Indiana Jones movies. My father had to cover my eyes at the more exciting parts because I was too young (mostly that nasty scene where they dined on the brains of live monkeys).
I don’t know why he’s always off to parts unknown, but I wanted to be Indiana Jones when I grew up. I was a pretty adventurous kid and always imagined packing a bag and taking off. I even mastered the ’90s video games because it was the closest thing to being the man.
Only when I was an adult did I learn he was actually an archeologist, hence the trips to exotic locales. And not a very good one at that, what with the destruction of historical sites and precious artifacts in his wake
The First And Last Adventure of Kit Sawyer is gay Indiana Jones, so I was all in immediately!
The book stars Christopher ‘Kit’ Sawyer III, a research-oriented archeologist who has never been in the field. The Sawyer family is legendary in the archeology world, and Kit is aware that he is standing on the shoulders of not only his much-renowned parents, who have sadly passed away but also his grandfather, Christopher ‘Remington’ Sawyer, an icon in their community.
Kit also had to contend with conflicting feelings (a.k.a. crushing on the man badly) about his former step-brother, Ethan Stone, active, outdoorsy, and always exploring. Christopher Sawyer II took his stepson under his wing and the two were inseparable in their pursuits, leaving Kit stuck at home. Now, Ethan even has a TV series on the Discovery Channel.
The thing is, Kit has epilepsy, which made a lot of people treat him with kid gloves, and why he was not encouraged to go with his parents when they were off to a site. Now a respected lecturer and researcher, Kit thinks people refer to him as ‘the boring Sawyer’.
He finally took the leap when a mysterious Axtec relic kept popping up, and a decoded message urged him to find a lost city deep in the Mexican jungle.
The story is in Kit’s POV, and I had a good laugh at how spectacularly out of his depth he is in a new city and the wild jungles. The man had his bag stolen while wandering around a Mexican marketplace like the lost tourist he is.
But Kit is not trekking the Mexican jungles alone because Ethan would not hear of it. The more experienced man brought crew, supplies, and local guides, knowing these practical things wouldn’t even cross Kit’s mind. Kit brought designer luggage, expensive watch, and willpower.
As far as stepbro romances go, the banter and the frenemies’ snark were fun and oozing with USTs that Ethan’s friends and TV crew, Simon and Val, secretly made bets. There’s the extra challenge of no privacy and no baths, but the two dorks were smart to make good use of waterfalls and caves.
The majority of the plot involved walking, Kit making a fool of himself, and him and Ethan bickering. I have this on audiobook because it’s Joel Leslie. It’s an entertaining book, but it’s not the kind that requires my undivided attention.
You know that Twitter post that says there should be a category of movies/shows on Netflix that you could watch while scrolling on the phone? This feels exactly like that.
While it involves a lost temple of an Aztec god and treasure, there’s no deep, detailed lore or any complicated mystery. There are intriguing, low-key supernatural elements that I wished were more overt, but it’s mostly just the group in the jungle stumbling upon the lost temple.
Then came the Indiana Jones twists that had me sitting up, and finally, the high-octane action! It’s death and destruction for all! Centuries-old artifacts and treasure destroyed! Derring do and survival by the skin of their teeth! I was completely riveted!
I loved the ending! Kit has decisively hung up his Panama hat, but then here comes Ethan and his packages. And a whisper of another quest…
The First and Last Adventure Of Kit Sawyer may have it’s lulls but it’s an adventure of a lifetime. I am ready for the next one!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: I’d Give You the World if It Meant It Might Swallow Me Whole
Artist: Sleep Outside
Album: Lakes In Which To Drown In
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of The First and Last Adventure of Kit Sawyer. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
THE FIRST AND LAST ADVENTURE OF KIT SAWYER: Kindle I Audiobook
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COVER REVEAL: Creek by Nora Phoenix & E.M. Lindsey
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RELEASE BLITZ: Whisper by Cambria Hebert
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RELEASE BLITZ: Knowing You by E.M. Lindsey
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RELEASE BLITZ: Whisper by Cambria Hebert
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REVIEW: His Fatal Love by Leighton Greene
West Coast Mobsters: His Fatal Love – Leighton Greene
Easily bored, completely manipulative, and utterly deadly…and that’s just in bed.
As an assassin for the Castellani Family, I live for the thrill of the job.
I’m devoted to my Family and my Don, because they keep me safe.To Leo Bernardi, I’m a monster.
A killing machine.
And a puppet that his Family can use for their own ends.To me, Leo is just a pawn in a game that I’m playing.
A means to an end.
And if I have a little fun with him along the way, who cares?Leo thinks he can seduce me. Tame me. Use me.
In this game of cat and mouse, the Bernardi Lion is about to get a big surprise.But the more entangled we become, the more I start to feel…
Things I didn’t think I was capable of feeling.
Things I’ve never wanted to feel.
In my line of work, love is a fatal flaw. But the more time we spend together, the harder I fall.
Leo Bernardi is my greatest enemy…
Could he also be my greatest love?**
Dive into a forbidden romance between a psychopath assassin and a Mob Enforcer. Get ready for seductions and betrayals, scorching love scenes, and an unforgettable romance as a cold case comes back to haunt two Families sworn to destroy each other.
If you have read the Morelli Family series, Julian Castellani most likely made himself memorable with his specially made intimate jewelry, attempting to seduce a well-placed Morelli. Unlike Alessandro, who prefers a low-key profile, this Castellani brother embraces the limelight and his notoriety.
His Fatal Love is Julian investigating the murder of his beloved mother he witnessed when he was five years old. A lil mystery that I didn’t realize until the big twist was revealed was why Julian was questioning the identity of the killer despite seeing the crime happening right before his eyes.
Julian has been called many names, psychopath being one. To which he is quick to reply, “undiagnosed“. An expert assassin on par with Jack, Julian is practically a ninja the way he can go in and out any tightly guarded place. He either feels nothing or feels too much, no in-betweens.
Two complicated relationships are with Alessandro and Jack.
Alessandro and Julian have always been antagonistic. There were even moments I felt Julian was going to kill his brother. Book 2, His Brutal Heart, put that to rest, and happily, Alessandro and Julian have somehow come to a truce, and along with Jack coming back to the fold, it makes for a stronger Castellani Family.
I think Julian has a teeny-tiny bit of brother complex. Alessandro has a thing for blonds, and light-haired Julian always tries to provoke his brother by mentioning this in his on-going game of notice me, onii-chan.
Also, the way he describes Alessandro by smell that was somewhat too intimate for brothers, even half-brothers. Turns out, he catalogues everyone’s smell. There’s a reason for this and I loved the stealthy way the story connected it to everything that’s happening.
Trust is one of the major themes, and Julian is known to be spectacularly untrustworthy. Jack, the top Castellani assassin from His Lethal Desire, wouldn’t let his boyfriend, Miller, anywhere near the younger Castellani.
When Jack tried to explain what trust is and why he doesn’t trust him, Julian struggled to understand the concept. This psychopath assassin is somebody who will kiss you passionately then, quick as a snap, give you a Sparta kick down an oubliette.
As Leo Bernardi discovered.
Leo is the second son of Don Bernardi and works as the Enforcer. He struggling to gain his father’s respect, which was doubly hard since his father is homophobic. The connection between the Bernardi Lion and Julian is a convoluted scheme cooked up by the don that makes use of the fact that Leo is gay and has to seduce the younger Castellani to the Bernardi side.
The plot was a thrilling game of seduction, secret identities, double agents, hard bargains and rough sex. It was gripping and twisty turn-y, weaving Julian’s investigation and mafia politics with his character development, relationship with Alessandro, growing feelings between him and Leo, and a surprising secret vulnerability that explains many quirks.
Leo might be less flashier than Julian, but the Bernardi Lion has a dominant presence, similar ruthlessness, and indomitable will to finish a mission. Used to being the brawn, he’s a lot smarter than he gives himself credit for.
Leo is loyal to a fault but has no qualms withdrawing that loyalty when a person is no longer worthy of such gift. So when his loyalties shifted to Julian who earned it the hard way, it stayed with him for good.
I couldn’t imagine before who Leighton Greene would pair Julian with. But now that I’ve meet him, Leo Bernardi is the perfect match. He softens Julian’s rougher edges without stifling the feral wildness that makes Julian who he is.
We may have come from different worlds, but we fit together perfectly. We have our own secret language—a language of revenge, of love, of passion and violence.
My favorite parts were the scenes where Julian was confused why his chest feels tight or almost painful. He was so endearingly bewildered, not realizing he was feeling emotions he never felt before. Feelings like concern, fear, happiness, and love. All because of Leo.
His Fatal Love is a fascinating tale of vendetta, blood ties and Family vows. It is one man’s heart-opening journey and a second son coming into his own. All in all, intensely feral, wildly passionate and fatally emotional!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Love and War
Artist: Fleurie
Album: Love and WarP.S.
West Coast Mobsters should be read in order. They’re delicious mafia romances with a fairy tale flavor.
Witness a Cinderfella hitman style in His Lethal Desire and a darker take on Beauty and the Beast in His Brutal Heart.
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of His Fatal Love. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
HIS FATAL LOVE: Kindle | Paperback
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