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BOOK BLAST: The Grocer’s Son by Garrick Jones (Excerpt)
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REVIEW: They Call Him Levity by Davidson King
Welcome Boulevard: They Call Him Levity Davidson King
Levity works the streets of Welcome Boulevard, begging people for money. It keeps food in his belly, a leaky roof over his head, and he gets to do it with his best friend, Clove. No, it’s not the ideal life, but he does what he must to survive.
Salvatore Grillo is a man who is used to getting what he wants. He’s a loyal brother to his autistic sister, runs numerous business empires, and knows how to make people to bend to his will. It’s not often someone comes along and shakes things up. And then Levity smiles at him.
Levity’s idea to pull in more money draws Salvatore’s attention, and while being the focus of a crime boss should be terrifying, Levity is intrigued by the man. Not to mention, Sal is as gorgeous as he is powerful. The two gravitate toward one another and soon are wrapped up tightly in each other’s worlds. When enemies try to break through their doors and their lives, Salvatore has to do everything in his power to save not just himself but Levity too.
Not knowing who is behind all the chaos or when they will strike makes their happily ever after almost impossible. Time’s running out for Sal and Levity. Will they survive, or will their story end before it’s even begun?
They Call Him Levity and our boy is indeed a ray of sunshine!
The book opens Davidson King‘s latest series, Welcome Boulevard. It’s written in the same vein as the fantastic Haven Hart series, mafia-lite, fluff-heavy, with a huge dollop of family drama thrown in for good measure.
The story stars Levity, practically homeless and begging for money on the streets with his best friend, Clove. The money they earn goes to mob boss Salvatore Grillo via a disreputable middleman. Levity is quick of mind and a font of trivia. He and Clove use that as their schtick to catch people’s attention. It was so effective Sal’s curiosity was piqued, and he had to go and see for himself…
Levity’s personality just pops off the page! He was so bright, brave, smart, and tenacious, I found myself smiling and utterly charmed. Of course Sal stood no chance and found himself housing an injured Levity and his friends, Clove and 17-year old Maze, after a violent encounter with the pervy middleman who tried to grab Maze.
There’s a slight niggle regarding the panhandling scheme Sal had going. It reminded me of how we were always warned not to give money to beggars because a crime syndicate is behind them collecting the proceeds. It’s a really shitting thing to do, so I wasn’t impressed with Sal about that at first. Later on, he had his realization after meeting Levity and his friends and vowed to change things into something that would make his sister proud.
Also, I wished the story delved deeper into Sal’s and Levity’s backstory. We had a bit more info on Sal but we only get the here and now version of Levity. The boy is mostly a mystery. Not even his real name was revealed. The romance was gentle and sweet but overall felt underdeveloped since it happened too quickly.
Sal’s relationship with his autistic teen sister, Jacqueline, is one of the most endearing parts of the book. He’s super protective of Jac since her mother, his stepmom, treats her as if she is defective. The scenes with the stepmom were the ugliest parts, the woman is a pure narcissist. I can’t believe she doesn’t appreciate how awesome and talented Jac is.
Plot-wise, it’s pretty predictable. Still, I had a great time because I love the characters. They made all the difference. The author did a spectacular job making me care about them so much that I’m already super hype for the next book. It’s probably about Clove and Marcel, Sal’s best friend and right-hand man. I’m amused at how these two pretend they’re not into each other although it was so obvious they are, people started a pool.
They Call Him Levity might have some niggles and ugly drama, but it’s very aptly named. I’m usually emotionally distant and poker-faced when reading, and this book actually made me smile!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Levity
Artist: 9Tomorrows
Album: Gravity in Love
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THEY CALL HIM LEVITY
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REVIEW: Prince of Flowers by Nazri Noor
Wild Hearts: Prince of Flowers – Nazri Noor
He captured a fae prince. But can he capture his heart?
Lochlann Wilde walks in the shadow of his father, a legendary summoner who commanded mythical beasts in battle. But Locke isn’t legendary. He’s barely a summoner, never passing his academy’s trial of the elements.
And then he accidentally summons a fae prince with a beautiful body and a bad attitude.
Sylvain is fiery and ferocious, stronger than anything Locke has ever encountered. And hotter, too. But time is running out. Locke must tame the prince’s wild heart. If he fails his trial, he’ll lose his inheritance and ruin his family’s name.
Without Sylvain, Locke could lose his chance to become a true summoner… along with his shot at true love.
Prince of Flowers is a contemporary fantasy romance with an HFN ending. Can a snarky summoner and a fickle fae prince endure mythical creatures, meddling goddesses, the fury of the elements, and each other? Only one way to find out. If you like sorcery, spice, and everything nice, you’ve come to the right place. Start the Wild Hearts series today.
Prince of Flowers has a gorgeously captivating cover that is hard to resist. I had to grab it immediately! I was thrilled to learn this is part of the fabulously magical Nazri Noor universe that always has plenty of adventures and misadventures in store for our brave, if sometimes cocky, heroes.
Our hero today is Lochlann Wilde, a super senior at Wispwood Academy desperate to earn his Summoner’s Crest and graduate so he could live up to his father’s illustrious name. At yet another of his attempts to summon a magical creature to serve as his eidolon, he inadvertently summoned a fae. And not just any fae, but a fae prince.
Loch and Sylvain are characters that I have come to recognize as the author’s style. They tend to be unashamedly arrogant and cocky golden boys, courageous in battle and quick of wit, and quite aware of how badass they are. It’s a nice change to how chosen-one characters usually bemoan their fate.
The two MCs’ first meeting would have been a grumpy yet adorable meet-cute had it not been overshadowed by Loch going on and on about how hot Sylvain is. Yeah, I get it. The fae are extremely good-looking, but one doesn’t need to sound like a broken record.
The writing is on the wordy side. The jokes would have been funnier and have more impact had they been more succinct. However, I appreciate the details about Wispwood Academy and its adjacent worlds, as well as the many magical creatures and goddesses that appeared in the story. There are slight similarities to Harry Potter, but the Wild Hearts series stands on its own, even among the related series.
One thing I love about the author’s books is that they are guaranteed to be action-packed, full of magic and mayhem, and HELLA FUN! And I’m so glad Greg Boudreaux is the narrator because his style suited the book’s spirit to perfection.
There’s an adventure to be had, a quest to retrieve the Blood of the Earth, and the mystery of the Withering to be solved. There’s also the very intriguing Three Headmasters, who are definitely not what they seem. I’m most curious about them. There are a lot to discover in the Wild Hearts world, and I’m eager to explore.
Loch and Sylvain bicker and banter their way through the story, throwing off USTs like fireworks, then deliciously succumbing to the inevitable. They were quite the happy power couple, but they were hit by the third arc curse. I’m not a fan of the third arc separation, but it paved way for dramatic entrances and spectacular displays of magic. There were many awesome, adrenalin-pumping fight scenes rendered in cinematic detail, and I relished every minute!
I love being part of Loch and Sylvain’s adventure, and it only just begun. Prince of Flowers is a fantastic opener, laying the foundations of a very promising series while giving us a riveting tale of overdue graduations, super cool plant magic, and a hot, very, very hot fae prince because Loch won’t shut up about it. Snarky and fascinating, it might be on the flowery side, but it will definitely grow on you!
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Innerbloom
Artist: Rufus Du Sol
Album: Bloom
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Prince of Flowers. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
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BLOG TOUR: Morrel & Morcerf and the Spear of Destiny by Kyle Baxter (Excerpt + Q&A with author)
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RELEASE BLITZ: Bad Bishop by Layla Reyne
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RELEASE BLITZ: A Death in Berlin by David C. Dawson (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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AUDIOBOOK TOUR: Home Work by Kaje Harper
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Death At Bayard Lodge by Winnie Frolik (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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REVIEW: The Doctor by C.S. Poe
Magic & Steam: The Doctor – C.S. Poe
1882—Gillian Hamilton, magic caster and Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Magic and Steam, has been stripped of his title, badge, and freedom. Gillian’s true name and powers have been exposed, so now he’s kept under lock and key. To make a tragedy worse, Gunner the Deadly has returned to his life out in the Wild West and has not been heard from since.
Rumors of a doctor, known only as Sawbones, with access to illegal magic have persisted into the new year. Gillian believes that violence, chaos, and certain death will befall New York City if this criminal isn’t apprehended. And despite having lost his sense of purpose, Gillian knows he’s the only one capable of confronting this new madman—with or without the backing of the FBMS.
But such dangers should never be undertaken alone. Gillian will need both Gunner’s deadeye marksmanship, as well as his love, if he’s to detain Sawbones before irreparable damage is done to the magic of his world.
After The Gangster‘s cliffhanger hit like Gillian’s thunderbolts, The Doctor became one of my most anticipated books. The 3rd installment of the spectacular steampunk series, Magic & Steam, starts with things on an all-time low for our favorite special agent and magic caster, Gillian Hamilton.
In fact it was so abysmally bad, I thought there should be a misery rating similar to the heat rating for sex, just so we’re warned. Gillian’s true identity was exposed. He is now in a maximum security mental asylum in Blackwell’s island, a hell hole where the mad, a.k.a rogue magic casters, were left under the tender mercies of the sadistic staff. He has attempted escape several times, even gotten very close to doing so. The latest attempt landed him in a straitjacket in solitary confinement.
These events would have been bearable, but Gillian’s self-flagellatory thoughts and the overall tone of pure misery made things infinitely more wretched; they pulled me out of the story completely. C.S. Poe did such a masterful job making me feel Gillian’s plight that I felt a heavy weight on my chest, like the beginnings of depression. Not the author’s fault, she’s just that talented, and I, unfortunately, happened to have low tolerance for this brand of pain.
But I knew there’s an adventure and a reunion to be had, so I picked it up again. And yes, things do take a lighter tone once Gillian was out and about once more with help from an unlikely savior.
Where’s Gillian’s darling outlaw? Well, trust Gunner the Deadly to make a swashbuckling entrance! And save Gillian from an even direr fate. From this point, the story gave way to things we love best about Magic & Steam.
There’s the continuation of the tenderest love story between an outlaw and a federal agent. My favorite part about their romance is the peaceful quality of it, a sort of quiet center for Gillian and Gunner in the swirl of gunfire and explosion. I’m not sure I’m explaining it well, but it’s like how Gunner sounds in the audiobook. Always calm and even, kinda zen-like in the midst of chaos.
The titular doctor is the notorious Sawbones, a doctor who took pleasure in hacking off limbs during the war. He’s playing god, doing powerful magic never done before. Magic that is forbidden and highly unethical. While Gillian is haunted by his past, he and Gunner race to stop the doctor from his nefarious plans. Their adventure took them full circle, from NY to the wild west and back again.
The plot moved fast with plenty of adrenaline-pumping action scenes in an immersive alt-Victorian America run by ether. Not too many steampunk gizmos this time, but the magic was wild! Now, Gillian totally owned all his powers, and he’s unleashing them full force! I got such a thrill with him casting jaw-dropping spells left and right. He could be pretty hard on himself, but our boy is the most motherfuckin’ badass magic caster there is! I adore him!
Gillian’s superior officer, Director Loren Moore, and his informant, the Irish boxer Addison Day, play key roles in the story. Moore is also a loyal friend who always comes though for Gillian. I feel sorry for the guy. He’s been crushing on the spectacularly oblivious Gillian for years. Not sure if they met before, but I’m low-key shipping Loren and Addie. The boss deserves his HEA too.
Also, holy cliffhanger!!!
The Doctor is as awesome as promised. The opening chapters might have rattled me a bit, but this is a tale worth sticking around for. It’s one man’s struggle to shed a past he was forced to endure and become the person he is meant to be. A deeply emotional journey and a thrill ride that never ever loses steam!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Awaken (Feel Alive)
Artist: Big Wild & Surfaces
Album: Awaken (Feel Alive)P.S.
Magic & Steam must be read in order. Those cliffhangers are not for the faint-hearted! Check out my reviews:
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Magic & Steam. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
You can also use my Bookshop affiliate links to buy paperbacks and MP3 CD audiobooks and help support independent bookstores.
THE ENGINEER | THE GANGSTER | THE DOCTOR
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
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RELEASE BLITZ: Bobby Ray Breaks The Universe by Rob Rosen (Excerpt & Giveaway)
