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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: The Search for Sasha Lockwood by Thomas Grant Bruso (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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BLOG TOUR: Moonwish by R.L. Merrill (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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BLOG TOUR: A Merry Murderous Midwinter by Dahlia Donovan (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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SERIES REVIEW: Resurrectionist by Isobel Starling
Resurrectionist: The Shooting Season – Isobel Starling
Monday 20th December 1897.
Mr. Benedict Hannan, the owner of Hannan’s Auction House in Fitzrovia, receives a letter inviting him to attend the sale of a private collection of Fine Art and antiquities belonging to the Late Lord Percival Ardmillan. Ardmillan is known to Benedict, or rather his son Euan is, and so, Benedict hurriedly travels to the West Highlands to fulfill his dream of owning a particular item from the Lord’s collection—something that he has coveted for thirty years.
In Scotland, Benedict meets the collectors who were invited to bid in the auction. He discovers that the auction of the private collection is not as straightforward as he had imagined.
Forced to come to terms with his past and present desires, Benedict finds himself in the thrall of a mysterious traveler and in turn, gets more than he bargained for!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Seed
Artist: The Academy Is
Album: Santi
Resurrectionist: The Gentleman’s Thief – Isobel Starling
Tuesday 28th December 1897.
Mr. Benedict Hannan, the owner of Hannan’s Auction House in Fitzrovia, London, receives an unexpected visitor at his Bloomsbury home. The man on his stoop sends Benedict’s heart into a flutter, and on inviting the mysterious stranger into his house, he is inviting mystery, adventure, and volcanic desire.
Sebastian Cavell—master thief, gives the impression he has sought out Benedict for the sake of business, but the kind of business Sebastian has in mind has nothing to do with making money!
Cavell has been tasked with finding the whereabouts of a missing German aristocrat. With Benedict’s society connections, Sebastian gains access to his Gentleman’s Club and to men whose behavior is not so gentlemanly!
Benedict is pulled into the circle of a dangerous secret society and he not only learns the truth about the mysterious Sebastian Cavell, but learns the truth about himself and all he truly desires.
FYI: This is historical Gay romance and contains scenes of a graphic sexual nature.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Seeds
Artist: Yoke Lore
Album: Seeds
Resurrectionist: Infernal Vices – Isobel Starling
January 1898
Benedict Hannan has veered off his celibate, godly path and onto one of erotic exploration with his beloved criminal Sebastian Cavell. He is also trying and failing to rid himself of the insidious bonds of the deviant cabal Fratres Seminis. The cabal drew Benedict into their blasphemous schemes at the behest of his ex-lover Lord Euan Ardmillan. However, now Ardmillan is out of favour with the leader, Lawrence Blake, and considered to be a betrayer.Benedict’s relationship with Sebastian grows ever closer, but it’s his friendship with fellow acolyte Charles Ashe that leads to a discovery that could end Lawrence Blake for good. They must tread carefully, for when the young, blond hedonist Leopold Von Liebenstein returns to London, Blake’s nefarious plan to dabble in ancient Greek magic and pass through the veil draws ever closer to completion.
Infernal Vices is an M/M historical romance and contains graphic descriptions of gay sex.
This book is a work of art created by human imagination. No AI was use for the writing or artwork in this book.
Theft of the contents of this book or cover artwork for machine learning (AI) is strictly prohibited.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Seeds of Gold
Artist: Closure in Moscow
Album: Pink Lemonade
Resurrectionist by Isobel Starling is a historical MM romance that, as a blind read, turned out to be unexpectedly deep, dark, and dirty. The stories were written as a serial, and I’m glad I read it when all the installments were already released because those cliffhangers were something else!
The first book, The Shooting Season, is the shortest. It introduces us to Mr. Benedict Hannan, a solitary 50-year-old owner of a successful auction house and the first-person narrator. His old friend and former lover, Lord Euan Ardmillan, invited him to participate in an auction of his late father’s collection.
This led Benedict to an ancient Greek artifact, the Staff of Asclepius, a phallic statue said to be magical and used in ancient rituals. A secret collector of phallic artifacts, he felt drawn to the statue. It is also during this part that he learns of Euan’s nefarious plans for him and meets The Gentleman Thief.
In the second installment, The Gentleman’s Thief, Benedict struck a friendship with Sebastian Cavell, The Gentleman Thief. This friendship quickly turned romantic as Sebastian soon confessed his attraction for Benedict had begun long before he made his identity known to the older man.
Benedict, who considered himself a god-fearing man, wrestled with his conscience but couldn’t deny his feelings. However, Sebastian’s open and intense affection not only encouraged Benedict to come out of his shell but also made him more daring and resourceful. Sebastian’s sense of adventure is truly contagious.
Sebastian works as a sort of procurer, retrieving lost items for their owners. His partnership with Benedict also involved working on his case to locate a missing young German baron and returning him to his family. And this is where things took a darker turn.
We get a sex cult, pornographers, orgies, charlatans, grooming of impressionable young men, and so much unhygienic consumption of body fluids it was a wonder no one got sick. The Staff of Asclepius is sought after by these men because it was rumored to bestow immortality. The statue was lost during the auction in the first book, and guess who has it now.
In the last installment, Infernal Vices, Sebastian and Benedict collaborated to dismantle the sex cult from Book 2. Benedict infiltrated the cult, pretending to be a believer while secretly gathering information to pass on to Sebastian. Along the way, they found unlikely allies and prepared for the big takedown.
The series presented different facets of homosexuality, highlighting the Greek practice of pairing an older man with a younger one.
There is the pure kind of love between Benedict and Sebastian. While there is a 15-year age gap, the dynamics between them were more or less equal. And it is Sebastian who helped Benedict’s character grow and explore outside his comfort zone.
Benedict, as a narrator, tends to be self-deprecating, initially believing himself flawed and weak for his homosexuality. He sounded so insecure I was surprised to learn his age.
Later, his voice becomes more confident, especially when realizing that he can navigate the insidious workings of the cult and that there’s nothing morally wrong about his relationship with Sebastian, and his gravitas as a 50-year-old gentleman of considerable means shines through.
I wanted Sebastian’s POV, but seeing him through Benedict’s eyes enhanced his enigmatic and compelling presence. He is a man of many talents and protects his identity through various disguises. And with journalists and the police pursuing The Gentlemen Thief, Sebastian’s solution to that problem was ingenious!
Seeing him pop up as different characters was fun! Our boy clearly had it bad that he couldn’t stay away from Benedict, and his character as Birdy was a ray of sunshine! I’m tickled pink every time he calls Benedict, “dear heart.”
There is also the more lustful relationship between the young Baron Leopold and the older men who held him in thrall. Leo’s relationship with Blake and Cavendish was a bastardization of love. The two older men dote on him but also manipulate and use him for their evil plans. They lured him into the cult and made him believe he is destined for greatness.
Lawrence Blake is an American theosophist, con man, and the head of the cabal who called themselves Fratres Semenis. I felt like his character was based on David Bowie, especially the heterochromatic eyes and head-turning presence. In cahoots with him is Lord Benjamin Cavendish, along with other influential men of similar inclinations.
The cult worships the semen, believing that drinking a man’s seed will give them the wisdom and vitality of that man. The rituals, a.k.a. orgies, were quite graphic and gross. Leo is the Vessel and, thus, the receiver of most fluids. The young man had no inkling of the tragic fate that awaited him.
Among the unlikely allies is Charles Ash, a journalist and artist, who is really just in the cabal for the sex. Charles is crushing on Benedict, which makes the old man uncomfortable, but I’m glad they ended up as friends because Charles is charming and a good guy.
Another favorite is Nisa, a half-Indian, half-British heiress with a surprise connection to one of the characters. I wished she made her appearance sooner. Our girl is a gifted actress, skilled in martial arts, and one heck of a sharpshooter. I loved the part she played at the end. The big takedown was spectacular!
Resurrectionist is a potent mix of romance and erotic, suspense and intrigue, secret identities and occult rituals, plus a dash of magic you have to see to believe. Overall, a thrilling, passionate exploration of love, lust and snakey statues.
P.S.
I highly recommend audiobooking this because Gary Furlong was fantastic!
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RESURRECTIONIST: Kindle | Audiobook
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Earth’s Craving by Emily Carrington (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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RELEASE BLITZ: Devoted by Lark Taylor
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Muse by Mychael Black (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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SERIES REVIEW: RELIC by Maz Maddox
RELIC – Maz Maddox
Smash & Grab: My standard issued lab badge reads ‘Simon’ but it really should say ‘unexciting nerd with no social life’
Don’t get me wrong — I love what I do with a passion, but it doesn’t leave a lot of time for much else.
Especially romance.
While chipping away at my work, I’m suddenly the person between hired cartel muscle and the fossil that will define my career.
Which isn’t the most insane part of the story.
My savior is a chaotic, bat-wielding punk with a bubble gum pink mohawk and a killer smile.
In a mad dash to escape the thieves, my knight in studded armor sweeps me across the country while hitting every tourist trap along the way.
While smuggling a fossil, might I add.
Oh, and did I mention this pink punk can shift into a dinosaur?
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Tonight, Tonight
Artist: The Smashing Pumpkins
Album: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Sink Or Swim: Trapped on a cruise ship with a man I absolutely hate is not how I wanted to spend this fake honeymoon. Especially when my “fiancé” has a deadly ex on the same boat.
Jackson is everything I’m not: brash, careless and a former fossil thief. But he’s my ticket to getting what I want — the original Spinosaurus fossils that have been lost for decades. Now I have to play the part, win the fossils and try not to kill him in the process.
The danger of being caught, tortured or killed isn’t what scares me.
Navigating the waters of this fake relationship is threatening to pull me under.
And I’m terrified of sinking.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: You Were Right
Artist: Rufus du Sol
Album: Bloom
King & Queen: Running into your one night stand is always awkward.
It’s especially awkward when said hunky hookup pulls you into a secret war over fossils and a kidnapped, newly awakened Albertosaurus shifter.
As if my life wasn’t already a mess (understatement), now I’m cruising through Canada hunting down an ancient monster who tried to kill us, attempting to get my social media career off the ground, and ignoring my feelings for my one time fling.
Royal is hot as fire, funny, brilliant and has a thing for dinosaurs almost as much as I do.
Probably because he is one.
Bonus.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Found Me
Artist: Men I Trust
Album: Oncle Jazz
Lost In Amber: Being alive for millions of years means I’m rarely surprised.
In the long expanse of my existence, I’ve been rescuing fossils for only a breath. During that time, my path has crossed with many different people — shifter and human alike.
Some friendly, some nefarious.
A hundred years ago, one such man graced me with his presence.
He was one of the few to have almost killed me.
Imagine my surprise when I see him again, buying the rarest amber fossil to have ever been discovered.
Precious. Beautiful. Unique.
A true treasure millions of years in the making.
I won’t let him get away again.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Loon
Artist: Bears and Lions
Album: Wild and Free
Gardens & Ghosts: For the past few years, I’ve been living with a ghost. My husband – my mate – was lost because of choices I made. As one of only a few tyrannosaur shifters on this planet, I have resigned myself to an immortality alone, married to my work. I am more than happy to keep my walls up, heart guarded, and my focus set on my missions. That was until a compassionate, plant obsessed man stomped into my life. Henry is everything I don’t have time young, reckless, eager to prove himself, and desperate to push all of my buttons. Some of those buttons he hits with expert precision. When we learn about a rare, and life changing shifter fossil being traded on the black market, Henry and I set out into the concrete jungle of Chicago to steal it back. The treasure is heavily guarded, worth a fortune, and sought after by all manner of deadly adversaries. If we can keep our heads down and maintain a professional relationship, we might make it through this alive. Henry has other plans.
****Gardens & Ghosts can be read as a standalone, but it is highly recommended you read King & Queen (RELIC #3) so you get all the story!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Bloom
Artist: The Paper Kites
Album: Woodland
I don’t even like Jurassic Park. Nothing against dinos; I just hate movies in which animals are the bad guys only because humans foolishly disturb them in their territory.
Maz Maddox came this close to making me rewatch the damn movie for the sheer joy of watching the mighty beasts in all their fearsome glory.
RELIC is a sci-fi/paranormal romance series featuring dinosaur shifters on their mission to retrieve stolen artifacts and find their mates along the way. As far as I know, this is the only MM dino-shifter romance series (if there’s another one, please let me know), and an outstanding specimen at that! I consider this a classic (if there’s a better word for this, let me know too), much like how Necessary Evils is a classic in the queer billionaire psycho-vigilantes niche.
RELIC stands for Reclaiming Extinct Lineage from Illegal Collectors and currently has 5 members. The lore is that there are creatures since the beginning of time who can shift into many forms. For many, the form that spoke to them the most is their dinosaur form. These creatures slept for millions of years, only to wake as humans, and can now only shift to the one that resonated with them the most.
The author created some of the most unforgettable, lovable characters in MM romance, and my only regret is not reading the series sooner. Every time the characters shifted, I was in awe. You can practically see the magnificent beasts wreaking havoc.
The topic is well-researched, and the writing made it easy to digest the science and imagine the dinosaurs coming alive. The books are in dual, 1st person POVs. Although there are some violent scenes, the overall vibe is humorous
Dalton “Utah” – chaotic knight in spikey jacket and doc martens with bubblegum pink mohawk, how could you resist this irreverent, child-like punk charming who rescued Simon and took him on a road trip (while dodging bad guys) to various dino park tourist attractions. He’s a utahraptor and that pink mohawk gets me all the time!
Simon – a renowned paleontologist living a humdrum life who was suddenly caught up in the exciting if dangerous world of stolen artificts and dino shifters. He tends to be socially awkward and reserve but nonetheless a sweet guy. And with the patience of a saint to deal with Dalton’s ADHD. His secret weapon is his dimples that shot arrows straight to Dalton’s heart.
Dalton and Simon starred in Smash & Grab, a road trip/on-the-run romance. This book introduces us to the secret world of shifters and fossil black market. Simon was ridiculously adorkable! The OTT antics, the thrilling adventure, and the swoony if chaotic way Dalton wooed his adored paleontologist made this one of the best books in the series.
Baha “Egypt” – big, badass, grumpy and hella intelligent if a bit lonely, Baha is an Egyptian spinosaurus tasked to retrieve a precious spinosaurus fossil aboard a cruise ship. He was partnered with a Texan fossil thief (reformed) Jackson. Baha might be slow to unclench but when he’s in, he’ll give you the world. He’s also very devoted to his shifter family and tutored their newest member Henry in everything from self-defense to algebra.
Jackson – the sunshine in Baha’s world, super laidback, snarky, unflappable with an extra inch in height that made his boyfriend’s eye twitch the first few times they met. Jackson is also a shifter but not a dinosaur. His other form is imposing enough to stand toe to toe with a spinosaurus. The courting scene where Jackson in shifted form was squee-ing at Baha’s shark offering was so adorbs!!
Baha and Jackson starred in Sink or Swim, where they posed as fake fiances on a cruise ship hosting a black market auction. The USTs are chef’s kiss, and I loved that the author paired two mighty beasts. One is the ruler of the air, and the other is the ruler of the sea. Grumpy Baha won me over because who knew the man was a closet romantic, and Jackson was such a charmer!
Royal “Calgari” – superhacker and mentor to Dalton, Royal is the calmer version of our favorite punk but just as bad a troublemaker if not more. He loves anime, movies, games and pop culture in general. This triceratops shifter considers YOI’s Victor his husbando. Normally working behind a computer, Royal was tasked to visit a new fossil site in case another of their kind would appear there. Along the way, he stopped at a club and had an anonymous encounter. To his surprise, he met the same individual, Blaise, in the fossil site live streaming his dino fight with two other dinosaurs.
Blaise – a fabulous, sassy, science geek and sometimes drag queen hoping to make it big as a science communicator. Lucky to be at the right place at the right time, his (hopefully) big break came with his video of men shifting to dinosaurs then having a dino royal rumble. He and Royal went on a merry chase looking for the new shifter and dodging bad guys.
Royal and Blaise starred in King & Queen, another road trip romance, but this time, in search of the missing artifact and a runaway shifter. The snark and sass were a riot! I loved how Royal’s colorful geeky wardrobe complemented Blaise’s creative clothes. The drag scene was so hilarious I wished there were more moments of the MCs in drag. This book introduced a new MC, Henry, who promptly latched on to Blaise.
Yu – a free spirit and most mysterious member of RELIC, this yutyrannus is almost as old as Montana and had roamed the fields of Mongolia and China. His first meeting with Lance was 100 years prior as a bandit whom the smaller man shot for invading their fossil site. The kind-hearted Lance then nursed him back to health and gave him hard candy, a treat that Yu still enjoyed to the present day. Yu had many loves throughout his long lifetime, but he never forgot the first one who shot him.
Lance – a shy, awkward man of multiple doctorates working as the geneticist for the rival group, Origin. His shifter form is a troodon and brace yourself for the cutest protect-my-boyfriend-against-the-bad-guys scene! He and Yu were on a mission to retrieve the most important fossil from the black market.
Yu and Lance starred in Lost in Amber, a second-chance romance set primarily in China where Yu was to retrieve a rare artifact. I loved the idea of two nearly immortal creatures finding each other again after a century of pining. Lance is also adorkable, and his 1920s bowtie fashion gave me joy. Yu has such a wuxia prince-turned-fashion model vibe! Their candy connection is sweet in many ways. This book also revealed unlikely alliances and key elements that would shake the RELIC boys to their core.
Montana – big daddy T. Rex a.k.a. Captain America, perpetually grieving his dead husband while running a tight ship in RELIC and being big bro to everyone. Montana has such a cowboy vibes that strangers assume he’s one. He’s the oldest shifter and has the biggest form, being a T. Rex. He’s intimidating and well-respected, even by his nemesis from Origin. His latest mission is to retrieve the very important stolen artifact connected to Yu’s mission and he reluctantly takes Henry with him.
Henry “Horseshoe” – the newest member and an albertosaurus shifter still learning the ways of the human world under Baha’s strict tutelege. Henry is a plant daddy and has a child-like POV, a bit naive but also surprisingly knowledgeable too, and fervently in love with Montana. His problem is that Montana is spectacularly oblivious, seeing Henry only as their youngest brother. His initial attempts to woo the T. Rex were hilarious disasters and so he resolved to go with Montana on his mission.
Montana and Henry starred in Gardens & Ghosts, the longest book in the series and has everything we love about RELIC. From the forced proximity trope and second chance romance, the heist and the car chases, the thrilling shifts and dinosaur rampages, and, of course, the determined and heart-melting way our albertosaurus won over his T. Rex, this is one heck of a series finale!
A bit spoilerish, but I know some readers care about such things. The biggest elephant in the room is that while our shifters are practically immortal, their human mates will age. This part hit Dalton hard, and my heart went out to our favorite punk dinosaur. One of my favorite aspects of the story is that a question I had since the beginning was finally answered!
RELIC is one of the funniest and most entertaining series I’ve ever read. I binged the entire series because I didn’t want the boys’ adventures to end. The author crafted a fascinating world, and I’m excited to learn that she has other shifter books.
Overall, it’s a modern gem and a prehistoric delight!
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of RELIC. 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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RELEASE BLITZ: Moonwish by R.L. Merrill (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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COVER REVEAL: Luca by Eryn Hawk
