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BOOK TOUR: Legend of the White Snake by Sher Lee
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RELEASE BLITZ: Zero by Mandy Muse
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BOOK BLITZ: CINDER31LA by Freida Kilmari (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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REVIEW: Midnight Companion by Kit Barrie
Midnight Companion – Kit Barrie
The horseman comes for you.
Traveling schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, doesn’t believe the rumors about witches and spirits haunting the idyllic village of Sleepy Hollow. The townsfolk, led by the rich Van Tassel family, are friendly and welcoming to strangers. On Halloween night, Ichabod is caught in the clutches of a frightening specter. But the Headless Horseman is not the devil he has been led to believe, and Ichabod finds himself falling for the lonely spirit.
All is not as it seems in Sleepy Hollow. Something besides the Horseman prowls the secluded woods. Upon learning the disturbing truth, Ichabod is determined to free the village from its evil curse. But, more importantly, he is determined to save the Horseman he has given his heart to, even if he loses his head in the process.
Midnight Companion is an M/M retelling of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving was brought to life in the quirky supernatural gothic horror movie starring Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane, Christina Ricci as the ethereal Katrina Van Tassel, and Christopher Walken as the Headless Horseman. I’ve seen it countless times and still never get tired.
Midnight Companion by Kit Barrie is a retelling written in pitch-perfect gothic tones that captures all the wonderfully eerie scenes and gives it an unexpectedly endearing romantic twist by casting the Headless Horseman as a romantic lead.
The world-building is fabulous, easily conjuring images of an idyllic village suspended in time surrounded by dark, forbidding woods and the unsettling air of wrongness hidden in the smiles and welcomes.
The story opens with Ichabod Crane, a traveling schoolmaster, about to move to the next town up north after finishing his stint in the current one. The kind folks warned him against moving farther up north to Sleepy Hollow as people who ventured there were never heard from again.
Being of rational, scientific inclinations and not a believer of superstitions, Ichabod proceeded to Sleepy Hollow and was welcomed with open arms, particularly by the prominent Van Tassel family. Katrina Van Tassel took a liking to Ichabod and personally invited him to the Harvest Party in her house.
That was when things went awry for Ichabod, and he found himself cursed, hunted by mysterious entities, and rescued by the Headless Horseman. The same Headless Horseman the villagers said to have murdered anyone who ventured into the woods.
This is the first time I’ve encountered the Headless Horseman as the love interest. He’s the opposite of the one portrayed in the movie. As far as supernatural boyfriends go, Reiter, as Ichabod named him, is a complete gentleman, a devoted protector, and a patient lover to our virgin boy, Ichabod (some novel logistics here). A total sweetheart!
Reiter is cursed to remain as a headless spirit in a solitary existence. He was the first victim of the witch, and throughout the century, he tried helping other victims who didn’t survive. When it was Ichabod’s turn, he felt a pull towards the schoolmaster and had to protect him.
Ichabod is the same quirky, likable character as in the movie. The story is in his POV, and his thoughts reflect a logical mind, a kind heart, and a passion for helping others. He understandably freaked out during his first encounter with Reiter but quickly realized the Horseman meant no harm.
And because he’s that kind of person, he befriended the lonely spirit and soon found himself falling for the Headless Horseman’s understated charms. The romance is sweet and beautiful, the beam of light piercing through the gloom and doom cycle of deaths and curses.
My favorite part is Reiter letting Ichabod hold his head when they’re out and about, a sign of complete trust that warms my heart.
Together, Reiter and Ichabod worked to break the curse. It was a suspenseful race against time and an entire village. The story had me riveted from start to finish. I wanted more!
Two things, though. First, Ichabod’s hissy fit when Reiter told him the truth about the witch didn’t impress me. The dork had to be rescued again.
Second, Ichabod had to search for a key item to break Reiter’s curse. He actually found it, but I must have missed something because I was confused as heck why Ichabod just left it in its hiding place. Then they waited until the next Harvest Party to act. Couldn’t they grab the item sooner?
Overall, Midnight Companion did a spectacular job reworking a beloved Halloween tale into a seamless blend of sweet romance and spooky adventure. Also, a reminder to keep your head in the game when your heart is on the line.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Spellbound
Artist: Ghostly Kisses
Album: The City Holds My Heart
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MIDNIGHT COMPANION: Kindle I Audiobook
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REVIEW: His Brutal Heart by Leighton Greene
West Coast Mobsters: His Brutal Heart – Leighton Greene
The ultimate forbidden love: a Mafia Boss and his captive.
I’m a man without mercy. A Mafia heir.
Brutality was all that ever made sense to me…
Until I saw him.Unfortunately, he happens to be the sole witness to my latest crime.
That should mean one thing.
Elimination.But one look into those pleading blue eyes, and I lost myself.
I let a beauty live…
But – beast that I am – I’ve locked him away.Little by little, he charms his way out of his cell and into my bed, until I begin to wonder which of us is the real prisoner.
After all, I’m the one trapped by my own brutal heart.
And that oh-so-innocent beauty I took and kept?
He has secrets of his own.
Secrets that could destroy me.
***
His Brutal Heart is the second book in the West Coast Mobsters series. Follow the men of the Los Angeles underworld in this page-turning romantic suspense series as they find love, danger and mystery in the most unexpected places.
Each book in this series tells the love story of a different couple who find their happy ending, as well as a resolution to the mystery they’re investigating, but there are cliffhangers to the wider suspense plot for the series.
Content advisory notes are available to view on the Copyright page via Look Inside or by downloading the sample.
There’s a Teddy inside all of us.
Why else would there be an entire sub-genre of romance dedicated to the mafia, bratva, heck, even the damn cartel? Strictly fictional, of course.
Leighton Greene continues to blew me away with the second book of her spectacular romantic suspense series, West Coast Mobsters. I was tickled pink to learn His Brutal Heart is about Alessandro Castellani and Teddy MacCallum. I knew it would be good, but holyyy hell, I didn’t know it would FUCKING SLAY!!!!
At its core, the story is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, where the scarred Alessandro considers himself too ugly to be lovable and the adorkably-oblivious-that-he-is-gorgeous Teddy MacCallum was initially held prisoner in Redwood Manor against his will.
The two were forced to work together when Teddy proved he could be useful in solving the murder of the old Don Castellani. By this time, our boy Teddy practically begged to stay in the manor.
Teddy owns Cute Crims, a website dedicated to stanning and/or fapping over made men. As Site God, Teddy runs a tight ship, the rules for posting a pic being a.) should be cute, b.) should be crim, and c.) should be Family. He oversees multi-forums worth of information, mostly wild speculations, some surprisingly accurate.
And if there’s one mafioso Teddy is obsessed with, that is the notorious but elusive Alessandro Castellani. Theirs was a fucked up version of a celebrity meet cute where the Sandro fan boy meets his crush over double crossing gangs and gunfire. Because how else?
In Book 1, His Lethal Desire, Jack was the main driving force. Here, both Alessandro and Teddy fascinated me. The dynamics is pure delight! There’s a delicate play of power that swings deliciously back and forth between Alessandro and Teddy.
Alessandro, now the new Don Castellani, finds himself with no trusted allies within their ranks. The murder of the old don demands that it should be solved first and the killer punished before vows to the new don could be made. If they will be made at all.
Alessandro ruthlessly dominates but questions his value as the new Don and a person worthy of affection. He’s angry, bitter, and lonely. Teddy is inexperienced but completely obsessed and single-minded in his pursuit and adoration of the scarred Alessandro. An angelic marshmallow, Teddy has a surprising amount of steel and resourcefulness. In no time, he has Sandro wrapped around his little finger.
That our boy Teddy was gutsy enough to pit his wits against a cunning devil like Julian, spoke volumes of Teddy’s intellect and devotion to Alessandro. With his sweet, giving nature, it’s easy to forget he has serious tech skills and smarts.
Sandro would be the big bad Don Castellani, making hard decisions, being a mean motherfucker, and pushing Teddy away. Teddy only has to say “Alessandro” in a certain way, and BAM, Alessandro melting be like, “I can’t refuse you when you say my name like that.” SWOON!!
It’s the way he says my name, worshipful, shy, his voice trembling, that destroys the last of my self-control.
The way Alessandro’s character grew, the way he let Teddy inside his walls, and the way his cold, dead heart started beating again, it’s why hurt comfort holds my heart in a vise and then be DEVASTATINGLY GOOD!
And it’s not just the romance that was brilliant, the mystery and the rest of the plot were equally riveting.
I guessed the murderer early on, but such is the author’s storytelling abilities that I enjoyed watching the characters put it all together. The murder mystery is the thread that propelled the plot, leading Alessandro and Teddy to interact with various characters, hash out old grudges, and eventually clear the air.
Alessandro’s complicated relationship with former-best-friend-now-frenemy Jack kept me hooked. Their friendship was broken by betrayal, bloody and violent. But Alessandro needs Jack because there’s almost no one else to trust, and our boy Jack, honorable man that he is, dutifully watched his boss’s back despite mixed feelings.
Another complicated relationship is with Julian, Alessandro’s half-brother. Wily, with genius-level scheming skills, and downright crazy, the man spent most of the story behind bars in the manor dungeons but still managed to make quite a presence!
The resolutions for both of these and the murder conclude the story in a satisfying way while leaving an opening for Julian’s book.
Leighton Greene excels at creating memorable and compelling characters. Alessandro and Teddy are just two of the many she conceived that were memorable. It’s a huge deal because this series and the Morelli Family, are interconnected, and every time one character makes a cameo, I could still recall scenes from their book. Not many interconnected series can do that.
His Brutal Heart is a story of finding self-worth and fighting for family and blood. As Alessandro quickly learns, it’s lonely at the top. It’s even lonelier to have your heart’s desire within reach but you’re too afraid to grab it. Overall, intensely passionate, incredibly squee-tastic, brutally romantic!
Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: Scar
Artist: Joe Henry
Album: ScarP.S.
West Coast Mobsters should be read in order. The endings are left as openings for the succeeding book. And these mafiosos are worth the shot.
Witness a hitman dodge bullets, only to be hit by a bullseye straight to the heart in His Lethal Desire.
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of His Brutal Heart. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
HIS BRUTAL HEART: Kindle | Paperback
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RELEASE BLITZ: After Midnight by Blake Allwood (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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One Line Reviews Of Some Books I Read This Year (July – December 2023)
This is a round up of the books I read on the 2nd half of this year that I’m too lazy to do a full review.
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Fairest by K.S. Trenten (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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BOOK TOUR: Emmett by L.C. Rosen
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REVIEW: Malum Discordiae by Ashlyn Drewek
Tennebrose: Malum Discordiae – Ashlyn Drewek
After Cassius Corbin’s mother was murdered by fellow witches, he learned an invaluable lesson: death comes for us all—even Necromancers. Six years later, enrolling at Tennebrose University with vengeance on his mind, the last thing he expects is to come face to face with Graeme Hewitt, the son of his mother’s killer. As much as Cassius tries to avoid the naive weather witch, fate has other plans.
In spite of their families’ ongoing feud, they’re forced to work together if they have any hope of passing their required class. But as late nights and stolen moments turn to something more, a rash of demonic murders plagues the university. If they don’t get to the bottom of it, they could both be next.
MALUM DISCORDIAE is a dark academia, paranormal MM romance about witches, Necromancers, and a blood feud that has lasted centuries. It features plenty of steam, a lot of snark, and the pile of bodies you’d expect in a magical Romeo + Juliet retelling—except this one has a happy ending. It is intended for a mature audience and reader discretion is advised. A full list of triggers can be found in the front matter of the book and at my website under Tropes & Triggers.
If there’s one MF romance writer whose shift to MM made me so happy, it’s Ashlyn Drewek. She blew me away with the devastating Stockholm Syndrome romance, The Solnyshko Duet, and I also loved her Beauty and the Beast retelling, Wither. Her stories are typically dark and come with a chockful of trigger warnings.
Malum Discordiae is the opener of the dark academia paranormal series Tennebrose. This is a Romeo and Juliet retelling but with witches and magic revolving around the secretly magical Tennebrose University. The town and the school are a mix of unaware humans, certain people in the know, and old witch families.
The story centers around the centuries-old feud between the Corbins and the Hewitts. The Hewitts are nature witches, considered the good ones. The Corbins are necromancers, mostly shunned and reviled because of their dark magic. The rest of the old families fall between light, dark, and neutral.
Cassius Corbin and Graeme Hewitt considered themselves sworn enemies, until they were forced by their botany professor and plant witch, Ainsworth, to work together on the semester’s project to grow the mythical poison apple tree. It was one tumultuous getting-to-know-you scene after another, where they cycle through hate, lust, generations-old biases, and grudging clarifications.
Hands down, our boy to die for here is Cassius! Sporting gothic villain good looks, he’s snarky and standoffish, with a big heart hurt too often. A necromancer and a blood witch, his spells frequently involved disturbing methods (skulls on display, tasting blood, talking to ghosts), and he knows full well the stigma against dark witches of his kind.
Still, Cash went out on a limb for Graeme several times, trying to help him open his eyes. He explained what necromancy really is and why the spells are like that, aware that the cost is revealing family secrets that could easily be used against the Corbins and other necromancers.
Graeme is why I didn’t give this book 5-stars. Touted as the next deacon of their witch congregation, he’s a powerful weather witch but spectacularly ignorant of his legacy and magic. Seriously, this witch didn’t even know what his family herald looks like. I could forgive this part because he can learn that in Tennebrose.
But Graeme would listen to Cash explain something, then quick as a flash, turn against Cash because of age-old bigotry compounded by his ignorance. He broke Cash’s trust, and I’m not even sure he made up for the hurts.
It might sound contradictory, but I do love Graeme and Cash together. Their chemistry is off the charts! The hatesex was sizzling! The push/pull was exciting!
When Graeme wasn’t being an idiot, you can tell he’s crazy about the snarky necromancer. Usually brass and self-assured, he lets Cash see his vulnerable side. He does acknowledge his lack of training and genuinely tried to learn from Cash, so yeah, not so bad. His magic is supercool, too!
The supporting cast was great, many of them memorable. Aside from the botany professor Ainsworth, the Corbins, dad Caius and sister, Claudia, surprised Graeme. Meanwhile his parents, Maryann and George, had some secrets of their own. The congregation is lead by the deacon and the selectmen, who arbitrate and record events. The rest of Cash’s and Graeme’s relatives and friends stand in for the Capulets’ and Montagues’ allies.
Flawed characters aside, the plot hooked me in immediately and kept me riveted for hours. It would have been a one-sitter if not for the need to sleep. It’s a spectacular retelling, with enough familiar elements and not too on the nose. It’s filled with just the right amount of details to establish the setting and the magic system without resorting to info-dumps.
There’s also several murders, demons lurking, lost grimoires, and centuries of family history to unpack. And with the lovely gothic vibe that speaks to my grim self, this is a well-conceived fictional world I’d love to be in!
Malum Discordiae is a Shakespearean tale full of heartbreak, revelations, family woes, and a pair of star-crossed lovers who dealt with life and death. All in all, a dark witchy delight!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Tethered to the Dark
Artist: Anya Marina
Album:
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Malum Discordiae. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
MALUM DISCORDIAE: Kindle | Audiobook
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!
