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    • MANGA
    • BOOK REVIEW
    • SOUNDTRACK
    • QUOTE
    • TRAILER
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    • FIRST LINES FRIDAY 56
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  • featured,  Uncategorized

    DOUBLE COVER REVEAL: Texas Pride & Broken Pride by Kindle Alexander

    April 22, 2026 / No Comments
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  • book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: The Hazard and The Hitman by Cambria Hebert

    April 4, 2026 / No Comments

    The Protectors: The Hazard and The Hitman – Cambria Hebert

    Desperate times call for desperate measures, and being in the hospital with stitches in my head and no way out makes me pretty desperate. So I log in to a dating app, searching for a guy willing to pretend to be my boyfriend so I can bust out of this overpriced nightmare.
    But what do I get?
    Accused of being a prostitute. Talk about a waste of phone minutes.
    With plan A a no-go, I move on to plan B. Escape. Except, on my way to freedom, I’m nearly pummeled by a man wearing all black and with the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen.
    When he pretends to be my boyfriend, I’m shook. And even more shook when I discover this is the rude guy from the app.
    Turns out he’s not only rude but bossy, irritable, and he keeps calling me a walking hazard. I go along with the lie anyway, thinking I can ditch him as soon as I’m free.
    Except that doesn’t happen.
    I end up back at his place, eating soup and trying hard not to catch feelings.
    Then my apartment is broken into, and I’m running for my life, confused, injured, and with nowhere else to go. Kieran vows to keep me safe, something he seems more than capable of… Which is kinda odd for a real estate agent, right?
    As the threat to my life intensifies, I start to wonder if I’ll make it to my next birthday and, more importantly, if trusting Kieran is the deadliest hazard of all.


    The Hazard and The Hitman kicks off The Protectors, a hitman romance series by Cambria Hebert

    The hazard, Hazier is a lonely orphan juggling four jobs. After a car accident lands him in the hospital, he can’t afford the bills and needs a companion to be discharged. Desperate, he messages a random guy on a dating app to pose as his boyfriend.

    The hitman is Kieran. Intrigued by the odd request from a cute stranger, he shows up, quickly realizes Hazier is telling the truth, and steps into the role of protective boyfriend—going so far as to pay the hospital bill.

    But Kieran soon discovers Hazier is a walking disaster who can’t be left alone and starts calling him Hazard. Worse, there’s a contract on Haz’s life, and Kieran himself was hired to kill him.

    The premise is ridiculously cute, but Haz’s dude in distress antics wore thin. His clumsy, too-stupid-to-live moments weren’t endearing and dragged the story down. Also, Kieran and Haz suffered various injuries which seemed to magically vanish whenever sex entered the picture. At one point, Haz even had a head injury, which didn’t stop him from giving Kieran a blowjob.

    Fortunately, I loved Kieran’s grumpy, over-protective brand of alphahole energy which carried the book. He fell hard and fast, ready to burn the world for his Hazard. His broody presence and swoony declarations made Haz tolerable.

    Side characters Ghost, hitman and Kieran’s best friend, and Rhett, Haz’s neighbor and only friend, also added to the fun. Ghost’s quips are a humorous contrast to Kieran’s grouchiness. I’m thrilled he’s paired with the adorable Rhett.

    The plot follows Kieran and Haz as they navigate romance, danger, and Haz’s numerous part-time jobs. Mafioso bad guys and irate bosses made Haz’s life more complicated while Kieran did his damnedest to keep his babydoll safe. Chaotic but entertaining, the story kept me hooked despite my frustration with Haz.

    The Hazard and The Hitman is a swoony tale of protection and devotion. Overall, not realistic, but cute enough to enjoy, especially if you love a broody hitman falling hard for his disaster of a boyfriend.

    Rating:
    3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it

    Soundtrack: Hazardous Eyes
    Artist: Arca
    Album: Hazardous Eyes


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    THE HAZARD AND THE HITMAN: Audiobook

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  • book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: Arcane Entanglement by Ava Marie Salinger

    March 21, 2026 / No Comments

    The Mage And His Brute: Arcane Entanglement – Ava Marie Salinger

    He thought he had to choose between duty and desire. But what if he could have both?

    In an alternate Victorian London where magic reigns supreme, Duke Evander Ravenwood hides a dangerous secret — he is an Archmage of unparalleled power. When a brutal murder throws him into the path of Viggo Stonewall, the notorious leader of the underground information guild Nightshade, Evander’s carefully constructed world begins to unravel.

    Force into an unlikely alliance, Evander and Viggo find themselves drawn into a web of conspiracy that threatens the very fabric of their society. With tensions rising between the magical elite and the oppressed thralls, they must navigate a treacherous landscape of politics, prejudice, and forbidden desire to find a common enemy.

    But in a world where magic divides the haves from the have-nots, their growing attraction could be their greatest weakness — or their most powerful weapon. Can Evander and Viggo’s burgeoning relationship withstand the storms to come? Or will the shadows of the past and the dangers of the present tear them apart?

    Arcane Entanglement is a spellbinding tale of magic, mystery, and romance that will captivate readers from the first page to the last. Perfect for fans of historical fantasy and LGBT romance, this first instalment in The Mage and His Brute series promises an unforgettable journey through a London where love and magic intertwine in the most unexpected ways.


    Arcane Entanglement opens the fantastic historical fantasy series, The Mage And His Brute by Ava Marie Salinger. Blending urban fantasy, murder mystery, and slow-burn romance, this is a fast-paced, action-packed story that barely lets its characters catch their breath.

    Duke Evander Ravenwood, a mage and special arcane investigator with Scotland Yard, is looking into the murder of a charm worker when he stumbles upon a dangerous magical artifact. Dark mages want it badly, and soon Evander finds himself ambushed, hunted, and fighting for his life.

    His investigation brought him to Nightshade, an underground information guild led by Viggo Stonewall. The attraction was instantaneous, but with an active case and strict rules, anything beyond a friendship is forbidden. Together with their team, Viggo and Evander must catch a murderer and stop dark mages from obliterating half of London and igniting another war.

    Set in an alternate Victorian era divided between magic users and non‑magic thralls, the story explores a society still scarred by a brutal past conflict of the two. Among the thralls are brutes—massive, magic‑immune warriors like Viggo, who possess superhuman strength. It is said he stopped a moving train with his bare hands. The brutes defended the thralls during the war.

    I have mixed feelings about the pacing. The author loves teasing secrets, and while I appreciate not being strung along, the reveals often come too quickly to build real tension. Some twists feel predictable or anticlimactic, and major secrets are treated as earth‑shattering one moment, then casually known by everyone the next. Evander also breaks rules, including direct orders from the Queen, with surprisingly few consequences.

    One major inconsistency is when a brute was magically compelled to act against his will by the dark mages. Also, Viggo and Evander’s relationship was supposedly forbidden, but then everyone they know was cheering them on. Class tensions are present but not deeply explored, although I’m guessing this will come into play in the next books.

    Still, Ava Marie Salinger created a compelling historical police procedural set in an incredibly fascinating world. The writing tends to be info-dumpy, which is understandable because there are so many things that need to be established. The magic system is well-conceived, and the story might be heavy on info-dumps, but it is still easy to read.

    It was thrilling to tag along with Viggo and Evander in their investigation, and it’s a delight to watch them fall for each other. It happened lightning fast, but still leaves room for yearning, pining, and delicious unresolved tension. They bring out the best in each other, and their healthy dynamic is refreshing.

    My favorite part is the fight scenes. The plot leaps from one high octane fight to another, and it was SPECTACULAR! I didn’t mind Evander’s secret arch‑mage status being revealed early because the display of high‑level magic is jaw‑dropping. Viggo’s train‑stopping moment is pure MCU energy!

    So despite some complaints, I was thoroughly entertained and can’t wait to start on the next installment.

    Arcane Entanglement is a story of magic, secrets, and murder where the strongest mage and the strongest brute unraveled a plot to destroy the city and bind their destinies together. Overall, a twisty-turny magical extravaganza!

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

    Soundtrack: Tangled
    Artist: Adrian Crowley
    Album: Measure of Joy


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