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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Absolute Perfection by Stephanie Burke (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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RELEASE BLITZ: Unforgiving Dreams by Jessamyn Kingley (Excerpt)
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COVER REVEAL: Unforgiving Dreams by Jessamyn Kingley (Excerpt)
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Rhyme of Longing of Emily Carrington (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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REVIEW: A Stroke of Brilliance by Nazri Noor
Arcane Hearts: A Stroke of Brilliance – Nazri Noor
The fragrance of chaos. The flavor of terror. The color of madness.
Jackson Pryde and Xander Wright are loving a life of hunting and harvesting rare reagents wherever the Black Market travels. But a routine trip to visit Japanese tree spirits turns up something sinister: two crystal shards, embedded in the bodies of wild animals. They’re familiar, glimmering, violet… like splinters of amethyst.
But that’s not all. Two rival guilds are in strife, Jack and Xander caught in a crossfire of spells and slander. SEER and its hundred eyes are still watching their every move. And then there’s the matter of meeting Xander’s parents, perhaps Jackson’s deadliest challenge to date.
The Chrysanthemyst’s return is the least of their problems.
A Stroke of Brilliance is a 70,000-word M/M urban fantasy romance with a HFN ending. Join a fast-talking artificer and a snarky sorcerer, childhood friends who become bitter enemies, then lovers, as they explore a world filled with strange flora, mythical fauna, and magical murders. If you like your urban fantasy with humor, horror, and a whole lot of heart, you’ve come to the right place. Experience A Stroke of Brilliance today.
Arcane Hearts is a series I like to think of as a shounen anime with a BL romance. It has the kind of scenes I’d love to see on screen, and vivid writing that makes them come alive in my head. With the majority of the world-building, and tons of info-dumps, taken care of in Book 1, A Touch Of Fever, the rest of the installments could focus more on Jackson and Xander’s adventures.
A Stroke of Brilliance follows partners and boyfriends Jackson Pryde and Alexander Wright, working as glorified errand boys for guilds looking for rare materials to use in their crafts. In one of their quests, they came upon purple crystals strikingly similar to the Chrysanthemyst that caused the fevers in Book 1.
This sequel has everything I loved about the series. Jackson still talks a a little too much for me, but he’s also more amusing now. He’s the last remaining Pryde of the defunct Guild of Artificers. The way he misses his parents is one of the more serious notes of the story. Author, Nazri Noor, created a clever way of making them come back from the dead, so to speak.
Book 1 has Jack pining after his frenemy neighbor, Xander, from the Wright family of mages and graduate of the super-elite Greyhaven Academy. Boy had it bad, and I could definitely see why. Xander’s adorbs! And their romance was pretty cute. Now that they’re a couple, the author succeeded in making them even more floofy! The boys are so madly in love, it’s ridiculous!
Speaking of Greyhaven boys, man, am I super intrigued! Total badasses and complete nerds, all of them! I am glad this is not about a magic academy because I’m tired of that. But the way Jack talks about the Greyhaven boys, he’s in awe but also considers them his rivals. I want more of them!!!
There’s the cocky SEER agent, Reza Arshad and his cool teleportation, and the Guildmaster of the Thousand Hands, Kaoru, who looks magnificent in his swooshy white robes. I’m low-key shipping the two.
One thing that makes me think of this as shounen anime is how each character has a signature magical power. Reza has the smoke thing going on, and Kaoru is the master of paper. Xander is on his way to becoming magic personified, and Jack has his gauntlet. As the series progresses, we’ll probably be introduced to more powers, which makes me go nuts because I love imagining which magical powers I’ll have. That’s what I tend do when I watch anime.
Not to mention the fight scenes! Holy hell, that scene inside the inner sanctum of the Thousand Hands was pure awesome!!! I live for spectacular displays of magic, and this second book certainly lives up to its titular brilliance.
And with these heart-thumping action, we have a gripping mystery, a bitter rivalry between two guilds, a secret hiding in plain sight, and family drama worthy of a soap opera. The plot moves the overarching storyline forward, with the threat of the purple crystals looming over everything. And even with the numerous side commentary from Jack, things move fast without loosing a beat.
Xander’s future is one I’m waiting on with bated breath. I’m half expecting him to become the Incandescent, a being of pure magic, something his horrid parents are forcing him to do because it is the Wright legacy. I love it when Xander completely unleashes his magic. The sad thing about it he loses part of himself every time he does it on his way to Incandescence until he’s nothing but a shell. I don’t want to Jack to lose the his favorite person.
A Stroke of Brilliance gives us all the bombastic action, humor, and magical fireworks while keeping the plot solid and making the romance even more squee-tastic. It’s a fantastic sequel that promises more thrilling adventures for our boys! All in all, a masterfully crafted tale!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Light My Love
Artist: Greta Van Fleet
Album: The Battle At Garden’s GateP.S.
Jackson and Xander’s adventures should be followed in order, starting with A Touch Of Fever.
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A Stroke of Brilliance: US | UK
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A STROKE OF BRILLIANCE
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REVIEW: Notorious by Charlie Cochet & Macy Blake
Shifter Scoundrels: Notorious – Charlie Cochet & Macy Blake
New Paranormal Romance from Bestselling MM Authors Charlie Cochet and Macy Blake. Modern-day Bridgerton with shifter royalty, a snarky fox, and the tiger who refuses to fall for his charms.
Caspian Drake knows what it takes to get ahead in modern-day shifter society. He is an Earl, after all, and known for his wit, style, and ability to charm the pants off of anyone he chooses. Getting his best friend Brandr, the Prince of the Dragons, in and out of trouble is only one of his many talents. When a horrible attack shakes Cas’s world, he’s forced to pair up with Saphir Vepkhia, the esteemed tiger shifter and former Captain of the Royal Guard.
Upon retirement, Saphir is granted the title of Baron Archer and, much to his dismay, becomes part of royal society. Years later, when he’s summoned to the palace, the last thing Saphir expects is for the king to request a favor that ties him to the scoundrel, Caspian Drake. Despite his misgivings, Saphir accepts the assignment, knowing it will give him the access he needs to infiltrate the wealthy and powerful while trying not to get outfoxed by the exasperating Earl.
Forced into a fake relationship by an outdated matchmaking ritual, Cas and Saphir each face the upcoming season with their own agenda. The secrets pile up as the two mates navigate the complexities of a modern world that plays by historic rules. But the closer they get to the truth, the greater the danger–and their attraction to each other–grows.
With their lives on the line and the very foundations of their society at risk, Cas and Saphir must unravel the mystery, even if it means creating a scandal more notorious than their newfound love.
I wouldn’t have associated Bridgerton with the paranormal but bless the talented author duo, Charlie Cochet and Macy Blake, for making this combination work. And to spectacular results at that!
Notorious is Book 1 of Shifter Scoundrels, an alt-universe ruled by a dragon king who created their world based on his favorite human era. As a fan of Bridgerton, I reveled in all the ton intrigue, the ridiculously expensive finery, the amusing rules of etiquette, and of course, the endless balls.
I initially expected the anachronisms to be cheesy or jarring, but the blending of modern-day Bridgerton and shifter lore was beautifully seamless. Even the fashion was a fabulous mix of historical and contemporary, something I would really love to see on screen. While they behave with Regency manners, they also possess cell phones, cars, and other technology.
An interesting twist is the outdated ritual where eligible shifters are matched, and a hunt ensues. If they catch their match, the couple is together for the duration of the season. If not, the hunted has the right to turn down their pairing.
The story opens with a murder, and the king tasked the crown prince’s best friend, Caspian Drake, Earl of Brus. to find the killer. Unknown to the Earl, the king also tasked his trusted friend and former Captain of the Guard, Baron Archer Saphir Vepkhia, to keep him safe.
The rakish earl and the gruff baron want nothing to do with each other, but they are paired by the matchmakers. Cocky Cas boasts no one has caught him yet. To which Saphir smugly responds, we’ll see about that…
The romance is enjoyable, but it’s just what could be expected of an enemies-to-lovers + fake relationship story. It’s the rest of the plot and the very entertaining supporting cast that had me hooked. The series is peopled with sharp-witted matrons with deadly tongues and even deadlier secret skills, as well as charming young lords and ladies, both naïve and worldly.
The first chapter saddened me because the short time he appeared on page, I already liked the murder victim’s character. The first half slowly established the setting and plot. Then it picked up pace with the latter half sweeping me into a whirlwind of antagonistic shenanigans, espionage, murder mystery, action, and adventure. One complaint is how Cas and Saphir missed the very obviously villainous bad guy and instead latched on to the very obviously clueless side character.
Three interesting characters I’m keeping my eye on are the scarred and mysterious Lord Everard, spacey scientific genius Lord Quentin, and purveyor of gossip and dandy extraordinaire Lord Beaumont. Lord Everard’s book is next. Now this man knows how to make an entrance!
Notorious is my first Macy Blake, but I’ve read many Charlie Cochet books. One thing’s guaranteed, it’s always going to be fun! This series opener is no exception. It has a plot that takes you on a wild ride, characters you’ll fall for, and deftly executed writing that captures the best of both worlds! It’s definitely quite a catch!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Catch You
Artist: Dashboard Confessional
Album: Crooked Shadows
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Notorious. 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: Harpy Trickery by Jessamyn Kingley (Excerpt)
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RELEASE TOUR: Emissary by A.L. Morrow (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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AUDIO TOUR: The Devil You Know by Morgan Brice (Giveaway)
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SERIES REVIEW: The Vampire’s Club Books 6-7 by X. Aratare
The Vampire’s Club 6 – X. Aratare
Lucas Daniels knows that witches and vampires are real.
Lucas has discovered that witch blood flows through his veins and he can perform magic, but it is hardly within his control. And the more he delves into his gifts, the more dangerous they appear.
Count Konstantin “the Wolf” Volk must keep Lucas’ parentage a secret from the Nomad while searching for a way to free himself and Lucas from Gaia’s plot. But how can he succeed when the Nomad sees and hears all?
NOTE: THIS NOVELLA SERIES HAS CLIFFHANGERS! EVERY BOOK WILL END ON ONE. THAT’S MY NATURAL WRITING STYLE. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE CLIFFHANGERS, WAIT UNTIL THE WHOLE SERIES IS PUBLISHED TO READ. THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Bloodstream
Artist: Stateless
Album: Stateless
The Vampire’s Club 7 – X. Aratare
Lucas Daniels is a vampire… and a witch.
Can he use his newfound powers to help Konstantin “the Wolf” Volk, the dangerous and mysterious Nomad, and the witch, Gaia, to stop the destruction of all vampires by the coven leader Rachel?
If Lucas does, he’ll have to convince the Nomad that he is not a threat to Konstantin. While Konstantin wants only to protect his very new and special fledgling from the dangers that Lucas wants to help him face.
The end of The Vampire’s Club Series!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Sore wa Matta Betsu no Ohanashi
Artist: Amazarashi
Album: Yuuhi shinkou higashizumu
When it was first released in 2019, I was ridiculously obsessed with The Vampire’s Club. The books had such intense level of USTs and squee-tastic moments I was reduced to incoherent gushing emojis. However, the start of Book 6 wasn’t working for me, so the series was stuck in TBR limbo.
Recently, I had a sudden urge for vampire romance and decided to pick up where I left off. This time, Book 6 had me completely engaged.
Admittedly, the emotional distance created by time reduced the impact the books had on me. I wasn’t a gushy stan anymore. I was more aware of how cringey some of the scenes were. Cringey like having Lucas’s mother speaking inside Konstantine’s head while the boys were having sex.
Having read the author’s other works, The Fall and The Bodyguard, I’ve recognized certain themes and tropes they like to employ. The stories are dark and sensual, conjuring images of luxurious, dimly lit rooms heavy with musk.
The stories feature relationships that are vaguely incestuous involving father figures. For instance, here we have Lucas’s stepdad attempting to molest him. The vampires use terms such as Childe, Sire, and Grandpere when referring to their creators and fledglings who are usually also their lovers.
The heroes tend to be barely legal, naive, or innocent young men paired with a much older, worldly love interest. The series underscores that by having centuries-old Konstantine fondly calling college-age Lucas “nevinovnyy”, the Russian word for innocent.
By Book 6, Lucas is not so innocent anymore, fully aware of what he can do, who his real mother is and what Konstantine is. Meanwhile, Konstantine agonizes over the fact that Lucas is the key to lifting his curse, but then his boy would have to pay the prize should the vampire turn him to save himself. The witches are also making their power move to destroy the vampires.
Where the first five books were merely dark and gothic, Books 6 and 7 nearly crossed over to horror because now there’s blood, gore, rape and torture (the latter two were off page). Lucas unleashed was unlike anything anyone had ever seen before, a powerful killing machine who can go toe to toe with eldritch monsters from other worlds. And our boy hasn’t even showed 100% of his powers yet!
Konstantine unlocks magical abilities like his Sire, The Nomad, is known for. Then realizes The Nomad’s secret identity. This part I cheered the most because Konstantine was abandoned by his Sire for centuries. Little did he know, The Nomad had always watched over him. The little tidbit I found really endearing was The Nomad was secretly Club Dyavol’s first customer!
Much of the series was spent building tension, both the sexual and the deadly kind, so the big showdown when it exploded sent shockwaves that swept everyone. The fight scenes were thrilling and spectacularly gruesome!
Some of the casualties were especially tragic, like Lucas’s foster mom. This part could have been written differently, less tragically, but I guess it was the way it was to completely cut off Lucas’s ties to the mundane world.
Another gripe is that there were too much dialogue on what should have been a time for action. It happened when Lucas and his real mother teamed up. They received texts that Konstantine and The Nomad were in grave danger and needed to be rescued ASAP. Mother and son then proceeded to have pages of dialogue, all the while mentioning the urgency of the situation. It was like those scenes where a character is dying, but still managed to have a lengthy monologue. Meh!
The Vampire’s Club 6 and 7 wasn’t quite what the first books were, but this finale pulled out all the stops! Lucas reclaimed his heritage and became so much more than anyone could have predicted. Konstantine reclaimed his Sire and his best friend, his beloved nevinovnyy, and his home Club Dyavol. A fairy tale ending for the vampire romance of my dreams!
Overall, The Vampire’s Club is a heady mix of fluff and steam, dark and sweet. It’s pure escapism, seductive, enthralling, dangerous. Yes, exactly like our favorite undead creature.
P.S.
The Vampire’s Club is a serial. The books are meant to be read in order because seriously, that dream sequence and the elevator scene are two of the most unforgettable scenes of my entire reading life!
Incoherent squees a.k.a. reviews:
The Vampire’s Club
The Vampire’s Club 2
The Vampire’s Club 3
The Vampire’s Club 4
The Vampire’s Club 5
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of The Vampire’s Club. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
The Vampire’s Club: US
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!
