Month: May 2021

Review: Next to Nothing (The Chosen One #3) by Macy Blake

The second half was better than the first.

4 out of 5 stars 

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 226 pages. Published January 29th 2019

Blurb:

A Gay Paranormal Harem Romance

What do you get when you mix a dragon, a vampire, a griffin, a mage, and a human? Sawyer Smith’s life sounds like a punchline, but the mates he’s come to love are no joke. They’re fierce and wonderful, protecting him from the outside forces trying to destroy him. Add in a reluctant hippocamp and an egotistical fae prince, and Sawyer has his hands full in more ways than one.

Sawyer is closer than ever to fulfilling the ancient prophecy of the Chosen One, but the bonds between him and his newest guardians are giving him doubts. The rules are changing, and Sawyer has to adapt quickly if he’s going to keep up, especially after he’s whisked away to the land of the fae, a place with cryptic customs. One misstep could very well lead to his death.

Navigating the waters of his newest relationship is tricky enough without the encroaching dangers. Something terrifying is heading Sawyer’s way, threatening not only his life, but everything he’s built with the mates he loves. Despite their concerns, Sawyer is ready to make sacrifices, because there’s next to nothing he wouldn’t do to keep them safe.

Likes:

  • Saeward didn’t immediately jump into the menage.
  • Trip into the Fae.
  • Satyr dick descriptions.
  • Interesting ending.

Dislikes:

  • Beginning didn’t hook me.
  • How long it took Sawyer to deal with Kavalan.
  • Spoiler for Hell on Earth.
  • Micky’s visit seemed to have no point.
  • The fae have never been mentioned before.

When I start reading a new series, I don’t double check to see if the author has a super special order to read the series in. I simply go onto Amazon, get the book with KU, and start reading. So imagine my surprise when characters I knew (and a few I didn’t) showed up and started shouting spoilers about a book I’d never read. Only then did I realize that The Chosen One series is supposed to be read in combination with the Hellhound Champion series, the Paranormal Sugar Daddy series, and the Magical Mates series, and if you don’t flipflop back and forth between series in the exact right order, you get SPOILERS.

Needless to say, I wasn’t happy to have accidentally come across spoilers.

There is a specific Goodreads list for the Chosen Universe, which combines all the series into the author’s suggested reading order. And while I don’t mind authors writing different series set in the same universe, I hate that these books have overlapping timelines.

So I actually stopped in the middle of reading this book and went to read Hell on Earth to make sure I didn’t accidentally end up having anything else spoiled for me. I think, in a strange way, that made this book even more enjoyable. Because the beginning was less than interesting.

Kavalan, the elf prince who showed up at the end of Nothing Ventured, was annoying, pretentious, and didn’t mesh with the other guardians. I was annoyed at how hesitant Sawyer was to deal with him. Then Mikey showed up with his mates and I was like, “Why?” They didn’t add anything to the story, and their appearance felt like filler.

Finally, things took off when a surprise attack forced Sawyer and his guardians to flee into the land of the fae. I ended up really liking the plot from that point on. A lot happened in this book, both in the land of the fae and after Sawyer and his guardians return home. The book’s ending both answered a lot of questions and posed new ones. But it seems like big things are finally beginning to happen.

As for Sawyer’s guardians, I like how things with Kavalan ended up. I also loved how, in both this book and Nothing Ventured, Saeward didn’t immediately jump into having sex with everyone. He needed time and space, and all the guys were willing to give him that. But he’s finally beginning to open up and join in. Which meant some very sexy scenes.

Like with all the books in this series, the lack of world building continues to be noticeable. The fey are called “an extremely powerful and important part of the supernatural world” but were never been mentioned before an elf prince literally shows up at Sawyer’s home. The fae land did have its cool parts. I especially liked the descriptions of the satyr dicks.

Sawyer is really beginning to come into his own. I can’t wait to see what he gets up to in the next book.

Be sure to check out my reviews for the rest of the series – Sweet Nothings (The Chosen One #0.5), The Trouble with Love (The Chosen One #0.75), Santa Trouble (The Chosen One #0.76), All or Nothing (The Chosen One #1), Nothing Ventured (The Chosen One #2), Hell on Earth (Hellhound Champions #1), Double or Nothing (The Chosen One #2.5).

Review: Double or Nothing (The Chosen One #2.5) by Macy Blake

Short and free. Not a must read aside from introducing a few side characters.

2.75 out of 5 stars

E-book. 58 pages. Published August 28th 2018 by Macy Blake

http://bit.ly/MacyFreebie

Blurb:

Mikey Smith lives with what he calls his “flickers”. When he’s out in the world, sometimes other people flicker and change into something terrifying that no one but him can see. He’s been diagnosed with epilepsy, but part of him knows what he sees is real. When two men walk into his coffee shop, his world is turned upside down when they transform into something else… and they know he can see them.

Already mates, Asher and Quillon aren’t expecting to add a third into their mix… but neither of them are opposed to the idea either. When they meet Mikey, they’re drawn to him from the first moment. He’s a human exposed to their world, though, and the consequences are severe. Can Asher and Quillon protect their new human mate from the forces that threaten him? 

Likes:

  • Mikey and his abilities.
  • Mikey’s foster parents.
  • Manticore.
  • Explains how Mikey and his mates meet.
  • Free.

Dislikes:

  • Asher and Quillon aren’t well rounded.
  • Didn’t hook me.
  • Asher was too pushy too fast.
  • The story seems to have several discrepancies with the previous books.
  • Lack of information and reaction.
  • Mikey’s abilities aren’t explained.
  • Very rushed.

As much as I didn’t care for this story, I’m glad it exists. Plus, it’s free. Mikey and his mates show up briefly at the beginning of Next to Nothing, and this story tells how they got together.

When it comes to romance, I need to like both main characters. Or in this case, all three. Mikey was easy to like. He’s suffered from flickers ever since he was young, and it was the reason he was put in the foster system in the first place. His foster parents deserve a huge shout out for giving him a home and helping him find a way to manage the flickers as best as possible.

Neither Asher nor Quillon were well rounded enough for me to become attached to. In fact, Asher’s pushiness towards claiming Mikey was a huge turn off. It was less ‘I’m an alpha and must protect my mate’ and more ‘I have found my mate and he must become mine no matter what he wants.’

Asher did have some character growth on that last part. He started off buying Mikey expensive and unwanted gifts, and after having them turned down, finally realized that having a fun date was the better choice. It was nice to see, but I wish Asher had been more proactive in trying to find out what Mikey wanted. He stumbled on the date idea by accident, and spent very little time actually talking to Mikey.

And that’s the problem. This story is only 58 pages long, and includes way way too much for such a short story. There’s no time to develop anything or answer pressing questions. Only one date was shown, which meant that the special little moments where people fall in love were missing. Other dates are referenced, but happen off page. The question of why Mikey has flickers, or how his foster parents knew how to find a blessed amulet aren’t even brought up.

Not to mention the fact that Mikey always thought he was seeing monsters, but didn’t have any kind of negative reaction to finding out that he was mates to two. I’m blaming this, and a lot of my complaints, on the short length. This is a free story, and I get the feeling that Blake didn’t want to put too much time and effort into it. Mikey meeting his mates could have easily been a novel of its own, but since they’re all essentially side characters who only show up briefly in the next novel, there was no point in a full story.

My final complaint is that there seem to be a few discrepancies from the other novels. Mikey feels a bond snap into place between him and his mates, which has never been mentioned before with any of the other couples. And Asher and Quillon haven’t shifted for years, when the Jerrick pack needs to shift regularly.

I think this short story goes to show that, while I’m enjoying the series overall, I have to accept that Blake simply isn’t the kind of author who excels at in-depth characters or world building. And this story really highlights those weaknesses.

Be sure to check out my reviews for the rest of the series – Sweet Nothings (The Chosen One #0.5), The Trouble with Love (The Chosen One #0.75), Santa Trouble (The Chosen One #0.76), All or Nothing (The Chosen One #1), Nothing Ventured (The Chosen One #2), Hell on Earth (Hellhound Champions #1).

Review: Hell on Earth (Hellhound Champions #1) by Macy Blake

A good first book, but I could have done with the spoiler from Next to Nothing.

4.5 out of 5 stars

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 219 pages. Published October 23rd 2018

Blurb:

Protector. Boogeyman. Hellhound. Meshaq has been called it all. As alpha of the hellhounds, his goddess has tasked him with protecting the secrets of the supernatural world. He’s the police of other creatures and the enforcer of the goddess’s rules. If his duty leaves him lonely and longing for a mate and a larger pack, well, the goddess knows the secrets of his heart and she will grant them if it is her will.

Drew Metcalf is a man on the run. When he finds himself in a biker bar surrounded by leather wearing giants, he thinks he’s a goner. But there’s something different about the man slinging drinks. He makes Drew feel safe, something he hasn’t felt in a long time.

When Drew and Shaq’s worlds collide, a different kind of magic happens. Shaq doesn’t understand why he’s so drawn to the human whose life is shrouded in mystery and danger. What Shaq does know is that Drew needs his protection. Magical forces are at work, beginning a battle that will require all of Shaq’s skill as the goddess’s champion. With a terrifying threat looming, Shaq and Drew are in danger of losing more than their hearts.

Likes:

  • Shaq and Drew, together and separately.
  • Hooked me fast.
  • The side characters.
  • Hot smut.
  • Set up future books nicely.
  • The groups of beings who came to see Drew.

Dislikes:

  • Lack of world building typical of this series.
  • Don’t know much about Drew or Shaq’s history.
  • Spoiler from Next to Nothing.
  • Discrepancies between the books.

I’ve had a strange experience with books by Macy Blake. I really enjoyed Sweet Nothings, then All or Nothing almost made me give up on the series. But I stuck with The Chosen One series, only to have Next to Nothing spoil part of this book. Which made me furious. I fucking hate spoilers.

I am all for authors writing multiple series that exist within the same world. I actually enjoy it. This is something different. This is multiple series set in the same world, happening at the same time, with overlapping characters and events, so you get spoilers if you don’t flip back and forth between the series in a specific order.

So I came into this book knowing some things that don’t happen until the end, but without much more context. I was excited about Meshaq being the main character because I’ve liked him as a side character in other books. He’s definitely got typical alpha attitude and mojo, but he isn’t an asshole. The fact that he takes in ‘stray’ people as employees at his bar, and better yet, that they trust him enough to stay, said a lot about him.

Drew’s situation was what got me hooked. He didn’t know anything about the supernatural world, but was being targeted by a wolf pack. I was glad that nothing worse than a little intimidation had happened to him.

It was fun seeing Meshaq’s reaction to Drew. He didn’t realize they were mates for a while, since no one has found a mate in ages. It’s gotten to a point where hellhounds are a dying breed. But it was cute to see Meshaq trying to prove to Drew that he could provide.

The two men fit together really well, and the romance was sweet. Just a little bit of smut, nothing like what happened in All or Nothing, thankfully. And the book set up the next in the series nicely.

There wasn’t as much information about hellhounds as I would have liked. Then again, I’ve been complaining about the lack of world building in every Macy Blake book. I also would have liked to know more about Meshaq and Drew’s pasts.

There were a few discrepancies between this book and others set in the same universe. Meshaq seemed to think of mates as almost mythical and he hadn’t ever seen one. Then what about Henry and his mates? Or Sam and Vaughn? Meshaq literally says he needs to do research on mates because no one has seen one in such a long time.

The side characters were a fun addition to the book, both the human and the fey. I look forward to seeing more of them in future books. And it was nice to see Ollie and Natasha again.

Be sure to check out my reviews for the rest of the Chosen Universe – Sweet Nothings (The Chosen One #0.5), The Trouble with Love (The Chosen One #0.75), Santa Trouble (The Chosen One #0.76), All or Nothing (The Chosen One #1), Nothing Ventured (The Chosen One #2).

Review: Nothing Ventured (The Chosen One #2) by Macy Blake

Glad I gave the series another shot. Liked this book so much better than the first.

4 out of 5 stars

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 234 pages. Published April 2020 (first published August 19th 2018)

Blurb:

A Gay Paranormal Harem Romance

Sawyer Smith is woefully unprepared for the dangers that come with being part of the supernatural world. As a magical null, he is human and vulnerable, even with the powerful, sexy guardians who have claimed him as their own. When a simple visit turns deadly, Sawyer’s mates take action and whisk him away to the clan of rich and powerful griffins.

As a griffin, Eduard Eastaughffe is considered supernatural royalty, but even with all his wealth and power, his duty as a guardian must come before all else. If he can convince his clan to support his newfound mates and not judge the fact they include a dragon, a vampire, a mage, and–Goddess forbid–a human, the rest of the clans may fall in line without much of a fight.

Danger lurks in close quarters and a new guardian is revealed. If Sawyer hopes to discover the ancient enemy hunting the Chosen One, he must survive the newest tests facing him. Because at the end of the day, when you’re a human among magical creatures, it’s nothing ventured… nothing gained.

Likes:

  • So much better than the previous book.
  • Got to know the characters better.
  • Saeward.
  • Hot smut.
  • Strong non-romantic plot.
  • Finally started to see some of what makes Sawyer special.
  • Cecil, Viv, and Ms. Robinson.
  • The men are making special connections with each other.

Dislikes:

  • Could still use a ton more world building.
  • Ends on something of a cliffhanger.

I’m so glad I gave this series another shot. I had a lot of complaints about the first book, and I was worried that it would be more of the same in this one. Thankfully, this book is a lot better. It’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s head and shoulders above the last.

There was a lot more character building and character growth in this book, and not just because it’s the second book with the same characters. I liked when Draco admitted that, as a shifter who feels things instinctively, he needs to vocalize things more for the two humans. And not just for the humans. It’s important for things to be out in the open for the readers too.

Each man has his own love language. Draco is possessive, carrying his mates around and feeding them. Andvari makes sure everyone is protected. It’s little things like that which made the book more enjoyable, in part because of feelings. The guys didn’t really talk about their feelings much. But they began to show them more. It wasn’t just physical attraction and a lot of sex.

Speaking of sex, there was still a lot, but not in big chunks like the previous book. The sex this time honestly did move the relationships along. It wasn’t just hot, it was necessary to the story. Which is the best kind of sex. I especially liked that the men are starting to create special things between each of them. They’re still polygamous, but there’s something special between each pairing that’s for them and them alone.

The non-romantic plot was really interesting, and it moved at a good pace. Not much of it is mentioned in the blurb, and I was surprised at how much happened in this book. I won’t spoil anything, but I will say that I enjoyed meeting Saeward, even if how it happened was less than ideal. Then, at the end of the book, something happens that, while not a true cliffhanger, definitely made me want to hurry and start reading the next book.

There’s still not a ton of world building, which leaves me with so many questions. The thing I’m most curious about is how the gods and deities work. It’s not just the Mother Goddess. Her daughters are also Goddesses, and then there are forgotten deities. Admittedly, part of why I want things explained is because I don’t want to end up feeling like new pieces of information are being dropped just to make the plot work.

Eduard got lots of attention since he took everyone to his family estate. Learning about the griffons and Eduard’s history was nice. It was a little bit of world building, but still not a lot. The clothing try-on scene was fun.

The final thing I noticed was that we’re finally beginning to see why Sawyer’s so special. It’s not enough for the Mother Goddess to say he is. It wasn’t a huge moment, but when Sawyer got Eduard’s dad to open up and accept him, it was really sweet. All the more so because it helped mend the rift between father and son.

I am definitely looking forward to getting to the next book. If the quality is better, that would be great, but even if it’s equal to this one, I’ll be happy. 

Be sure to check out the previous books in the series – Sweet Nothings (The Chosen One #0.5), The Trouble with Love (The Chosen One #0.75), Santa Trouble (The Chosen One #0.76), All or Nothing (The Chosen One #1).