Month: February 2022

Review: Stop Dragon My Heart Around (Magic Emporium) by Rachel Langella

Heavy on the tropes, but still a fun read.

4 out of 5 stars

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 181 pages. Published April 1st 2021 by Independently Published

Blurb:

Sometimes Fate has a bizarre sense of humor.

Or at least it seems that way to Gus, owner of the Rainbow Room, Asheville’s main hangout for gay paranormals. He’s seen Fate catch up with the patrons of his bar while he served drinks and listened to their stories for three hundred years. He found all of it amusing, until his fated mate walks in and suddenly the twists aren’t so funny any longer!

Bear Hickes is a mage who specializes in fire, but life has lost its spark since his twin brother got married and left him alone. His older brother, Whimsy, is determined to help Bear find happiness no matter how much Bear objects, but meeting Gus gives Bear a wonderful idea: if Gus will pretend to be his boyfriend, Whimsy will get off his case. And somewhere along the line, Bear finds he wants it to be for real.

But there are secrets Gus is keeping from not just Bear, but the whole world. And when those secrets catch up with him at last, the danger won’t be just for Gus alone.

This story is set in the Asheville Arcana universe, but can be read as a standalone.

Stop Dragon My Heart Around is part of the multi-author Magic Emporium Series. Each book stands alone, but each one features an appearance by Marden’s Magic Emporium, a shop that can appear anywhere, but only once and only when someone’s in dire need. This book contains explicit scenes and a guaranteed HEA. 

Likes:

  • Gus and Bear, together and separately.
  • Good amount of secrets surrounding Gus.
  • Gus didn’t want to force the mate bond on Bear.
  • Bear’s art.
  • The romance’s slow build.
  • How Gus shifted.
  • The way the emporium item was used.

Dislikes:

  • Heavy reference to previous books in the series.
  • I don’t remember Bear ever telling Gus he wanted to stop fake dating.
  • Whimsey got annoying.
  • Book relies heavily on tropes.
  • Not much world building.

While I enjoyed this book, one of the most memorable things about it was something that annoyed me. Whereas the previous books in this multi-author series have been standalone, this one is part of an ongoing series. And despite the comment in the blurb that it can be read as a standalone, there was a ton of references to previous couples and events. The references happen all throughout the book, and got really annoying. The book ended up feeling like an advertisement for the Asheville Arcana series.

That annoyance aside, I did enjoy the story. Fake dating isn’t my favorite trope, but I liked that Gus immediately realized he and Bear were mates. Since Bear didn’t, Gus was left trying to keep all of his many secrets while trying not to fall in love.

Considering the title, it wasn’t hard to figure out what kind of supernatural Gus was. His backstory was tragic, and it made total sense that he wouldn’t want to subject Bear to the dangers of being mated to a dragon. I loved the way Gus shifted. It was a really unique take on dragons and their hoards.

Bear was a good guy, but he’d become withdrawn after his twin brother got married and moved away. Seeing him open up to Gus and regain his creative spark was nice. The way Bear used his fire magic to work glass was really fun. Plus, I loved that he and his family were keeping their cultural heritage alive.

The romance took its time, but I didn’t mind. The fake dating quickly turned into real feelings, though Gus stubbornly tried to hide the mate bond until the last minute. Yes, the tropes were strong with this book. No, it’s not the most original thing out there. But anyone who read the blurb would have been able to pick up on that. My only real complaint about the romance is that I don’t remember Bear ever actually telling Gus that he wants to stop the fake dating and do it for real.

The sinister presence that leads to the climactic ending could have been more notable. It was there, but neither character did much about the signs. Luckily, the emporium item came to the rescue once again. I loved how unique and seemingly random the item was, and how it was used.

I’ll definitely give the Asheville Arcana series a read soon. There’s not much world building in this book, so I’m hoping there’s more in the previous ones. I’m still unhappy with how heavy handed the references to the previous books were, but hopefully I’ll like the three couples enough that it evens out.

Review: The Young Man’s Guide to Love and Loyalty (Magic Emporium) by Clara Merrick

The romance was lacking and the ending was HFN not HEA. Disappointed because it wasn’t what I expected / what it promised to be.

2.75 out of 5 stars

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 218 pages. Published March 11th 2021

Blurb:

Loyalty is Lieutenant Owain Morgan’s watchword—loyalty to England’s Queen Elizabeth XII, to her daughter the Princess of Wales, and to the Royal Navy in which he serves. When his loyalty leads him into danger, an unseen something—or someone—lends a helping hand. Is he imagining it? Could it be a guardian angel? Or is it someone—or something—else?

Enter the intriguing Benjamin Fletcher. Owain knows that sharing a drink and a steamy afternoon together doesn’t have to mean anything, but Benjamin’s quiet charm works its way into his heart…. Until Benjamin turns up in the Earl of Essex’s retinue, that same Earl who, rumor says, is angling to marry the Princess of Wales and make her power his own.

Every encounter with Benjamin binds Owain’s heart more tightly to this enigmatic man yet tests his loyalty to Queen and Country. Will Owain be forced to choose between love and loyalty?

The Young Man’s Guide to Love and Loyalty is part of the Magic Emporium Series. Each book stands alone, but each one features an appearance by Marden’s Magic Emporium, a shop that can appear anywhere, but only once and only when someone’s in dire need. This alternate history contains princesses, palaces, steam trains, fumbling lovers, and a guaranteed HEA. 

Likes:

  • Alternate historical setting.
  • Women in positions of power.
  • Owain was an interesting character.
  • Lots of hints about what was going on behind the scenes.
  • The non-romantic plot.
  • Watching Owain try to figure out what was going on.

Dislikes:

  • I have no idea why Owain was pulled into the central plot.
  • There isn’t much romance.
  • Anyone who knows who Mab is figured things out much sooner than Owain.
  • Owain and Benjamin don’t spend much time together.
  • The emporium item wasn’t as special as others in past books.
  • HFN ending, not HEA like blurb promised.

I’m definitely a little disappointed in this book. A big part of that is because the story didn’t meet my expectations. I expected this to be a romance set in an alternate historical timeline. In reality, the romance, what little there is, is far from the most important thing going on.

Owain was an interesting character to follow. He’s a relatively normal guy for all that he’s a naval first lieutenant. He has no idea about anything supernatural or mystical, except for the fact that he gets repeatedly saved by a mysterious force several times within the first 8% of the book.

Despite this, Owain doesn’t think to look into that mysterious force. He just does his job, reporting to the higher ups about his latest mission. When he meets a handsome guy who seems interested in them, they waste no time sleeping together, and while Owain wouldn’t mind doing it again, there’s nothing that ties them together.

I think, if this story hadn’t been a part of a romance series, and was instead presented as an alternate history with a dash of romance, I’d have been happier. Because the non-romantic plot was interesting. Political plots, assassination attempts, betrayal and double crossing, mystical forces, and poor unaware Owain caught up in the middle of it all. I’m not sure why he was brought into things. Him being asked to help protect the princess seemed to come out of left field. Especially because he spent almost the entire book trying to piece together what was going on.

But Owain’s involvement with the princess did allow him to see Benjamin again. They didn’t spend a lot of time together, and there was none of the typical ‘getting to know each other and falling in love’ of a typical romance novel. It was more like Owain couldn’t stop wondering what was going on with Benjamin. Just one more mystery added to the list of things Owain didn’t fully understand.

Everything was explained eventually. Of course, any reader familiar with who Mab is figured out the basics much sooner than Owain did. Unfortunately, with how long it took for Owain to understand everything fully, the ending suffered. It’s definitely not a happily ever after. More of a happily for now. Which, again, I wouldn’t have minded if it wasn’t that the blurb guarantees a HEA (happily ever after).

My final gripe about the book was the item that came form the emporium. In all the other books, the item has been something seemingly random but super specific. Something that, without which, the happy ending couldn’t have been achieved. The item in this book could have been replaced with dozens of other things. In the end, it was nothing more than a distraction, instead of being of vital importance.

A part of me feels like I’m being too harsh on this book. It wasn’t bad. It just didn’t do what it promised. And honestly, it felt out of place in the series. Like maybe it had been written already and the emporium elements had been shoehorned in.

Review: Purgatory Playhouse (Magic Emporium) by E.J. Russell

A fun, low angst story with plenty of things for theater and mythology nerds to enjoy.

3.5 out of 5 stars

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 185 pages. Published March 25th 2021 by Reality Optional Press

Blurb:

The very last thing out-of-work theater technician TD Baylor should have done was blow his last ten bucks on a crapshoot. He was one couch-surf shy of homeless, for Pete’s sake. But as he was trudging along suburban Boston streets with all his worldly possessions in tow, the sign in the window of an over-the-top Halloween pop-up caught his eye: Marden’s Magic Emporium. With the way his luck was running lately, he figured magic might be the only thing that could fix his life, so… what the hell.

He didn’t realize that hell was an operative word.

Okay, maybe not hell, per se. But what TD thought were some unnecessarily kickass special effects (the three-headed dog guarding the door of the underground theater was a real winner) turn out to be…more.

Because now he’s helping to mount a musical production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Greek pantheon, and there’s more than bad reviews on the line for the performers. A good show could mean redemption for one of them. A bad show…

Yeah, did he mention that part about hell?

Purgatory Playhouse is part of the multi-author Magic Emporium Series. Each book stands alone, but each one features an appearance by Marden’s Magic Emporium, a shop that can appear anywhere, but only once and only when someone’s in dire need. This book contains a desperate theater techie, a production assistant who’s sort of, um, not alive, Greek gods behaving badly, and a guaranteed HEA. 

Likes:

  • TD and Lonnie, together and separately.
  • TD thinking of the crew when he negotiated his salary.
  • Lonnie’s personal journey.
  • Lots of tidbits for Mythology and theater nerds.
  • Made me think of the Greek myths in a new way.
  • The ending was very satisfying.

Dislikes:

  • Felt longer than it was.
  • Would have liked for TD and Lonnie to have spent more time together.
  • The reason why TD could do some special things wasn’t explained.
  • The ending felt a little rushed.

This book is unapologetic about how nerdy it is when it comes to theater and Greek mythology. I’m not a theater nerd, but enough was explained for me to understand what was going on and why it was important. I do know a fair amount about Greek mythology, and the explanations of who people and gods were was enough without being too much.

While the story didn’t instantly hook me, I liked that TD encountered the Emporium right away. Did I know the reason he was given three dog biscuits? Yes, but I wasn’t mad about that. I liked how TC found himself working for the playhouse, and how quickly the plot got moving.

TD was easy to like, especially when he included the crew in his salary negotiations. Even thought he didn’t know most of the people, he cared enough to make sure they were comfortable. That care lasted the entire story, and it was definitely my favorite part of TD’s character.

Lonnie wasn’t as instantly likeable. He wasn’t bad, but it took a while for him to shine. Part of that was on purpose. Lonnie needed to finally step forward and fight for something he wanted. The journey he went through made me like him a lot.

The book as a whole felt longer than it was. Part of that was because there was a lot going on, and a lot of things pulling both men, especially TD, in many directions. The story makes it clear that a lot goes into a normal production, and that’s without dealing with interfering gods.

Speaking of the gods, I definitely will look at the Greek myths differently after reading this book. The gods really are assholes, and this book holds nothing back in showing it at every turn.

I do wish that TD and Lonnie had had spent more time together. Their attraction was quick and mutual. But I wanted to see them really get to know one another on a deeper level. Really see them fall in love. The spark between them was there, and I definitely felt that they were a good match. But with the looming deadline keeping everyone busy, they didn’t have much time to spare for falling-in-love moments.

I have one big question that was never answered or even addressed. TD could do some things that no one else seemed able to do. Even the other characters commented on it. I want to know why.

The ending was very satisfying in every way except one. Things felt rushed. One minute everything felt normal, like the story was building up to something big, and then TD was back in the human world and the story resolved quickly after that. It felt a little abrupt. I definitely wouldn’t mind a follow up story or novella showing how everyone’s doing a few months or even years down the road. Or even a story about some of the side characters.