Review: Incidental Magic by Jordan Castillo Price

An interesting magical world.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Ebook. 67 pages. Published January 1st 2021 by JCP Books

Blurb:

A magical bureaucrat is desperate to prove he’s more than just a paper-pusher and win a mysterious shopkeeper’s heart.

Likes:

  • Unique magical world.
  • Most of my questions got answered.
  • Casey’s solution to the lack of snow.
  • How Azure’s magic works.
  • Casey is nice.

Dislikes:

  • Casey is a doormat.
  • So many questions.
  • How does nobody remember what causes magic to really work?
  • The many questions took forever to be answered, and it got annoying.
  • Blurb doesn’t reveal much about the story.
  • Not much time spent on the romance.

Every once in a while I’ll come across a short story that could have easily been turned into a longer work. This is one of those stories. The blurb didn’t offer much, so I was expecting a very typical magical society. What I got was something unique and different.

The way the magical world was set up is the part of the story that stands out the most. Casey’s mom actually says, “we both know magic is a dying art” and encourages him to be a plumber. Because magic isn’t something that people can just use. They need a special object. And those objects are becoming harder to find and less powerful.

No one seems to remember how or why magic really works. The story is framed in a way that makes people seem selfish and greedy. It definitely felt like an allegory to how humans pursue money at the expense of things that are more important. But it also brought up a lot of questions. Like why people don’t remember the truth of how magic works.

Casey was likeable because of his idealism. He was also a little annoying because he was a doormat. No explanation was made for why he never stood up for himself. His boss was a corrupt creep. The Agency seemed like a bureaucratic nightmare filled with self-centered people. The only reason he didn’t quit was because it was the only way for him to have access to a magical object. An explanation that felt a little thin, especially given how unhappy he seemed with his job.

Azure was interesting, mostly due to the mystery that surrounded him. So much about him and his people could have easily been expanded on to make a much longer story. I’m glad all of my questions eventually got answered, but there was a time about halfway through the story that I had more questions than answers. That’s when I began to get annoyed with everything being shrouded in mystery and just wanted straight talk.

The romance was fine. Insta-lust and some flirting. Then a time jump to them being together. It worked for the story, but wasn’t what I was hoping for. I wanted more time spent on the romance.

I did like the paragraph after the story explaining how the story began with two words scribbled on a post-it note. I liked the creativity and uniqueness of the story. If that creativity is evident in Price’s other, longer works, I’ll definitely pick something up.

Review: Son of Beauty, God of Death by Sera Trevor

An interesting read inspired by Greek mythology.

4 out of 5 stars

Kindle Edition. 135 pages. Published May 19th 2019

Blurb:

Love blooms, even in death…

When the goddess of beauty steals a precious flower from Thaedus, god of death, he demands retribution—her son Prosoper must become his prisoner. To his surprise, Prosoper is far from an unwilling captive.

Prosoper has been kept isolated from the world by his mother, who is determined to protect his innocence. But Prosoper is nearly two centuries old and longs to break free from his mother’s control.

Only the God of Death can give Prosoper the chance at life he desires. And only the Son of Beauty can save Thaedus from despair.

This fantasy novella is inspired by the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone, with a gay romance twist! Perfect for fans of mythology and fairy tales. 

Likes:

  • Interesting premise.
  • Inspired by Greek mythology.
  • Certia, goddess of wisdom.
  • Both men.
  • The ending.
  • Thaedus’s backstory.
  • The way souls in the underworld became flowers.

Dislikes:

  • Faux Greek names.
  • Prosper was treated like an idiot child by his mother.
  • The romance didn’t have a ton of page space.

This was a fun story to read, with an interesting premise and likeable characters. I am a big fan of Greek mythology, and I enjoyed seeing the clear references.

The faux Greek names were a little annoying at first. My mind filled in the real names, especially since they were often similar to the names used – Zureus instead of Zeus, Mount Alympos instead of Mount Olympus, Osideon instead of Poseidon, etc. If anything, I would have preferred the names to be farther from the originals.

Both Prosoper and Thaedus were easy to sympathize with. Prosoper was treated like an idiot child by his mother, Kleo, the goddess of beauty. Her attempt to keep him innocent and untarnished was nothing but selfish, and even in the end I don’t think she ever really understood that what she’d done to him was wrong.

To be fair, the way Kleo and the other gods acted was in line with the way mythology presents them. The gods are vain and self-centered. They don’t really care what impact their actions have on mortals. And despite the fact that Prosoper isn’t a mortal, he’s not a god either. And that made him lesser in the eyes of everyone in power.

I expected it to be a little difficult to sympathize with Thaedus, since he’s the god of death. But he turned out to be very likeable. He’s lonely, and has been for a long time. His backstory was moving, as was the way he always kept his dead lover close to his heart.

I really enjoyed the way the underworld looked, with all the flowers. I also liked the idea that even the gods don’t know everything about what happens to souls after they move through the veil.

The romance itself felt like it happened very quickly. There was a lot of setup to this story. Both Thaedus and Prosoper’s lives and histories had to be told, as well as getting to the reason they ended up stuck together. Because of that, the romance itself didn’t leave as big of an impression on me as the overall story did. But it was there, and it was sweet. Especially the ending.

Certia gets a shout out. The goddess of wisdom, she’s the one pulling the strings to get everything to work out well.

Overall, this novella was well written, and I will definitely check out more of Sera Trevor’s works eventually.

Series Review: The Rowan Harbor Cycle by Sam Burns

I am so glad I picked up this series!

Series Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Books:

Likes:

  • Great main characters.
  • Great side characters.
  • Cozy, accepting town.
  • Magic, shifters, vampires, dryads, and more.
  • Low angst.
  • Set of three trilogies.
  • Each book was self-contained but blended with the larger plot.
  • The larger plot.
  • Each book had its own bad guy.
  • Sweet romances.

Dislikes:

  • Wished for a bit more focus on the romance.
  • Missed some moments in the romances because of book structure.
  • Wished the final fights with the bad guys was more intense.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become particular about what books I read. They have to match my mood. And the Rowan Harbor books were exactly what I was looking for. I wanted something that was fun and low angst without being sickly sweet and lovey dovey. And that’s exactly what I got.

The Rowan Harbor series is simple, but in a good way. In each book, the main character has a goal and they get it done. Part of this is because the books are all under 200 pages long. It made them feel like they went by in a flash, and I could easily read one in a day. The low angst also helped. Even though each of the three main characters, Devon, Jesse, and Fletcher, had personal and romantic things to go through, none of it caused huge emotional upheaval.

I loved the way the books are structured, even though I was surprised by it when I first began reading. The series is actually three trilogies back-to-back, with each main character getting one book in each trilogy. Not only have I never read anything structured like that before, but it worked really well with the bigger overall plot.

A new villain threatens the town in each book, which keeps the bigger plot moving, while also allowing each book to have a good ending. Devon, Jesse, and Fletcher each have a special ability and is called on to help protect the town in their own unique way. None of the men initially think they’re up to the task, but they always come through, and grow as people in the process.

All the books are in first person point of view, and it’s easy to like all three men. Each meets their love interest, and throughout the trilogies, their romances slowly bloom. There are sweet moments and smutty ones, and each couple gets a happily ever after ending in the final trilogy.

I do feel like the romances are secondary to the ‘save the town’ plots, which came as a surprise when I began the series. It did end up working out, since the romances do keep changing and evolving through the series. Do I still think the romances could have taken up a little more page space? Yes. I was also disappointed that, because of the way the series is structured, some of the important romantic moments were missed. Like the first time Jesse and Sean made love.

The thing that annoyed me most about this series was the fights with the villains. There’s one in each book, and they’re generally over very quickly. I grew up reading high fantasy, where fighting the bad guy took up a lot of page space. So a big part of this was simply my expectation. When I stepped back and looked at it, the short fights suit both the books and the characters better.

There are two short stories mixed in with the novels. Both were worth a read, though I think only In Any Light was a necessary read. It was nice to see some asexual representation, as well as romance between two women. I also have to give a shout out to Sam Burns for including so many kick ass female characters in the books. In fact, all the side characters were awesome.

The town of Rowan Harbor reminded me of the quaint small towns often found in cozy mysteries. It’s almost a character in and of itself. Everyone knows everyone else, and the people can really come together in times of need. I loved that there was no mention of homophobia in any of the books.

Almost every book in the series got a 5 star rating from me. Obviously, I enjoyed the books immensely, and think the series is well worth a read. It had a nice blend of typical urban fantasy tropes – like vampires and shifters – as well as less typical ones like dryads and fey. I will definitely read more from Sam Burns in the future.

Review: Cinder by Marie Sexton

An interesting Cinderella retelling.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Kindle Edition. 80 pages. Published February 4th 2012

Blurb:

A CinderFella Story

Eldon Cinder would give anything to see Prince Xavier one last time, but only women are invited to the royal ball. When the local witch offers to make Eldon female for just one night, he agrees.

One spell.

One night.

One dance.

What could possibly go wrong?

Likes:

  • Short but complete.
  • A good fairytale retelling.
  • Just different enough from the source material to make it unique.
  • The initial friendship was sweet.
  • Interesting ending.
  • Milton.

Dislikes:

  • Angst was just a little too real.
  • Lots of potential problems glossed over.

I am not the biggest fan of fairytale retellings. I find most of them boring because, even with changes made to the story, it’s like a train that can only follow the track it’s already on. But the blurb intrigued me. So I gave it a shot. And I’m glad I did.

The basic structure of the Cinderella story remains, but a lot of the details have been changed. Honestly, this story reminds me more of the movie Ever After than the typical Disney tale. That’s part of what makes this story work so well. Eldon is still treated like a servant, but he meets the price before the ball. In fact, they become friends.

If it wasn’t for Eldon’s desire to say goodbye to Xavier, the romance wouldn’t have progressed. Sure, Eldon develops a huge crush on the prince. And the angst from it throughout the story was real. But even though I knew the two men would have a happy ending, I wasn’t sure how it would happen.

The female transformation, which was mentioned in the blurb, was part of what caught my interest. I wondered how it would work. The witch was an interesting character, and I liked that she was firmly on Eldon’s side. I also liked that just because Eldon’s body was female didn’t mean he automatically had the grace to move well.

Eldon’s stepsisters were the perfect mean girls. I loved how Jessalyn’s attempts to separate Eldo and Xavier only pushed them closer. Watching her get her comeuppance was very satisfying. And Milton gets a special shout out for being such a good dog.

My one complaint was how many potential problems were glossed over. I know it’s a short story, and to address the problems would have taken the length of a novel at least. But I would have at least liked for them to be acknowledged.

Review: Wren and Oak (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #9) by Sam Burns

A great ending to the series.

5 out of 5 stars

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 145 pages. Published December 26th 2019

Blurb:

Rowan Harbor has been peaceful for a now unprecedented two months, but everyone knows it’s the calm before the storm. The Summer king is coming for the thorn—a weapon destined to bring his end—and Fletcher has never felt so helpless.

When the disturbing dreams start and his mentor, Oak, is hesitant to discuss them, Fletcher doesn’t know where to turn. He and his boyfriend Conner are in the process of moving in together, and he doesn’t want to add anything else to Conner’s list of concerns.

With a vengeful fae waiting for his chance to raze Rowan Harbor to the ground, Fletcher has to find a way to protect everything he loves and survive the coming storm. 

Likes:

  • Great ending to the series.
  • Great ending to Fletcher and Connor’s romance.
  • How supportive everyone is.
  • I don’t have as much of a book hangover as I expected.
  • The town is finally safe.
  • The way Fletcher handled the King fit him perfectly.
  • Fletcher’s powers are amazing.
  • Town bureaucracy finally moving forward.

Dislikes:

  • Started with a dream sequence.
  • Fletcher’s lack of self-confidence.
  • Some sad parts.

I love stories that make me wonder how the hero is going to succeed, and then when the answer is revealed, it’s so obvious and perfect it feels like there could be no other ending. That’s how I felt when Fletcher defeated the Summer King. Which isn’t a spoiler. He was obviously going to do it. The question was, could he do it without sacrificing everything?

There were sacrifices in this book. It was inevitable. All the bad guys, all the threats, have been building up to this fight. The most powerful villain. And poor Fletcher, who feels like he can never live up to how great the other people in his life are.

Like with Jesse and Sean, there was some stuff Connor and Fletcher had to work through before they could get their happy ending. Fletcher’s lack of self-confidence has been present in all of his books, but never as intensely as this one. After everything he’s done, and being trained by Oak, he still felt “small, unimportant, and powerless compared to his friends.” And that includes Connor, his smart, rich, magical boyfriend.

In a way, it took a strong support network, and a bit of slow-moving bureaucracy, to make Fletcher finally feel settled. And major props to Fletcher’s dad for being awesome. With this book, Fletcher finally came to realize that he has a place in Rowan Harbor. That the people looked at him as one of their own. And that his presence is irreplaceable.

So much happened in this book that’s not in the blurb, and I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say that Fletcher went through a lot. There were some tears, both from characters in the story and a few of my own, but the ending really made me think that the town and its residents would be safe and happy from here on out.

My one big gripe is that the book started with a dream sequence. I’m not a fan of that tactic. It did have a solid purpose here, so it gets a pass.

I think everything was so well wrapped up with this book that I don’t have as much of a book hangover as I expected. All the characters are neatly paired off and happy. Devon and Wade, Jesse and Sean, Cassie and Isla, Fletcher and Connor. They’ve gone through relationship troubles, dealt with villains, and faced their inner demons. In the end, they’ve all come out stronger. I am supremely satisfied with the ending, both of the book and the series as a whole. I will definitely pick up something else by Sam Burns one of these days, and hope she keeps writing for decades to come!

Review: Salmon and the Hazel (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #8) by Sam Burns

A great way to wrap up Sean and Jesse’s story. Loved ever minute of it.

5 out of 5 stars

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 170 pages. Published July 4th 2019

Blurb:

Jesse’s only priority in life is protecting the people he loves, so he’s determined to see Rowan Harbor’s wards rebuilt. There’s just one problem: they’re missing an ingredient that can’t be ordered online.

Jesse volunteers to search for the missing component in the realm of the fae, but his boyfriend, Sean, isn’t letting him go alone. The town has an enemy among the fae, so they’ll need to keep a low profile. Along their way, they find unexpected allies, surprising enemies, and a whole host of problems.

The journey is a test of their endurance, but also of their relationship and their faith in each other. Can they find what they need and get back home in one piece in time for the summer solstice? 

Likes:

  • A great ending to Jesse and Sean’s romance.
  • Dude.
  • Sean doing magic.
  • How Faerie was set up and operated.
  • Unexpected meetings.
  • Finally found out about the thorn.
  • A good setup for the final book.

Dislikes:

  • Didn’t get to see Jesse and Sean’s first time.
  • Not much about how Sean’s been doing was mentioned.
  • Jesse was still willing to get hurt for the town.

I am really looking forward to the final book in the series. Salmon and the Hazel set everything up really well, like I’d expected. A lot of questions were answered in this book, including about what the thorn is, who’s after it, and why.

I have to admit that I didn’t read the blurb before diving into this book. I’ve loved every book in this series, and downloaded all three of the final books all at once. After a quick break to review Eagle in the Hawthorn, I jumped right into Salmon and the Hazel. So I had no idea that Jesse and Sean were going to take a trip into Faerie. I shouldn’t have been surprised, though. Not since Eagle in the Hawthorn revealed that the final bad guy was fey.

I’ve read enough fantasy books to know what the classic view of Faerie looks like, and this book stuck fairly close to that, with some unique twists. It was nice to get out of Rowan Harbor and go somewhere drenched in magic. This book had it all – some deadly serious moments, some moments of enlightenment, and some humor. A special shout out goes to Dude, who stole the show.

Since this is the last book featuring Jesse and Sean, I knew there would be a lot of emphasis on their relationship, and I wasn’t disappointed. There were still things the two men had to work out, and Jesse had a few revelations of his own during the course of the story. In the end, they feel settled. They didn’t get married the way Devon and Wade did, but I was left with the feeling that Jesse and Sean could withstand whatever life threw at them. And that’s what I really want at the end of a romance. The feeling that they’ll stay together even after I turn the last page.

I was a little disappointed that not much was mentioned about Sean’s depression, which was a major point in Stag and the Ash. It has been a while since Sean’s mother died, and intense grief doesn’t last forever, but I thought it was a bit of an oversight. I was also disappointed that we didn’t get to see them having penetrative sex for the first time. I know that makes me sound like a perv, but they were holding off because they weren’t ready, which made me think that first time would be something special and an important step in their relationship.

I think I’ve commented in each of Jesse’s previous two books that I don’t like how he’s willing to get hurt. It was present again this time, and while I know it’s a part of who he is, it does make me wish he’d cherish himself more.

Unlike with Devon and Wade, I could easily read more about Jesse and Sean. It’s not that Devon and Wade aren’t interesting, but Jesse and Sean feel like they have more room to grow, both personally and with their relationship. This was the first time we really got to see Sean do magic, and I wanted more of that.

I’m so excited about the final book of the series. I can’t wait to get started, but I can also tell I’m going to have one hell of a hard time finding something else that’s as long and top shelf as this series.

Check out my rave reviews for the rest of the series Blackbird in the Reeds (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #1), Wolf and the Holly (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #2), Fox and Birch (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #3), Hawk in the Rowan (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #4), Succubus and the City (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #4.5), Stag and the Ash (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #5), Adder and Willow (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #6), Eagle in the Hawthorn (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #7), as well as Sam Burns’s collaboration with W.M. Fawkes on Poisonwood (Poisonwood & Lyric #1).

Review: In Any Light (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #6.5) by Sam Burns

Well worth reading despite the short length.

4.5 out of 5 stars

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 52 pages. Published February 7th 2019

Blurb:

Isla MacKenzie is probably the strongest witch alive who can’t do magic. Her mentor died and left her with not one, but two jobs that would be difficult for any functional witch to fulfill, and she can’t manage so much as a simple cantrip to get started.

Add to that her growing feelings for Cassidy Simon, the town’s vampire bartender, and she feels like she’s on the precipice of something huge . . . she’s just not sure if it’s going to make her stronger, or kill her. 

Likes:

  • Asexual representation.
  • Get to see what Isla’s going through.
  • Isla’s struggles with her power.
  • Sweet and short.
  • Adds a lot to the series as a whole.
  • Showed Sally and Lachlan’s romance as well.
  • Available on Amazon.

Dislikes:

  • We didn’t get to see the beginning of the relationship.
  • Cassidy and Isla don’t spend a ton of time together during the story.

I definitely think this story added a lot more to the series as a whole than the previous short story, Succubus and the City. Unlike with Sebastian, Isla is well-known to the reader and a big part of both the friend group and the people protecting the town. It makes sense that she gets her own short story.

I am a little disappointed that we don’t get to see the beginning of Isla and Cassidy’s relationship. The story takes place when they’ve been together a while, and they’re already comfortable and settled. Honestly, the story isn’t really about their romance at all. It’s more about Isla feeling overwhelmed by her new duties after Madame Cormier’s death.

One of the things I liked so much about the Rowan Harbor series was that it didn’t shy away from having important and kick-ass female characters the way a lot of MM romance books do. Like Devon, Jesse, and Fletcher, Isla has been forced into a position she doesn’t feel ready for. It’s hinted at in the other books, but it was nice to get something from her point of view, even if it was short.

Cassidy is Isla’s rock, and I love their relationship. I also love that Isla is asexual, and that how she feels towards Cassidy is explained. There’s real affection there, proving that their relationship is every bit as real and fulfilling as any of the three other main characters.

It was also nice to see Sally and Lachlan’s romance finally take a step forward. Their romance has been hinted at in the other books, and both Sally and Lachlan have been important side characters. It was a cute addition to the story, as well as propelling Isla’s plot forward.

My one complaint about the book was that Isla and Cassidy didn’t spend much time together. That makes sense given that the story takes place during the day, when Cassidy is at home. I was just hoping for some more romance. Still, it was worth reading, and had plenty of drama and tension. Not to mention, it’s available on Amazon, unlike Succubus and the City, which you could only get by signing up for Sam Burns’ email list.

Check out my rave reviews for the rest of the series Blackbird in the Reeds (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #1), Wolf and the Holly (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #2), Fox and Birch (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #3), Hawk in the Rowan (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #4), Succubus and the City (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #4.5), Stag and the Ash (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #5), Adder and Willow (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #6), Eagle in the Hawthorn (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #7), as well as Sam Burns’s collaboration with W.M. Fawkes on Poisonwood (Poisonwood & Lyric #1).

Review: Eagle in the Hawthorn (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #7) by Sam Burns

A great way to end Devon and Wade’s romance.

5 out of 5 stars

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 153 pages. Published February 14th 2019

Blurb:

Rowan Harbor has had a tough winter, and Devon Murphy wants nothing more than to make it better. When he proposes a solution to the town’s low morale, it creates a rift in his relationship with his boyfriend, Wade. They’ve hardly ever argued, and when things get tense, Devon has no idea how to handle it.

But an evil presence in his town targets the people Devon loves, he has to put his personal worries aside and face danger down again. Will he be able to protect his town, and if he can, will Wade be waiting for him when it’s done? 

Likes:

  • Much more exciting than Devon’s last book.
  • Devon tops.
  • Hot smut.
  • Unexpected arrivals.
  • Devon has really come into his powers.
  • Oak’s birthday party.
  • A good ending to Devon and Wade’s story.

Dislikes:

  • The rift between Devon and Wade happened because Devon was an idiot.
  • The way Devon took care of the new bad guy was quick and lacked impact.

This book is a little hard to review because so much of what happened in it isn’t mentioned explicitly in the blurb, and I don’t want to spoil anything. But what I can say is that this was a sweet ending to Devon and Wade’s romance.

Devon and Wade have had a relatively smooth relationship. So I was a little surprised when Devon put his foot in his mouth and got Wade mad. Devon isn’t the most romantic guy, but even he should have seen that what he was suggesting was insensitive. I’ve never thought of Devon as stupid, but he came across as an oblivious idiot.

Luckily, Devon realized that he had to make things right again, even if he didn’t fully understand Wade’s point of view. It led to some sweet moments, and brought their romance to a satisfying end. Plus, Devon topped for the first time. I love a good smut scene, and I have to say, it was hot.

As with the previous two trilogies in the series, there’s a new bad guy. Everything that’s happening to the town is still building off the previous books, and it’s nice to see how everything that’s come before is tied together. I get the feeling that the series will be nicely wrapped up by the end of the last book.

I was a little disappointed at how quickly and simply Devon dealt with the bad guy. Blink and you’ll miss it. It lacked both impact and buildup. Despite that, this book was much more exciting than Devon’s last book.

A couple of surprising characters appeared. They added a lot to Devon’s personal story. It was fitting, given that this was Devon’s last book. It gave him closure in his personal life, as well as showing off how much he’s grown into his powers. Even though Devon still has the occasional urge to run away, he’s connected to Rowan Harbor now, and has really become part of the town.

I especially loved Oak’s birthday party. It was sweet, and brought together all of the main characters for a bit of fun in a way that mirrored the beginning of the book. I get the feeling that no one will have much time for partying in the next two books, so it was a nice break for them.

Check out my rave reviews for the rest of the series Blackbird in the Reeds (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #1), Wolf and the Holly (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #2), Fox and Birch (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #3), Hawk in the Rowan (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #4), Succubus and the City (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #4.5), Stag and the Ash (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #5), Adder and Willow (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #6), as well as Sam Burns’s collaboration with W.M. Fawkes on Poisonwood (Poisonwood & Lyric #1).

Review: How to Vex a Vampire (VRC: Vampire Related Crimes #1) by Alice Winters

A good start to a new series, with lots of snark.

4 out of 5 stars

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 360 pages. Published February 18th 2020

Blurb:

Finn
Getting into the vampire-only detective unit was the easy part; what’s going to be more difficult is dealing with my new partner, an ancient vampire who keeps threatening to eat me. The unit has never had a human in it, and Marcus—or as I like to call him, Fangy McFangface—would really prefer to keep it that way. He’s grumpy, short-tempered, and broody, but I have a way with words and I know he’s starting to like me, even if he swears he’s not. But what he doesn’t know is that I didn’t join the unit because I was tired of being a homicide detective, I joined because there is someone after me. They’ve already taken enough from me and I’m afraid they’re going to take all of me if I don’t find someone to help. That’s all Marcus was supposed to be, but now, he’s so much more and I can’t imagine my life without him.

Marcus
The moment the pesky human walked through that door, I knew I had to get rid of him. He’s charming and almost everyone else instantly loves him, but he doesn’t understand how risky it is being part of this unit as a human. But as I get to know the stubborn man, I learn that perhaps he’s not as naive as I once thought. And maybe he’s what I needed to realize there is more to life than just work and my dog. A group arises who is threatening to disrupt the alliance between the humans and the vampires, but Finn is the one who shows me how strong that alliance can be and reminds me why it’s worth protecting. When threats hit closer to home, I realize I would do anything for Finn because he’s brought so much joy to my life—and because he’s mine.

This 105k word book contains: A creative use for undergarments, unintentional splits, a wolfhound who just wants to be a part of things, a vertically challenged human who still manages to wrap every vampire he meets around his little finger, the best date ever, possessiveness, really awkward dancing, some workplace revenge, and just a bite or two. Or three. 

Likes:

  • Snark.
  • Finn is an amputee.
  • Hooked me fast.
  • Good mystery of who Finn is afraid of.
  • Both Finn and Marcus were fun characters.
  • The romance was enjoyable.
  • The smut was good.
  • Artie.
  • Good side characters.
  • Interesting non-romantic plot.

Dislikes:

  • Marcus’s personality didn’t seem as defined as Finn’s.
  • Marcus was a pain in the ass sometimes.
  • The final fight scene was anticlimactic.
  • Not as good as some of the other Alice Winters books I’ve read.
  • The non-romantic plot felt like it dragged on.

There is a downside to really liking an author’s works – not everything will be as good. And while I did enjoy this book, it wasn’t as good as Happy Endings or A Supervillain for Christmas.

The snark was on point, which I’ve come to expect from Alice Winters. Finn had the kind of personality where he can really grate on people, until he finally wears them down and they begin to like him. He was definitely my favorite character, but Marcus was good as well.

I think my main issue with Marcus was that his character didn’t feel as defined as Finn’s did. For as old as he was, I expected a little more maturity, but he acted about the same age as Finn. At one point, Finn described Marcus as grumpy and sassy, which is a strange combination. Marcus could also be a major pain in the ass. The only reason he didn’t become unlikeable was because he never managed to get under Finn’s skin.

I enjoyed watching Finn and Marcus get to know each other. They weren’t exactly enemies at the beginning, but they got along about as well as oil and water. One of the great things about Finn was that he not only challenged all of Marcus’s assumptions about humans, but actively proved them wrong.

Finn is a double amputee, and I always like seeing different kinds of people in my romance. Better yet, his prosthetics played a crucial role in the story. It wasn’t like in the Merrychurch Mysteries series where Mike’s prosthetic foot was barely ever mentioned. Finn has a great quote about how he feels about his prosthetics – “I have so many emotions wrapped around these stupid things that sometimes even I get confused.”

Despite both men getting sections with their point of view, Finn felt more like the main character. He’s got a lot going on in his life to start with, and joining the VRC only added to it. I liked the mystery surrounding his past and the mysterious ‘him’ he was afraid of. But there was one downside. Between the romance, the side plot surrounding Finn’s past, and the non-romantic policework plot, there was a lot in this book. The policework plot was interesting, but sometimes it felt like it was really dragging out.

If I have one major complaint about this book, it was the final fight scene. It was over really fast and felt very anticlimactic. To be fair, the final fight was only with a smaller level boss. The man who hurt Finn is still out there.

Lastly, I have to give a shout out to some great side characters. This is an area where Alice Winters excels. Artie the dog was amazing, and the other vampires working at the VRC turned out great. I am looking forward to getting to Karsyn’s story soon.

Be sure to check out my reviews for the other books in the series, How to Elude a Vampire (VRC: Vampire Related Crimes #2) and How to Lure a Hunter (VRC: Vampire Related Crimes #3).

Review: Adder and Willow (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #6) by Sam Burns

A great way to wrap up the second trilogy of the series.

5 out of 5 stars

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 155 pages. Published October 11th 2018

Blurb:

Fletcher Lane has a problem. His boyfriend’s parents are coming for a visit, and they want to meet up. He’s ready to commit, so what happens if his prospective in-laws don’t like him? And how is he supposed to keep Rowan Harbor’s unique nature a secret when he might be the worst liar ever born?

To make matters worse, when he finds and helps two strangers stuck on the road, it leads him to a new threat: the man who’s been terrorizing the town has set events into motion that endanger more than just Rowan Harbor. Can Fletcher and his friends stop him before there’s nothing but a smoking crater where the Oregon coastline used to be? 

Likes:

  • Instant hook.
  • Lots going on.
  • Fletcher still learning about shifting into an owl.
  • Some questions answered.
  • Noah is both creepy and precocious.
  • More mystery and questions.
  • Lots of tension.
  • Connor’s parents.

Dislikes:

  • I don’t like seeing characters I like getting hurt.

This book instantly hooked me and swept me along like a raging river. So much was going on, both in Fletcher’s personal life and in the town at large.

Fletcher is unsettled by the thought of meeting Connor’s parents. After all, Connor left his old life behind and moved to Rowan Harbor for a guy he barely knew. Connor’s parents don’t know about the magic that Connor now has, a situation Fletcher blames himself for.

I liked that the tension between Fletcher and Connor’s mom was something that continued for a lot of the book, which made the story focused on both the town and on Fletcher personally. He had a heightened personal stake, especially when the bad guy’s actions were hard for even a layperson to ignore. The melding of Fletcher’s duty to the town and his personal life was very well done.

The arrival of a mother and son answer a lot of questions. That’s not surprising, since this book is the last in this round of trilogies. The bad guy whose been menacing the town is finally named, and the biggest attack on the town yet occurs. I have to say, the attack is intense. Definitely the most serious of the entire series to date. I couldn’t put the book down until I knew the outcome. And I was really hoping that no one was going to get hurt. It was a futile hope, of course, but it’s always hard to see characters I like getting hurt.

Noah was an interesting character. He’s precocious and seems like a nice kid, but is a bit creepy because of his powers. I especially liked that he didn’t eat chocolate because his mom couldn’t have any. I’m not the biggest fan of children in my romances, but Noah added to the story and wasn’t a brat.

I can’t help but think that Connor living in Rose’s old house will have significance down the line. It feels like a lot of hints about what’s to come in the final trilogy have been dropped, and it will all make sense later on. As always, I end this book excited to get to the next one. This book had a good ending, all things considered. I especially like that Fletcher and Connor’s mom ended on a good note.

Check out my rave reviews for the rest of the series Blackbird in the Reeds (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #1), Wolf and the Holly (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #2), Fox and Birch (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #3), Hawk in the Rowan (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #4), Succubus and the City (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #4.5), Stag and the Ash (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #5), Eagle in the Hawthorn (The Rowan Harbor Cycle #7), as well as Sam Burns’s collaboration with W.M. Fawkes on Poisonwood (Poisonwood & Lyric #1).