Unnatural Fate by J.R. Gray

TITLE: ⟫ Unnatural Fate

AUTHOR: ⟫ J.R. Gray

RATING: ⟫ /5

BLURB: ⟫ My soul mate is my natural enemy.

Or close enough.

He’s a vampire and I’m a wolf.

Our kinds are at war. A centuries old blood war.

I can’t stay away from him. I hate him, but I want him.

Our love is a standoff. For every inch I take, he pushes a mile.

The world is against us. But I’m so tired of fighting the ties between us.

For every wolf that dies at the hands of a vampire, I feel more guilty.

Yet I go to him over and over and we use each other just enough until next time.

I can’t stop.

We both swear it’ll be the last time, but here we are again.

The cycle never ends.

But this time it has to.

I must either choose him and betray my people or walk away for good.

REVIEW: ⟫ Currently reading – review to follow.

I received an ARC from GRR.

The Royal Curse by Eliot Grayson (Twilight Mages Book #1)

TITLE: ⟫ The Royal Curse

AUTHOR: ⟫ Eliot Grayson

SERIES: ⟫ Twilight Mages

RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Dawn mage. Twilight mage. Cursed, useless, damaged, dangerous…

His birth magic leaves Prince Nikola with nothing but bad live as another man’s possession, subject to his whims and his desires, or remain dependent on a potion that stunts his powers and prevents him from knowing love. Andreas vows to protect the prince with his life—whether Nikola wants him to or not. After all, the queen pays his soldier’s wage. Nikola’s nothing but a job to do. But when they find themselves stranded, with Nikola’s potion running out, Andreas has to…improvise. Because what Prince Nikola needs to survive is the opposite of a lowly guard’s respectful protection. It should’ve been only one night. Just until the potion’s refilled. But now that Nikola’s had Andreas’s touch, he craves Andreas again and again. He shouldn’t. But he—and his magic—can’t live without it…

The Royal Curse is a high-heat MM fantasy romance with a stubborn prince, an even more stubborn soldier, and cursed magic that can’t be denied. There is an attempted on-page assault that is not between the main characters. HEA guaranteed.

REVIEW: ⟫ I need to start by saying that I am extremely happy that this is going to be a series because there needs to be so much more about Twilight Mages! Their magic is fascinating and I really enjoyed the descriptions included in the story.

This book is described as high heat and is well deserving of the notification – once Andreas and Nikola get going, they really get going! And I loved reading the two of them together – they were hot, sexy, caring and oh, so much fun! I enjoyed the back story regarding Niko’s trip and the reasoning behind it, and the subplot was entertaining even if just for seeing Andreas getting all possessive and violent over Niko.

This was a lovely addition to my Eliot Grayson library and I will happily re-read it in preparation for the next story – which, please, be out soon!

I received and ARC from GRR.

Tied Over by Mary Calmes (Marshals Book #6)

TITLE: ⟫ Tied Over

AUTHOR: ⟫ Mary Calmes

SERIES: ⟫ Marshals Book #6

RATING: ⟫ 5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.

It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.

But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.

REVIEW: ⟫ This one has been coming for some time and Mary Calmes did not disappoint.

Jed Redeker is determined that his partner, fellow marshall, Bodhi Callahan should only have the best. And despite how much Jed loves him, he is also pretty determined that there is someone more worthy of Bodhi’s love than he.

That lasts until Bodhi finally seems to give up on his pining and moves on with his life, falling in love and getting engaged. That’s what it takes for Jed to realise that he has lost his chance at having Bodhi be his partner in all ways, and life kinda sucks. Add to that getting shot and being forced to vacation with Bodhi and his fiance and Jed is pretty sure he’s in hell.

Man, I had forgotten how much I loved the way Mary Calmes writes her characters. They’re not perfect – both Jed and Bodhi are argumentative, pig-headed, stubborn, know it alls with alpha male stamped all over them. But the streak of protectiveness in each of them and just how much they care about each other make them pretty much perfect together. It is a tried and trusted method that Mary Calmes uses – the main lead who everyone loves and sees in the best possible way, along with the partner who just has to get them to get their head out of their behind to see how happy they could be together. And it totally worked with Jed and Bodhi – no matter how frustrating the two of them could be (Jed is so determined that Bodhi has the best that he ignores his own desires for FOUR years), you are still rooting for them to make it.

Add in fellow marshals from the past – including Sam Kage who is one of my absolute fave of Mary’s characters, alongside Miro and Ian of course – and this story took me away from daily life and into the whirlwind that is the Marshals series. If you’ve read any of the other books, you know pretty much what you are in for: action, romance, banter, friendship, and men who will stand in front of a bullet for someone because it’s the right thing to do.

I regularly re-read the previous Marshals books, and having book six to add to that re-read list makes me a very happy person!

Weddings, Christmas and Such by Amy Lane (Holiday Stories from Granby)

TITLE: ⟫ Weddings, Christmas and Such

AUTHOR: ⟫ Amy Lane

SERIES: ⟫ Holiday Stories from Granby

RATING: ⟫ 5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Welcome back to the world of Granby, where the yarn is soft, the knitting is fine, and the critters are never far off.... After the happy ever after of Blackbird Knitting in a Bunny's Lair, Jeremy and Aiden continued to be fan favorites, and author Amy Lane visited them from time to time in a series of whimsical shorts that were posted on her blog and Patreon. Those shorts, together with a brand-new, never before seen Christmas novel featuring the entire Granby family, are gathered here in Weddings, Christmas, and Such, a collection of stories that show the good times in the bad, and the hope even in the darkness. Welcome back to the world of Granby—Jeremy, Aiden, Craw, Ben, Stanley, Johnny, Ariadne, Rory, and baby Persephone are all happy to see you again!

In This The Gift of a

The folks at Craw's mill and shop have always knitted for each other's big holidays, but one person in their midst hasn't been entirely honest about his own birthday... Ariadne and Rory are going off on a much-needed vacation--are Jeremy and Aiden prepared for full-time childcare and all the hard questions it might entail?

And the Mountains Should

Hard times have come to Granby--can Craw and his small patchwork family survive fire in the pandemic, and find something to be thankful for on the other side?

Weddings and

After all the troubles and some years of peace, it really is time for everybody to get married. Has Jeremy come far enough along from his rabbit days to be the center of attention while his boy makes an honest man out of him?

Crocheting Hawks and Knitting Christmas

Gideon Haze and Pippen Madison commit a near-tragic mistake, and everybody's favorite bunny is laid up for Christmas! Can the bodyguard and his vulnerable charge find a way to atone for their lapse in judgment and grow into the men who can make themselves and their new Granby family safe from Pippen's dangerous father?

REVIEW: ⟫ The chicken in a Tuxedo on the front cover is fully explained, I promise.

Do you ever experience that feeling where you return somewhere and think, yeah, it was okay at the time but nothing special now? What about when you return somewhere and remember everything good about it, how it made you feel, the way it touched your heart and mind? Returning to Granby is definitely the latter – I only vaguely remembered Jeremy and Aiden until I started reading and my brain went ‘oh yes, happy place!’

Not that these stories are all happy – some of them are quite poignant, they remind us of a difficult time that the world went through, the struggles many are currently facing. But they also give us hope and faith that if we find our family – by blood or by choice – then we can make it out the other side.

I promised myself I was just going to read one of the short stories, and here I am at 6 am in the morning, sniffing away happy tears and writing these reviews whilst I still have all of those Granby feelings still in my heart. Having this now – for Christmas – may just be exactly what I needed to get me through the next few weeks, and I can only imagine the feeling is similar for so many other people. How Amy Lane continues to manage to rip my heart out with one hand, whilst giving me the mushiest love feelings of all time with the other is beyond me, but this book of stories is a perfect addition to Granby.

And, hey, if you can’t quite remember reading the Knitting/Crochet books, what better treat than to get them all for yourself in time for Christmas!

I received an ARC from the author.

Best Served Cold by Willow Dixon (Crimson Club #3

TITLE: ⟫ Best Served Cold

AUTHOR: ⟫ Willow Dixon

SERIES: ⟫ Crimson Club #3

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ When the guys at work dare me and the new guy to play a game of gay chicken, I figure I’ll get my first kiss and bragging rights for winning. What I don’t expect is for that game to awaken something in me. Something I’ve never felt before.

Something that makes me want more. Makes me want him.

I never back down from a challenge, but that doesn’t explain why being with Noah feels so good. Why I can’t stop thinking about him. Why he’s the only person who’s ever stirred even the slightest interest in me.

Why getting him off gets me off.

Watching Noah lose control is everything. So is knowing he can’t stay away from me, either.

Zane and Noah’s story is an animosity to lovers, double bi-awakening romance. You can expect public fun, tons of heat, lots of banter, and reluctant feels as these two impulsive and competitive guys realize that in some games, everyone’s a winner. It is the third book in the exciting new Crimson Club series but can be read as a standalone.

REVIEW: ⟫ I was expecting an every day, ho hum, enemies to lovers story but in Best Served Cold, we get so much more.

Zane and River have utterly fascinated me from the first time we met them – especially considering their act at the Crimson Club – so finding out about Zane’s lack of interest in dating, etc was a bit of a surprise. But a very good one. I really enjoyed the fact that his sexuality was just another topic of conversation amongst the friend group – no one tried to make him feel weird for not knowing certain things, or needing explanations/examples that worked for him. I also really enjoyed seeing more of the relationship between the twins (although River talking to Zane and Noah through the bedroom wall for some reason had me in absolute stitches!

Noah was a complicated character, and once we learned more of his back-story, my heart broke for him. Even with the distance he managed to gain from his abusive family, their words – and the words of the Pastor – had buried deeply into his psyche and made it so difficult for him to see that he was a good person, deserving of love and respect and friendship.

Once again, an excellent cast of characters in the background made this story multifaceted, and we caught up with some old friends during the course of the story but not in a way that precluded it being a standalone. Willow Dixon is rapidly becoming one of my auto-reads as I have always enjoyed reading her stories. I’m really pleased with this addition and cannot wait for River’s story.

I received an ARC from GRR.

The 12 Kittens of Christmas by Amy Lane

TITLE: ⟫ The 12 Kittens of Christmas

AUTHOR: ⟫ Amy Lane

RATING: ⟫ 5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Killian Thornton likes his downtown life, tending bar, and enjoying time with his friends and community. He'd given up on passion long ago—he wasn't cut out for grand romance or dramatic gestures. Then one night, in a characteristic act of kindness, Killian offers his couch to help a friend's little brother find his feet in a new city, and everything Killian thought he knew about himself and his little life gets turned upside down.

Lewis Bernard, the funny, quirky guy happy to find a spot on Killian's couch, can’t believe his luck. After being forced to flee his parents’ house, he was afraid of what came next, but Sacramento seems to be treating him just fine. The stunningly handsome bartender who lives downstairs from his brother offers Lewis his couch and doesn’t even balk when Lewis discovers two abandoned kittens in a vacant lot as they walk home.

Vet bills, cat food bills, litter boxes—none of it was on Killian's Christmas agenda, but he jumps in gamely to help because all the shelters seem to be full, and that's just the kind of guy Killian is. But kittens can multiply faster than rabbits, and Killian and Lewis accidentally rescue more and more cats.

Lewis starts to panic. He really wants to know Killian better, but with each act of kindness, Lewis falls further in love while ruining Killian's life. How can Killian find time to fall in love with Lewis and ask him to stay if they’re inundated with destructive furry poop-machines who all seem to need a home before Christmas?

REVIEW: ⟫ Oh my goodness, the cover for this book is absolutely perfect!

Right, on to the story! This was absolutely gorgeous – I read it on 1st December and it completely put me in the mood for Christmas. Killian was an absolute ANGEL who deserved everything and Lewis is just that!! And the cats – Boris and Natasha were so cute together, but Moose and Squirrel may well own my whole heart!

You have the traditional Amy Lane ability to create main characters that you love and want the best for; a cast of background characters who were the best friends available; and best thing ever for the festive season, there were SO many Easter Eggs from other series that I absolutely loved. You don’t need to have read any of them but it was a lovely nod to regular readers.

I’m about to put on some Christmas songs and head into another book – this one was absolutely brilliant and I am so glad it was the beginning of my Christmas reading.

I received an ARC from the author.