Two Chicks Obsessed with Books & Eye Candy

Sharing our love of M/M Romance

4.5 stars

The Fairy Shop (2019 Advent Calendar – Homemade for the Holidays) by Tara Lain: New Release Review

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When Nate Hawthorne meets Asher Dane, the huge, tattooed hunk is the personification of Nate’s dreams. But Nate knows there’s no future, because Asher is also the personification of his beloved five-year-old daughter Delly’s nightmares. She’s frightened of big men. Things turn around for both of them, however, when Delly goes Christmas shopping at the Fairy Shop and begins her quest for a wand that will make her brave. Neither of them guesses that the Fairy Shop will be the source of far more than Delly’s courage. On Christmas Eve, under the influence of a very unusual fairy, Nate’s life will change forever.

A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2019 Advent Calendar “Homemade for the Holidays.”

Amazon

This is nearly a perfect Christmas short for me. A little romance, a little magic, a little family that you make.

I read several Christmas stories already and while they were good- they were regular book length. But this was a nice, tidy short that had enough packed in that it didn’t feel overloaded, but was also a complete story.

Nate and Asher are adorable, Nate’s daughter is adorable, the Fairy Shop is adorable… But it also isn’t saccharine sweet.

This is probably my favorite Christmas story of the year.

4.5 Pieces of Candy

Bishop: A True Lover’s Story by A.E. Via: Quick Review

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At only thirty-two, Bishop Stockley has lived a hard-knock life. His gang was his family, the streets his home. Until the crew he’d always called his brothers betrayed him. After doing five years in a federal prison, Bishop is back at his dad’s trailer and working for his landscaping company, thrust into a legit world where he’s no longer the alpha—a world where a criminal record is the least of his disadvantages, because Bishop can’t read or write. Illiteracy had never been an obstacle for him on the streets, he didn’t need to know how to read Moby Dick to survive, he needed to know how to read people… and that was a hustle he’d learned hard and fast. Now, he had to change his life.

Bishop’s only support system was a young, inexperienced dad who’d insisted he call him Mike all their life—since they looked more like brothers than father and son. And his hot-tempered, childhood, best friend from ’juvie, Trent. Bishop already had the deck stacked against him, but he wasn’t afraid of hard work to change his situation, and he did want to change. Especially after he encountered Edison Scala, a kind-spirited office manager who didn’t hesitate to come to his defense… a man that saw past Bishop’s grass-stained coveralls. A man who wasn’t intimidated by his stern features and his silence.

Edison hadn’t grown up the way most of his peers had. He’d been raised by a single father who’d owned an old-fashioned barber shop where Edison was taught how to not only shave with a straight razor, and shine shoes, but also how to treat others, to not judge, to be a gentleman, to be respectful and speak without profanity. But, the biggest lesson he’d learned, was to always be himself. His lack of friends and a social life wasn’t his fault. No matter how much weight he gained, no matter how many times his staff called him a square, Edison did not need to change.

Bishop knew Edison was off-limits. He’d made personal vows to himself when he was released from prison, ones that he never intended to break. But, when Edison asked him about providing landscaping services at his home, there was no way he could refuse. He hadn’t expected Edison to feed him, praise him, encourage him, and look at him the way he did—as if Bishop was somebody. Mike and Trent warned him not to mix business with pleasure and he didn’t intend to.

No multiple pairings. No cliffhangers. Ends with a very, very HFN.
Warning:
This book is a M/M contemporary romance, a hardened man’s struggle to find real love. There are no police chases or doors being kicked in, in this one. But, don’t worry. Bishop is still intense enough to keep you on the edge.

Amazon

Yup, she did it again. AE Via is known for gritty, urban stories with alpha men and guns. This story strays from her norm but is no less than stellar.

Bishop is fresh out of prison and trying to make a new start. Living with and working for his father is an adjustment. They didn’t have a typical father/son relationship and because of that Bishop suffered.

Edison is like the perfect gentleman. He dressed and grooms impeccably, he rarely drinks, no drugs, no cursing…and no friends. His one friend was his father who died several years ago.

Bishop and Edison are the complete opposites and so perfect together. They were swoony. Bishop compliments Edison all of the time. How handsome he is, how he likes his suit, he cooking, his house. It’s so charming and not what you would expect from a guy who pretty much grew up on the streets and spent 5 years in prison.

Edison at first doesn’t understand what Bishop would see in him. A guy who has no friends, no social life and is a little squishy. But Bishop is attracted to the person, not the package. But he does find the package very appealing.

I found it so interesting that Bishop is pretty forthcoming with his criminal record and time in prison. What he is desperate to hide is his illiteracy.

One of Bishop’s co-workers tries to sabotage the relationship from the beginning. And even though Bishop doesn’t think he deserves Edison, he stands up for what he wants. Again, swoony.

Besides Bishop and Edison beginning a relationship, we also witness Bishop and his father Mike starting their relationship over.

There’s also some levity in the story with the banter between Bishop and his best friend Trent. They cracked me up. Bishop the big quiet guy and Trent the little spitfire. Their relationship is not one you always see represented well in books.

This is a very slow burn. I don’t think they even met each other for several chapters, let alone started seeing each other. But that just made it better.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

 

 

 

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Claiming Marcus (Lords of Discord Book 1) by Jocelynn Drake: Exclusive Guest Post, Excerpt, New Release Reviews and Giveaway

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Vampires slaughtered my family.

No one believed me until I met some new friends, who promised to help me get justice.

But nothing prepared me for Marcus Varik.

Tall, dark, and mind-numbingly sexy.

But he’s also shy, protective, and adorably eccentric.

Oh God, I should have never agreed to betray him.

Hopefully, it’s not too late to fix my mistake before I lose more people I love.

Claiming Marcus is the first book in an MM paranormal romance series that has vampires, betrayal, annoying brothers, music, heartbreak, hope, sexy times, and a raven named Ozzie.

Title:  Claiming Marcus

Series: Lords of Discord #1

Author: Jocelynn Drake

Publisher: Indie

Release Date: 10/31/2019

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 100,000

Genre: Romance, paranormal romance

Add to Goodreads

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

The Playlist for CLAIMING MARCUS

Like many authors, I prefer to write to music. Sometimes I will create a specific playlist that I’m listening to and sometimes I will to specific albums over and over again to keep me in a specific mindset.

When I was working on Shiver, book 1 of the Unbreakable Bonds series, most of my writing was done to the Counting Crows’ album “August and Everything After.” After I finished that book, I really haven’t listened to that album much.

I’ve written at least three books to video game scores created by Jesper Kyd. I particularly love the score for Assassin’s Creed II. I still use it a lot to this day. There were also a couple of books that were written to the score for Constantine. That’s some good, creepy music.

For Claiming Marcus, book 1 of the Lords of Discord, I bounced around a lot. This is my first time writing vampires in more than five years so it was interesting trying to find the right mood music and mindset to match the book.

For Marcus, I found myself drifting to Beethoven a lot. He’s got some great, moody pieces that can be melancholy or excited or angry. I could easily see Marcus coming back to Beethoven over and over again to pull some of the angst and venom from his soul.

After he became a vampire, Marcus had more to worry about than just his mother and brothers. He had to deal with being a new creature in a new society. He had to deal with other vampires, which seemed to naturally bring me to Marilyn Manson and Trent Reznor from the Nine Inch Nails.

When it came to the human Ethan, I found myself drifting in a totally different direction. Ethan has a great love of Tori Amos. An accomplished pianist, Tori offers some great songs that match Ethan’s moods. The hardest part was picking just the right ones that matched him. Naturally, his love of a pianist made Ethan a natural admirer of Marcus.

And then, of course, I needed a few more songs that spoke to the love they were trying to nurture in the midst of the chaos.

If you would like to listen to the playlist that I’ve pulled together for CLAIMING MARCUS, you can find it here on Spotify.

Ethan wanted to feel panic and fear when he stared at Marcus. There really was no doubt in his mind that Marcus and his brothers were vampires. A sane person would have taken his brother to a hospital. Ethan hadn’t seen the actual wounds, but just the amount of blood he cleaned up meant that Bel had been seriously injured. No one could heal from that without medical assistance.

And yet, just an hour later, Bel’s color was starting to improve. He was resting on the couch, his breathing falling in a steady rhythm.

Looking at the aristocratic creature seated on the piano bench, streaked with his brother’s blood, Ethan couldn’t see anything but a man exhausted and hurting in ways that he couldn’t fully understand. He trusted Marcus to not harm him. He’d already gone out of his way to protect him from Meryl and Cain.

Ethan wanted to take care of Marcus. It was clear that he was the family protector. He was the one who made the hard decisions and directed the others in order to get things done and keep them safe. But who was there to take care of Marcus?

Taking Marcus’s bloody hand in his, Ethan pulled him to his feet and led him out of the music room. He paused in the hallway. The third floor held four rooms with locked doors. One of them was Marcus’s private bedroom, but he didn’t know which one.

“Here,” Marcus said, pointing to a pair of double doors farther down the hall.

Ethan nodded and led the way, pulling the keys Marcus had given him out of his pocket. He unlocked the doors and pushed them open. There was only one small lamp on the nightstand burning, but it was enough to illuminate the large room with an enormous four-poster bed and a long bureau made of a dark wood. The walls were a dark blue with white trim. The carpet under their feet was so thick it was almost like walking on a cloud.

“Thank you, Ethan,” Marcus murmured. He squeezed Ethan’s hand before releasing it. “You can sleep in the green room if you’re too tired to return home. And you don’t have to come in to work tomorrow…or rather today. You need your rest.”

Ethan turned and smirked up at Marcus. “Work, huh? I thought I was fired.”

Marcus gave him a tired little smile. “I don’t think I technically fired you. Just threatened to do it.”

Taking a step closer, Ethan slowly reached up and touch the top button on his stained shirt. “Well, I think I’m technically here as a friend, because if your employee did this…” Ethan paused and slipped the first button through the hole. “We’d have to deal with a whole lot of HR shit, and we don’t want to do that.”

Marcus swallowed hard, staring at Ethan. He licked his lips as his breathing picked up, but he didn’t say anything to stop Ethan. Yeah, Marcus was attracted to him. Ethan thought he’d picked up a few little tells over the past couple of weeks, but Marcus was overall very careful. The guy was stuck so far in the closet, there was little hope of him ever seeing daylight.

But this wasn’t about Marcus exploring his sexuality. There was still the issue of him being a vampire and holding knowledge of his mother’s killer. This was about Ethan seeing that Marcus got some well-deserved rest.

Still moving slowly, Ethan lowered his hands and unbuttoned the next three buttons before Marcus finally moved, capturing both of his hands in his.

“Ethan?”

“It’s okay,” he said, giving him a reassuring smile. “I’m just helping you. I’m going to turn on the shower and get the water to warm up. Do you want me to help you finish getting undressed?”

Marcus’s mouth dropped open and sort of soundlessly bobbed for a second like he couldn’t get the words out.

Ethan chuckled. He was so damn attracted to this man, to this vulnerable side that he was sure his brothers didn’t get to see. Ethan pulled his hands free and resumed unbuttoning his shirt. He pulled the shirt free of Marcus’s pants to get the last couple of buttons. Hours ago, Marcus had rolled his sleeves up his forearms so that all Ethan had to do was run his palms up Marcus’s strong chest, reveling in the feel of hard muscle. A low groan rumbled in Marcus’s throat and that sound sent blood rushing to Ethan’s cock. Fuck, that was an amazing sound. He smoothed his hands across Marcus’s shoulders, pushing the shirt down his arms and to the floor.

“Ethan…I…”

“Shhh,” Ethan murmured. “Nothing is going to happen. You’re safe.” He leaned up on the tips of his toes and pressed a light kiss to Marcus’s throat. Strong hands immediately clamped down on his hips, holding him in place. Fingers dug into his ass and Ethan nearly moaned. He’d die to feel those hands all over his body. Just the thought had his cock stiffening.

“Not sure if the promise of nothing has me relieved or disappointed,” Marcus admitted in a shaky voice. He looked down and Ethan could feel the slight tremor creeping through Marcus’s muscles. “I’ve…I’ve never—”

“I know,” Ethan interrupted. “That’s why nothing is going to happen.” Well, one of the reasons, at least. “You need someone to take care of you tonight. Shower and then bed. Once you’re tucked in, I’m going to head home, but I’ll return later today.”

Sadness crept into Marcus’s blue eyes, but there was also relief there. He nodded and released Ethan.

“Finish getting undressed, my sexy friend,” Ethan said and sauntered toward the open door across from the bed. He was guessing it was a private bathroom.

 

He flicked a switch and sucked in a harsh breath as buttery light cascaded over warm marbled and gold fixtures. The bathroom was almost as big as his old apartment. There was a large garden tub that could easily fit three full-grown men, a double sink vanity with a long mirror, and a shower stall that had enough space and heads to cover the same three men who just climbed out of the tub.

There was muffled thump on the floor and Ethan guessed that Marcus had dropped a shoe. “Are you so touchy-feely with all your friends?”

Ethan laughed as he walked over to the shower. “Would you be jealous if I was?”

“Yes,” Marcus hissed, and that single word wrapped in a possessive tone warmed Ethan like nothing else could. He’d had more than a few sexual partners in his life, but no one he’d call a boyfriend and no one who ever felt possessive. He was just a warm body, a tight hole, a great mouth to fuck.

But with Marcus, he felt like more.

Opening the door, Ethan turned the handle, starting the shower. He stuck his hand in the spray, checking the temperature. Still cold. He started to turn to make sure that Marcus had a clean towel, but he jumped when he found Marcus standing directly behind him. The man had moved so silently and so fucking quickly. How had he not noticed him?

Because he’s a vampire.

Oh, yeah. Ethan’s brain kept conveniently forgetting that little fact.

It was even easier to forget when Marcus was standing just a couple of inches away, wearing only a pair of black boxer briefs. He was pale, but it didn’t detract from his beautiful body. Every inch of him was hard. Every. Fucking. Inch.

Wow….

So, I’m not a fan of paranormal. Not even a little bit, but, I haven’t read a story by Ms. Drake that I haven’t been so enamored with and this one was no different. I might have to take a dive into vampire romance, I fear I’ve been missin out!

So, in this one, we see Ethan as a child, when we witness his family being murdered by something he thought was only folklore and urban legends. Seeing his family torn to bits as well as his neighbors in the the apartment complex, hearing it as well as witnessing the aftermath, it’s no surprise that when we meet him again, he’s working with Legion to exterminate known vampires so he can get revenge from the killing of his family that left him all alone.

Getting a job with Marcus Valrik wasn’t easy, but he needed to find out if he was a vampire and if he or his family were the ones he needed to get even with. Turns out, he isn’t, and he’s not even sure he’s a vampire at all, though he’s pretty sure. Marcus and his brothers aren’t anything like you see in the movies and what this legion of vampire hunters expect him to be…they’re almost normal even.

I adored Marcus and even more, I loved his corky and eccentric brothers. I loved the bond they all had and their loyalty to each other and their mother. Being vampires didn’t do anything to change any of that, if anything, the 176 years they’d been vampires together had only made them closer… though they were very different from one another and it showed in the way they lived their lives.

I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that I loved it from beginning to end and I cannot wait to see who’s next… Hopefully Rafe, though I hope all the brothers get their own story!!!

5 well deserved pieces of eye candy from me!

SO GOOD!

Books with vampires can get really cheesy (uh, sparkly?) or really dark (thank you Anne Rice) or just really dumb (too many to name). But this was really, really well done.

Ethan, seeking revenge for the murders of his family when he was a child, gets hired by Marcus as a PA under false pretenses. Marcus needs help coordinating a move from South Carolina to Connecticut, Ethan is to provide intel to a vampire hate group.

But Ethan slowly gets to know Marcus. Who seems like a nice guy- not a vampire.

And Marcus. The oldest of four brothers- all vampires- who try to take care of their mother (also a vampire) while she teeters on the edge of sanity.

Ethan and Marcus start falling for each other- while we fall for them. Being that they grew up oh, almost 200 years apart, Ethan is out and proud but Marcus is in the closet still and scared. Ugh, my heart. Marcus is so sheltered even though he is nearly 200 years old. He just broke my heart.

Surrounding Marcus are his brothers. Definitely a recurring theme in Ms Drake’s books are the strong band of brothers- by blood or by circumstance. And you end up loving them all for different reasons.

The plot was interesting as well. Trying to figure out who the bad guys were, who killed Ethan’s family and why were ranking vampire government members being killed. It was woven together nicely, while still giving us a good romance between Marcus and Ethan.

So yep, I really loved it. I can’t wait for the next book with the next brother (who I picture as Eric Northman from True Blood). Points off from 5 POEC just because once their sexual relationship began, Marcus seemed way too experienced for someone with literally no experience.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

It started with a battered notebook. Jocelynn Drake wrote her first story when she was 12 years old. It was a retelling of Robin Hood that now included a kick-ass female who could keep up with all the boys and be more than just a sad little love interest. From there, she explored space, talked to dragons, and fell in love again and again and again.

This former Kentucky girl has moved up, down, and across the U.S. with her patient husband. They’ve settled near the Rockies…for now. She spends the majority of her time lost in the strong embrace of a good book.

When she’s not hammering away at her keyboard or curled up with a book, she can usually be found cuddling with her cat Demona, walking her dog Ace, or flinging curses at the TV while playing a video game. Outside of books, furry babies, and video games, she is completely enamored of Bruce Wayne, Ezio Auditore, travel, tattoos, explosions, and fast cars.

She is the New York Times Bestselling author of the urban fantasy series: The Dark Days series and the Asylum Tales. She has just completed a gay romantic suspense series called The Exit Strategy about two assassins falling in love and trying to create a life together. Her newest project returns to her vampire roots with a new MM paranormal romance series. She is also the co-author of the Unbreakable Bonds, Ward Security, and Pineapple Grove series with Rinda Elliott.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | eMail | Instagram

https://jocelynndrake.com/

https://www.facebook.com/jocelynn.drake/

https://twitter.com/JocelynnDrake

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1080585.Jocelynn_Drake

jocelynn@jocelynndrake.com

https://www.instagram.com/jocelynn.drake/

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11/3     The Blogger Girls             http://thebloggergirls.com/

11/4     Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy             https://twochicksobsessed.com/

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11/6     Joyfully Jay       http://joyfullyjay.com

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Ground Zero (Zero Hour Book One) by Aimee Nicole Walker: Blog Tour, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Ground zero, noun: the center or origin of rapid, intense, or violent activity or change.

Heat, humidity, and homicide are things veteran detective Sawyer Key expects to encounter on his first day with the Savannah Police Department, but the hostile reception from his new partner catches him by surprise. Sawyer isn’t a stranger to heartache and recognizes that Royce Locke is a wounded man who’s reeling from a devastating loss. Relentless and patient in all things, Sawyer is determined to make the new partnership work.

Savannah, Georgia is known for her quirky people, oak trees draped in Spanish moss, and antebellum architecture. Beneath the Southern charm and hospitality, festering hatred and violence is soaring with the summer temperatures. Locke and Key find themselves at the epicenter when their first case involves the death of a former shock jock who appears to be the victim of vigilante justice.

Opposites in nearly every way, the two detectives set aside their differences to take back their city and restore law and order. From this reluctant truce, an intense attraction grows that will either tighten or shatter their tenuous bond. Falling for his partner spells inevitable disaster, but Sawyer’s always been a sucker for wounded things. Sawyer could be the key to the life Royce has always wanted, if he’s brave enough to trust him. The fuse is lit, the clock is running, and the zero hour is upon them. Tick tock.

Ground Zero is the first book in the Zero Hour series, which follows Locke and Key’s investigations and evolving relationship. Ground Zero has a happy-for-now ending with no cliffhanger. It contains mature language and sexual content intended for adults 18 and older.

Ground Zero

Zero Hours Series

Aimee Nicole Walker

M/M Romance/Mystery

Release Date: 09.22.19

Cover Design: Jay Aheer

Photographer: Wander Aguiar

Model: Jacob

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Locke in his tight black tee and shoulder holster. Locke sitting astride his motorcycle. Locke staring at Sawyer’s strip of exposed skin. Locke’s sexy voice when he’d admonished him for making assumptions about his acceptance levels or possibly even his sexuality. The last one reached Sawyer at the deepest level. The dreams went on and on until Sawyer woke with a leaking, aching dick with only himself to relieve it. 

There would be no going back to sleep until he took care of his body’s demands. He hadn’t been this aroused since… He couldn’t finish the thought, wouldn’t allow anything to disrupt his driving need for release. Bones made a grumbling noise and jumped off the bed when Sawyer yanked open the bedside drawer at an ungodly, predawn hour. Smart cat. He fumbled around, searching for the lube to rub one out but paused when his hand bumped into the flesh-like dildo. It had a suction cup on the base, and Sawyer took it into the shower when the need for penetration overwhelmed him. This was one of those times. 

Throwing back the covers, Sawyer grabbed the dildo and lube before padding across his room to the bathroom, his swaying balls so heavy and full they ached. While waiting for the water temperature to heat up, he ran a hand over his chest, sucking in a sharp breath when his fingers brushed over hardened nipples. He closed his eyes and pictured Locke’s face pressed against his pecs, licking and sucking his nipples while Sawyer fisted his blond hair. 

Fantasies of Locke kissing a path down his body, stopping to dip his tongue inside his navel before running his nose through his happy trail, made him moan out loud. Sawyer fisted his throbbing cock, wanting to put himself out of his misery but not eager for the fantasy to end.

My favorite book from this author!

I was a fan of her Curled Up and Dye series, as well as the spin off. There are some other books in there, stand alones and even a collaboration with another author. I’ve read most, and this is my favorite.

Down to the why. There seems to be sort of a maturity to this book that I haven’t gotten before. Maybe because she has a nice back list behind her. Maybe she specifically looked to write this one differently. I don’t know the answer.

We meet Sawyer in the office of his new chief of police on the Savannah PD. He meets his new partner shortly after at a brutal crime scene. Locke is resistant, to say the least. In fact, early on he gives Sawyer a bit of a speech about how they won’t be friends in any way. Locke is a grieving, broken man.

But they work well together and there is no denying that. And then a drunk Locke shows up at Sawyer’s door.

It’s assumed that Locke is straight. And even after that night with Sawyer, he never says one way or the other. And Sawyer only questions him once. But the part I liked the most is that he just went with the flow. No internal dialogue of “omg what if I am gay?” “I’m touching a penis that isn’t mine!”. I read a lot of first time gay or gay for you books and those lines get really tired. So it was refreshing.

AND there were crimes in the book. That they worked on and solved. It wasn’t just them getting together, but also story. And no, they weren’t hard to figure out mysteries. But enough of a story, well stories, that they were well told and didn’t rush.

And except for silly, being a jerk kind of things, there were NO PET NAMES! Sorry. I despise cutesy pet names. There’s enough levity so it isn’t too serious, it is serious without being angsty and it is hot without relying on sex scenes in every chapter.

This is a great start to a new series and I cannot wait for more!

4.5 Pieces of Eye Candy

Ever since she was a little girl, Aimee Nicole Walker entertained herself with stories that popped into her head. Now she gets paid to tell those stories to other people. She wears many titles—wife, mom, and animal lover are just a few of them. Her absolute favorite title is champion of the happily ever after. Love inspires everything she does, music keeps her sane, and coffee is the magic elixir that fuels her day. I’d love to hear from you 

https://linktr.ee/AimeeNicoleWalker

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Mystery of the Bones by C.S. Poe: Release Day Review

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It’s been a full year since the mystery that brought antique shop owner and part-time amateur sleuth Sebastian Snow together with NYPD homicide detective Calvin Winter. Patience, sanity, and their very lives have been put to the test, but love has persevered. Although Sebastian is now New York City’s best-known busybody, he’s done solving crimes and wants nothing more than to plan a romantic budget wedding.

Then Snow’s Antique Emporium receives a decapitated human head in the mail and the holidays are gory once again. Sebastian patently disregards the mystery of a lifetime because he is done with death and danger—but the killer escalates. Before Sebastian knows it, his closest friends and family are dragged into a series of horrific murders with antiquated clues hinting to the infamous Victorian American Bones Wars.

The clock is ticking to recover a long-lost artifact linked to paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope and to capture a murderer. But it’s not Sebastian who may become the next target—it’s Calvin.

Title: Mystery of the Bones
Series: Snow in Winter: Book Four
Authors: C.S. Poe
Release Date: September 24, 2019
Category: Mystery, Suspense

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

It’s no secret, I kind of have a crush on Sebastian Snow. In my family, sarcasm is our second language, so if an author can create that kind of character…well maybe my crush is on the author as much as the character. 😉 I highlighted more passages in this book than I have in years, and I’m not sorry about that in the least. The snark was strong with this one.

Small spoiler: This book is a little different than the previous three in that Seb was absolutely determined to keep his snooping to a minimum, or even zero, and yet he is forced into doing it in order to save Calvin’s life.

Seb’s knowledge and fascination with the Victorian era (another reason I love him, always my favorite time in history) is what gets him into the situation he is in. Side note: I have always wanted to look up the books’ events in history (E.g. Bone Wars), but what if they were not real events? I did look up Bone Wars and it was real, including the Cope-Marsh rivalry, so I can only assume CS Poe does an incredible amount of research on each book to find just the perfect situation to draw Sebastian Snow into the mystery.

In this book, we don’t see a lot of Calvin, but the reader definitely feels the emotions between Snow and Winter throughout. Their reunion will bring tears to your eyes. I’m definitely not ready to let go of these two characters.

There was one piece in the book that wasn’t solved to my satisfaction (I was hoping to see it in an epilogue, etc), however, I can only hope that we will see that resolution in a future book? Is it too much to ask? J Also, let’s not forget Max. Oh, and Neil…so many places this series could go, if the author wants to take it there. But always, always, we need Sebastian Snow’s snark.

Picking one line that was my favorite was hard, and I’m not sure I can even call any my favorite, (it’s like your children) but here is one that I loved:

“Do you know the deceased, Mr. Snow?”

I stared at her, at Rossi, then back at her again. “Do I—know—the head? We’re not acquainted, no.”

Another winner for me. 4.5 pieces of eye candy

His Consort by Mary Calmes: Audiobook Review

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A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: His quaint little store attracts a devoted staff, and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He’s perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying…and utterly mesmerizing.

The prince of the vampires, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason – until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he’s never wanted a mate before…but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.

Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human’s soothing influence on vampires has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic’s dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.

Title: His Consort
Author: Mary Calmes
Narrator: Scott Smith
Release Date: December 20, 2018
Category: Vampires
Length: 6 hours, 33 minutes

Audible

Amazon Ebook

I am a huge fan of Mary Calmes, I will read or listen to just about anything she writes. When I saw His Consort I was a little skeptical, I have a hard time finding vampire stories that keep my interest. I feel like most of them are too cliche, almost campy.
This one grabbed my interest from the first word. The story itself was entertaining with just the right amount of intrigue to keep my interest peaked. Mary’s vampyrs introduce you to a whole new vocabulary which at first I thought was going to be difficult to remember because, hey I’m listening and my memory is crap, but I didn’t have a problem.

I haven’t had the pleasure of listening to anything else narrated by Scott Smith, but holy cow that voice. He gives life to Varic Maedoc like I don’t think anyone else could. His voice is cultures and smooth as honey. His voice has a rich cadence that draws you in.

I can’t say enough good things about both the story writing and the narration, both are amazing. I’ve already read almost everything by Mary Calmes, I will definitely be looking up more work by Scott Smith.

4.5 Pieces of Eye Candy