Release Blitz + Giveaway: Blind Warrior (The Weavers Circle #3) by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

Authors Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliot, along with IndiGo Marketing, return to celebrate the latest from popular urban fantasy series, Blind Warrior (The Weavers Circle #3)! Read more and enter in the $25 Amazon gift card giveaway!

Title: Blind Warrior

Series: The Weavers Circle #3

Author: Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

Publisher: Drake & Elliott Publishing LLC

Release Date: November 20, 2020

Heat Level: 4 - Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 98k

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

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Synopsis

Grey Ackles

The Soul Weaver feels useless.

A burden endangering his brothers.

The last battle with the pestilents cost Grey his sight and powers.

Now he’s dependent on his vision rehabilitation therapist Cort to learn how to function on a daily basis.

But as he grows closer to Cort, Grey is left wanting his powers back for a new reason—how will he ever know if the man he’s falling for is actually his soul mate?

Cort Newton

There is some really weird stuff going on at that house.

Spell books, guns, and a giraffe in the backyard?

But no matter how strange it gets, Cort is not going to leave the grumpy writer.

Adjusting to sudden blindness is hard for everyone, but Grey clearly has deeper reason for needing his vision back at any cost. Cort just wished Grey would confide in him.

Even with Grey’s secrets, Cort has never been drawn to a man like he is with Grey and he will do anything to keep this man safe.

Blind Warrior is the third book in the Weavers Circle series. It includes fast-paced action, running through Savannah, secrets, shapeshifting, brainwashed assassins, a gorilla, sexy times, fun with water, insecurity, three crazy old ladies, and magic!

Excerpt

Grey reluctantly got out of the vehicle and felt his way to the warm hood. “Gotta be a lot of glass bottles in there for me to knock over,” he warned as Lucien placed a hand on his biceps.

“We’ll steer you in the right direction.” Lucien pressed on his arm as they started walking. “You need the exercise.”

“Makes more sense for me to wait in the—” he broke off when a horrid smell hit his nose. It was like rotting meat left out on a hot summer day. “Shit, pestilents,” he hissed. Fear gripped his heart, his lungs freezing in his chest. How the hell was he supposed to protect himself?

Pestilents were these…humanoid creatures…from another realm who were trying to kill him and his brother Weavers. Their world was dying, and they wanted to leech energy off this one to save their own. Grey and the other Weavers had been tasked to stop them, using magic they’d gained from three goddesses. Insane. All of it sounded absolutely insane, but it was now his life.

One positive was that they were easy to spot, thanks to their awful stink. They rotted slowly in this world because they didn’t belong.

“I just smelled them, too,” Lucien grumbled under his breath.

“Can you see them?” Grey asked.

“They have to be in the store. Do pestilents drink alcohol?” Baer’s voice was moving away from Grey, possibly toward the Jeep.

“How the hell would we know?” Lucien led Grey back, too. Doors opened around him and he reached out with his left hand, coming into contact with the familiar durable fabric covering the rear bench seat in Baer’s Jeep.

“That’s it? We’re going to run?” Grey slid inside the vehicle, inwardly fuming. They were running to protect him.

“You expect us to just attack them in broad daylight in a wine shop?” Baer’s voice came from the driver’s side this time. “I can’t believe they’re rallying forces this fast. We had a three-month break last time.”

“There is obviously more than one set out there, or they wouldn’t have been chasing us over the United States.” Grey grabbed the front seats and pulled himself forward to lean between them as Lucien got into the passenger side. “I don’t think we should just leave them.”

Lucien cleared his throat. “I see only one at the counter now.”

“Doesn’t mean there aren’t more in the back,” Baer countered.

“Why don’t you go in there and lure him out?” Lucien suggested. “See that field behind those trees? We could fight it there.”

Grey saw nothing, but he didn’t bother to point that out. All he knew was, he felt wrong running and leaving any pestilents free to attack them later. Or even an innocent human who just happened to get in their way. If there were only a few, Baer and Lucien would be able to easily take care of them on their own. “I think that’s a good idea. But you should both go inside, just in case there are more than one.”

“And leave you help-er…alone out here?” Baer snapped. He cursed softly. “Sorry, Grey.”

But he was fucking helpless, and he knew it. Before losing his sight, his powers hadn’t done a lot when it came to fighting, but he’d been able to shoot a gun, use a knife. He wasn’t bad in a fight. And he’d been able to serve as a lookout, offer cover for his brothers. Now, he didn’t even have that.

Of course, his powers were tied to his sight, so he couldn’t use those. All he got were the occasional broken thoughts and emotions from others. His ability to see auras had been nipped in the bud. As was his ability to see into people’s souls, to read their past, motives, desires, and thoughts. He didn’t know if he could still manipulate people, hadn’t even tried.

“I’m going in,” Baer announced. “I’ll lure him into the field and shift into something fierce. We’ll dispatch this asshole, grab our booze, and go home.”

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Meet the Author

 

Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott have teamed up to combine their evil genius to create intense gay romantic suspense stories that have car chases, shoot outs, explosions, scorching hot love scenes, and tender, tear-jerking moments. Their first joint books are in the Unbreakable Bonds series.

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Book Blast + Giveaway: You Can See Me by A.E. Via

Have you checked out this sexy menage yet? See today's book blast from author A.E. Via and Vibrant Promotions, You Can See Me!  Find out more about the erotic contemporary romance and enter in the $ 25 Amazon gift card giveaway! (4 winners)

You Can See Me

AE Via

M/M Romance, Menage

Release Date: 02.07.14

Blurb

World renowned chef Prescott Vaughan was at the height of his career. Right before he's to leave for Paris to work alongside his idol, a horrific car accident leaves him completely blind.

His female fiancé leaves him in a state of desperation and depression. He pines for love, companionship, and so happens to find it in the form of his very sexy neighbor. Sexy male neighbor, Dr. Rickson 'Ric' Edwards.

Prescott's not gay - at least he never considered himself gay - until Ric saves him from a date, gone terribly wrong. The two neighbors hit it off quickly and waste no time exploring and learning each other. Things are great until Ric begins to have his doubts about meeting Prescott's many wants.

When Ric insist he and Prescott take a breather, Pres finds himself lonely and lacking again. Enter, male escort and aspiring chef, Blair McKenzie to fill the void.

In the meantime, Ric works on his issues that prohibits him from displaying the love he knows he has for Prescott. When Ric is finally ready and returns to claim Prescott he's not sure that Pres can let go of the sexy, southern, hotness that is Blair McKenzie. After Ric has his own personal encounter with the sinfully sexy man, he can't help but become entranced and crave more as well.

Pres soon realizes that there's no need to choose between his two men, because when all three of them finally come together - grab a cold drink - the heat is going to go all the way up!

Universal Buy Link: http://mybook.to/YouCanSeeMe

Excerpt

Now after that shove, he really didn’t know how close he was to the street. He took another couple steps and stumbled off the steep curb. Horns blared and tires screeched as he jumped backward, running right into a rock-hard chest.

Pres ducked and shivered violently as the warm urine ran down his pants leg and pooled around his feet.

You got to be fuckin’ shittin’ me. Pres put his one good hand out in front of him to hopefully ward off the attack he was about to get. “Please don’t hit me. I’m sorry. I didn’t see you, I swear. Just…don’t hurt me, please.”

“I’d never hurt you, baby. Com’ere. Hold on to me.”

Baby?

A very masculine, rich voice was in his ear as a strong arm took Pres’s good hand and wrapped it around a narrow waist as the man held his limp, bloody hand up in the air. “Keep it elevated, Pres. Jesus. I’m so sorry. It’s all right. I’m gonna take care of you.”

This person just said my name. Okay…so it’s someone who knows me.

Pres’s keen senses had shut down because of the surge of fear coursing through him. He couldn’t figure out who this kind stranger was.

Pres heard a shrill whistle as the deep voice yelled, “Taxi!” The man had one thick arm around Pres’s back as the other kept his throbbing hand up in the air.

“I got you, gorgeous. Just hold on to me.” The deep voice was smooth and soothing.

Pres was in no condition to fight that it was a strange man holding him like this and calling him “baby.” He’d never been so terrified and abused since he’d lost his sight. He’d never been abused, period. He lost the fight at trying to hold on to a small amount of dignity and buried his head in the strong chest and let his tears fall quietly. He felt himself being ushered into a car, a taxi, he presumed.

“Chesapeake Hospital,” the deep voice told the driver.

A.E. Via has been a best-selling author in the beautiful gay romance genre for six years now, but she’s no stranger to MM. She’s been an avid reader of gay lit for over fifteen years before she picked up her laptop to place her own kiss on this genre. She’s also the founder and owner of Via Star Wings Books, having published a couple great new up and coming MM authors.

A.E. has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Virginia Wesleyan College that she used to start her own paralegal firm after she graduated in 2008. She spent five years preparing and filing bankruptcy petitions for struggling blue collar workers who couldn’t afford to file with a lawyer. It was a rewarding and satisfying career… but another path called to her.

Writing.

A.E.’s novels embodies everything from hopelessly romantic to adventure, to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.

She’s recently celebrated her 20th book anniversary, and is kind of known now for her hardcore, play rough and love hard, bad boy, alphas. However, she does like to push herself to step out of her comfort zone, exploring different tropes, but she won’t push herself into a whole other genre. She’s head over heels for gay romance and she has tons of more hot stories to tell.

Be sure to visit Adrienne on her social media pages and subscribe to her newsletter to never miss another release date! Go to A.E. Via’s official website http://authoraevia.com for more detailed information on how to contact her, follow her, or a sneak peek at upcoming work, free reads, VSWB submissions, and where she’ll appear next. 

Amazon Author Page: http://bit.ly/AuthorAEVia

Author Official Website: http://authoraevia.com

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/aeviaauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorAEVia

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7354860.A_E_Via

A.E. Newsletter Signup: https://goo.gl/4hfuMh

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Review: Larry Boots, Exterminator by John Inman

Kenny Long is living a new life. Blinded in an accident, he has taken control of his unexpected reality the best way he can, and it’s working out better than he hoped.

Of course Larry Boots doesn’t know any of that. All he sees is a beautiful man sitting on a park bench.

Larry has a few problems of his own: his mother. His job. The lack of romance in his life.

His job. In the course of that job, Larry strikes up a friendship with Kenny. The next thing he knows, he’s so head-over-heels in love, even his mother doesn’t seem so bad. Of course his career is still a problem, but he’s working on that. Hopefully he’ll have the problem resolved before the man he’s being paid to murder succeeds in murdering him first.

And before the man he loves finds out he’s a cold-blooded killer.

This John Inman mashup was such a treat. Any Inman-phile knows he writes 5 heart books in a multitude of genres and Larry Boots, Exterminator brings together two of my favorites, sweet, sweet romance and horror. It really doesn’t get much better than that for me.

I wasn’t sure how this was all going to come together, the dichotomous paths the author wanted to bring together (based on the blurb), merging them sounded like an awkward impossibility. But of course, it wasn’t and the two pieces melded together perfectly.

Larry is an assassin (don’t call him that, he hates it), but he’s dedicated his life to delivering justice to those who were let down by the system. He’s living to avenge others in his twin brothers name. His brother was the victim of a violent crime and in his “honor” he’s turned into a vigilante. He’s a good bad guy though, he’s likable and sympathetic. He loves his crazy mama and his two dogs, he falls in love with Kenny.

Kenny is a teacher at the blind center in San Diego. He lost his sight in an accident a few years prior and has since relearned how to live his life and support himself. He’s such a sweet man wearing his little sweater vests and bowties, I couldn’t help but fall for him myself as Larry described him and got to know him.

They have a very interesting meet-cute in the park one day. Kenny is there to sit in the sunshine on a park bench and enjoy his lunch. Larry is up in a tree scouting out his next mark. Larry climbs down from said tree and the two strike up a slightly flirtatious exchange. If you didn’t know what Larry did for a living, it would just seem like a set up to a love story that I wanted to read. But, and this is a big but, Larry kills people for a living and there’s really no way to just kind of forget that’s a thing.

Told from Larry’s point of view, he was either practicing his chosen profession or falling in love with Kenny.When Larry was with Kenny I was completely wrapped up in that part of the story. Then the page would flip and Larry would be back to work. Larry’s clients and their stories were truly heartbreaking, so there was a gamut of emotions to run throughout the book. The warm fuzzies with Kenny and the frustrating hopelessness of the families put the reader through the wringer. The author brought the two pieces of the story so well, he really made them mesh in a way that made me buy into every nuance of it.

And then 80% happened. Up until this point Larry’s work and his personal life were pretty well separated, never the twain shall meet. Larry’s lastest mark makes him uncomfortable, he seems to have put his eye on Larry, but Larry can’t be sure. Does he think that because he’s falling in love and finally has someone else to worry about or is this guy really wise to him? Insert tension here.

At 80% Larry is off to do his job, leaving Kenny home alone. That’s all I’m going to say because I want you to ride the tension wave like I did. I loved and hated every bit of the last 20%. The author is a master of the last 20%. He gets me every time and this time it was a little different. I was in romance mode, I was in love with Larry and Kenny’s love, but Larry’s pesky job was hanging over their heads and the resolution was coming. In romance mode, and in the author’s purely romantic books I would just be wallowing in the love pollen. However, Larry Boots, Exterminator has a horror element that won’t be denied so I honestly wasn’t sure how this would play out. I mean, I know what I wanted, but that doesn’t mean I was going to get it.

Larry Boots, Exterminator has so many great pieces that come together beautifully. While I loved the tension and Larry’s work life. His personality, his relationship with his mom, his reasonings, they all made for a fascinating character. But his relationship with Kenny was pure gold. The two of them together were simply lovely in their intimate moments, and not just the tingly, sticky bits, I mean the conversations and declarations between the two. Yes, Kenny was blind and vulnerable to an extent because of his circumstances, but he was also strong and fiercely independent. I loved how fully fleshed out his character was and how well he and Larry complemented one another.

Larry Boots has a permanent spot on my reread shelf. I know I’ll want to visit Larry and Kenny again.

**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**

Re-Release Blitz: Blind Passion by Penny Brandon

Celebrate the re-release of Blind Passion with author Penny Brandon and Signal Boost Promotions! Learn more about the contemporary romance today!

Universal Buy Link

Length: 82,000 words approx. 

Blurb

Attraction for Adam was not a handsome face, a striking smile, or beautiful eyes, but a scent that would drive him to distraction or a voice that could make his heart beat faster. When the combination of the two walked into his life in Luke, Adam couldn’t help but want him. But how was he supposed to know if Luke felt the same attraction? He had no prior experience, no past encounters, nothing to help him. Not even his sight.


One look at Adam and Luke wanted him. Sensual, gorgeous, kind, with a strength that Luke was drawn to, Adam was everything Luke desired. Being in Adam’s arms, showing him the pleasure of a man’s body, being touched, held, and desired in return, had Luke wanting more, had him wanting what he knew he couldn’t have.


It didn’t matter to him that Adam was blind, but Adam deserved more than someone like him. Luke was a man with a broken past and falling in love with Adam was a foolish thing to do, especially because Adam would never love him back if he found out what Luke was hiding.

About Penny

Penny is a complete romantic who believes everyone can fall in love if only they'll open their heart to the possibility, which is why she writes these hot erotic stories that will always have a happily every after. However, it doesn't mean that she'll make it easy for her men to get there. A lover of things that go bump in the night, Penny's imagination can sometimes run riot, so magic mirrors and evil dolls are only the beginning.


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Review: Shifting Currents (Mermen & Magic #4) by L.M. Brown

Can a merman and an Atlantean, separated by centuries and prejudices, find love together?

Merman Delwyn is an Oracle of the past. He loves nothing better than observing the comings and goings of those who lived centuries before he was born. His favourite time period to visit is the days when both Atlantean and mer inhabited the sunken city of Atlantis, and his guilty pleasure is watching lovers come together in passion. Secure in the knowledge that no one can see him when he’s viewing the past, nothing can prepare Delwyn for the moment Fabian, an Atlantean living in the past, speaks to him.

Fabian is a man with divided loyalties. The demi-god son of the Goddess of Sea Creatures has sworn to serve the Goddess of Prophecy as her Oracle of the present. His unique status gives him the power to see anything in the present, including the mysterious merman voyeur from the distant future.

Despite the centuries that separate them, Delwyn and Fabian find they have a lot in common and quickly form a friendship that both hope one day will become something more. But before they can be together in the present, Delwyn and Fabian must unravel the mysteries of the past.

Only time will tell if the truth about the long-since vanished Atlanteans will bring them together or tear them apart, as the battle for the sunken city of Atlantis begins.

Rated 3.9 Hearts

Shifting Currents is the fourth book in the urban fantasy/paranormal series, Mermen & Magic. And though each book features a new couple, they're not standalone. You must read in order.

And finally we get to travel back in time when Atlantis was newly sunk and the Atlanteans and mer lived together in the sunken city. And in Dangerous Waves (#3), oracle of the past, Delwyn was told his love was already in Atlantis. He's searching very hard despite being contained to underwater city and being blind.

The silver fin virgin is the youngest of the oracles an the most romantic. It was apparent in previous books and finally fully blossomed in book #4. Delwyn is attracted to a ginger haired demigod/ oracle of the present, by the name of Fabian. Normally no one can notice Delwyn when he watches the events of the past. Somehow, Fabian does. And he can talk to Delwyn. Both are intrigued with the other. Other than conversation, Fabian and Delwyn couldn't physically touch. Their courtship was very unconventional but nothing will stand in the way for soul mates.

That's right fated mates. (Squee)

For the first half of the book, this was getting close to 5 Hearts for me. The mystery, the mates and their hardship of having many centuries separating them, finally getting to bottom of the Atlantean day. It was a lot of information to go through. And I was very happy.

This series is something like paranormal brain candy. It reminds of reading early Sherrilyn Kenyon from book #1 and it's still consistent to the latest. It's sort of light, sort of simple but the magic works.

Delwyn is endearing because he's this big heart searching for his happy ever after. Fabian is sexual Atlantean and how Delwyn firsts meet Fabian is hot. (Note: Fabian does have sex with another but Delwyn doesn't mind...it already happened. Plus, he has a voyeuristic streak).

We get a lot more action compared to the previous books.

The sea dragons finally get fully explained! We get to read the time when the Atlantean gods were in charge. When the story remains in present day, about 55-60%, the strong set up suffered a little from the slower pace. And the romance takes a backseat, so by the time I got to the end, I thought there was going to be more.

My overall rating is 3.9 Hearts. That's right, I'm rating this 3.9 Hearts. (It could have easily been my favorite of the series, the second half matched the first)

Once the start of the war happens, the action and the pace drags a little. The author makes sure to explain the entire scene, where I felt it could have been summarized a bit. With the romance removed from the driver's seat, the impact wasn't as strong as I think it could've been.

In L.M. Brown's Atlantis and merfolk world, the mer are sexual beings. They have mating seasons which coincide with the two solstices. The mer must have sex and release their triggers or they'll have physical pain the longer they go without. And the mer have different triggers to orgasm, like bottoming or penetration, or spanking.

Delwyn is a virgin in Shifting Currents and hasn't explored sexually. So we the readers never find out other than Delwyn isn't interested in being penetrated. I'm happy the author kept to his feelings and didn't write a gratuitous sex scene. Is there penetrative sex? Between the MC's: no. The sexual scenes are limited.

Due to a little thing about being born at different periods of time and setting up the war between the deities that hate the mer and the allies, the book spends more time on the mystery of that day. The impossibility of the two oracles being together in the same time helped pushed this plot. Though I still have questions about that day. I need a definitive reason why. We get to learn who cared for the Atlanteans and who were against them. But why exactly were they banished? What's up with Mariana's hatred? Where does it stem from?

The author went deeper this time in the wonderful mythological world created. And we learn more about Caspian. I CAN'T WAIT FOR HIS BOOK ALREADY! *cough* So I'm sorta satisfied but I want deeper, more explanation on actions made. #greedy.

Do I recommend this series? Well, I've read the entire series so far and have no plans to get off the Mermen & Magic train - so yes. I think this would work best for readers who don't mind lighter simpler paranormal themes.

Shifting Currents does end with a HEA (not without major sacrifices). I'm curious as to what's in store for the future because Atlantis and the current state felt unfinished.

Review: Surrender the Dark (The Dark #1) by Tibby Armstrong

As a provocative series of paranormal temptation begins, a vampire king seduces the supernaturally gifted man hunting him. But when the stakes are literally life or death, their struggle for control is no game.

Benjamin Fuller is a hunter, born and bred. Blinded as a child by the vampire who slaughtered his family, he’s blessed with a second sight that allows him to catch and kill his quarry. What his gift can’t help him see coming is his fierce, almost carnal attraction to the mystery man who claims to be a fellow hunter and whose touch triggers both lust and revulsion. When he gains the upper hand, Benjamin vows to bring his enemy to his knees.

After many years spent in exile, the only one who can help restore Tzadkiel Dragoumanos to his rightful place as War King is a blind hunter with golden curls, a lithe dancer’s physique, and distinctive facial scars—scars Tzadkiel gave him two decades ago. The mere scent of Benjamin Fuller provokes an unwelcome rush of insatiable desire. Yet to win an all-out supernatural war, Tzadkiel must resist the ravenous hunger to possess his prey—for now.

I don't want to get too excited here but this has the potential to be a great paranormal romantic suspense series with phenomenal worldbuilding, strong leading characters and loads of action/adventure. Armstrong has taken a modern day Boston and transformed it into an urban fantasy landscape brimming with secret lairs, underground civilizations, supes of all kinds, secret doors and a blood feud that spans years. 

We have the sexy vamp in Tzadkiel and his fierce paramour, Benjamin. They have a shared and painful past that pits them against one another initially. 

Hunter and vamp. Drawn to each other and repulsed by their attraction simultaneously. I'm licking my lips here because them's the goods right there! You know what that means, kids?

Well, sorta. The sex was a teensy bit rough if infrequent and I have to say if authors don't quit chain-yanking me on the hate sex I'm going to get SUPER fussy. These two had biting snark and an ocean's worth of water under the bridge and they still couldn't manage some hate sex? 

Luckily the whole "fated" thing came along and saved the day. I heart me some fated mates and these two met when Benjamin was just an innocent tike of 8 or so. Even then Tzadkiel found his elderflower (NICE! Armstrong didn't go with the ubiquitous something woodsy) scent irresistible. Naturally Benjamin has similar feels with regard to Tzadkiel. Who can resist and vamp in leather though? I mean, really.

The defense rests.

Surrender the Dark definitely fits the hurt/comfort bill with Benjamin having been blinded and disfigured by Tzadkiel as a child then orphaned. While Tzadkiel withstood 36 straight hours of torture at the hands of Benjamin's uncle (an asshole, in case you were wondering) including losing his fangs and being injected with iron and...

Yeah, it was bad. So bad he had to go to ground for two decades to minimally recover, so you can imagine how pissed he was when he woke up.

I wanted Tzadkiel to be a bit more unscrupulous than he turned out to be, but he's good... vampire? What's plural for vampire or is it like deer? Whatever you get what I mean. I liked him and I liked that Armstrong made his voice align with his age, wisdom and experience. Actually, both men had their own unique voices that I had no trouble differentiating between. I so enjoyed getting a front row seat to witness the evolution of their relationship from enemies to something more and how they each grappled with their changing perceptions of the other.

However much I enjoyed the growth of their relationship, Surrender the Dark is very much a paranormal adventure/urban fantasy with an up-tempo pace intermingled through the worldbuilding and romance plotlines, so if you're looking for a really strong romance storyline you'll probably be disappointed. The two strongest secondary characters are Benjamin's best friends, Nyx and Akito, and while I liked them and wouldn't mind learning more about them I'm hoping the next book will continue with Tzadkiel and Benjamin's story and their adventures with even more action, please.

Recommend to urban fantasy fans.

I couldn't resist.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley.

Review: Dangerous Waves (Mermen & Magic #3) by L.M. Brown

A blind merman fleeing the sunken city of Atlantis is torn between the family he left behind and the love he swims toward.

When Dax lost his family to a shark attack he swam away from everything he had ever known. Now he has come to Atlantis, hoping to reconnect with those he left behind. When he finds his birth clan torn apart, he realizes his journey is just beginning.

Kai is an Oracle, a blind merman, who only has sight when he has a vision. Atlantis, a sanctuary for so many mer people, is his prison. Desperation drives him to beg the Atlantean Goddess of Love for help.

With the goddess's promise of love to tempt him, Kai persuades Dax to take him along when he leaves the sunken city.

Although Dax has some reservations about traveling through the ocean with a blind merman in tow, he quickly discovers Kai isn't as helpless as he appears. Attraction comes easy, but Kai doesn't seem to feel the same way.

Kai knows he must seduce Dax if he hopes to win his heart, but his inexperience may be his downfall. With Dax's former lover at the end of their journey, he knows time is running out.

A goddess can only help so much, especially when another immortal would see them part. If the two stubborn mermen want a life together, they will have to learn to communicate and fight for their love.

Back again for L.M. Brown's mermen!

(You know if I return to a series more than once, I've been hooked)

The last 2016 review on the blog is all about the fantasy. (Hey, this is me we're talking about-it's a fave genre)

L.M. Brown has created quite the world in the Merman & Magic series--readers visit the sunken island of Atlantis, inhabited with merfolk and sea creatures. Plus there's mythology thrown in with an interesting cast of god/goddess side characters that add a sense of magical instability in the tales. The gods are awakening from their stasis...the world doesn't know what it's in for.

In the third installment, Dangerous Waves, the prophetic Oracle mer family are the focus as well as Dax was the ex-lover from book #1. The Oracles are a group of three merfolk who are blind due to their psychic-like abilities. They are blinded once their get their powers at puberty, meaning they are virgins and must remain untouched. Kai, the Oracle of the present and protagonist, longs for a love to call his own, even though it's forbidden. He calls for help from the meddling goddess of love, Medina.

If you've been following along in the series (and I strongly suggest reading in order), then you know mer people are highly sexual. The Oracles aren't allowed any freedoms, basically prisoners in the kingdom of Atlantis. Enter the highly sexual Dax, the former lover of book #1's Kyle. Dax starts the book as the third in a temporary menage, a loner among yet another nomadic tribe that wants to move to Atlantis for stability.

Medina sense Dax's and Kai's fate and meddles in the only way she knows how.

It's hyper sexual vs. virginity, Dax and Kai couldn't be more different experience wise. But their chemistry is electric.

I like the route the author took with these two. It wasn't automatic jumping of bones, no sexy times happen until the last quarter of the book. The men get to know each other through a ocean road trip. Kai finally gets to experience life while traveling to England to help Dax check in on his former lover.

On the road, the two start opening up and learning about a common theme they seem to share, loners. But Dax thinks with his cock (that hasn't changed since book 1) and any time I fins myself liking him, he'd remember to be the jerk from book #1. He viewed sex as sex, Kai was a romantic. warning there is a sex scene with a MC and another person. That didn't piss me off. It wasn't cheating, but usually that's first third behavior of a novel, not so late in the game as the MC's start to get closer. I liked it. It remained true to his character.

It didn't read like insta-love, though the romantic aspect read short when coming to the romantic aspect. It took one of the men a little longer to realize his feelings. I felt it could have been played up just a little more for him.

Why this isn't 5 Hearts The goddess Medina seemed to be a main player in the beginning and them quiets (when hinted to being super powerful) and then shows up to not make much of an impact. The gods awakening is another larger series ARC but compared to the last two books, Dangerous Waves was weaker. We get to meet 2 new gods, add to Medina and series mainstays, Cari & Caspian, it's starting to get crowded. There are hints of conflicts to come, but it'd be nice if they were a little more defined. And the big conflict in the end? It was solved by a different being instead off the one who went to help. Something about the entire thing read anticlimactic.

Overall, a fun read.

There's opposites attract, mythology and magical hijinks. Plus, I'm enjoying the characters. I can't wait to read about Delwyn (Oracle of the past) in the future.

Not my fave pairing of the partnerships...but close.

If you're looking for a lighter urban fantasy series to try, I recommend giving the Mermen & Magic series a try.

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Interested in learning more about the series?

Review of Book #1
Review of Book #2

Review: Taking the Long Way by Max MacGowan

Male escort Rye Bellamy is looking for a way out. Any way out. He’s getting older, and clients are getting more dangerous. If he doesn’t find something better, he knows he won’t survive.

He sees his chance in Marcus Townsend, a functionally blind Army veteran. Marcus, who refuses to accept his condition as immutable, has a shot at seeing a specialist who might be able to help him—but that doctor’s based on the other side of the country.

When Rye and Marcus meet, they realize they can help each other. Marcus can’t drive, but Rye can. Marcus knows what Rye is, but he likes him anyway. In fact, he more than likes him. Driving cross-country with a near stranger is a daunting task, but Rye’s biggest risk is falling for the gentle, stubborn-hearted soldier—and it might already be too late to stop that.

They plan to part ways when they reach their destination, but plans change as the affection between them grows. Now neither wants their journey to end, but continuing means finding a way to bridge the distance between who they were and who they'd like to become.

Rentboy...legally blind former solider...three guesses why I jumped at the chance to read this.

SRAL: on the prowl for rentboy romances. I wonder if I could add this to my business card?

Debut author Max MacGowan's "Taking the Long Way" does literally that. Apt title is apt. Old in the tooth hooker at the age of twenty-five, Rye gets an unexpected break from his rough life and forced 'retirement' by way of legally blind, sexually straight former soldier, Marcus. Marcus encounters Rye on the street and is drawn to him. But he's straight, so it's got to be that he's worried about the life the hooker leads, right? Marcus just falls into an easy friendship and invites the stranger he barely knows to escort him to Atlanta...as friends.

A different type of premise. And readers who don't like rentboy stories to be too gritty, might enjoy this. The tone is easy to follow, the characters are light and likeable. The men leave California and embark on a road trip through Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana and Georgia. Some states were more interesting than others for the men. Overall, they drive their way into love.

This is tagged as erotic romance...hmm...romantica? *tilts head* Maybe. This is low/no angst. Nothing rocks the plot into anything crazy. Just a road trip from California to Atlanta, and somehow these men fall in love. They say the right words, at decent points in the novel...but I'm still on the fence with the couple. It could be they didn't make a hard enough sell in buying their relationship in the beginning.

There isn't as much sex (less penetrative) in the story as I'd have thought in an erotic romance. But the men's connection was nice. I like the progression into gay sex for gay sex virgin Marcus. Plus, taking his disability and struggle with his diagnosis into account, it was handled well enough. But there were some stronger and weaker parts.

Interesting parts:

- Demisexualism - this story is probably going to be tagged as 'gay for you'. A man who was heterosexual all of his life is now sexually attracted to a man. Not every man, just the one, Rye. But the author makes sure to introduce the term demisexual (being attracted to a person when a strong emotional connection is formed) Marcus hadn't been sexually attracted to anyone in some time. The author also made a point that it didn't matter of about the person's gender who Marcus was attracted to without making it too technical (pansexualism - term's not introduced though or properly used). I liked that they used Jessie the kid to introduce the demisexual term and get Marcus to understand. (Though the emotional connection was a little too soon for Jessie to call it nor would Jessie be able to tell really, would she?)

- Jessie - she wasn't too annoying for an eleven year old. She was my favorite of the secondary characters. Prim and Celia, the lesbian couple from Louisiana are a close second. They helped when the story dragged.

Things that weren't as strong:

- In the beginning and other spots (but mostly the beginning): the main characters weren't distinct enough in their own voice. They shared the same thoughts. An example, 10% - both main characters are strangers and yet they see the same man and refer to him by the same nickname? It tapered off somewhere before New Mexico, which leads me into my next issue.

- The story could have been shaved some: I get it. It's a road trip and the trip is supposed to intensify the bonding especially into shorter time frames. But some of it was unnecessary to the plot. New Mexico - that entire section? Not needed. Added nothing and read like filler. I would say the same about Shadow. But...I guess it worked for the Louisiana subplot. But...something about the entire thing felt wonky to me. *shrugs* I am happy with the outcome. I am a dog lover and go crazy for the pups, so what do I know?

- The story is very low angst: but it reads too easy in some aspects. It could be the lack of depth of the main characters. But the story is serviceable, more than memorable. (Could be because my last story was bombastic.) But I just finished the story and I struggled to remember character names and parts.

For a first time novel, it's good. It brings two men together who weren't looking for love much less a relationship together. I think the last chapter was necessary. But I'm iffy on the way the story ended. Don't worry, no cliffhangers involved. Everything is wrapped up...maybe a little too neatly for my tastes.

But it got the job done.

Recommended for readers who like low angst, damaged men with baggage getting together and don't want to end up being wrecked at the end of the story.

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