Blurb

When Tom Apollyon returns to Cromer to help oversee his uncle’s pub, it’s a difficult adjustment. Overwhelmed by his born ability to sense auras, Tom relies on constant drinking and drifting to function normally. Coming back is too much to handle and one night, he decides to end it all. He just doesn’t expect to encounter a bewitching stranger when he tries.

While on an annual seaside holiday with his lover, Theo Harper takes a solitary evening stroll near the water. He thinks it’s just the thing a landlocked selkie needs, yet instead of being soothed, he stops a troubled man from drowning. The earnest good deed sparks a romance that makes Tom and Theo hope for a happier, gentler life together.

While both need to decide to trust themselves and each other, they’re not daunted until an alarming problem presents itself. Theo’s skin — which can definitely be used to capture or kill him, to Tom’s horror — has gone missing.

To build the future they want, they have to get the skin back…

Review

The gay fantasy novel was right up my alley. I loved the relationship between Theo, a Selkie, and Tom, who has a touch of witchiness inside of him in that he can see people’s auras. I enjoyed how they brought out the best in each other, and I loved journeying with them as they got to know each other and understand each other. The supernatural elements in the story were a lot of fun, and just about everyone in the story had a touch of the supernatural to them, whether they knew it or not.

I tend to enjoy stories involving mythical creatures and felt the Selkie aspect of this was exceptionally well done, especially once Theo’s skin goes missing and the two of them together take on the quest to find it. Of course, as the reader, we know what happened to the skin, which makes it all the more enjoyable.

Initially, I wasn’t quite sure of the time period where the narrative takes place as the prose felt like a book written in Victorian times. However, at one point, a character mentions it’s the 20th century and that being gay is still considered a crime, so I’m guessing it took place at the beginning of the century (if the time period was ever mentioned, I missed it).

Like Silk Breathing was a subtle blow-me-away kind of book that got its hooks in me quite quickly and even moved me to tears in a couple of places. This was a lovely and eye-opening story about letting go of one’s prejudices and seeing beyond what is there. I found it to be as thought-provoking as it is emotional. Furthermore, it is utterly enchanting and a hell of a treat for anyone who enjoys good yarns with believable characters and a healthy dose of the supernatural. Though there are only a handful of people in the story that really matters, their characterization is really well done. As a reader, it’s easy to identify with almost all the characters in the story.

This beautifully written tale, with its lush prose, takes the reader into a delightful new fantasy world, and I adored the time I spent there with these characters. It’s an engaging, quiet, and gentle story, yet it pulled me through the narrative wonderfully.

Note that though this is a romance, you won’t find any steamy erotic scenes. Instead, this is a tender love story about two men from completely different worlds who discover that they have more in common than they thought — a story about love in its purest form. Definitely worth the read!

A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a review copy of this book.

Blurb:

Alexander Hunt holds onto two secrets: both could ruin his life, but one could end it.

The sudden move from Calgary, Alberta to the outskirts of Jasper during his senior year leaves Alex isolated in a cabin with bickering parents. He copes by taking daily hikes along the shores of Maligne Lake until he meets a young man named Amulii. He’s huge, unkempt, and speaks broken English, but there’s something else uncanny about him Alex can’t quite place.

What starts as a frightening first encounter escalates the moment Amulii gives Alex a strange gift and reveals there’s something much wilder about him than meets the eye. Unbeknownst to Alex, this sets off a series of devastating events that sends both of them fleeing from an aggressive, well-armed militia in the forest.

As Amulii and Alex escape into the mountains, their bond strengthens as they learn from one another, and what was once distrust evolves into something much deeper. Despite that, there are only two questions burning Alex’s waking thoughts as they traverse the harsh wilds of western Alberta, waiting for salvation: will he be caught and killed, or will he lose the rest of his humanity to Amulii’s mistake?

Content Warning:

This book is NOT erotica but is intended for those over the age of 17. It contains explicit sex and graphic violence. While those themes are not prominent in the story, they pop up from time to time. This is a gay-centric paranormal romance with real biped werewolves. This is NOT A/B/O

Review

I’m a huge fan of werewolf novels, and I really enjoyed this author’s take on the genre. I loved our two main characters, Alex and Amulii, and enjoyed seeing both of them transform (pun intended) and grow throughout the story. This novel was quite a refreshing take on the werewolf mythology, and I thought the world-building in this story was phenomenal, as was the character development. The author gives us a truly fascinating world populated by memorable, well-developed characters.

Perfectly paced, The Mark of Amulii is a fast-paced fantasy adventure, and the action never lets up. Once Alex and Amulii are on the run, the story shifts from a mild romance into an intense, sometimes brutal, no-holds-barred thriller dripping with adrenaline. I found myself swept away in its action-packed wake, almost gasping for breath as the tension tightens like a noose, right up to the thrilling — and utterly shocking — conclusion.

The story is twisty and powerful, as well as moving. Though action-packed, the heart of the story is the romance between Amulii and Alex, and the chemistry and passion between them are fantastic. I enjoyed seeing their barriers break down as they got to know each other and how perfectly they balanced each other out. In addition, the character interaction was top-notch.

All in all, The Mark of Amulii is a razor-sharp novel that combines queer themes with a paranormal element in a clever and twisty way, with plenty of manic action and heart-stopping suspense. Right from the initial scene-setting, the novel builds to a crescendo of thrills, chills, and surprises and does not disappoint. In addition, the author left an intriguing tidbit at the end of the story, opening the way for a possible sequel. I hope there is one because I would love to read more novels that take place in this world.

A huge thank you to the author for providing a review copy of this book.

Purchase The Mark of Amulii from Amazon

Blurb:

In a world where everyone has magic coursing through them, legend says magic itself craves a mate. Legend says those with opposite magics have the greatest chance of forming the unbreakable Bond it desires.

A.B. Cerise is an obsessive compulsive pop star with the ability to turn invisible. He’s an out bisexual with absolutely no belief in Bonds. He has a love-bruised heart, thinks dating in the spotlight is a hassle at best and a nightmare at worst, and has no intention of going through it all over again.

Matthew Hellman-Levoie is the NHL’s number one goalie prospect, the youngest in a hockey dynasty, and one of the rare few who can see the unseeable. He’s a straight man who wears his heart on his sleeve, has grown up searching for a Bond, and dreams of finding the love of his life.

Legend never said anything about what to do when sparks fly between two people opposite in more ways than just magic.

Review

When I learned that there was a story about magic, hockey players, and an M/M relationship, I was so excited. It was as if this book was written for me!

However, I have to admit that I was a bit hesitant to dive in after reading the heavy information dump in the Prologue, which introduced all the different types and categories of magic and the different types of people who wield them. I feared that I would never manage to keep this confusing new magical universe straight in my head, but I needn’t have worried. Though magic was an undercurrent of the plot, the main story revolved around the relationship between our two main characters. It didn’t take long for the story to completely hook me and steal my heart — magical knowledge not required.

What I love about this story is how unique it is. Here we have a world where everyone has access to some sort of magic. Moreover, the author gives us a story centered around the relationship between an openly bisexual pop star (A.B. Cerise) and a (supposedly) straight professional hockey player (Matthew Hellman) who’s about to enter the NHL as a star goalie. Until meeting A.B., Matthew always had assumed he was straight, and it took him a while to realize that perhaps he wasn’t so straight after all, resulting in a delightful slow-burn romance.

In addition, the two men may or may not be their one true perfect magical mate (it’s called a “bondmate” in the story). I loved the speculation around the idea of “bondmates” and how most people in the novel considered it more of a myth than actual fact. It’s important to mention that from the moment they meet, Matthew is convinced that AB is his bondmate, whereas was AB doesn’t believe in them. I enjoyed the fact that not a lot is known about the bondmate idea or whether it even really exists— so it is basically uncharted territory for our characters to explore.

Given that both men were celebrities, the public meticulously observed their every move. So what was especially fun about the story were the fake Twitter threads, the fandom, and the articles of the paparazzi speculating about AB’s romantic life, a lot of which was hysterical and made me laugh out loud on several occasions.

This ended up being a truly heartwarming story with adorable main characters. I loved seeing how the two men managed to tear down the other’s self-imposed walls, allowing them to open their hearts to each other. Their love is engaging and passionate, and they’ve become one of my favorite couples. AB and Matthew both recognize there is too much complication in their lives for a relationship, but at the same time, they are both so intensely drawn to each other and get so much comfort from each other that they can’t stay away. The romance in this book is a tier above and what really made this work for me was the connection our two guys had, realizing that what they each wanted was always right in front of them. This is the type of book that will make even the most cynical of readers believe in love.

All that being said, I thought the world-building and character-building in the story were phenomenal. I loved this world that the author invented, populated with well-fleshed out and lifelike characters. The characters are so realistic and relatable that they jump off the page. Add to that magic, stardom, fandoms, social media drama/speculation, clinical anxiety, and homophobia in the hockey community, and we end up with a genuinely compelling story. Oh, and did I mention the book contains beautiful illustrations? This added an extra special element to the reading experience for me.

All in all, snappy dialog, stellar world-building, a nosey public, hidden magic, and a sweet, slow-burn romance make The Magic Between a standout for me, and it gets all the stars.

A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book. This book is scheduled to be released on February 15, 2022.

The first time you share tea, you are a stranger. The second time you share tea, you are an honored guest. And the third time you share tea, you become family.

TJ Klune is one of my favorite authors, so I was super excited when this book came to my attention. Once again, he did not disappoint.

Under the Whispering Door is a heartwarming contemporary fantasy about finding yourself. It follows an unlikable, ruthless and driven lawyer named Wallace Price, who is more than a bit surprised (but mostly shocked) to find himself at his own funeral. Apparently, Wallace has died and is none too happy about it. This becomes even more evident when a reaper named Mei shows up to take Wallace to the next stage of his journey.

But instead of taking him to the afterlife, the Reaper brings him to a small tea shop in a remote village called Charon’s Crossing when he meets a charming man named Hugo, the proprietor who is also the ferryman of souls. Hugo’s job is to help souls get ready for crossing over, which turns out not to be such an easy chore for the angry and bitter Wallace Price. But, of course, anger and denial like Wallace’s isn’t anything new for Hugo — he’s seen it before. But he definitely has his work cut out for him as he attempts to lead Wallace out of the darkness and into a more gentle understanding of the mysteries of life.

So with Hugo’s gentle guidance — as well as that from Mei (the Reaper) and Hugo’s ghostly and mischievous grandad Nelson, Wallace begins to understand all that he missed from life, and his outlook slowly begins to change — especially once he learns that it’s never too late to start anew.

It was so delightful to see Wallace’s heart begin to warm as the other charming and quirky characters slowly got under his skin. I loved seeing him grow as a person, and as he did, the more likable and relatable he became. I was surprised by how much I grew to care about this formerly cruel and despicable character, and my heart warmed to see him form meaningful relationships with the other characters in the book (including Apollo, the ghost dog) and witness him making a genuine effort to become a better person.

The author handled some pretty tough topics in the book, such as death, PTSD, suicide, and grief, all of which were handled compassionately and delicately by the author. But additionally, the author’s familiar wit, humor, and charm shine through, resulting in a beautiful heartfelt story that is both moving and thought-provoking. It’s a hard-hitting story that’s at times sad and raw, but that teaches some valuable lessons as the plot unfolds.

All in all, Under the Whispering Door is a delightful heart-tugger of a story about grief, regret, death, love, loneliness, acceptance but most of all, about found family. It’s the kind of story that causes you to laugh out loud in some places and brings a tear to your eyes in others, and I still find myself ruminating and contemplating it many days later. I love a good story about hope, redemption, and second chances, and that’s what we get here with this gentle tale.

As a reader, I found this to be an utterly rewarding journey. There’s also a sweet romance that was the cherry on top of this magical story. Oh, and that ending — it was perfect!

A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book.

The book will be released on September 21 but is available for preorder from online retailers.

Link to Preorder from Amazon

Blurb:

For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.

But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train.

Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all.

Review:

One Last Stop is a contemporary fiction rom/com with a sapphic love story at its core. It also delves rather deeply into magical realism, so if you don’t like woo-woo in your fiction, then you may not like this one. In fact, one of the characters is a psychic. For me, I thought the magical realism aspect worked swimmingly.

The story follows a 23-year-old bi woman named August Landry, who has transferred from her university to one in New York and has a somewhat pessimistic view on life. For her entire life, August has been enlisted by her mother to help in the missing person case of her uncle and, in the process, has developed quite an impressive set of investigative skills. But she’s finally decided that enough is enough and wants to strike out on her own.

So on the very first day of August’s commute to the university, she spills coffee all over her shirt before she steps onto the Q Subway Line. Once on the train, she’s immediately smitten by a gorgeous young punk rock gal named Jane Su, who gives August a red scarf to hide the stain.

After she disembarks the subway, August can’t get the mysterious and swoon-worthy young woman out of her mind and hopes she somehow sees her again. As it just so happens, she sees Jane again the next time she takes the train and happens to be in the same car as August. Then it happens again…and again….and again.

By the way, Jane, who is an Asian lesbian, seems happy to see Jane each time they meet, and a sort of relationship begins to develop between them. When August invites Jane out to coffee, Jane responds simply by saying, “I can’t.”

August is heartbroken but soon discovers that Jane really can’t….literally. That is to say, she has been on the subway for 45 years and is unable to leave it. The kicker is that Jane remembers almost nothing about her life before the subway and has no idea how she ended up stuck on the train.

One thing we learn about August is that she simply cannot resist a mystery, so she decides to put her “girl detective” investigative talents to use and, along with her roommates, try to help August and save her from the subway. As the mysteries surrounding Jane’s past slowly unravel, the two women grow even closer, especially once the kissing starts.

What really made this novel shine for me were the diverse and highly well-fleshed authentic out secondary characters who I ended up loving as much as our two main protagonists. I found myself quickly invested in each and every one of them. Through them, we really get a strong feeling of “found family,” which worked incredibly well in the novel. It’s truly magical when you’re able to find “your people” — you know, the place where you feel you truly belong — and that feeling really came through strongly during the narrative.

I really loved the representation of diverse cultures and sexualities we find with our quirky and eccentric characters. For instance, we have:

• Niko – who is a trans Latino psychic
• Myla – queer Black electrical engineer and artist who has an adoptive Chinese mom
• Wes – a depressed and somewhat mysterious queer Jewish tattoo artist
• Isaiah – the next-door neighbor who is an accountant by day and the flamboyant drag Queen Annie Depressant by night — and who is head over heels in love with Wes
• and Jane, who is a Chinese-American Lesbian

I think many queer people will be able to see themselves in these characters.

There was plenty of fun banter and shenanigans among the roommates, which made me nostalgic for my own college days. The unconventional employees at Billy’s diner also played an essential part in the story. So if you love the found family trope, this one is sure to win your heart.

What was also fun about this story was how much it was a tribute and celebration of queer identity. Once Jane begins remembering her past, we learn about her life in the 70s — the protests and riots she was involved in, how she fought — sometimes with her fists — for the queer community along with her own found family. I thought that the story really brought to light the fights lead by people of color and the LGBTQIA+ community during the 70s and how we still have a long way to go.

As for the romance, well, let me say that it’s probably the best that I’ve read in a while. The sex scenes were tender, erotic, heartwarming without being graphic as August and Jane each learned what each other likes, wants, and needs. You could feel the deep and intense emotion between the two of them, and overall, the sex-positive love scenes felt super realistic.

There’s no doubt in my mind that this is a five-star read for me, especially given that I connected with pretty much every character in the book, and I adored the unique and clever premise of the story. Besides, how could I not fall in love with an extraordinary novel about a magical girl tethered to a New York subway?

So given that I adored Red, White, and Royal Blue and adored One Last Stop just as much, Casey McQuiston has become a new favorite author of mine, and I can’t wait to read more of their work.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a digital reviewer copy of this book.

This book will be available for purchase on June 1st but you can preorder it now.

Purchase One Last Stop at Amazon

Blurb:

”For fans of The Matrix and Memento, a twisty, exciting adventure!” –Diana Gabaldon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Outlander series

The basis for the major motion picture Infinite

Discovered as three notebooks in an antique store in Rome at the turn of the millennium, The Reincarnationist Papers offers a tantalizing glimpse into the Cognomina, a secret society of people who possess total recall of their past lives.

Evan
Michaels struggles with being different, with having the complete
memories of two other people who lived sequentially before him. He
fights loneliness and believes he is unique until he meets Poppy. She
recognizes his struggle because she is like him, except that she is much
older, remembering seven consecutive lives. But there is something else
she must share with Evan — she is a member of the secretive Cognomina.
They are, in effect, immortals — compiling experiences and skills over
lifetimes into near superhuman abilities that they have used to drive
history over centuries.

Poppy invites Evan into the Cognomina, but he must face their tests before entering this mysterious society as their equal.

Review:

I love twisty stories about past lives and secret organizations, so the synopsis of The Reincarnationist Papers grabbed my attention right away. The story follows a fellow named Evan Michaels, a professional arsonist-for-hire. Evan, however, is different than most people in that he is living with three sets of memories inside of his head: his current life and the complete memories of two other people. He suspects that he’s crazy and lives his life the best he can.

But then he meets Poppy, who recognizes Evan for what he really is: someone who has complete recall of their past lives. As it turns out, Poppy has lived seven consecutive lives, so in this way, she’s much older than Evan. She subsequently invites him to apply to a secret society called the Cognomina, a group for people who are like the both of them: immortals who recall all of their past lives. But first, Evan has to go through a series of tests to prove that he is, in fact, one of them, and in so doing, we go more in-depth into his past lives as well as the others in the society via the narrative and flashbacks. I found the drama and the interwoven secrets between the Cognomina members throughout their many lives to be compelling and a lot of fun.

What was entertaining about this book is that it felt like it was a non-fiction story — a sort of documentary in which the author comes across these “Reincarnationist Papers” in an antique bookstore in Rome and is now sharing those notebooks in book format for all of us to read and ponder. So in this way, I found the world-building to be phenomenal. I thought this aspect was such a unique and refreshing take on the past life genre and really added to the story’s overall enjoyment. It was fascinating how all of the characters no longer feared death at all because they knew they’d be coming right back. This was quite an interesting philosophy on the overall theme of life after death.

We’re also treated to a delightful set of eccentric and hedonistic personalities in the Cognomina, all of which added an essential element to the story. Each character was captivating and described in such detail that I could easily picture having a conversation with any one of them, resulting in a vivid and atmospheric story. I especially enjoyed the character arc of Evan as he experienced considerable growth throughout the book.

We also learn the origin of the Reincarnationist Papers — who wrote them and why. But that’s all I’ll say on that lest I move into spoiler territory. But I can say that The Reincarnationist Papers is a delightful and enthralling read that makes you ponder who you are, where you come from, and what your responsibilities are to both. Told in alternating perspectives with crisp writing, I found this to be quite a thought-provoking book that I thoroughly enjoyed.

A huge thank you to TK and Blackstone Publishing for providing a review copy of this book.

Purchase The Reincarnationist Papers on Amazon