Be Fairy Game: Starfig Investigations Book 2, Meghan Maslow

Being right isn't always a great thing.  That goes for what I was anxious about for this book as well as Twig and Quinn.  The ability to say "I told you so," doesn't feel great when you were hoping for so much more.  There were some incredibly sweet sentiments expressed, a few humorous scenes, and an incredible amount of potential for the series as a whole so the story isn't a total miss, there were just also some immensely disturbing scenes that left me feeling icky and not altogether comfortable.

What I was right about in my fears expressed in my review for book one is the relationship dynamic between Twig and Quinn.  In the name of "empowering" Quinn and not following a more stereotypical dominance dynamic Quinn continually undermines Twig's decisions, makes him doubt his intentions, belittles his instincts, hurts his feelings, and dismisses his fears.  Quinn has lowered in my estimations as a good partner for Twig.

Their whole relationship is a struggle for me, actually.  I'm still in love with their potential and I'm having a difficult time reconciling that with the reality.  There are so many, too many, times that their whole dynamic is brought up to dissect only to be dismissed or interrupted and it leads to too many moments of doubt, hurt, and unresolved frustrations.  There's a power thing going on that's taking a back seat to Quinn's consistent need for secrecy and putting his struggles, his feelings, and his issues above Twig's.  I'm not a fan.

One scene that gave me all kinds of icky feels was where Twig's first time with catching was under the influence of an incubus' magic crazy dust and Quinn's inability to care for Twig.  He's lucid enough to get acknowledge the effect of the powder and to get them to a relatively private space, but once again, his desires, his situation, is far more important than all the fear and hesitation that Twig has expressed over months of being together before this moment.  Just no.  So many times, no.  And then for Twig to reassure and comfort and seek out Quinn's well-being...this can only be a bad thing in the long run.

I don't want to make this a ranty review where it seems I don't like the story because I actually do in a general way and in the view of a series as a whole with fascinating characters and shenanigans that were quite entertaining (Bill's fear of garden gnomes, anyone?).  So in the interest of keeping the ranty bits short, I'll briefly mention the other things that bothered.  Twig's father, the too-quick-to-forgive moment with his mother, the surprising lack of empathy from Twig as we, once again, defer to Quinn's sense of right and wrong when it comes to feeling for and helping misunderstood beings (Twig should be the ring-leader in seeking to help and liberate instead of being uber judgy and needing Quinn to remind him of his own perception parallels), the lack of Twig's backbone with his father's discrimination and machinations, the lack of connections made between really obvious stuff...  I think there are a couple more, but that's quite enough, I feel.

While I don't know how I feel about focusing on Quinn in the next story, I am excited to see where this series is going.  And Bill, his yearning is palpable and when he's not acting like a preachy queen I'm absolutely in love with him and hope to see him get the being who will love him.  Bill's mention of Twig's scent is incredibly intriguing and I'll absolutely stick with this until we get that answer...there are a whole lot of little foretelling bits in relation to Twig and his eventual growth and power that I'm absolutely champing at the bit for and can only hope don't come through Quinn's power or control, but from him on his own and within himself.  I want to see Twig's brain truly engage and to find out what his fae gift is.

The list of things I'm looking forward to is arguably longer than the things that bothered me in this book so it's safe to say that I'm definitely in for more and am committed to sticking with the series and I'll be holding out hope that Twig and Quinn get it together in a way that makes me feel warm and fuzzy instead of apprehensive.

*$4.99 on Amazon

They’re baaacckk!

When a simple ‘find & fetch’ case throws private investigator Twig Starfig and newly-minted wizard, Quinn Broomsparkle, into the middle of an EBI murder investigation, it’s just another day in the Elder Realm.

If murder were Twig’s only problem, he’d be the luckiest half-dragon in the land. Murder he can handle. Fulfilling his promise to his scheming, power-hungry father to run for a seat on Lighthelm’s city council? Meh, he’d rather face a demon with a toothache.

On top of their case going sideways, and Twig running for a council seat he really doesn’t want, Twig and Quinn are forced to face some unpleasant realities about their budding romance, while still learning how to handle the wizard-familiar bond they now share. Throw in a red fury with abysmal taste in boyfriends, a ghost pirate-parrot who drinks too much, a murderer who will stop at nothing to get what they want, a host of new friends and enemies, and you’ve got a situation where no one is safe and everyone is Fairy Game.

By Fairy Means or Foul: Starfig Investigations Book 1, Meghan Maslow

There is a whole helluva lot of stuff going on in this book.  Not taking into account they myriad creatures that flit in and out of each and every scene of the story, there is a vast world of worlds, politics, societal issues, and machinations that could, and sometimes do, trip up the MC's all along the way.  While I do feel that the world-building is ultimately effective, it's a whole lot to tackle and has the potential to derail whatever plot and character growth we hope to see in future installments.  I'll be keeping my eye out for that one.

It's always a gamble tackling a fantastical story like this one and I think we're on our way to a really great series if each element can be reeled in or woven well into whatever craziness Twig and Quinn get thrown at them.  There are a lot of directions we could go with the framework given here and I'm fairly excited to see how it all pans out.  Despite having a ton of potential, there was a lack of depth to the characters and their dynamic.  I wish so hard that this story had an alternating POV.

With only Twig's perspective he felt both obstinate and vacillating because we're tossed from his resolute determination to stick it to his father even to his detriment and then seeing his resolve crumble at various moments where the capitulation was unnecessary.  I had a hard time getting a grasp of who he is and what his real motivations were.  He's got a heap of baggage to sort through and I'm unclear as of yet if he'll improve as he wades through it all and whether or not Quinn will help or hinder his personal evolution.

Quinn is much harder for me to like.  I feel for his plight, truly I do, but his character is similar to Twig's in that he's stubborn just to be stubborn and also vulnerable because of the hand life has dealt him.  Because of his stubbornness he puts Twig into situations where not only is Twig put in danger, but he undermines anything good Twig wants to do and ultimately is given credit for the good that does happen, like he's the one leading Twig around and it feels forced and unnatural.  I don't have a good feeling for where their relationship is going if that's going to be their dynamic from here on out.  I'm hoping my gut is wrong on this one and that Quinn will support and strengthen Twig instead of patronize and placate him, effectively making him a powerless Alpha in the name of "empowering" Quinn's character.

The world and all its intricacies are intriguing, to say the least, and I have a ton of hope for Twig.  With all the complicated relationships he's got going on and the bargains he ends up making with his father I'm excited to see where we go from here.  I'm anticipating situations that will bring individual character growth for Twig, new characters and relationships that will bring humor and a sense of belonging, and deeper interactions (with more steam) with Quinn as the series continues.  I'm definitely diving in to book two as soon as I can.

*$4.99 on Amazon

The last thing half-dragon, half-fairy private investigator Twig Starfig wants to do is retrieve a stolen enchanted horn from a treacherous fae, but there’s no denying the dazzlingly gorgeous unicorn who asks Twig to do just that. Literally, no denying, because compelling the reluctant detective is all part of a unicorn’s seductive magic.

To add to his woes, Twig is saddled with the unicorn’s cheeky indentured servant, Quinn Broomsparkle. Dragons are supposed to want to eat humans, but Twig’s half-dragon side only wants to gobble up Quinn in a more . . . personal way. Making matters worse, it’s obvious the smokin’ hot but untrustworthy sidekick is hiding something. Something big. And not what’s in his trousers. In the PI business, that means trouble with a capital Q.

Throw in gads of zombies, a creepy ghost pirate ship, a malfunctioning magic carpet, and Twig’s overbearing fairy father’s demands to live up to the illustrious Starfig name. Naturally, an old but abiding enemy chooses this time to resurface, too. Those inconveniences Twig can handle. The realization he’s falling for a human who isn’t free to return his affections and whose life may hang on the success of his latest case?

Not so much.

Familiar Beginnings: Happy Endings Book 2, Alice Winters

Knowing the crazy from the past isn't done with either Havoc or Miles, I was sure we were in for something rather dark before everything got solved.  That wasn't the case and I think the overall situation was incredibly well done.  Not only do we get some amazing surprises, but we finally get to see some phenomenal power, the power we saw hints of throughout Happy Endings.

Miles has a great head on his shoulders and I've always loved that he knew to think through a problem and not just rely on blasting who or whatever was in his way.  That he also finally came to terms with his guilt and what to do with it was fantastic because it showed an evolution within him that was necessary for him to truly accept the happiness he deserved.

Havoc's heart was actually a surprise.  Not like I couldn't believe it, but a shock in how fervent his feelings were.  The way Miles' memories were shared a lot more in this continuation gave us a lot more depth to their interactions and how deep Havoc's distrust went, that even though he knew something was different about Miles, it's difficult to separate centuries of betrayal and abuse.  Watching them truly share their hearts and minds was a testament to how far they've come together.  His adamant request to Miles was a bit of a surprise, but one of the most touching moments.  We don't get a lot of touchy-feely confessions from the taciturn and flirty demon so in that moment we get to see exactly his level of trust, commitment, and love for Miles.

Seeing all the pieces come together, having various confrontations and battles of the magical type, and the culmination of it all into one vanquishing moment brought everything together in a satisfactory way.  I think what I was most moved by was the softness.  Things really could have gotten crazy and gory with the story's set up but instead we were built on a foundation of feelings, of determination, of bonds.  The snark was softer, the friendships more real, the good more powerful.  This story didn't feel like so many others of this author's work and that is absolutely not a negative in any way for me.  I adored the MC's and wish there were more of them.  I'd happily dive back into their world right now.

*$3.99 on Amazon!

Smart men quit while they’re ahead—they lay low and hope disaster blows on by them. Not me. Especially when disaster seems to follow me and my soulmate Havoc, a demon I bound to me three hundred years ago with my magic.

The dark mage Geoff is back from the dead and creating chaos by devouring the hearts of people with magical abilities, giving him overwhelming power as his followers grow. And since I’m one of the strongest mages alive and am leading the resistance against him, he’s coming for me next. Oh, and it might have something to do with the fact that I was also the one who originally killed him. But you can’t blame me; the guy needed to die.

Havoc and I, along with our unlikely band of… (I don’t want to say heroes, I can’t give them that much credit) annoyances will stop at nothing to end the destruction. It doesn’t hurt that there’s a sexy demon by my side every step of the way. For the first time in three hundred years, I’m finally with the person meant for me, and I will do anything to keep from losing him.

Zombies Ahead: Club Zombies Book 1, Z. Allora

A seriously sexy twist on zombies made this an extremely interesting story to dive into.  I wish so hard that I loved it.  There was very little character depth and the story was so focused on all the sex around the MC's that we got extremely little of their own relationship development and intimacy.  When they did get around to bonding it was so underwhelming that I almost wish I DNF'ed this book.  So seriously sad because I was set to enjoy the story based on the sexy premise.

Kai, a hick from the German sticks, is whisked away to a completely foreign world, in more ways than one.  I could appreciate his personal journey into finding out what he likes, who he likes, and what the zombie world is all about.  But while I was expecting characters evolving, I got a whole lot of voyeurism and sex by everyone but Kai and the man he's drawn to more than anyone else and it left me with a sour feeling.  I'm certainly not a prude, but I was appalled by what I was witnessing through Kai's "education".

Jasper was so tame and hands-off that I just didn't care about him at all.  There was so much potential for him and we got so little that I didn't even really know why I bothered being interested in the first place.  I understand that he was pretty set in his disappointment over not having a mate, but after counseling others you'd think he'd be a tiny bit more aware of the reactions he was having to Kai and would be more interested in learning about him, getting closer to him to find out if what he's drawn to is a mate bond in Kai and not just a nice-looking young man, and more annoyed by the offers and advances of fellow zombies.  We got so little that it might as well have been nothing at all.

Their connection was too little, too late for me and while I'm a fan of the double-innocents thing, there was so little to recommend them as a couple that I just didn't care.  The "seer" bit with Kai's cousin, the creating a connection and building a mate bond between Kai and Jasper, Kai learning to accept his sexuality...there were a lot of things that could have been developed and yet we were just given a very erotic view into a zombie brothel.  I didn't hate the story, but I definitely didn't enjoy it either.

*$3.99 on Amazon

Zombies suck, but they’re not after brains! These zombies are young, hot, and looking for action. One day Kai Bauer is tending vineyards in Germany, the next he’s on a plane heading for… well, he doesn’t really know.

Wait a minute! He’s a what? And they have to drink male essence to live forever? The transition begins on his nineteenth birthday. He must find a mate in four years or he won’t ever be emotionally or physically satisfied.

That’s Jasper’s problem. After decades, the ex-priest has given up on finding his mate. He’s living a chaste life but he’s willing to be Kai’s mentor and friend. Gorgeous, distant, and off-limits meet young, virile, and gay.