King Hunt (Perfect Play #3) by Layla Reyne

When love is the only play that matters…
Agents Bishop and Marshall know:
The clock is ticking.
They control the most dangerous pieces on the board.
Sacrifices will be required to win the game.
Levi and Marsh need to:
Get home to each other and their son.
Fall asleep in each other’s arms again.
Start living the happily-ever-after the rings on their fingers promise.
What began as a marriage of convenience is now the rock Marsh and Levi cling to as they enter the endgame.
But defeating two kings is no easy feat.
They’ll have to make all the right moves and lure their enemies to their side of the board where they have the advantage.
But winning may cost them everything—their careers, their lives, and the love that’s become the center of their world.

Things were left kind of up in the air at the end of Bad Bishop and, thankfully, King Hunt picks up exactly where the previous book left off – with Levi and Marsh separated from each other and pretty much out of contact. Those first few chapters are pretty tense, but they don’t stay away from each other very long. The action and danger doesn’t stop once they are reunited and that’s pretty much what you can count on in pretty much all the books in this world of intrigue that Layla Reyne has created.

There are quite a few players in this trilogy and even more are featured in this last installment. I loved seeing more from the Madigans and watching their family become even more intertwined with Levi and Marsh. They are definitely a group that you want on your side, even if there are a lot of gray areas in their brand of justice.

There was a lot to love about this Perfect Play. I adored David and the moms. I also loved the slow progression of Levi and Marsh’s relationship. The twists, turns and constant danger (as well as the spicy moments) kept the pages turning. King Hunt was the perfect wrap up to a great trilogy.

Although I’m always sorry to come to the end of one of this author’s series, I definitely look forward to whatever’s coming next. I hope we haven’t seen the last of these characters. ❤

Sunset House (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #18) by J.L. Bryan

The old Heusinkveld mansion overlooks the mostly shuttered main street of the small town of Burdener’s Hill. Once a testament to local wealth and aspiration, the brooding edifice now clings to life as the Sunshine House, a retirement home inhabited by an eccentric collection of locals bound together by fond memories of their shrinking hometown.
When a newly arrived resident finds herself tormented by a threatening specter from her past, paranormal investigator Ellie Jordan is called in to confront it. The entity puts up a strong fight, resisting capture, and soon more residents are in danger. With nowhere else to go, they need Ellie to remove the ghost before it inflicts serious harm or death on those who have made the strange old house their home.

18 books in and the Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper series is still going strong. It seems that there is no limit to the spooky situations that Ellie and her crew can find themselves in and Sunset House was one of the spookiest.

The supporting characters in Sunset House added a lot to this story – mainly because they were “characters” in every sense of the term. They were full of charm, wit and spunk. Their varied personalities and past life experiences added another believable layer to the story. I also liked the way that the residents interacted with the owner’s son. Speaking of which, I wasn’t a fan of the owner in the beginning, but she grew on me. Of course it took some drastic and life threatening happenings to make her come around. It didn’t surprise me that Ellie refused to abandon the residents, even when she’s pretty much told her services aren’t needed. Ellie and Stacey ended up taking some drastic and stealthy measures themselves to get to the bottom of the dangerous situation the residents were in.

There were a couple of unexpected twists and turns in Sunset House that I (obviously) didn’t see coming – and not all of them were of the spooky variety. Just another reason to keep following Ellie and crew, you never know what kind of situation they’re going to find themselves in. It looks like The Funtime Show, the next installment in the Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper series is going to be extra spooky… I can’t wait!

Metal Soul (Metal & Magic #3) by Michelle Frost

Three men. One destiny.
Zeb hasn’t seen his brother since the war, and despite finding a place within the Warren pack and befriending his potential mate, he’s lonely.
Josh only wants to live up to the Warren name—to protect his pack and territory to the best of his ability. He keeps the secret that he’s been in love with his potential mate since they met close to his chest. Zeb made it clear he doesn’t think Josh is mature enough for them to be mates yet, and Josh has only been waiting for the chance to prove him wrong.
Neither man expects Seven—a man whose body and mind have been altered against his will. The secrets locked in Seven’s memories could be the key to saving Zeb’s brother and stopping a war before it starts. All they have to do is embrace the path fate has set before them and each other.

Metal Souls brings readers back to the “Metal” part of the Metal & Magic series that began with Metal Heart. It wasn’t really clear exactly what the connection was between Shifting Shadows and Metal Heart – other than both books being set in the same world. That connection became clear at the end of Shifting Shadows but even more confusing for Zeb and Josh.

Josh and Zeb had spent years keeping their attraction and potential mate bond a secret from their pack, so when they both felt the pull toward Seven it made things even more complicated for the pair.

Of course the romance between this trio was front and center in Metal Soul, the real pull for me in this story was the world building and the mystery and connection between not just the main characters, but the group as a whole. The story was intertwined with the books that had come before and things were becoming more clear.

Lasting Light will bring all of these characters full circle and I can’t wait to see where the author takes them.

Stronger Than Passion (Chesapeake Days #2) by Katherine McIntyre

Hudson West is the enemy.
The calm, arrogant, stupidly hot owner of the rival restaurant in town never fails to push Nico Shah’s buttons. So when he and Hudson are invited to collaborate to cater the Chesapeake Days festival, he wants to say hell no. But with his mother’s upcoming transplant, he needs that money.
Nico Shah is trouble.
Hudson’s noticed the gorgeous, witty flirt and has veered far away. He’s looking for commitment while Nico’s looking for his next flavor of the night. Except now that they’re working together, neither can ignore the chemistry that’s one spark away from burning down a forest. And when they finally collide, the connection is beyond anything either has experienced.
But with Nico still terrified of the word “boyfriend” and Hudson needing someone who belongs to him, this can only end in heartbreak. 

So, it seems that not only am I guilty of reading books out of order, I’m also not very good at reviewing them in order either. *sigh* In my defense, I honestly thought that I had already reviewed Stronger than Passion. After all, I did read it before I read Stronger than Longing and that one I reviewed WEEKS ago. Oh well, better late than never, right?

This is one of those books that definitely benefited by having both POVs. Both men had pre-conceived opinions on each other that was basically based on one meeting. It would have been easy to keep those opinions (just like they did) if readers didn’t know what was going on in each of their lives. I honestly felt for both of them, but my heart broke for Hudson. He definitely drew the short end of the stick when it came to family. Nico’s family, on the other hand, I adored.

They were both in situations that made the circumstances that brought them together as unlikely partners impossible to turn down. Being forced together turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to them – both professionally and personally. I ended up adoring these two together and the supporting characters made the story even stronger. I’d say that I can’t wait for the series to continue, but… LOL!

Fallen Wishes (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #17) by J.L. Bryan

Canterbury Gardens is a centuries-old plantation outside Charleston, South Carolina. Its aristocratic founders once hosted lavish banquets and balls among fanciful pleasure gardens, canals, and large-scale follies resembling ancient and medieval ruins.
Over generations of neglect, the winding paths of the gardens have become overgrown, its marble statues and columned buildings abandoned to the wild.
Now a family recovering from tragedy have devoted themselves to restoring the estate, but the ghosts of the past remain strong. Shadowy figures walk the labyrinth of overgrown gardens. A strange wishing well steeped in local legend attracts trespassers who climb walls and gates in their eagerness to throw in a coin and make a wish.
Paranormal investigator Ellie Jordan travels there to study and confront the dark entities who stalk the house and grounds by night, terrifying the family who now live there. The secret history of the plantation proves as shadowy and labyrinthine as its maze of gardens. Enchanting on the surface, Canterbury Gardens was founded on the darkest of wishes, and every wish that comes true has its price. 

I always look forward to a new Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper book and even though I’m behind in reviewing, Fallen Wishes came out just in time to be the perfect Halloween read.

As readers have come to expect, the location in this latest entry was not only sufficiently spooky, it was also totally unique. Part of the draw for me in this series is the strong sense of history attached to all the locations. It gives each story enough authenticity to make the impossible just a tad plausible. Which makes these stories even scarier – at least for me. The other thing that I love about the Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper series is the sense of family. Although Ellie is pretty much a loner, she’s come to depend on her makeshift family of friends and co-workers for much more than the cases they unravel.

There were a lot of twists and turns in this story, along with some secrets that were being kept by both the living and the long dead. It was up to Stacey and Ellie to unravel those secrets, which wasn’t an easy task – especially when some of them had been kept “buried” for years.

Basically, Fallen Wishes turned out to be cautionary tale that reinforces the old saying “be careful what you wish for…” Let’s just say, I don’t think I’ll be throwing any coins into any body of water to make even a well thought out wish any time soon.

Stronger Than Longing (Chesapeake Days #3) by Katherine McIntyre

For one night with the man of his dreams, Taran’s willing to break all his rules…..
Taran’s always been the reliable one. Safe. Which is why he keeps getting dumped by the assholes he dates. And after the latest round of “too boring,” he’s ready to drink his blues away. That’s until Silas King shows up – the gorgeous guy he’d swooned over through high school.
Silas wants one more night of distraction before his new reality sets in, and he sets his sights on Taran, his friend’s little brother who’s looking sexier than ever. It’s not like he can get in any more trouble than he’s already found himself in.
After Taran and Silas spend one unforgettable night together, feelings emerge, ones quickly stamped out when Silas confesses why he’s back in town. He’s returned to meet his three-month-old daughter.
With that chaos in his life, Silas can’t pursue anything further with Taran, and having longed for Silas his whole damn life, Taran isn’t sure he’ll survive the aftermath. Yet the more they try to avoid their connection, the more they keep colliding…until the passion between them detonates. 

Readers met Taran in Stronger Than Passion (the second book in Katherine McIntyre’s Chesapeake Days series) which I somehow missed after finishing (and loving) Stronger Than Hope. I’ve since rectified that mistake though, so stay tuned for another back-tracking review – but unlike other back-tracking, the only thing I’m doing out of order this time around is the review writing. Not great progress, but progress, none-the-less.

Readers also met Silas in Stronger Than Passion, but only briefly. Just long enough to find out that he’s one of Taran’s brother’s best friends and get a hint of things to come. Silas was one of Taran’s first crushes, but way out of his league. Silas was well known for his lack of commitment – both romantically and with life in general. He couldn’t wait to get out of Chesapeake, but fate had other plans. Taran knew better than to get involved with Silas, even as a one night stand, but he needed the distraction and evidently, so did Silas.

There were a lot of ups and downs in Stronger Than Longing. Both Silas and Taran had a lot of emotional baggage to get over. Adding a baby into the mix just added to the drama and Taran didn’t want to be used again. He was determined to find someone who loved him for who he was, not what he could do for the other person in the relationship. Silas was a mess and totally unequipped to be a parent, but equally determined not to be the failure at parenting that his own father had turned out to be. He needed Taran’s help, but he also wanted to prove to Taran that a relationship could go both ways. He appreciated Taran’s support, but he wanted to return it.

These two just about broke me more than once. They were both broken in different ways and weren’t used to depending on anyone else. Taran had his family and friends, but he never found that support in a relationship, until he thought he might find it in Silas – which was crazy… right?

This is a series that I stumbled upon and initially picked up because of the familiar local. It turned out to be much more than that as the series progressed. With each book I felt like I’d found my new favorite couple. I kinda love it when that happens. ❤

Alistair in Wonderland (Wonderland Ever After #) by Ariella Zoelle

Alistair falls down the rabbit hole and becomes the new Alice. Can he save Wonderland’s magic by falling in love with his fated mate?
My life sucks until Bianco shows up. He’s a gorgeous albino who promises me a fun adventure while looking like a handsome prince from a fairy tale. I happily follow him down the rabbit hole in the hopes of getting up to some sexy shenanigans.
Imagine my shock when I discover he’s the famous White Rabbit from the books and one of the last shifters left in Wonderland! Even more surprising is finding out I’m a descendant of the original Alice, which means I’m the only person who can bring the missing magic back to their world.
That’s all well and good, but our incredible chemistry is highly distracting. It’s impossible to resist our intense attraction when I’m his fated mate, so why bother trying? But maybe there’s a way to have it all.
What if forming a mating bond with Bianco is the way to make all my dreams come true and save Wonderland at the same time?

I adore what I like to call “twisted” fairy tales and there are more than a few “twists” to Ariella Zoelle’s take on the Wonderland that most of us grew up with. This story was a lot of fun with a lot of heart.

The characters were familiar, yet not quite the way we remember them. The Wonderland that Alistair found himself in was the same Wonderland that his ancestor discovered. What Alistair eventually discovered was that the books he loved as a child were just loosely based on the “real” Wonderland. A world full of shifters and alive with magic that was only a fraction of what it used to be. Alistair was brought back to hopefully save Wonderland and bring back its stifled magic. Finding his fated mate was an extra bonus. 😉

One of my favorite parts of this introduction to Wonderland Ever After was “meeting” the familiar characters and discovering along with Alistair what they were really like. Some of their stories were heartbreaking, some intriguing and some just curious. I can’t wait to see how they’re resolved. Thankfully readers won’t have to wait long for two of my favorite supporting characters to get their story in Cheshire in Heartsland.

Shifting Shadows (Metal & Magic #2) by Michelle Frost

A werewolf haunted by his past, and a human with no memory of his.
Lead enforcer of the Ironheld werewolf pack, Deckard Warren doesn’t trust easily and guards his territory with a wrath as unforgiving as he is. When a rival pack chases an unknown human into Ironheld territory, Deck knows the man could be his mate. He also knows he’ll never admit to it. A man like him doesn’t deserve the kind of happiness a mate could bring, after all.
The only thing Colt remembers is running. With his memories hidden behind an unyielding black veil in his mind, Colt has no choice but to trust the gruff werewolf who offers him shelter and protection. Deck may be the most intimidating man Colt’s ever met, but despite his lack of memories, he’s sure he’s never wanted anyone more.
With shadows and rumors moving through The Between, will Deck and Colt find a way to stand together or be torn apart when all their enemies are brought to light?

Even though Shifting Shadows is the second book in the Metal & Magic series, you could almost read it as a stand alone… until you get to the end – where it all comes together and everything starts to click. 😉

I guess I jumped ahead of myself there for a minute, huh? I’ve mentioned before that sometimes books set in a dystopian world take me a while to get into. I think it has something to do with the time it takes me to wrap my head around an alternate world. I didn’t have that same delayed reaction when I started this series with Metal Heart. I think that had something to do with the shifter aspect, which was a familiar world for me. That was even more true with Shifting Shadows because the main focus was the pack and magic, not the horrors that were going on outside the Ironheld pack.

There was a lot going on in Shifting Shadows and much of it surrounded conflict within the pack. Deck had his own inner drama and guilt he was living with. He didn’t really need the distraction of finding his mate, especially when that mate not only knew nothing about pack dynamics, he didn’t have any memories about anything – including who he really was.

Although I loved Metal Heart, I think I liked Shifting Shadows even more. Nothing was quite what it seemed and there were forces at play that I never saw coming. By the end of Shifting Shadows the whole pack dynamic changed in a way and I loved the twists, turns and revelations.

As I hinted to before, the end of Shifting Shadows revealed even more and I can’t wait to start Metal Soul. Things are about to get even more interesting. 😉

Real Hazard (West Coast Forensics #4) by Elle Keaton

They’re not looking for love, but it catches them anyway. Can two very different men find common ground and claim a future… together? 
Foster
✓ Things I love
✓ my kid sister
✓ the no-hope dogs I rehabilitate
✓ my job as an EMT
✓ and maybe my new friend Dutch.
But Dutch isn’t gay and physical attraction isn’t something I feel often. Are these feelings real, or am I just tired of being alone?
Dutch
This is all Hazel’s fault. Hazel the Hazard.
✓ Hazel made me come to first grade safety day.
✓ Hazel blurted out—loudly—about the beautiful fireman.
✓ Hazel invited the beautiful fireman over for a party.
I swear I’m not gay, but Foster Jennings is the most beautiful man I’ve ever met, outside and in.
Dutch Schumach is the single dad of a precocious daughter. He moved to Piedras wanting a better life for Hazel and himself. Things are shaping up, he’s landed a permanent job at Brooch Resort and Hazel has quit having nightmares that someone is going to steal her away.
Then everything goes sideways, Dutch’s past threatens his future and he doesn’t know where to turn.
Something is wrong, Dutch is pushing him away and won’t tell Foster why.
When Hazel goes missing Dutch can’t hide anymore, he needs his… Foster to help him get Hazel back.

Let me start off by saying, I adore a book that includes a kid that is more than just a place holder in the story. Hopefully you know what I mean by that. If you’re going to include a kid in a story, give them some personality, a little wit and snark thrown into the mix doesn’t hurt either. One of the many reasons that this book won me over was the fact that Hazel was that kind of kid. Dutch and Foster weren’t bad either 😉

So, yeah. Hazel kinda stole the show in Real Hazard (at least for this reader). It didn’t hurt that she won over some of the other supporting characters that readers already knew either (mainly tough guy Dany ❤ ) Even though the description starts with the fact that Dutch and Hazel are two “very different men” they really aren’t. Not in the way that matters anyway. Sure, they grew up with different backgrounds, but both of them had strong family values. They would do anything to protect the people that they loved.

There was a lot to love about this one. In a very real way, the supporting characters did a lot to shape both Dutch and Foster or at least show readers who they really were. I also loved the way these two were drawn together and how that brought their families together – even the “found” family members that surrounded them both. There were even a couple of bonus “family” members thrown into the mix.

I’m pretty sure that the author has more books in store for the West Coast Forensics series, but in the mean time, I’ve got plenty of books in her back list of series to keep me busy. 😉

Bad Bishop (Perfect Play #2) by Layla Reyne

When a marriage of convenience becomes more than either husband bargained for… 
Special Agent Levi Bishop needs to:
Keep his son and family safe.
Prove his boss was framed for a crime she didn’t commit.
Convince his selfless cowboy husband that his needs matter too.
Make a bold play before love slips through his fingers.
Special Agent Emmitt Marshall needs to:
Protect his husband and stepson.
End the nightmare that’s haunted him since his mentor’s murder.
Hack through layers of deception to identify the real threat.
Stop hoping someone will choose him.
Marsh is determined to go it alone, to guard his family and his heart.
But Levi’s life and heart are on the line too.
Cornered, Levi will chance any play to save the marriage and man he needs.
Rings were exchanged and promises made.
Marsh kept up his end of the bargain.
Now it’s Levi’s turn.

Just in case you haven’t been following me and my reviews, I feel the need to preface this particular review with a warning. When I write a review of a book written by an author whose books I adore and writing I admire, I tend to ramble. Mainly because I know going in that I’m not even going to come close to conveying how the book made me feel without giving key elements away. Layla Reyne is one of those authors and Bad Bishop is most definitely one of those books.

Marsh and Levi’s relationship may have started as “fake”, but it didn’t take long for things to escalate way beyond that. I’m sure that readers expected Levi’s vulnerability, but Marsh’s kind of took me by surprise – at least in the beginning. The truth was, he needed Levi as much as Levi needed him. As I mentioned in my review of Dead Draw, I loved the “dance” these two maneuvered around each other while trying to sort out their feelings, but the obvious devotion and love that grew between them was even better to experience as their story continued in Bad Bishop.

There was so much more than their relationship going on as the Perfect Play series continued. There were some surprising revelations and more than a few twists and turns. The closer they got to figuring things out, the more danger they were in and both men would go to pretty much any length to protect not only each other, but everyone they cared about. They had some pretty strong allies on their side though and I have to admit, I loved seeing all of them again. 😉 Speaking of which…

The supporting characters were amazing, and not just because I already “knew” most of them. I loved Marsh’s moms and the way that they just opened not only their home, but themselves to everyone, including David and Levi. They were family, no questions asked and no arguments accepted. As serious as the situation was, there was still a lightness and the usual witty banter readers have come to expect from the assembled cast from both Fog City and What We May Be and a few other familiar characters. I also loved seeing David and Levi interact and the easy way that David confided in him. Their relationship was strong and David’s acceptance of Levi’s feelings for Marsh was proof of that.

As much as I loved this book, nothing prepared me for the final chapter. I may or may not have mentioned on social media that I hadn’t had a reaction that strong to one of this particular #EvilAuthors books since I read the final chapter in Prince of Killers. Granted, as said #EvilAuthor was quick to remind readers, it wasn’t quite as bad, but it was still a crazy twist that I didn’t see coming. Needless to say, King Hunt can’t some soon enough. ❤