My rating: 5 of 5 stars | Goodreads | Amazon | Genres: M M Romance, Novella, Romance,
Friends To Lovers, Celebrity, Music, Contemporary Romance 

Introduction

Jax Calder’s new novella, It Started with a Text, the second in the Queer Ways to Fall in Love series, is simply perfect. I loved the first installment, Moderating Love, and snatched up the opportunity to review the second book as soon as I saw it. The first novella is the introduction to the new universe, and this is the first official title of the series.

Calder’s writing is well-paced, perfectly succinct. The yearning and longing jump right off the page. I have read almost all of Jax Calder’s published works, so consider me a fan in general. But even if this were the first time reading anything by Calder, I would love this book just as much.  

Blurb. 

Nick:

Okay, so making a viral video mocking my celebrity crush’s pretentious apartment tour isn’t exactly a strategy for finding love.

But when some random guy slides into my DMs claiming to be Anthony Devine—Grammy Award-winning pop star, LGBTQ+ icon, and owner of cheekbones that should be illegal—I assume he’s a forty-five-year-old catfish living in his mom’s basement.

However, we start chatting, and it’s the most real conversation I’ve had in ages. One month and approximately five thousand messages later, AntD has become my favorite person to talk to. He sends me funny memes, asks about my assignments, and actually listens when I rant about my cheating ex. And him insisting he really is Anthony Devine has become our running joke.

Hilarious, right?

I need to stop catching feelings for a guy whose real name I don’t even know, but meeting AntD would mean risking everything we’ve built.

What if he’s not who he says he is?

What if he is?

It Started with a Text is a swoony MM novella about finding real connection in the digital age, featuring a broke college student with too many posters on his wall and the one catfish who might actually be the real deal.

It Started with a Text

This book has everything. Mistaken identity, text message conversations with people who just click, goofy grinning at a phone until friends complain about it, and one hell of a reveal. Massively impressive that so many plot twists and turns are all done in a novella-length story! That’s so much harder to do than non-writer people understand! 

Nick, a college student and huge fan of singer Anthony Devine, satirizes a tour of Devine’s house with a quickly filmed video tour of his broke college student apartment. The video goes viral enough to hit Devine’s publicist/keeper’s feeds, and she shows the singer. Devine, lonely and isolated in his fame, reaches out to Nick using a private account .aThey hit it off in a way that is different for both of them. Anthony is easy to talk to, and he gets Nick’s humor. The two just click into each other’s lives so easily that soon enough they are trading messages until 2 in the morning and can’t stop thinking about one another.  

Mistaken Identity MM Romance – Trope Perfection

One snag, though. Nick does not believe for one minute that the person who messages him is really the singer he is a massive fan of. Who would? 

This “sure, Jan.” perspective is just what the two need, because it allows their relationship to grow organically. The mistaken identity trope is perfectly played here. If Nick knew it was Anthony from the start, Anthony would always wonder if Nick was just gaga over him because he was a fan before they met. And there would be a power imbalance. Nick would feel out of his depth dating a celebrity he idolizes and has the posters to prove it. Devine’s mistaken identity is needed for them to be on the same level. Because Nick thinks Anthony is just a rando, the relationship that develops between them has a solid foundation of Yoda memes and debates over the superior cake flavor. 

Hey, I Didn’t Ask for a Red Velvet Cake Recipe

But you’re getting one. This is a complete aside from the book review, sure. But I cannot help myself. Red Velvet cake, Anthony Devine, is not a chocolate cake in disguise! It’s a buttermilk cake with a touch of cocoa powder. This recipe is hands down delish. Modern cheapo cakes might just be chocolate with red food color, but that’s just devil’s food cake. Real Red Velvet is a thing of absolute beauty, and I’m sorry, but Nick wins this debate hands down.

The Mask Comes Off

People are just people, and this is the theme that sticks with me from this book. Anthony has discovered that the downside of fame is that people expect him to be a celebrity all the time. His muse has disappeared because of that. Messaging Nick becomes the refreshing change he needed. He needed someone to see him without the façade of fame. The anonymous messages and a disbelieving recipient mean that Anthony can be his true self, and that’s who Nick falls for. That’s the richness in this story that its length belies. The Anthony in the final epilogue is someone who can be who he is more confidently than before, and this growth and grounding give this story more impact than a quick meet-cute story of mistaken identity.

Recommendation

This is a great series, and I can’t wait to read more. I think I’ll go reread the first book now. Read this if you’re a fan of cute stories with hidden depth, love stories about queer joy and finding one’s true self in the most unlikely of ways. 

Last Thought

One last thing. This website, introduced in the spectacular Moderating Love. I want this website to be a real thing. Please!? I want to read Queer love stories and meet-cutes. I love it so much.

Review Paragraph

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel read my review policy and submit a contact form.

The post Mistaken Identity MM Romance Review: appeared first on Fae’s Journal.

Introduction

Embers of Winter, Kat Sinclair’s forthcoming novel, explores themes of hurt/comfort, parent loss, opioid addiction, childhood sexual abuse, trauma, and ptsd. The story pairs an unlikely alpha and an even more unlikely omega thrust into close quarters when the blizzard of the century blasts through the rural mountain town where Wren grew up and where Russel runs the general store.

Blurb

Wren considers himself little more than a wreck of a man. His life has been a colossal mess for as long as he can remember, and in the past two months, he’s caught his boyfriend cheating with another alpha, relapsed, and then found out about his estranged mother’s death. While he should feel relieved that the monster who ruined his life is dead, her shadow lingers in the form of the childhood home he inherited. Wren is forced to return to the remote mountain town he escaped as a teenager and go through her belongings, unsure if this experience will transform or break him completely.

Russell is content with his slow, quiet life as the owner of a general store high up on the mountain. After returning from the army, he’s accepted that his life is going to be simple and insignificant, the same as people have always described him. But the gentle giant realizes he may not be as content with solitude as he thought when a blizzard traps a troubled city alpha in his store, and changes both their lives forever.

Embers of Winter is a non-shifter, M/M omegaverse standalone romance novel set in Kat Sinclair’s venusverse. It’s an angsty story featuring explicit adult scenes, mentions of parental abuse and other serious topics that might trigger certain readers. A complete list of CWs can be found at the beginning of the book or (most detailed) on the author’s website.

282 pages, Kindle Edition | Expected publication March 3, 2026
Genres: omegaverse/venusverse, hurt/comfort, angst, only one bed, forced proximity

Weighty Themes

Embers of Winter’s weighty themes have the potential to weigh it down, but Sinclair masterfully maintains an atmosphere of hope and healing throughout the story. Each piece of the characters’ backstories is revealed deliberately, enhancing the reader’s understanding of their perspectives and responses to events. Embers of Winter is an alpha/omega story, but the other explored themes enrich it and take it beyond the typical a/b/o tropes into something different and ultimately better.

Characters

Russel didn’t grow up with Wren, even though the general store he runs is literally down the hill from Wren’s childhood home. He has his own traumatic past, but is an even-keel guy. He runs the general store and takes care of his disabled aunt, acting as a caretaker of sorts to all the rural mountain folk who rely on his store. 

Wren is a damaged character. Abuse and addiction leave him with emotional scars that he struggles to overcome. His mother sexually abused him, making his childhood memories fraught with landmines to shatter his mental stability at any given moment. When his mother passes away, Wren must handle her estate. He wrestles with the need for closure, battered against all the horrible memories, the trauma, the anger and bitterness, and the emotional turmoil that he gets lost in just thinking of the woman. 

Finding Inner Strength

His journey is ultimately one of finding his inner strength, so he pushes through the hurricane of emotions to clean out her house to get it ready to sell. Against his friend’s wishes, he heads out of the unnamed city he escaped to and returns deep into the rural mountains where he grew up. Back into the emotional frying pan. Because even though she is dead and gone, Wren’s damaged soul remains, and he’s done more hiding than healing since he escaped.  

Tropey Goodness

An untimely snowstorm and an attempted escape on Wren’s part land the two characters sheltering in place in Russel’s home above the general store. The close quarters triggers Russel’s heat, and Wren helps him through it. 

Glows

This story is much more than a typical alpha/omega story, even though there are the requisite elements: heat and rut cycles, alpha posturing, omega caretaking, only one bed, etc. But the story grows beyond those tropes into something much deeper through its explorations of abuse, addiction, and non-traditional subgender presentations. I ended up liking it more because of its added nuances, but it would have been a good story with just the tropey alpha/omega story elements one expects when reading this sort of story. 

Grows

I find that many readers of omegaverse draw the line at mpreg, so I want to be transparent about there being a pregnancy. The story does feature mpreg at the end, and it is an unexpected mpreg at that. It doesn’t surprise the reader with this plot element, but the surprise pregnancy is a trope I don’t often read, since I generally read MM romances. The story moves through it well, and many readers might not have the issues I have with this part of the story. 

Characters Develop

Wren and Russel’s characters bloom beautifully through the story. I enjoyed that readers part ways with characters who are no longer hiding from their past trauma, but living life together in a healthy way, moving out of the shadows of the past and into a hopeful future together. 

Recommendation

I recommend this book; it steps beyond traditional omegaverse tropes and explores themes that one doesn’t usually see dealt with in a solid way in MM romance. Mind the triggers, as there are parts that will be difficult to read, but overall, this is a very strong story. 

Reviews

I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel read my review policy and submit a contact form.

The post MM Romance Review: Embers of Winter appeared first on Fae’s Journal.

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars Goodreads | Amazon | Genres: Fantasy, mm fantasy romance books, historical romance

Introduction

The Squire and His Prince by Briar Niran, a prequel novella to the upcoming The Sun King and his Knight quartet, sets up an intriguing world and an interesting take on the historical fantasy romance genre. While the world-building was sufficient for the prequel, I am excited for the next installments to fill in some much-needed complexity to the situation. 

Blurb

For eighteen-year-old squire Kaelen, the crown prince is everything—ruthlessly clever, disciplined, devoted to his siblings, and a man Kaelen has hopelessly loved since childhood.

Richard, however, barely notices his existence.

When the king invites the Estaran royal family for marriage talks, the court rejoices. Richard’s refusal to share his bed with any man or woman has, to them, long been a strange defect—one that a political marriage would solve. But Kaelen is left heartbroken.

Worse, when the Estaran prince—Richard’s intended consort—boasts his crude intentions, Kaelen retaliates with his fist.

The single punch explodes into a diplomatic crisis. Caught in the middle, Kaelen soon realises that worse than losing his life—

he may lose his prince.

138 pages, Paperback
Published December 30, 2025

Plot

Worldbuilding is this prequel’s main task. The reader is introduced to the kingdom, major players, and dynamics, and the main conflict of the series is hinted at by the end of the prequel. 

In this book, the major conflict surrounds a foreign envoy from a neighboring kingdom and the problems they bring. Ostensibly there for marriage arrangements, Kaelen’s heart and Richard’s honor are on the line. When the rival prince wrongs various people and talks poorly about Richard, Kaelen jumps in to defend Richard’s honor, ultimately putting himself and the kingdom’s international relations in peril.

Readers are introduced to all important characters in the Prince’s immediate family: the brother who is close in age to Kaelen, the younger siblings, Kaelen’s parents, who are close friends with the King and Queen, and, of course, the King and the Queen themselves. 

Themes

In this first installment, major themes examined are devotion, longing, and fulfilling one’s duty.

Kaelen is not so secretly smitten with the crown prince, but is mostly ignored by him. He longs for him from afar, as he is better friends with the prince’s siblings than Richard himself. 

Compelled to find a partner, Richard agrees to meet with the other kingdoms’ royal children to see if he could be a match for either of them. But as we learn, this will be a duty Richard fulfills out of obligation, not for any real desire to form a partnership. 

Characters

Kaelen 

Kaelen is eighteen years old. He trains as a squire under Sir Joffrey, a demanding master to the young squires. Side question: Is it still too soon to include this name in any fantasy setting?. Kaelen famously asked for Richard’s hand in marriage at the small age of five, and has been in love with the crown prince ever since. 

Honor

Kaelen’s tasks at the castle are menial when he is not training for battle with other young squires. He takes linens to various places and does chores. So he’s often around when other things are happening. He witnesses a foreign prince being horrible to a servant and speaking poorly of Richard and acts brashly, putting himself and the whole kingdom’s international relations at risk. In so many words, he acts his age. 

Age Gap

The age gap between the two love interests is 10 years, which seems larger given that Kaelen is only 18. The difference between an 18-year-old and a 28-year-old is vast. Were they 28 and 38, for example, I don’t think this would be as striking a difference. As it is in this book, Kaelen acts as immaturely as one would expect an 18-year-old to act, and I can’t imagine the crown prince romantically thinking about Kaelen. Which, speaking of, it might not just be because of the age gap.

Prince Richard

The crown prince is described as serious, clever, and protective of his unruly siblings. His seriousness serves the kingdom well, as he will be ruler one day, and sooner than later if his mother’s visions are true. His siblings are important to him, but they run amok more than toe the royal line. 

Asexuality 

The most important aspect the reader is introduced to in this prequel novel is that Richard is likely asexual or aromantic. The court revels in rumors and speculation around Richard’s lack of romantic partners or dalliances. 

So while the two characters’ age gap alone causes me to ponder the veracity of a romance between the two leads, the more complex characterizations being set up in this first prequel will cause the two MCs to have an even more difficult path towards eventually finding love with one another. 

Maybe Richard is demisexual and needs to get to know Kaelen better. One might presume that the quartet of books will take place over several years, and their relationship can develop over time. 

Glows

Writing Style

I enjoyed the writing style and immersive world-building in this prequel. While this was a brief novella, look forward to the world being fleshed out in the next installments of the MM fantasy romance books. I appreciated that the author did not bog the story down with massive amounts of world-building. The stage was set with just enough detail for the reader grasp the goings on. I am sure more will be divulged as the series progresses. 

No Homophobia

I love reading about worlds where the concept of homophobia just doesn’t seem to exist. I find great escapism in these sorts of stories. This world is one such world, and I loved seeing how the discussion about the prince needing a partner did not revolve around one gender or another. Ultimately, though, what matters is that the prince ends up with someone, so he doesn’t rule alone. It makes me wonder how the concept of the asexuality spectrum will be handled in a world where homophobia doesn’t seem to exist.

Grows

Age Gap

I’ll circle back to the age gap between the characters. While this book contains very little spice, and it’s only in the form of a fantasy or dream, the age gap is hard to believe at 18/28. I think the quartet of mm fantasy romance books will take us from their young age until they are much older, though, so the age gap becomes increasingly irrelevant as they age. 

Recommendation

I think this will be a fun mm fantasy romance quartet, and it’s my pleasure to recommend this to fans of MM romance, especially the fantasy genre.

Review

I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel read my review policy and submit a contact form.

The post MM Fantasy Romance Books Review: appeared first on Fae’s Journal.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars Goodreads | Amazon | Bookbub | Genres: cozy romance book, cozy MM romance

Introduction

Kind by Hannah Leigh is a cozy romance book where two flawed and real characters come together in a refreshing and realistic romance that subtly takes on complex issues with a well-rounded brush, creating both a nuanced narrative and fully developed characters who have motivations that extend beyond just getting together with a love interest and having a happily ever after. Because of this, I found Kind to be more than just a run-of-the-mill MM romance. It’s a character study and would be well-categorized as LGBTQ fiction. It does have spice, but it’s a rare gem in the MM romance genre because it focuses on whole characters, and the plot isn’t fully centered on the development of a romance.  

Blurb 

A recovering workaholic and a recovering jerk find love at a community volunteer group.

Drew’s life needs to change. He knows he’s a workaholic—he worked so hard that he literally ended up in the hospital. Now he’s recovering, but he doesn’t know how to fix things. What is this relaxing that everyone always talks about?

He’ll try joining a volunteer group. That’s not work, right? So it doesn’t count.

Ellis has been a jerk for his entire life—until he finally lost enough friends to wake him up. He’s turned over a new leaf, but he barely knows how to be a person, let alone a good one. How do you be kind without being fake?

He’ll try joining a volunteer group. That’s what good people do, right?

Kind: A Romance Where Nothing Bad Happens is the story of a recovering workaholic and a recovering jerk who find love at a community volunteer group. It has NO crises, NO breakups, and NO long dark nights of the soul—just a slow climb out of misery and into happiness.

Overall Impressions

Hannah Leigh releases her debut novel with Kind. I wasn’t sure what the blurb was getting at when it branded Kind as a cozy romance book where nothing bad happens. But that’s what the reader gets, and with everything *gestures vaguely* being like it is, I think readers really, really need to find some joy in the world right now. I was very happy to immerse myself in a world where characters work to better their community and work on themselves. Characters have complex lives, motivations, and perspectives. I think I needed to read this book this week for my own sanity. 

The main characters, Drew and Ellis, feel real, like they could be people you know. The book’s setting is also super believable and real. Overall, Kind knocks it completely out of the park. Kind impressed me very much, and I enjoyed getting to know the characters in the novel. 

Flawed Characters are Good Characters

One thing I enjoyed was that Drew and Ellis are flawed. Kind, branded as a cozy romance book, is not set in a world where nothing is wrong. Kind’s world is realistic, the real world. But nothing huge and dramatical happens. In Kind, characters are self-aware. They recognize shortcomings and are working on themselves. Sometimes they fail. Sometimes they gripe about their shortcomings and want to give up, just go back to what they’re used to. 

Drew and Ellis don’t even like each other much at first, like at all. The development of their friendship and then how it blossoms into more is so real and human. It’s not over-the-top romance, but at the same time, it is so romantic. 

Drew

Drew is a workaholic who, while recovering from a serious accident, realizes that he needs to learn how step away from work at the end of the day, at a normal time. He also needs to learn to enjoy himself. Drew reads as a little neurodivergent, like he is hyper-focused on his career. He seems like he’s been fixated on finding success from a young age and never developing the muscles for activities that don’t directly contribute to developing his future successes. 

I can see this over-fixation on serious things tracing back to his youth. Drew was likely the kid who focused on academics to the detriment of his social life throughout secondary and post-secondary school. 

Too Much Work and No Play…

In the end, though, what does that get him? A disaster, that’s what. His workaholic ways nearly cost him everything. A bad car accident after he nods off at the wheel is the wake-up call he needs. His injuries were severe enough to have him in PT months later. Frustrated, pulled down by chronic pain, his recuperation progresses more slowly than he’d like. 

Resonated with Me

His frustration resonated strongly with me, as I broke my ankle last January. I had surgery, did months of PT, and have struggled with the rate of my recovery. Chronic pain also plagued me, just like Drew. 

My recovery journey is ongoing, and I felt like I walked next to Drew with every step he struggled with, every step he took, every time he realized he couldn’t finish his walk without a lot of pain. So yeah, Drew’s story meshed with my recent struggles in a way that I just felt his struggle. 

Change is Hard

While Drew recognizes that he has to change this about himself so he doesn’t repeat his nearly fatal mistake, he doesn’t know how to make those changes. Plus, his job demands the crazy hours that led to his accident in the first place; it wasn’t all his fault. Eventually, he forces himself to make big changes to have a healthier work-life balance. 

Volunteering: A lot like work

One outlet is a community volunteer group that Drew joined recently. His responsibilities include planning and organizing the summer community BBQ. That definitely seems like a lot of work, and I really love how he thinks planning this will be just like delegating and planning projects at work.

He starts by transferring some of his workaholic habits onto his volunteerism hours, but it’s a start. Ellis joins the group and is quickly assigned to help Drew out on his BBQ party. Drew learns he cannot treat working on a volunteer project like his projects at work. This actually calls for people skills.  

People Skills

Drew sucks at people skills. Drew is pretty terrible at being anything but a worker-bee architect. While he comes off as unfriendly at first, he seems real. Someone who works like he does 80+ hour weeks wouldn’t be bubbly and friendly, especially if this work ethic stems from a lifetime of overachievement and an overemphasis on work as his main identity.

Ellis

Ellis is our second main character. He leads Drew to realize that working on a volunteer project isn’t like big projects at work. Ellis joins the volunteer group, unsure, out of his depth, and overwhelmed. But he’s there, working through his discomfort, and joins Drew in organizing the BBQ. He stands up for himself by telling Drew off for being a jerk to him. And Drew is a jerk to him, at first. Drew doesn’t like him at first. There’s no spark of attraction at all. To find this in a romance novel is honestly such a refreshing thing, which sounds funny to write, but it was. 

Perfectly Flawed

Ellis is a wonderfully flawed character. A recovering Internet troll, stuck living with a toxic ex, also an Internet troll, he has a change of heart and works to change who he is, how he deals with the world, and start over from a seven-year relationship with the toxic ex. Ellis doesn’t believe he can change, but he is changing. 

Therapy Helps

Therapy guides Ellis to try out new approaches to human interactions. Over the last few months, he has implemented new behaviors and seen results. He remains deeply insecure, though, worried that his newfound skills are just a facade, that they are a mask that at any moment could take off and reveal that he’s still that horrible person underneath. Ellis’s worrying about that shows the reader that Ellis has changed. The Ellis readers meet is not Internet troll Ellis. Ellis makes me believe it is possible that an Internet troll could see the error of his ways and do an about-face. 

Escape to a Meeting

A fight with his ex leads him to the volunteer meeting. He agrees to help Drew with the BBQ, much to Drew’s displeasure. They start adversarial, mostly because Drew is being an ass to Ellis. But because of Ellis’s history, he stands up for himself and essentially says hey asshole, back off. It works, and is just the push Drew needs to really analyze himself and how he moves through the world. They counter one another well even before they like each other, truthfully.

Slow Steps to Friendship

In slow, baby steps, Drew and Ellis become friendly. They help each other move. Ellis offers Drew advice on how to unwind and relax. He gives him advice on how to engage in small talk. Ellis is offering Drew lessons on how to be a functional three-dimensional human. From the outside perspective, it reads a bit like the blind leading the blind. But for both of these characters, it just works. Ellis’s advice to fake it till you make it is about as human and real as it gets. 

By the end of the story, we have two characters who really, truly grow as people, not just as a part of a relationship. 

Full Characters 

That’s the true heart of this cozy romance book: the characters feel real. Drew and Ellis exist in their world, they are not one-sided tropes. Being gay isn’t Drew’s whole identity. Nor is being Chinese. Being a nerd isn’t all Ellis is. They are written as full characters who have flaws and motivations beyond those tent poles of their personalities. So often, for the sake of a concise romance story, characters are not fully fleshed out like this. 

Kind could be a case study; it is such a good take on the characterization of romance characters. Other cozy romance books take note, this is how you develop characters.

Character Nuance

Culturally, I enjoyed that Drew being Chinese-American did not play into the why of him being an over-worker. The author avoids leaning too heavily on stereotypes. Drew is a workaholic. He’s also Chinese-American. But correlation is not causation. 

That being said, neither was his ethnic identity brushed over. He is Chinese-American. This is not treated as his entire identity any more than his being gay is. Drew seems like a real person. His family seems like a real family. I would love to play Xiangqi with his father and get advice from Yeye. 

Ellis, characterized as an internet troll and an unapologetic nerd, is also characterized in a way that I really appreciate. We have all met an Internet troll, be it virtually or in real life. This part of his personality feels deeply authentic. 

Ellis is entrenched in nerd culture, loves making video game references, and watching anime. But that isn’t his whole identity. His thoughts and feelings exist on their own, outside of the checkboxes of his archetypes. The problems he has and the things he wants to work on and change about himself, have very little to do with his interests or his sexual identity. I can’t exactly express how refreshing that was to read. 

Recommend or No?

Strong recommend here, this cozy romance book is a keeper! 

Review Paragraph

I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel read my review policy and submit a contact form.

An Aside:

I’ve been absent, sorry.

The post Cozy Romance Book Review appeared first on Fae’s Journal.

First Impressions

At first glance, Mathias’s Protective Embrace sets itself up like it’s going to be heavy on the spice: a down-on-his-luck construction worker working in the backyard, a protective older man with real daddy energy. Plenty of opportunities for heat. But instead of leaning into those easily accessible tropes, this story is more. It’s tender, gentle, and deeply cozy. The focus isn’t just on attraction—it’s on someone who needs to care for others, someone who deeply needs to have someone boost his confidence. Ultimately, it’s about healing and feeling valid, being seen.

This story is part of the Cardinal Falls series, but reading the other two books isn’t required. Previous characters do make appearances, as Matthias is part of the central friend group that weaves these stories together. 

Blurb

The most important things in my life are my family, friends, and work. That doesn’t leave much time for relationships or dating. I can be a bit ‘much’, but only because I care so much. That’s probably for the best since my past boyfriends all describe me as “controlling” and “bossy”. They’re not wrong either.

That doesn’t stop me from staring at Frank, one of the guys working on my backyard remodel. It doesn’t stop at looking, either. He has me bringing him water and lunch, and even opening up my home for him to use as a safe space to study.

The problem? I’m not sure whether he’s interested in dating me, especially once he finds out I’m a Daddy.

308 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 28, 2025
Genres: daddy romance, age gap romance, romance series

Relationship Dynamic 

Frank and Matthias’s romance develops through everyday life. Matthias is a caregiver. And he clocks that Frank needs caring for pretty quickly. At first, it’s just Matthias leaving water out, then a meal here or there, until care becomes something more. Small gestures build trust between the characters. Soon, Frank is studying at Matthias’s house, where his needs—both dietary and emotional—are seen and respected. Their connection grows not through dramatic declarations but through consistency, kindness, and the quiet connection that forms from being cared for without being judged.

What It’s Not

While the setup might suggest a high-heat daddy romance, the book instead leans into warmth. The writing is slow and steady, with a focus on emotional growth, vulnerability, and the kind of caretaking that helps a character heal. While there are spicy scenes, the relationship is ultimately about caring for one another, healing from past traumas, and being seen. 

Characters 

Matthias

• Matthias is the caretaker at this daddy romance story’s center. His “daddy” role isn’t about dominance; it’s about attention, steadiness, and small, thoughtful acts of nurture. Whether he’s leaving out water, making sure Frank eats, or creating a safe space for him to study, Matthias’s love is expressed through quiet constancy.

Job?

One element that didn’t quite land for me was Matthias’s job. Turns out he’s a financial advisor. But for a good portion of the book, the details feel vague, almost deliberately glossed over, which made it hard for me to get a full sense of who he is outside the relationship. It isn’t until later in the story that the details of his career are clarified. By then, I found myself wishing those specifics had been laid out earlier. I kept wondering if I’d just missed something. A clearer picture from the start would have added depth to his character and further grounded his caretaker role.

Frank

• Frank is a refreshingly complex character. He has alpha-gal syndrome, something picked up by ticks that causes a person to have horrible reactions to any product from a mammal; it’s complicated to navigate. He feels ashamed about it, coming from his weirdo parents. Years after his illness manifests, he carries not only the physical challenges of managing a restrictive diet but also the emotional weight of having dropped out of college when his health first spiraled.
  • He is now secretly back in school, but hides his progress from his passive-aggressive parents. They keep pushing him toward a job at his brother’s firm, and he absolutely doesn’t want that. They don’t seem to listen to him like, at all. And I hate how they don’t understand his illness and continue to serve food that he cannot eat, but force him to eat with them. 
  • If I were a 24-year-old, I would not let my parents treat me like they treat him. But, Frank feels like he’s stuck. Frank’s journey is about more than romance—it’s about reclaiming his independence, confidence, and sense of self-worth.

Glows

There are plenty of elements in this story that really worked for me. Frank and Matthias are sweet. There is genuine tenderness threaded through every interaction. Their romance doesn’t rely on grand gestures or over-the-top dramatics—and isn’t that the way it is? Life is built on the small things. A glass of water left out, a selection of food that Frank can eat, and opening up his house to give Frank a quiet place to study. These give the relationship a real feeling, something that speaks to everyday intimacy.

Frank’s struggles are also handled with great care. I had not heard of alpha-gal syndrome, and I feel like the author did a good job detailing how it would disrupt a person’s life. With Frank’s illness and his dealing with the constant pressure of his family’s expectations, things could have pretty easily tipped into melodrama. But that doesn’t happen. Instead, a realistic plot contextualizes everything. Frank’s situation is dealt with empathetically. It’s really rewarding to see Frank reclaim his independence, Matthias helping him rebuild his confidence. The way Frank finds someone who gets him, understands what he needs, and doesn’t make him feel like he is a burden is very nice.

Finally, the dynamic between Matthias and Frank is nicely balanced. Matthias’s protective “daddy” role doesn’t feel heavy-handed. This daddy/boy relationship isn’t about spankings and authority. Although I have to add that there is a spanking scene! No, this isn’t a kink-heavy daddy/boy dynamic. Matthias is more about being there for Frank, providing him with steady care. Frank, in turn, isn’t a passive recipient of Matthias’s attention. He does thrive under it, though. Together, they create a dynamic that feels supportive and safe.

Grows

If there’s one area where the story feels a little thin, it is the chemistry between Matthias and Frank. Don’t get me wrong. Their relationship is sweet. It’s solid. The caretaking dynamic is beautifully developed. Their emotional connection rings true. But, the spark of physical attraction sometimes gets muddied by the tenderness. Their bond is gentle, and they show intimacy and see one another. They support one another. It’s so nice and feel-good. That being said, readers who are seeking high heat or palpable tension may find themselves wanting more here. Fanning the flames to build some fire alongside the warmth would elevate the romance from what it is, a sweet and cozy journey, to something a bit more spicy. And I have to admit, I really like a lot of spice.

Recommendation

I think this is a great continuation of the Cardinal Falls series, and I enjoyed seeing other characters returning and catching up with them. I’m also looking forward to the next installment, because Aaron is acting pretty suspiciously! 

Overall 

This isn’t a book about explosive spice—it’s about comfort. By centering Frank’s struggles with illness, family pressure, and self-doubt, and pairing them up with a solid rock like Matthias, someone ready to be there for Frank with his steady, affirming presence, this story delivers in a quietly powerful way. If you’re looking for softness, support, and a romance that leaves you feeling like a caretaker just gave you a bath and tucked you into bed, this one will be just what you need.

Review Paragraph

I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel, read over my review policy and then submit a contact form.

The post Daddy Romance Review: Matthias’s Protective Embrace appeared first on Fae’s Journal.

Introduction

Dive into a richly developed dystopian romance set in a world full of corporate espionage and steamy omegaverse vibes. Authored by Gale Ian Tate, this dystopian romance tosses readers headfirst into a world where patents and people are hot property. Where there’s systemic oppression of groups of people. Where there is a deep, ground-shaking conspiracy by those in power who will do anything to stay in power. 

The Sterling Acquisition delivers everything you didn’t know you wanted. This book has everything: corporate espionage, omegaverse politics, and biologically enhanced romance. All set in a dystopian MM romance that you won’t put down.

Readers pick up the story by meeting Dante Ashford, a veteran and highly skilled corporate operative (read: spy and sabateur) at Gensyn Corporation. His next high-stakes espionage assignment is to infiltrate a rival corporation, Sterling-Vance Industries, to steal cutting-edge technology they’re developing that will force resistant Omegas to bond to their controllers: the Alphas.

But you see, these corporations are more than just corporations as we think of them now. These corporations are the actual government. This book takes place in a dark future world, one that’s been overrun with corporate power. There’s no more separation between business interests and the governance of the people. The company town has gone nationwide. The whole country is divided into corporate power hubs. 

People are Assets 

One of the most closely guarded assets each corporation controls with complete authority over is an oppressed group of people: Omegas, who are disenfranchised to the highest degree. Dealing with these problematic issues with a deft hand, the Sterling Acquisition explores themes of bodily autonomy, corporate overreach, and the question of what loyalty is and who deserves it, in a surprisingly deep way while still being a high-heat, deliciously tense MM Omegaverse romance. 

Steamy and Gloriously Ridiculous 

Overall, the Sterling Acquisition is a steamy, gloriously ridiculous read, and I mean that in the best of ways. Fans of A/B/O tropes will love this story. If you enjoy dystopian fiction, you’ll enjoy getting pulled into this chillingly realistic future where alphas dominate, control over autonomy has been commoditized, and personal identity has been smashed into pieces. 

Blurb 

Gale Ian Tate authors this futuristic corporate horror/dystopian MM romance. 

In the Incorporated States of New America, everything has a price—including Dante Ashford’s twenty-year career as Gensyn Corporation’s most reliable operative. His latest assignment promises standard corporate espionage: infiltrate Sterling-Vance Industries, steal their forced bonding technology, and extract before anyone notices the missing patents or bodies.

Enter Leo James, SVI’s answer to the question “what if we gave someone a PhD in missing the point?” His idea of Omega management involves public street wrestling and the kind of psychological incompetence that makes his neighbors place bets on his daily humiliation.

His contracted Omega, Orion, has responded by weaponizing domestic compliance into an art form that’s part rebellion, part seduction, and entirely wasted on someone who thinks dominance means hitting harder. He’s brilliant, gorgeous, completely feral, and about to become the first human guinea pig for technology that will reprogram his mind while making him send thank-you cards afterward.

Dante’s mission parameters definitely didn’t include developing an obsession with saving someone who fights like a wildcat and kisses like he’s trying to start wars. But watching Leo fail at breaking someone who was clearly made to be claimed properly is like witnessing corporate negligence on a personal level.

Now Dante’s racing against experimental timelines, fighting his own conditioning, and learning that some bonds can’t be manufactured in a lab—they have to be earned one stolen moment, heated argument, and desperate encounter at a time.

Some people are worth committing corporate treason for. Even if they bite.

Especially if they bite.

This is a non-shifter A/B/O Omegaverse novel with no MPreg and a guaranteed HEA.

Content Warnings: Explicit sexual content, dubious consent, violence, captivity, human trafficking, medical experimentation, corporate abuse, surveillance, and Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics with significant power imbalances. Intended for mature readers.

476 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 28, 2025

Genre Mix: Dystopian Corporate Horror.

The Sterling Acquisition is a dark, steamy, and emotionally charged ride that’s got surprising heart and tension. It blends elements from many genres and tropes. Imagine a dystopian future in a world where corporations have taken over the governance of the people, complete with chemical methods of control, and that’s the world in The Sterling Acquisition. 

What is Loyalty?

This book will prompt readers to imagine a world where loyalty is sold, emotions are inefficient and unwelcome, and love? Out of the question. Following Dante as he goes from seasoned corporate spy, someone who has been retained to be cold, professional, and detached, to something completely rebellious and operating outside the perimeters of his mission. All because he meets the most unmanageable Omega alive, someone brilliant, wild, and who absolutely refuses to be tamed: Orion. 

Suddenly, Dante is bucking against his own conditioning—questioning his loyalty, choosing obsession, choosing risk, choosing connection even when he can’t quite understand why. 

World-Building is TOP NOTCH

Holy world-building. I’m obsessed with the world created by Gale Ian Tate. I can’t wait for the next book in the series to tell us more about it. I want to explore all the realities of how corporate power has reshaped society but never want to live there! Futher, I want to see the history of how the United States crumbled, how the corporate powers that govern the areas around the country rose from those ashes. I want a whole story. Gensyn and Sterling Vance Industries are the key corporations that readers learn about in this book, but I imagine we’ll learn about more in subsequent installments. 

The world is made of different powers: these corporate powers that have taken the idea of a company town and applied it to society as a whole. Different corporations have various ways of controlling their Omega populations. And no corporations fully trust one another. Enter corporate espionage, because what one corporation has, another wants to steal or sabotage. 

Dystopian Romance Plot

The Alpha/Omega Element

How did all of this come about? Sometime in the past, a virus caused humans to develop Alpha/Omega presentation, and that also reshaped society completely. I would imagine humans developing Alpha/Omega presentations was a huge catalyst for the “Unraveling,” as it’s called in the book. At least it would have helped to speed it along. 

So, now the world is full of people with these primal desires. Alphas, the more dominant of the dynamics, wrest power from the other designations. Once they are in power, they are going to fight to stay in power. They systematically oppress Omegas; they become, over time, completely subservient in their societal roles. What’s worse is they’re owned. They’re hunted, imprisoned, and their bodily autonomy is completely stripped from them. 

The Struggle

The story develops around these struggles, with Dante, an Alpha, one of our MCs, arriving on scene as a corporate spy and getting immediately sucked into the struggles of our other MC, Orion, an Omega who has fought back, violently, from the suppression and imprisonment he’s subjected to by Sterling Vance, known as SVI.

Chaos Ensues

Things do devolve pretty quickly into chaos. Orion is in uncontrolled heat cycles, refusing to submit to Leo, his prison guard/keeper. He has been fighting, lashing out, and escaping on the regular for the past year. But, the whole society is set up so he can’t actually succeed in getting away. And his time is running out.

SVI’s workers are busy perfecting a chemical lobotomy technology to bend Omega’s will to their captors. Orion is set to be Test Subject #1. And this is the technology that Dante is tasked with stealing and sabotaging. 

And Then, There Were Feelings

Dante never intended to get personally involved, but he never expected Orion. Orion is an unplanned, inefficient element. Orion has put up fierce resilience for a year, and learning about his situation upends every expectation Dante came to SVI territory with. While his initial mission is a straightforward act of corporate sabotage, it evolves into something far more treacherous. Dante is wracked with a heady mix of obsession, conflict, and unexpected vulnerability that reshapes not only Dante’s mission but his entire world outlook and what he wants out of his existence.

Can’t Resist

Dante feels an uncontrollable pull toward Orion, whom he can’t get out of his thoughts. Once Leo asks Dante to help with his asset’s behavior modification techniques, Dante really can’t resist Orion at all. Orion fights his own body’s responses to Dante as violently as he does Leo’s advances, but there’s an underlying tension there, where Orion knows that Dante can help him, can give him what Leo cannot, and that tension ramps up so deliciously, it’s so good. As the stakes rise, he’s forced to battle his own conditioning and realize that the strongest bonds aren’t manufactured—they’re forged.

Themes

The definition of the human identity, which is better: manufactured bonds vs. real connections, and the portrayal of corporations all are used to explore complex themes in The Sterling Acquisition.

Human Identity

The question of human identity is a central theme of the Sterling Acquisition.

This is a world where corporate control tries to control human relationships, pushing the boundaries and blurring the lines between personal autonomy and corporate authority. Corporations are all-powerful. They have all the rights. Everything is very 1984. But instead of fascism, it’s capitalism at its absolute worst. A world that believes humans are nothing if they’re not efficient. Any variance in emotions is unwelcome. Even the Alpha/Omega elements that people have as part of their innate biology are ruthlessly suppressed. Alphas are not allowed to have ruts. Omegas are not allowed to have heats. These are biological imperatives in an Omegaverse. But these corporations have all the power to suppress humans in even their most private biology. 

Manufactured Bonds vs. Real Connection

Another main aspect of the narrative lies in the question of whether forced bonding, used as a tool of control, is superior to an organically built emotional connection. How shared moments that build trust and real bonds are distrusted, but it’s ok to chemically alter the mind of Omegas to bend their will to the Alphas in charge? 

Why corporations would push forced bonding instead of relationships that are built on legitimate and real foundations immediately comes to mind as well. 

One thing that helps the reader contextualize this is an understanding that corporations teach their populations to see Omegas as property, not people in this dystopian romance. If an Omega’s wishes are seen as inefficient and something to squash like a bug, chemical bonding makes sense. When seeing things from this mindset, it’s easier to see why there is a corporate push for forced bonding. 

Dante, though, even with years of conditioning, starts to see the cracks in this corporate façade. The façade fully crumbles once he fully views Orion as a person, someone who is not property, not an asset. It’s only then that he can dare to ask himself the question: Who deserves loyalty, really?

Portrayal of Corporations

The dystopian romance portrayed in The Sterling Acquisition portrays a future that, subtracting the Alpha/Omega aspects, are frighteningly possible. Corporations and the top 1% essentially rule the US already, with powerful lobbies and laws that favor corporations over people. Labor laws only exist because of the massive struggle from workers, and with what’s currently going on politically, it’s horrifyingly easy to imagine a future where corporations are the actual governing entity. Imagine what sorts of things they could do if they were actually the ones making the laws? Corporations would take exploitation of labor forces to such an extreme. Just the idea leaves a pit of dread in my stomach.

Characters

Orion

Orion puts up fierce resistance. He’s fully defiant. He ferociously and steadfastly believes in his autonomy that has been ripped from him. Orion refuses to fall in line. He rebukes all attempts to suppress his iron will for freedom. His resistance pushes back at this corporate structure that reduces people to their function. 

Dante

Dante is a corporate goon, who educates the reader on how to speak Corporate: language full of metaphors and euphemisms that gloss over and makes pretty what amounts to human subjugation and trafficking. 

Asset management is bending Omegas to the will of the Alphas in charge. Asset transport is human trafficking. Behavior management is, well, it gets dicey.

Dante is there to steal Sterling Vance Industries’ property. The fact that the world now sees Omegas as property isn’t his fault; it’s just the way things are. Until he realizes that all his corporate conditioning is wrong, that is. 

Dante navigates between deeply ingrained corporate duty and a growing feeling that he can’t abide by what the corporation he’s aligned with will do once he delivers Orion to them. 

Falling for Orion means Dante must push against corporate conditioning that begins at birth for the Gensyn population. Each moment, whether it’s a heated argument or a stolen kiss, becomes another thing to analyze, who he thinks he is and has him questioning who it is he actually wants to be.

Recommend or No?

I think this dystopian romance is the start of a great series, and if you’re at all a fan of Alpha/Omega dynamics, or dystopian futures, you should give this a read. You will love it.

Review Paragraph

I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel read my review policy and submit a contact form.

The post Dystopian Romance Review: The Sterling Acquisition appeared first on Fae’s Journal.

The Extremely Unofficial Guide to Lumin (and Love)

Y’all! It’s the King’s Man Glossary that I wished and wished for! My wishes have been fulfilled in what is, hands down, the best way to include a glossary for a fantasy world. Anyta Sunday’s glossary companion to the King’s Man series is here, and it’s contained within a story of its own. Genius, honestly. I am giddy how Sunday chose to efficiently explain the elements from the series that are potentially confusing, creatively and romantically, instead of a plain glossary inserted into the front of each book.  

Blurb

Fantasy novels really should come with a glossary.

After a head injury, Cale wakes up in the body of a suspected killer, inside the fantasy world of The King’s Man. He has no idea how magic works, what a vitalian is, or why his infuriatingly hot flatmate is now dressed like a cosplay war mage and hauling him toward trial and possible death by guillotine.

Armed with nothing but sarcasm, charm, and a desperate need to understand what a lovelight is, Cale embarks on a crash course in surviving the kingdom of Lumin. His only hope? A mysterious Skeldar boy, a glossary of strange terms, and the sneaking suspicion that a certain love story isn’t quite finished yet.

It’s a glossary. It’s a story. It’s a romance across lifetimes. And yes . . .

It even has a happy ending.

~ ~ ~

This novella is a glossary companion to The King’s Man. Best enjoyed before, after or alongside the main ride  

80 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 21, 2025
Genres: mm fantasy romance, romantasy, companion, glossary

Fantasy Worlds & Glossaries

Fantasy literature is known for glossaries. Because it’s hard to plop down in a different world and get one’s bearings. The glossary includes important information about how the fantasy world works differently from the real world, and can also include character information, geographical information, and other important details.

I love The King’s Man. It’s a spectacular series. However, I’m celebrating the King’s Man glossary. Needing a glossary was one of the only things I picked at in my reviews. Okay, I was sort of a dog with a bone about the need for a glossary. You can read my complaints about it in several of my reviews from the series. The series, if you dedicate yourself to reading it, does reveal its secrets through context most of the time. But it is still potentially confusing, so I think the addition of a glossary of terms will be welcomed by readers. 

The problem is, so many people dislike glossaries. I’ve even known people who won’t read series that start off with a whole bunch of terms/characters/etc. They’re missing out, and I think that’s a silly reason not to read a book, but it’s a legitimate concern all the same. Knowing that people don’t like glossaries, it could make the author hesitant to add a glossary to a series she has poured her heart and soul into. 

There might be something to that thought, too, because the characters in this cute little side story remark,

He clears his throat. “The author,” he says, waving a hand like he’s brushing away a fly, “was clearly remiss in leaving out a glossary.” 

“Ugh, glossaries. Nothing says ‘welcome to the plot’ like a ten-page list of terms I’ll immediately forget.” 

“You might enjoy hurtling headfirst into chaos like a kitten on catnip, but some of us prefer context.”

(Sunday, 2025)  

However, I am beyond happy that the pros and cons weighed in the glossary’s favor, because now we get a sweet little companion piece to the King’s Man series in which it’s all clearly defined, and all the questions one might have about aspects of the world are answered. 

Plot 

The coolest thing about this glossary is that there’s a story! A plot of its own! And it’s so cool. And it adds meaningful detail to the established lore and world.

Cale, in this contemporary lifetime, is a med student (of course he is) who flats with X, aka this world’s Quin, who has recently broken his leg under mysterious circumstances. Similar to Cael in many ways, most importantly being that he’s a little chaos gremlin, this contemporary Cale is still his own person. Cale and X have a contentious relationship, snarking at one another, but Cale, compelled to assist his flatmate after his injury, sees to his needs all the same. 

While X convalesces, he is reading the King’s Man series. A lightbulb moment leads to Cale jumping to his feet and crashing into a coffee table. When he wakes up transported to a fantasy world, he finds himself immediately in trouble. He seems to have forgotten everything about this world, and is in the custody of somebody who looks just like his flatmate X. Except he hasn’t forgotten about this world, he doesn’t have amnesia, he is just Cale and not Cael.

This provides the scaffolding for the glossary. The vitalian healing Cale gives X some advice: be patient and explain the things about their world that he’s forgotten. 

Characters

This Cale and this X (Quin) are not the same Cael and Quin from the rest of the series. They are a different lifetime, a different reincarnation of the same characters. But knowing that these characters in this timeline, AND the Cale and X from the contemporary setting are living a life where their realities are entwined just like the Cael and Quin from our series, well, it’s romantic as hell, isn’t it? It’s fated, it’s love, it’s just swoon.

Recommendation

This is a beautiful companion to the King’s Man series that you will find helpful as you read through it. It does not in any way spoil the plot of the series, so you can read it alongside the series without fear of spoiling yourself. I strongly recommend it!

The post Wish Fulfilled!! The King’s Man Glossary appeared first on Fae’s Journal.

Introduction

The Duke’s Midnight Ride is a novella-length MM regency romance that sees a virginal, repressed Duke dive headfirst into the romance he’s been waiting his whole life for. It’s very spicy, and what I would consider boundary pushing for regency romance in the best of ways. 

The Duke’s Midnight Ride isn’t deep, there’s not a lot of story, but it’s full of delicious spice that is perfect for a novella-length story like this. The narrative is tight and uncluttered by extraneous details, making it an ideal evening’s read. 

Blurb

Edgar Hunton Smythe, Duke of Lovell, has spent six Seasons sidestepping the marital trap with a carefully curated air of gruff detachment, general roguishness… and one humiliating secret. Though society whispers refer to him as a stallion in more ways than one, Edgar has never once been able to make those whispers a reality. His solution? Enlist his dearest friend, Giselle, as a faux mistress to preserve his reputation and buy time. But when Giselle offhandedly suggests his desires might lie not with women—but with his golden-haired, ever-watchful valet—Edgar begins to wonder…

Liam has secrets. Far too many for a valet. Chief among he’s been hopelessly in love with the Duke since the moment they met. And just as his former lover, a wanted man living under an alias, now serves as the Duke’s groom. When Edgar returns home with a mistress on his arm, Liam’s heart shatters. But when one raw, revealing moment gives him away, Liam panics—convinced he’s ruined everything—and begs his old flame to help him disappear before scandal, or worse, catches up.

But when Liam arrives at the carriage ready to flee, he’s stunned to find Edgar waiting—nervous, uncertain… but hopeful. Perhaps a dark, overnight carriage ride is all the Duke needs to dip his toes into desire for the very first time. But Liam’s old flame already has plans in motion—and what awaits them in the woods is wicked, wild, and anything but innocent. The Duke can either turn back… or dive in headfirst.

The Duke’s Midnight Ride is a spicy, queer Regency Romance novella brimming with forbidden touches, stolen glances, a night that changes everything—and a satisfying happily ever after.

138 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 21, 2025
Genres: mm regency romance, historical romance

Plot 

The Duke of Lovell, Edgar, is plagued with performance anxiety. He’s a virgin; he’s never been able to “perform” with a woman. He gets a push in the right direction from a long-time friend and finally realizes that he just needed to be seeking out pleasure with men and not women. Good thing his valet is deeply interested in being the one he seeks out for that pleasure. The valet, Liam, is delightfully naughty under his straight-laced facade, and he’s very much ready to take on what the Duke has to offer. Because, oh right, the Duke is hung like a horse. It’s been going to waste for so long, Liam is ready to remedy this dreadful oversight.  

What happens next is very spicy. There are multiple partners, roleplay, voyuerism, dirty talk, double penetration, and more. And the cherry on top? The wonderfully deep feelings that are acknowledged between the love interests.  

Themes

Be Yourself 

Lovell was almost there on his own. He is said not to care what the ton thinks of him. But he needed that final push so he could live a more fulfilled life. His longtime mistress, fully aware that he cannot perform with women, pushes him to reflect and understand he’s gay. You know that in those times being gay in England was not a legal thing. Regency romances have to deal with that in some way, or they’re anachronistic or alternate history. So, discretion is needed, but to completely deny himself would be denying himself happiness. 

Edgar realizes that it’s not quite enough to not care about other people’s expectations about what he should do. He has to embrace who he is fully, no matter if it goes against society’s expectations. He gets one turn in this game called life, and if he’s not himself, and he’s not fulfilled, what’s the point? So what if he has a former sex worker as a beard and a former valet as his companion? He’s happy, and that’s what’s important. 

Recommend?

I loved this quick mm regency romance and found it deliciously spicy and surprisingly tender. I see that this is the start of a series, and I look forward to more from Wolfe’s Rogues get Ravished series. Solid recommendation from Fae!

Review Paragraph

I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel read my review policy and submit a contact form.

The post MM Regency Romance Review: The Duke’s Midnight Ride appeared first on Fae’s Journal.

Here We Are

All right, readers. We’re here. Book VI (6) of the King’s Man series, the final installment of this amazing romantasy, fantasy romance series. Whatever you want to call the genre, this series is about so much more than the usual MM Romance fare. Writing this review is making me super emotional. This series has wedged its way into my heart. To start us off, I was correct: there was indeed a whole bunch of stuff that had to happen in Book 6. 

Blurb 

The battle for their kingdom is nothing compared to the battle for each other.

The mask is finally coming off. But some truths are more dangerous than lies.

Cael never expected to fall into Quin’s memories. Never expected to uncover the moments Quin kept hidden: his quiet observations, his reluctant admiration, the silent war he waged against his own heart. And at the centre of it all? A truth that shatters everything Cael thought he knew.

But the past is a trap. And while Cael is lost in Quin’s memories, the war still looms.

Reality drags him back. To Ragnarson. To a battlefield where Quin stands before him, not as a ghost of the past, but flesh and blood. Real and untouchable. Their reunion burns brief and bright before duty rips them apart once more.

As the kingdom teeters on collapse, rebellion ignites. The war isn’t just for a throne anymore—it’s for survival. And when Cael is captured, Quin will stop at nothing to bring him back.

Because kings do not beg.

This healer does not bow.

And masks cannot hide the truth forever.

---

THE KING’S MAN is an epic romantasy filled with slow-burn passion, courageous choices, and the relentless spirit of a healer determined to beat all odds.

This six-book series is one continuous journey and romance arc and is best read in order for maximum enjoyment.

Genres: Fantasy, Slow Burn, MM Romantasy
320 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 24, 2025

What’s the Plan

In this review, we will dive into character developments, analyze the plot without giving away major spoilers, analyze important theme developments, and end with my overall impressions of the series. Because it’s over now (sobbing).

Context

I flew through this series, thanks to getting them from BookSirens as arcs. After Book II, I was officially obsessed, and I have done nothing but read this series in the last five days. These reviews will be posted spaced out to post closer to the later books’ releases, but I want readers to know that I absolutely devoured this series.  

Plot Summary 

So if you remember, we left our main character, Cael, in the Kingdom of Iskeldir. He is somewhat stuck. He’s acting as the king’s healer under an assumed identity. After Book 5, Cael is sort of at an impasse. He can’t leave freely, and now he’s looking after people like the true king‘s mother. 

Wedding Guests and Invasions

Things are afoot in Iskeldir. Cael’s aunt and the Kron Prins are getting married soon. There’s also an invasion from the west from the kingdom of Wyrd. We haven’t really heard much about this kingdom through the series, but they take the opportunity to invade since things are unstable at the border and within Lumin. 

Memories

As we pick up the continuing plot, we go with Cael through all of Quin‘s memories. Cael has gone through them over and over and over again. These memories, of us, Quin said, basically confirm everything that I dreamed: Quin has been fixated on Cael since they were boys. When they were young, it was about friendship, but as Quin grew up, so did his feelings. 

In a clever mechanic, readers take another look at Cael and Quin’s first encounters from an outside perspective, Cael looking back at himself with an older, more mature perspective. Cael sees things he didn’t see before, recognizes how chaotic and impulsive he was (is). He calls himself Chaos-me, which I love because it’s very true— Cael has always been impulsive and all over the place.

Chaos-Gremlin Cael

Readers of this series will struggle with the first 30% of Book I and not understand why so much context seems to be missing is because Cael, as this chaos-whirlwind of a character, is not looking at the full picture. 

The memories contextualize events from the very beginning of the story. Looking back at some of their first interactions shows how readers viewed events through Young Cael’s chaotic perspective; he is essentially an unreliable narrator. 

He was wide-eyed and unaware of the context in those first few cut scenes, those interactions with Maskios, Calix Solin, and Quin, and so then, were readers. I actually pulled up the first book and read through the first chapters while mirroring the experiences in the first chapters in book 6. It’s eye-opening how the different perspectives of the same events fill in so many missing details. 

The Oh… Moment

Cael understands them now, through Quin’s memories. And so, then, he must understand how deeply Quin feels about him. And how he feels about Quin.

True Love Reveals

In my last review for Book V, I talked about how important masking is to the story, and hoo buddy, it is important. Who is behind the mask? Cael was dying to know, then. Who is Maskios? Calix Solin? 

Now Cael knows. Loved ones can see through the mask. Cael couldn’t see through the masks in Book I. But Quin’s mother could, as could Nicostratus. 

Iskeldir is not friendly to Quin at the moment, so when Quin shows up for the wedding, seemingly unmasked, out in the open, Cael worries. But readers will quickly understand that Cael can see Quin. To others, though, Quin appears to be a Jarl. Does Cael even realize what that means? It just makes you feel things.

To the Front Lines

Cael and Quin get sent to the front line of the growing fight between Iskeldir and Wyrd. This is perilous because Quin is disabled—he walks with a cane. Obviously, if he has to fight on foot, it won’t go well for him. 

On the front lines, Cael heals, Quin fights. There are sweet, tender moments between Quin and Cael as they head to battle and as they escape peril. Their devotion is evident. The slow-burn is bubbling, folks. 

Nicostratus is Big Mad

Cael escapes Iskeldir finally, with Quin promising to be a week behind Cael and Nicostratus. But Nicostratus has unfortunately also seen Quin‘s memories. And that’s bad because Nicostratus is big mad about the whole thing. 

Chekhov’s Gun

Several times throughout the series, Quin’s grandfather’s research is mentioned, and how he was executed for theories he had about disease and inoculation, vaccines essentially. Research that, while banned, could protect the people against the plague. Well, yeah. Chekhov’s gun means that this has to be important at some point. 

And that point is now. The plague is imminent. It has every potential to be a devastating outbreak. 50% survival rate. Cael is… well, Cael is going to risk it all to save as many people as he can. Even if what he proposes to do is punishable by death. Because he is a healer. He will risk his own demise, his own health, his own future. 

Small Spoiler

Cael is confident in his grandfather’s research. He sets out to find test subjects to prove that he has a viable solution. Also, oh yeah, small spoiler, sorry, Cael has the plague.

That’s where I am going to stop. The rest of this mm fantasy, you’ll have to read.

Theme Analysis

Choosing the Path That Harms the Least

Fundamentally, one of the series’s overarching themes is to choose kindness. Harm the fewest people possible. Be altruistic. The greater good is more important than the few. 

Cael wants what’s best for everyone. He wants to save everyone; his altruistic side is one of his best characteristics, but it’s also his worst enemy. Because he puts himself into danger. He puts his life on the line over and over and over again. 

The Kingdom Means Nothing if Everyone’s Dead

Quin also recognizes that his main goal of trying to take back his throne means nothing if they don’t save their kingdom. At a time of strife, when the regent is ignoring the problem, like half the country could die, his goal has to wait. The thing that harms the least is the thing that saves the most. And that’s helping Cael get the inoculations to as many willing people as possible. That involves convincing the people it’s safe. It involves changing the rules. And if that doesn’t happen, what good will saving his throne do, if half his countrymen are dead?

You Are Allowed Happiness

Quin has to come to this on his own. Duty is important. Choosing the path that harms the least is important. But most important of all is the realization that he can choose a life that will make him happy. And Cael? He will make Quin happy. He’s allowed to have Cael. 

Follow Your Happiness

Following one’s own path to happiness can be seen as a cornerstone value in so many ways. Magaera and Lykos, Olyn and Veronica, Nicostratus and Bastian, Florentius and Akilah, Leif and Cael’s aunt (I am sorry I cannot remember her name, so embarrassing), Casimira and King Yngvarr… all these people are on their own path to happiness. And finally, finally, we see Quin and Cael realize they can choose that for themselves too.

It’s all about finding their own path eventually to be happy. Duty is important. Quin doesn’t shirk his duty, none of these people abandon their duty, but they also follow their path to happiness. 

Happy

It is a happy ending. I don’t think that’s a spoiler because most people want to know that it’s a happy ending before they read, especially someone who’s gonna read six books in a series. 

Overall

This mm fantasy story isn’t about smut. It isn’t about sex. This series is about so much more than that. A lot of romance readers read to escape. This is a really good escape. I really, really liked this series. It’s really quite a love story.

Sunday has done a very good job. I didn’t want it to be over, honestly. I wanted another chapter of them after the happily ever after.

I have a book hangover. Read this series! 

Review Paragraph

I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel read my review policy and submit a contact form.

The post Review: The King’s Man Book VI: MM Fantasy Series appeared first on Fae’s Journal.

Introduction

Reading Goldheart by Tess Carlette will take you on an adventurous journey through a high fantasy world. Packed full of epic adventures, this new mm fantasy book features strong, nuanced characters, and explores the light and dark sides of the human experience in its themes. While Goldheart is being marketed as an MM romance, the love story isn’t the sole focus of the book. Goldheart is a high fantasy that includes gay romance(s). And that’s a refreshing take on the whole genre, in my opinion. 

Blurb

A world plagued by sun sickness can be both terrible and beautiful.

Senna Kane was plucked from his orphanage and molded into the perfect Goldheart—the personal bodyguard to the prince. It’s a demanding job, made harder by the headstrong prince’s desire to solve the tension between the darkness-bathed Talsura and the sun-welcoming Redwind, but Senna has vowed to do his best.

Defying the law, Senna and the prince sneak out of their kingdom to meet with the Redwindan princess to work towards peace. There, Senna finds himself spending more time with the princess’ charming guard, Emrys, who challenges Senna to try bold and impossible things—like harnessing the sun’s power to grow plants from his own body.

The quest for peace comes at odds with the two lovers as the sun sickness, terrifying monsters, and cruel rulers try to tear them apart at every turn. The danger leads Senna to what may be an impossible choice: to abandon his prince, his duty and life’s purpose, or lose the chance to become the man he could’ve been if that duty had never found him.

GOLDHEART is a story about chosen family, choosing love, and the impossible feat of staying good in times of darkness.

Genres: mm fantasy, romantasy, high fantasy, sword and sorcery
631 Pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 25, 2025

Strong Start 

Goldheart is a strong start to the new Foxglove & Feud series by Carletta, with a tight narrative, compelling characters, and themes that delve deep into the characters’ psyches. At times, however, the storytelling struggles with clarity, largely due to uneven characterizations.

Fantasy is My Bag 

While I read a wide variety of MM romance genres, I have a particular love for mm fantasy, romantasy, and high fantasy settings. Some of my favorite stories of all time can be found sitting comfortably in this category: Tavia Lark’s Radience and Perilous Courts series, Anyta Sunday’s The King’s Man, and Ariana Nash’s The Prince’s Assassin come to mind.   

Plot 

Goldheart is set on the island of Islevaria, which consists of three main kingdoms: Talsura, Redwind, and Mount Livia. On first look, this book explores the concepts of darkness versus light. 

Talsura exists in darkness, a magical barrier to the sun blocks out all light. Why? Exposure to the sun causes something called sun sickness. It started just a few decades ago when the island’s magic manifested in a horrible plague. 

Sun Sickness

Sun sickness presents itself as plants growing from a person‘s body. If left uncontrolled, this sickness leads quickly to death. It’s reminiscent of the Hanahaki disease trope that might be familiar if you read fanfiction, but this disease doesn’t manifest due to unrequited love. With the sun sickness plaguing Islevaria, it’s simply exposure to the sun that causes the sickness. But the results are the same: plants and thorns ravage the body, leading to death. 

Different Solutions

Talsura’s solution to the problem is to block out the sun entirely, its mages depleting their magic to maintain a huge sun shade and also to maintain life underneath the shade because, without the sun, everything must be magically enchanted. 

The queen of Talsura exiles everyone who shows symptoms of the sun sickness, and those people journey across the moors. They experience great hardship along the way. Eventually, they establish a new kingdom called Redwind on land just adjacent to Talsura.

Redwind

Redwind, built upon the backs of a lot of trauma and death, represents light. Along their perilous journey, they discovered something miraculous: they could control the sun sickness, and it became their greatest power. Redwindians call it Inflorescence, and having taken control of the magic, they no longer die from the disease. Because they can control their inflorescence, their kingdom is full of flowers. It’s beautiful, and their traumatic origin has given them strength and resiliency. 

The queen of Talsura is evil, and everyone is miserable. I mean, wouldn’t you have to be, no sun for twenty-plus years? It’s not exactly a subtle metaphor that the dark kingdom, especially the ruler, is evil. The light kingdom, presented as glorious and colorful, is good. And the very concept that they can control their inflorescence instead of succumbing to it, instead of hiding from it, is groundshaking to the Talsurans. 

We Can Fix It, Yes We Can!

The crown prince wants to fix things. Percy and Thea, the crown princess of the Redwindian kingdom, began exchanging letters. Percy and Senna the Goldheart escape Talsura to visit Thea and Emrys. Seeing Redwind for the first time, they deeply understand the stark differences between their kingdoms.  

Once the key players in the story meet, the stage is set for our story. The status quo has to go, and they need to be the ones to shake things up. 

Central Themes

Struggle Reveals True Character 

The first major theme explored in Goldheart centers around sun sickness and how it reveals one’s hidden character and motivations. The Talsuran Queen’s first instinct is to hide from the sun sickness, to cruelly banish everyone suffering from it, and to do everything to forget that it exists, to great expense and human suffering. Phaedra even exiles her own sister. Cruelty is her true character. 

On the other hand, the Redwindian’s struggle reveals their resiliency and strength. While their exile is harsh, their journey seemingly insurmountable, it reveals their inner strength and their ability to do something about the injustices that pushed them out. It reveals their ability to control the sun sickness, empowering and uplifting them as they emerge from the burden of sun sickness and take the reins of inflorescence. 

Emrys says it best. “These people have endured the worst days of their lives and clawed their way to the other side. Isn’t it a miracle that we seized control of the roots at our throats?” 

Along with their true character being revealed by struggle, it also shows that one’s internal power can be harnessed and used for good. But that same potential can fester if it is left untrained, and it can easily sabotage and overrun one’s life. 

Hidden Purposes and Identities 

The theme of hidden purposes and hidden identities plays heavily in the narrative.

Hidden Purpose

 Senna’s purpose is hidden even from himself. His purpose, set for him when he was too young to consent, is to guard the crown prince. With his life. And he does, gladly. Percy grows up with him as his friend and brother. The true nature of his guardianship is not fully revealed until it’s too late. 

Hidden Identities

Hidden identities and hidden agendas play an important role in driving the narrative along. Thea is the crown princess in name only, but has a bad reputation as being cold and unapproachable. Emrys has the potential to be a great leader, but he hides his true promise to the world so he can lark around, hiding in plain sight as a guard. Nare is introduced as a librarian. In truth, she is an academic scholar of the magics. 

The canons, the gods of this world, who are literal beings by the way, hide their true nature and even pretend to be other canons if the need arises. 

Characters

Senna, the Goldheart

One of the main love interests is Senna. Senna is a Goldheart, a royal guard. Tasked from the young age of 9 to guard Percy, the crown prince, Senna practically raises Percy, loves him like a brother, and guards Percy with his life. 

Senna is terrified of inflorescence. His childhood is stacked with trauma upon trauma related to sun sickness. Because of his trauma, he finds it difficult to speak with people he is unfamiliar with. In general, he’s a man of few words. Morally, he’s motivated by duty. He has little identity outside of being a guard, much to Emrys’ frustration. 

Emrys, the Pretend Guard  

Emrys is the other love interest. He is presented as a Redwindian guard, but is actually the Crown Prince. He and the Queen were among the first to be able to control their inflorescence. Emrys has shirked his duty as prince, since he’s hidden as a guard, but is still seen as a leader among the community. 

Important Secondary Characters

While Emrys and Senna are the main love interests of this story, this first book in the series sets up an extensive cast of characters that all turn out to be important in some way. Princess Thea and Prince Percy initiate contact between the kingdoms. Nare, the librarian, becomes important in their quest for the cure to Thea’s fallowness. Sascha, the ruler of Mount Livia, steps in with important pieces of the puzzle when needed. The queens, oh yes, the queens, play important roles for better or for worse. There’s not a character you meet who doesn’t end up playing an important role in the story, somehow. 

Glows

So Very Queer

Goldheart is a very queer book. Beyond the main love interests, so much about the world is inclusive and optimistically so. Children freely choose their gender presentation once they reach a certain age. Thea is presented as aroace (and neurodivergent!) and is completely oblivious to Nare’s interest in her. The leader of Mount Livia uses they/them pronouns. The cultist Ciaran is trans. 

All of these elements just are; they are not the focus of the story, they are just a part of it. And I love that. Homophobia is null in this world. I appreciate when we, as readers, can immerse ourselves in a fantasy world with zero concept of this sort of hate. 

Extensive World Building 

Some chapters further side stories and characters, leaving out the main love interests entirely. By doing this, the author expands upon the world and makes it not just a love story. It’s a fantasy world, and the focus on a lot of characters makes it feel more like a fantasy novel and not a fantasy romance. 

Goldheart is also over 500 pages, and is the first book in the series. So it does at times meander. For anyone who reads fantasy novels, that’s sort of the genre’s thing. 

Having read all of the extant Song of Ice and Fire series, I will say that there is nothing succinct about those stories. Readers often follow characters whose stories are completely separate from the main events. This book is a little like that. But in Goldheart’s favor, secondary characters are all important to the main story. 

Unique Mythology and Magical System

Furthering the extensive world-building in Goldheart, the mythology and the magical system are strikingly unique. The concept of inforesence/sun sickness being sides of the same coin, just controlled / uncontrolled, is novel. Talsurans use sigil magic instead of inforescence. 

The mythos of the world also sets it apart from other fantasy stories. Canons are the gods and goddesses of this world, but are literal beings, not just sky-daddy concepts. Appealing to the canons means actually contacting them and winning over their favor. But unbeknownst to the mere mortals, not everything is on the up and up with the canons, and things are afoot that no one sees coming.  

Grows

Unbalanced Characterizations

One of the major flaws of Goldheart is the uneven and unbalanced characterizations of major characters. The characters in Goldheart act unpredictably, and not always in a good way. Their actions are uneven; sometimes their reactions are straight out of left field. Having unpredictable characters can be okay, to a degree. But if a reader cannot reliably predict how a character will react, or if the character is always doing things that are wildly out of character, the character just needs more development. 

As I read, I noticed several scenes where characters acted in unexpected ways that went against their established characterization. For example: Is Queen Casta a good Queen or a villain? For the most part, she’s seen as altruistic and good and a counterpart to Phaedra in Talsura. But then sometimes she’s written with a more menacing tone. Other times, Thea and Emrys talk about her as if she’s acting against them. And don’t get me started on how she treats poor Thea.  

Percy’s character also struggles with some unevenness. He’s developed as a kindhearted prince, but sometimes he reacts like a selfish brat. Even Emrys does things that go against his established character development.

Because many key characters suffer from this unevenness, with out-of-character scenes peppering the entire length of the novel, this is an area to improve as the series continues. 

Length

This book is very long, over 500 pages, and at times I wondered if it needs to be so long. I understand the author being reluctant to leave things out. However, a lot is going on in this book. I worry more casual readers will find its length daunting. Even I, a reader who reads 200+ books a year, kept surprising myself when I saw that I was only XX% of the way through the book. 

Recommend or No?

I think this is a solid story. Even the unbalanced characters didn’t deter me from enjoying it. I enjoyed the unique world, the magic system, and the main plotline. Especially, I liked the developing romance between Senna and Emrys. I give this book a solid recommendation. 

Review Paragraph

I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel, read my review policy and submit a contact form.

The post MM Fantasy Romance Review: Goldheart appeared first on Fae’s Journal.

Introduction

In Book V of The King’s Man, we are in a new setting in Iskeldir, the border country to Lumin. Cael and an increasingly interwoven cast of characters continue to work towards their goals of reinstating the true king to the throne and coming out the other side alive. This MM Fantasy Romance series is my favorite thing of 2025.

Blurb

A stolen moment. A forbidden touch. A game neither of them should be playing.

A healer who masks his identity. A king held captive. A game of power, deception, and undeniable longing.

Cael has always walked the thin line between healer and outlaw, but when he learns Quin, the true king of Lumin, has been captured, he risks everything to reach him. Disguised as “Haldr,” Cael infiltrates Iskeldir’s court, tending to Quin’s wounds while keeping his own identity buried. Each stolen moment between them is a battle of sharp words, lingering touches, and the ever-present danger of discovery.

But Quin’s freedom comes at a cost. To secure his release, Cael must do the impossible: win the Medicus Contest, a ruthless competition designed to prove Lumin’s superiority in healing magic. With only alchemy and wit, Cael must outmatch spell-wielding rivals, outmanoeuvre those who would see him fail, and outlast the unseen forces working against him. When the final trial demands he enter the callous regent’s memoryscape, Cael faces an impossible choice: risk his soul to save those trapped inside or lose everything. Including Quin.

In a world where healing is power and love is a battlefield, how far will Cael go to protect the man he can never have?

---

THE KING’S MAN is an epic romantasy filled with slow-burn passion, courageous choices, and the relentless spirit of a healer determined to beat all odds.

This six-book series is one continuous journey and romance arc and is best read in order for maximum enjoyment.

Genres: Fantasy, Slow Burn, MM Fantasy Romance
270 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 24, 2025

We’re Cooking

I am enthused by how the story is progressing. It’s exciting, it’s gripping. I start reading and don’t want to stop. The only breaks I took this time round were because I didn’t want to read it too quickly. I stopped so that I could digest the story a little bit before moving on. 

There are so many ways that things could go wrong. I have faith at this point that things will end up in a good way, but there’s still that danger. 

One More To Go

One more book to go, I am devouring this series as fast as I can. And reviewing the book I just read before I continue, so I don’t pepper reviews with something I learn is going to happen in later chapters. 

Plot Developments 

Book 5 of the King’s Man MM Fantasy Romance sends Cael off to the land of Iskeldir. Cael, Magaera, and the two Crusaders they ended up with in Book 4, Lykos and Zenon, settle in Iskeldir, under the protection of the crown prince. They’re also somewhat trapped, with no way back to Lumin. 

His true identity hidden, Cael immerses himself in his studies. He’s obsessed, he hardly ever sleeps, Zenon complains. But he must learn the Iskeldir ways of brewing potions. Their power lies in alchemical healing without the use of magic. Soon enough, Cael must prove that his skills not only match the healing powers of the vitalians in Lumin, but he must exceed them. And nearly everything is at stake. 

Enter Quin 

We all knew that somehow Quin would show up in this new setting in book 5. Unfortunately, it’s not under the best circumstances. Being held captive by King Yngvarr, who hates him, Quin is hurt, and his life is in Cael’s impressive but impulsive hands.

King Yngvarr

Years ago, to broker (read: force) peace between the lands, the future king of Iskeldir, then Kron Prins Yngvarr, was sent to live in Lumin. And Princess Frederica went to Iskeldir. For eight years, they grew up in a separate kingdom. Inspired by real history, it’s a pretty common mechanic in fantasy stories. This happens, for example, in Game of Thrones. Theon Greyjoy lives with the Starks as their ward, and has done so since his kingdom lost a rebellion. In real history, Assyrian rulers used the exchange of noble hostages to guarantee peace and broker alliances. In truth, when this happens, the nobles are in a peaceful hostage situation. One can see how it would cause tension. 

Pensive, er — Wrong Story

We learn about this history through a trawl through the King‘s memories that Cael and Quin undertake to glean any advantage. Unfortunately, they learn how Yngvarr was mistreated when he was in Lumin. And quelle surprise, it was Quin’s father and the High Duke who were the bullies. 

It’s of interest that readers learn a bit about the High Duke and why he is such a nasty little prick. It does not make up for his nasty little prick behavior. 

Memories

Anyway, we jump through King Yngvarr‘s memories, and we find out about a past that does not shine a favorable light on the future king of Lumin. He does things to spite Prins Yngvarr. Or, to just be a prick like his little brother, the High Prick. Er, I mean Duke. 

He’s a great piece of work, the bully future King. Quin might have already known these truths, but it’s tragic to see how the past played out, knowing the outcome years later is the King of Iskeldir’s deep-seated hatred not just for Lumin, but for Quin. Much to his peril, with the current situation. Even the King’s hatred of magic stems from all the trauma he experiences in Lumin as a youth. 

Can They Work Together? Maaaaybe

With what they learn from the memories, the chances of the two kingdoms working together are very, very slim. However, and I’m desperately trying to avoid spoiling things, there is hope. 

We’re down to the wire now. One book remains to wrap a ton of things up. Boy, is there a lot needing to be wrapped up.

Character Introductions

In this book, we meet several new characters. We first meet numerous Skelder warriors, and the Crown Prince, or Kron Prins, Prins Lief. Prins Lief has feelings for Cael’s aunt and tries to protect Cael from the scrutiny of his father, the King. 

His father, King Yngvarr, is the ruler of Iskeldir. He hates Lumin, Quin, and magic. And he’d hate Cael just as much if he knew the deceit Cael carries out under the King’s nose. But Cael is desperate for things to work out, even for the King. 

Wait, I Know You…

Some characters from previous books pop up again in this book, including Captain Kjartan from the previous book is part of the squadron of guards sent to Hinsguard with Cael. He is one of the only ones who knows who Cael truly is. 

From Book III, Olyn appears in good time to help Cael and prove her ability to heal. Also from Book III, Bastion and his group show up to throw in their support and protect Cael. The true king has won the hearts of the Vespertines. 

Old Friends

Florentius and Akilah, even good ol’ Skriniaris Evander and his cat Taffy, make appearances. Importantly, Casimiria and Lucius from the outcast island are held captive on a longboat by the High Prick to use as pawns in his deadly games. 

Glows

Good Pacing

Well-paced action in Book V keeps the reader reading, I didn’t want to stop. I paused to gasp a few times, before diving under again. 

The Competition 

Very happy that the competition that’s been alluded to several times through the series takes place in this book. It’s a hell of a competition, too, devious and evil as the High Duke makes it. God, he’s such a douchecanoe. 

Grows

Still Want A Glossary

I do think that this MM Fantasy Romance needs a glossary or index or something. There is so much going on and so many facets of the world to remember. It is easy, over the span of six books, to forget details. A whole primer on the herbs, the spell-casting mechanisms, the accupoints, meridians, and key terms like vitalian, par-linea, linea, and non-linea, etc. Clear definitions of these things would be super helpful. 

So Much to Still Happen

I worry that there are too many loose ends to tie up in the one remaining book of this series.

Character Developments

Cael 

Cael really shines in this book. He is tasked with not only meeting the standards of magic healing but surpassing them with his alchemical healing methods, which is a much better word for what he’s doing than ‘crude’, because there’s nothing crude about what he’s capable of. There’s a lot of theory involved in what he does, and he’s brilliant at it. 

Even though Cael frustrates Prins Lief in the same ways that he frustrates Quin, consistently being impulsive and jumping into action before thinking the chess game through, Cael, our impulsive little cinnamon roll, is less impulsive now than before.  

Sword of Damocles

I think it’s because he understands the gravity of his situation. He feels the sword of Damocles right overhead. He knows he’s a part of a multi-level political game, set into motion before either he or Quin were alive, and it’s up to him to make some important pivots to keep things on course. 

And importantly, he is bothered and burdened by the problem that he poses in Nicostratus and Quin’s relationship. Not harming the relationship between these brothers is important to him.

Theme Development

The Conflicting Demands of Duty and Love

The returning theme of sacrificing happiness for duty is strong here. Several key players are backed into corners, with no good solutions at hand. The contest is rife with this, two teams “need to” win the contest to escape mortal peril, and it’s only through quick thinking and key sacrifices do things work out

The Past Shapes the Future

Exploring the theme of how the past shapes the future is increasingly important in Book V, as we see motivations start to emerge from memories of events that have long since passed. The new method to relive memories, much like the pensives from Harry Potter, readers see how trauma shapes the personalities and motivations of key players. Trauma from the past has had long-lasting repercussions on the current chess game everyone is playing.

Choose Kindness 

Since we’re seeing that these old wounds are the ills that have poisoned whole generations of people’s lives, a moral emerges. It’s important to choose kindness. To not choose the vindictive route. To choose the path that will cause the least amount of harm. This is, I suppose, a basic tenet, the most tenet of medical care, right? Do the least harm possible to heal the most people.

As a healer, Cael naturally, if not begrudgingly, chooses kindness. Cael is bullied by people in much the same way that the King of Iskeldir is bullied by the High Duke and Quin‘s father. Cael still chooses kindness, and it comes back in good ways, winning him new supporters. 

Who is Behind the Mask

Masking, hiding one’s identity, and when to reveal one’s true identity is one of the most critical themes to this story. This idea will prove critical to the finale, mark my words. In Book V, Cael pretends to be somebody else for many varying reasons. Quin has appeared in actual masks and in some sort of disguise at many times throughout the series. 

In the preview for the final installment, it promises a full unmasking, and this begs the most important question of all: 

Who is hiding the most? 

So who is it? It’s not Quin, because Quin is so transparent about his feelings for Cael, specifically. Cael is incapable of hiding even with a mask. The High Duke is super transparent with his false diplomacy and fake kindness. Is it Nicostratus? Who is hiding the most? That’s my question as we lead into book 6.

What Comes Next? 

In Book 6, I do fear that we have a bunch of loose ends to tie up. Book 6 will either be super long or it’s going to leave some plot holes, something every last book of a series runs the risk of having happen. The author has done a masterful job of weaving a world that is so rich and so detailed, and so topsy-turvy twisty-turny that pulling it all together is a feat. It won’t have been easy.

I would love to be a fly on the wall of planning sessions for this series. Hopefully, Sunday has a whiteboard of bubble maps connecting everything, because that’s how I would do this—I would make a big old bubble map of how things are connected. I would need to visually see it mapped out. (In fact, as a reader, I want to see it mapped out!) This MM fantasy romance series is complicated and has lots of details.

Reviews

I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel read my review policy and submit a contact form.

The post Review: The King’s Man Book V – MM Fantasy Romance appeared first on Fae’s Journal.

Introduction

The King’s Man MM romantasy series continues with Book 4. Taking place all in Hinsguard, the city nearest the southern border with Iskeldir, this installment includes a mystery, a deadly plot, a cast of new characters, and importantly, the romance building between our dynamic duo. 

Blurb

When danger is inches away, so is temptation.

When danger is inches away, so is temptation.He was a healer with precious magic. Now, he has nothing.

Cael has lost his power, his home, and the one person who made him feel whole.

In the city of Hinsard, where enemies lurk behind every mask, he desperately hunts for a cure for his severed meridians, for the rising sickness, and for the aching void inside him. But magic isn’t the only thing slipping through his fingers.

A conspiracy is brewing in Hinsard, one that frames his ally for treason and threatens to unravel the delicate balance of power. To uncover the truth, Cael must navigate deadly politics, stolen corpses, and an elusive poison that ties it all together. And always, Quin is there, watching, doubting, challenging him in ways no one else dares. Their past simmers between them, tangled with unspoken words and the weight of something undeniable.

But when a deadly scheme threatens hundreds, including Quin himself, Cael must make a choice. Does he cling to the healer he once was? Or embrace the survivor he has become?

---

For lovers of slow-burn tension, aching betrayals, and a healer who refuses to break, even when everything else has.

THE KING’S MAN is an epic romantasy filled with slow-burn passion, courageous choices, and the relentless spirit of a healer determined to beat all odds.

This six-book series is one continuous journey and romance arc and is best read in order for maximum enjoyment.

All six books have been written and will release in short succession.

Genres: Fantasy, Slow Burn, MM Romantasy
252 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 3, 2025

Great Series, Great Installment

This MM romantasy series continues to excite me. This book does a good job of teaching readers about the world through a fun adventure through a new city, and the tension that builds between our main characters is sweeter than candy. I can’t wait for that fire to ignite. 

Plot

The story continues with Cael and Nicostratus off in Hinsguard with Cael still nursing his bruised aspirations from losing his magic. Cael is depressed, despondent, and reeling from his non-linea status. Nicostratus tries to help. I guess. In his own way. It doesn’t help. Nicostratus doesn’t have the deep understanding of Cael that Quin does. So, Cael feels useless. He stays in bed, helps around the house. He’s listless. He can’t help people in the way he’s always dreamed of helping.

House-Bound

Shortly after the book begins, a group of Redcloaks attacks Nicostratus and Cael. They fight off their attackers, but something later befalls those same Redcloaks. Proximity and cause point to Nicostratus. Implicated in the crime, the constables confine Nicostratus to his house. He’s innocent, of course. 

Quin’s Gonna Quin

You know who is also in Hinsguard. And it doesn’t take much time at all for him to be all Quin-like, resulting in Cael going off with Quin again instead of staying with Nicostratus. In my last review, I wondered if Book 4 would be a book-long character study of Nicostratus. Well, that’s not what we get because I get the feeling Quin just cannot, I mean CANNOT stay away from Cael. And vice versa.

Cael Needs Quin

Being back with Quin helps Cael. Cael had been circling the drain while staying with Nicostratus. Nicostratus doesn’t know Cael on the same emotional level, and he doesn’t know what to do to ‘fix’ him. Quin shakes him from his despondency and shows him that he can still be a healer, just not in the same way. It takes a bit of trial and error, but it happens. 

Refugees

To staff his shenanigans up north, the High Duke pulls all the troops from the border. Tensions mount and skirmishes erupt. Now, there are floods of refugees coming from the southern border with the neighboring kingdom. In Hinsguard, they receive aid, a place to camp, and food provided. Unfortunately, though, somebody falls ill and eventually dies. 

Cael’s spidey-senses are tingling. As per usual, he sniffs around and stumbles upon the larger mystery afoot. Readers of this series should understand by now that Cael is always going to go all in on finding out what’s going on. First and foremost, because he will always help people who are in danger, but also a little bit because he can’t help himself. 

Upon investigation, Cael detects poison. Horrified, he concludes that someone has used these poor refugees as pawns, and thousands have been poisoned. 

Why Poison Refugees?

The aid the refugees receive comes from the true king and his supporters. If large numbers of them fall ill, the survivors will believe it was the true king who killed their loved ones. Then, they will spread their discontent and untruths as they move through the kingdom. This plot has all the footprints of machinations from the High Duke, or at least the High Duke’s supporters.

Once he figures this out, it’s a race against time to find out who the poisoner is, and ultimately what the formula for the antidote is. Quin and Cael work together, getting closer along the way. Cael battles with conflicting feelings. He finally, finally acknowledges his deep feelings for Quin. But he’s promised Nicostratus. 

Mystery Solved

Once the plot to kill the refugees is foiled and the bad guys are in custody, Cael knows it’s time. He is obligated to leave, to make good on his promise to Nicostratus that he will not come between his brother and their relationship. 

Byeee

Cael leaves; now he’s not in the company of either brother. He’s not over losing his magic. He’s still reeling from it. While he knows he can do something, he mourns the loss of his magic. But he’s been trained in the “crude“ healing methods since he was a child. Finally, he acknowledges that that is what he has to work with at this point, and he plans to head south into the neighboring kingdom so he can train and perfect their methods to heal without the magic. 

Cael is T.R.O.U.B.L.E

Almost immediately, he’s in trouble again. That’s him, that’s our guy. 

What Comes Next?

We end with Cael in the precarious company of new people. Quin is going off to the mountains with his cousin to gather witness testimony. Presumably, book five will take place in the southern kingdom of Iskeldir. 

Will there be another romantic interest with a new prince, who seems rather hot by the way?  We kind of know what the setup for the endgame in Lumin needs to be. The High Duke has to go, the true king has to rise.

New Setting

I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I highly anticipate this new setting. It will be cool to see a different kingdom and what it’s all about. Isklders have blonde hair like Cael, instead of the dark hair more common in Lumin. One would assume that magic is uncommon because they use crude methods to heal. I hope that we learn that they are not out for Lumin’s demise. 

Maybe the true king and the Iskelders could work together to oust the High Duke and then work together and prosper as twin kingdoms. 

New Characters

We meet a lot of new characters in Book 4. Some recurring faces pop up, but many more are new. Many might only be important contextualized within this part of the story. But in book 4, they are the new key players: the town’s many healers and vitalians, the nobles, the constables, and the Redcloaks, who are the military presence in town. All of these guys are the movers and shakers of this important city near the southern border, well out of the grasp of the Royal City.

In Hinsguard, the true king has visible support. There are a bunch of visible, open supporters of the true king, unlike elsewhere in the kingdom. In the capital and the Royal City, that’s not the case. Spies for the High Duke lurk everywhere, and it’s not safe for people to speak their minds. In Hinsguard, people grew up with the true king; they know what sort of person he is, they believe in him, and most importantly, they will fight for him. Good thing, too, because a fight is coming.

Glows

Slow-Burn Getting Hotter

It’s happening y’all, it’s gonna happen! I know it is. It very well might take another book before we get any real action, but things heat up in this book. I love how often Cael misinterprets his feelings. Cael, baby, those stomach-swooping feelings, baby, they’re not from anger. You looove him. 

We still have a ways to go, though. After finishing Book 4, the reader might wonder if it will ever be the right time for the relationship to bloom or if it’s against bro code.

Great Mystery

The plot to poison the refugees is used really well in this book to reveal the world at large, and to bring our couple closer together. I thought it was well done. 

Grows

Glossary Still Needed

I still think The King’s Man series would benefit from a glossary. It’d be helpful. Keeping terms straight is hard, and a cheatsheet quick reference would be helpful. It could be done creatively. 

For example, little history passages for vocabulary. And with so many herbs and poisons being mentioned, it would be cool to have little readers on them, just like the books that Cael reads. Just a thought.

Character developments

Nicostratus

Nicostratus is a good character. He wants what is best for Cael. But he does seem like a more two-dimensional character than Quin, even after spending more time with him in Book IV. 

But, I do want to rescind my predictions that I made in my review of Book III. I was concerned about Nicostratus potentially double-crossing Quin in the future. However, after the plot developments in this book, that seems unlikely. He seems, on the surface, extremely loyal to his brother. Unfortunately, some newly developed discord revolves around Cael. 

Let’s Face Facts

Nicostratus hones in on reality. Cael has stronger feelings for Quin than he does for himself. It drops a major roadblock in their relationship development. Nicostratus speaks out about his frustration because Cael’s focus is on regaining his power, the mystery poisoning, and ultimately, Quin. 

Readers see Nicostratus putting his relationship with his brother above his romantic relationship. He asks Cael not to come between him and his brother, a valid request and fear. This could tear their relationship apart, and to Nicostratus. To him, that’s unthinkable and something to avoid at all costs.

Cael

I feel Cael develops as a character in Book 4 more than he has thus far. He is morose and dejected when his magic is taken from him. He learns to overcome those limitations, that he still can be a healer throughout Book 4. This growth is hard, and he still profoundly feels the loss. But it has made him a stronger person. Overall, it forces him to develop a deeper sense of self-worth, despite the lack of magic. And that’s a good thing.

No Chess Master

Cael is still impulsive, will always be. It’s something that’s deeply rooted in his sense of morality. He doesn’t think things through, doesn’t logic out the next steps. Which is probably why he always loses at chess! 

A good chess player has to see what’s going to happen in the steps ahead, not what’s currently happening. Cael, that’s just not in his character. He reacts to what’s happening now, what’s wrong now. That is a good thing as a healer. He has to quickly ascertain what’s needed to heal someone who might just have a few minutes. So, as a healer, this trait is helpful. It’s less helpful as an inadvertent player in the very complicated chess game the High Duke is playing, where Cael is a pawn. 

Quin

Often, Cael rushes into a situation that puts him in danger. Then, Quin has to help him. But Quin is already juggling a LOT of other things at once. It puts Quin in a tough spot. We see time and time again the lengths Quin will go to, to protect and help Cael. 

Because Quin is, above all else, someone who deeply believes in his duty. I feel like there’s a big twist as to why, exactly, Quin feels so obligated to protect Cael. Beyond that, he loves him. He just feels honor-bound to look out for this guy. It speaks to his morals, his outlook, and the way he looks at himself that, despite the deep love he has for Cael, he feels like sacrificing his happiness to fulfill his duty to his country is the burden he has to bear. 

Theme Developments

The themes in Book 4 of this mm romantasy adventure build upon already established themes in the series. 

I’ll Do Anything For You

One major theme throughout the series is an exploration of what one will do to protect and empower the ones they love. Quin is devoted to Cael, even though it doesn’t look like the relationship will ever be more. Regardless, Quin can’t seem to help himself. It’s quite touching how much he loves Cael, while at the same time being continuously frustrated with him. 

Family Love vs. Romantic Love

Another important theme explored in Book 4 is family love versus romantic love. Which is more important?  There’s a struggle between Nicostratus and Quin in this book, and it has the potential to come between them in a big way. Both love Cael. But they’re fiercely loyal to one another. 

Questions

Such a conundrum prompts deep questions: What is the priority? And what does that mean for our story? What sacrifices are necessary if what someone truly desires would hurt their other loved ones? Is it more important to follow one’s desires or sacrifice for the greater good? All hard questions are made harder if one is, well, a very key player.  

Recommendation

Do I recommend this MM romantasy series? Uh, yes, I do. I’m a bit obsessed, tbh. But you have a lot of reading to do before you can read Book 4. So what are you waiting for?

Review Paragraph

I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel read my review policy and submit a contact form.

The post Review: The King’s Man Book IV – MM Romantasy appeared first on Fae’s Journal.

Here we are in book three of six of Anyta Sunday’s MM romantasy series, The King’s Man. Our duo of Quin and Cael are on the run. Well, they don’t start out on the run, I’m getting ahead of myself. Book III sees the danger continue to mount, the stakes grow ever higher, and the feelings start to bubble over the top. The forward warns that this is, “a torturous slow-burn love story”, but great googly-moogly! I need these two to kiss. But after the events of this book… well. Without spoilers, I’ll wager that things might take a while yet. 

Blurb

When desperation meets sacrifice, will their trust be enough to survive?

A healer in exile. A fugitive king. A kingdom that would see them both dead.

Cael should be dead. The kingdom believes it. The duke who framed him ensured it. But instead of execution, he was buried alive, and only one man dared to pull him from the grave. Now, Cael is on the run with the very king he was forced to betray.

Hunted by redcloaks and trapped in a town ravaged by disease, Cael and Quin must risk everything to survive. With supplies dwindling and the air thick with fevered cries, every life Cael saves pushes him closer to breaking. Wyverns carry the sickness, but the town’s fear and desperation are far deadlier. As tensions flare, sharp words clash, glances hold too long, and an unspoken pull tightens between them. Cael clings to the one thing slipping fastest through his fingers: control.

But even the most powerful healer has limits. And when their enemies close in, forcing Cael to make an impossible sacrifice, the price he pays will change him forever.

Uncover the fate of the healer who should have died… and the king who won’t let him.

---

THE KING’S MAN is an epic romantasy filled with slow-burn passion, courageous choices, and the relentless spirit of a healer determined to beat all odds.

This six-book series is one continuous journey and romance arc and is best read in order for maximum enjoyment.

All six have been written and will release in short succession.

Genres: Fantasy, Slow Burn, MM Romantasy
240 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 3, 2025

Strong Series Gets Stronger 

The King’s Man continues to excite and compel me to read faster, faster, faster. I am dying to know what happens. Worries grow, about what has to happen, a sense of dread that to break the triangle that’s emerged, bad things have to happen. I’ll just throw my towel in: I am team Quin, I desperately love that man, and I need for him to be okay, and happy, and with Cael. 

Reviewing ALL SIX. 

I’m so excited that Anyta Sunday offered her whole MM romantasy series on BookSirens for arc readers. I hope others are flying through the series like I am. I am obsessed. One facet of my personal ADHD deck of cards is hyper-fixation. Well, this series is literally all I can think about these days. I don’t fixate on just anything, though. It has to be goooood for my mind to snag onto. The King’s Man is it for me. 

Plot Developments 

Book III is plot-heavy. A lot happens to drive the narrative forward. To where? Well, your guess is as good as mine. But here we go, let’s dive in. If you do not want ANY spoilers, I’d skip this part. I have tried to leave out important details, but everyone has their spoiler comfort level. 

Outcasts

At the end of Book II, Cael and Akilah are sent to an island of outcasts, for people who have been shunned within the Royal City. There, he meets Quin‘s mother, who has long been poisoned. I don’t remember why she’s on the island. She needs an antidote that only the High Duke can provide. 

High Duke, He’s the Worst

I somehow haven’t mentioned the High Duke yet, but he is the big bad of this MM romantasy series. He is the Regent and he will do anything to remain in power, including spelling wyvern so that they’re more powerful and oh yeah he poisoned the Queen Mother. The High Duke forces Cael into a horrible no-win situation, threatening his family and loved ones. Lots of spoilery stuff happens and Quin and Cael end up on the run. 

Sense of Duty

Quin is going to buckle under the pressure, some of which he’s putting on himself. He should ask for help. But who can he trust? I want to flick him on the head like he does Cael. 

Quin feels it is his duty to keep the evil that is the High Duke contained and focused on him. Despite the fact that it’s too big of a battle for him to complete on his own, he feels that it’s his responsibility to keep the High Duke’s attention. To save others. To bear the burden. He can’t do it alone. I hope he realizes that soon. 

The Will of the People

For years, the king has been an invisible ruler. The people of the Kingdom haven’t seen him, don’t even know what he looks like. Part of this was so he could move around better. But the people think that he doesn’t care. There is growing resentment. The people have an incomplete picture of what’s going on in the kingdom. They don’t understand that the High Duke is corrupt and evil. 

Palpable Danger

The evil High Duke spins Quin’s departure from the city. He puts up wanted posters. So both Quin and Cael are in grave danger when they peek out of their hiding spot. The danger is palpable. There’s an oppressive feeling of the walls closing in on all sides. It feels like it’s only a matter of time before Quin is captured and sent back to the High Duke. If Cael is seen, it would be disastrous for everyone.

They can’t help but bring attention to themselves, though. Especially Cael, who continues to operate as if he’s unaware of the dangers. He just leaves his horse with all his stuff and goes off, telling the horse he’ll be right back?? That’s like leaving your car windows down and unlocked in the middle of the city, little bro, what are you doing?

Saviours 

ANYWAY, things happen, and on their journey, they are trapped in a quarantined village. The villagers are shut inside the city walls, people are sick and dying, and there will be no food coming in. Most importantly, no healing herbs. Things are dire. 

Cael is one of the only healers there. He knows how to treat the outbreak if he had the supplies, but there’s a huge problem. Ever since the earthquakes in Book I, a poisonous miasma has blocked the villagers from being able to forage for life-saving herbs. You know our duo is gonna help. 

Vespertines

The term vespertine derives from Latin: vespertīnus, which means “evening”.

Cael and Quin form an uneasy alliance with some Vespertines, a group of people mentioned a few times in the series already, but I’m not super clear on who they are exactly. They are like bounty hunters, I suppose, pretty badass fighting with whips. Initially, they capture Quin, but they end up allying with one another to help the village. I know, you can feel the betrayal coming. 

As an aside, Vespertine by Indra Vaugn is a good book about a Catholic priest and a rockstar, good story. 

Oh Yeah, Nicostratus is Still in the Story

Nicostratus has been in the background for this book. He’s someone we remember every so often while Cael and Quin are fully on page for the majority of the book. But eventually, he strolls back into the story. 

Potential Betrayal?

Oof, my mind is branching off in so many directions about this dude. For this love triangle to work itself out, something big has to happen. And why is it my gut feeling that he’s gonna betray them? 

Why do you think that, Fae? Well, let me tell you. I think he’s playing the long game, that he is not actually so incorruptible. It’s just that he’s characterized as so good. He’s too good. It just doesn’t make sense. Maybe I’m just plotting. 

I’m Here / I’m In Danger

After he reenters the story, Nicostratus lands in the thick of danger in short order. Attacked by Crusaders, another group of people who want power and magic, he almost immediately needs rescuing. Bad things happen. 

That’s where we end. Cael plans to go off with Nicostratus. 

Glows

Slow Burn Obliviousness

The slow burn keeps bubbling along. Quin, oh Quin. I think Quin has loved Cael since forever. I’m convinced it was Quin he met as a child, and that Quin was Maskios. So Quin has harbored feelings for years. Cael is obtuse when it comes to all things Quin. Cael believes Nicostratus was Maskios, but I think all things point to it being Quin. I don’t know if it’s just that the readers know more or if Cael is just super oblivious. He is deep in denial about his feelings. He even tells Quin that he doesn’t reciprocate Quin’s feelings. Which, ouch. Even so, Quin feels a sense of ownership over Cael’s life. Cael feels the same. But the problem is that Cael can’t admit to why he feels that way. 

Pacing

We’re flying now. I honestly can’t tell if this book was shorter than the other two or if I’m just flying through it now because it’s that exciting. The pacing is where it needs to be for the third book of an MM romantasy series, though. Keep us pushing through, we need to not stall out in the middle. 

Keep The Readers Guessing

This story has as many twists and turns as the canals surrounding the Royal City. It could go anywhere. It’s a major glow that I genuinely don’t know where the story will end up. So many stories follow the same guidelines, use the same tropes. Sometimes predictability is comforting, but this exhilaration I’m feeling comes from a story that I cannot pinpoint what’s going to happen. It’s thrilling (and makes me anxious!)

Grows

Introduction Pages

Many questions remain unanswered at this point. And dare I suggest: 

You know how some books have an index at the start of the book that introduces key characters, vocabulary and culture points? I think this series needs this. I say this with trepidation because some people really, really don’t like those things. But with so many names, so much lore that readers have to understand, it might be helpful. Like who are the Vespertines? Who are the Crusaders? What is linea vs. par-linea. What is the Queen Mother’s name? 

Writing Style

Sunday continues to improve at revealing important story elements while keeping readers in the dark about later surprises. Her cards are still held close. While I don’t feel like readers are fully in the dark anymore, at the same time there’s still a huge degree of suspense. I don’t know where the story will go. It’s exciting, and it’s due in part to the writing style. 

Character Developments

The character development in this book surpasses the first two by far, when it comes to our two main characters. Readers have their finger on the pulse of Cael for sure, and Quin to a slightly lesser degree. 

The Nicostratus Problem

Nicostratus is the wild card at this point. My money is on Nicostratus being somehow in cahoots with the Duke or out for his own good at the end of the day. I have conflicted feelings about him. I think Cael feels the same. I’m confused about this character and what he’s been up to this entire series. 

We’re halfway through at this point, and I know very, very little about Nicostratus besides the fact that he is portrayed as very good, very loyal, very light and always jovial. 

He Can’t Be 

But think about his life experience. He couldn’t possibly live the life he has and end up that way. He’s been tortured, beaten, and trained for ruthless precision in the military. There has to be darkness within him. Not that I want him to be, but any probing at his life experience screams that he has to be just as traumatized by the realities of their world as everyone else. I feel like he has to be one of those ‘surprise, I’m bad’ characters. 

Needs More Development

I don’t know, man. Nicostratus‘s character isn’t developed enough on page for readers to fully understand him. It’s highly possible the next book will change that, and readers will know more. Is this guy good or is this guy bad?  I don’t think that Nicostratus can work out in this situation. 

Quin, My Love

I love Quin. Desperately, I want to protect him. I feel like Quin has these deep longing, pining sort of feelings for Cael. It’s clear (to me) now that Cael and Quin are the ones who have been dancing around one another for as long as we’ve been looking in on their lives. 

And oh, Cael. 

Our oblivious little cinnamon roll is definitely, definitely feeling some sort of way for Quin. He doesn’t admit to it, not even to himself. But it’s so very clear. 

Love Triangle

So, then. We’re stuck in a love triangle that has to work itself out somehow. This is why I don’t like love triangle stories. I don’t like the Nicostratus loose end, and knowing that for the narrative to progress, it has to go somewhere. Nicostratus has to do something to push Cael back to Quin. 

End Game: Quin and Cael 

At this point, I am fully in on Quin and Cael. Maybe Silvius was Nicostratus, sure. But Maskios was Quin. The boy in the tree was Quin. The boy with the wyvern was Quin. I have to read the first book again. Because I was confused through a lot of the first book. But I’m pretty certain of all those things. And my gut tells me that Cael should be with Quin, not Nicostratus. So something’s gotta give. 

What Will Happen Next?

I can imagine many scenarios where the narrative might head to at this point. I’m conflicted over where this series may go. The next book has to focus on Nicostratus and Cael, and what will happen to ultimately drive Cael back to Quin. It has to do that. Maybe we’ll stay with Nicostratus and Cael for all of book IV before focusing back in on Quin and Cael in book V and VI. Or maybe it’ll be quick. I hope Cael doesn’t get hurt too much along the way. Physically or emotionally. 

Halfway There

If you’ve already read Books I and II, my recommendation is heck yes, you should continue reading. This MM romantasy series is amazing. If you haven’t begun yet, stop here, go back to the beginning. As much as I worry about where the story is going, I absolutely recommend you take this journey with me.

Reviews

I received a free copy of this MM romantasy series book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel read my review policy and submit a contact form.

The post Review: The King’s Man Book III – MM Romantasy Series appeared first on Fae’s Journal.

Introduction

The Male Luna by Vanna Bay is an omegaverse MM romance, but it’s different from other omegaverse stories I have read. The Alpha’s mate is called Luna. 

In this story, Brayden has just moved to Rocky Falls with his siblings, whom he has custody of after his mother’s death. They are in dire straits, destitute and desperate for a new start. He is the fated mate of the resident Alpha, but unaware of his lineage or status, and deeply confused about everyone in town’s strange reactions to him. 

Blurb

Normal was the goal. Fate brought fur and a punchline.

Brayden’s life is a chaotic mess with the appearance of a broodingly possessive Alpha Damien and one ridiculously inconvenient mate bond later. Lukewarm coffee is out and ancient pack laws are in. Brayden is having none of it, determined to resist this unwanted destiny with a full-scale sarcastic rebellion against this supernatural nonsense.

Prepare for a darkly funny rom-com that gleefully claws its way out of the werewolf genre box. While Damien’s possessiveness howls ‘fated mate’, Brayden’s inner monologue is a laugh-out-loud revolt against any predetermined bond.

His wit is sharp. His mate’s teeth are sharper. Who bleeds first in this untamed romance?

340 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 3, 2025
Genres: Omegaverse, Fated Mates, Enemies to Lovers

Overall Impression

The Male Luna offers a story with characters who are flawed and real, who wear their emotions on their sleeves. The depth of world-building speaks to the author’s attention to detail and the nuances of their imagination. The world is complex, with a social hierarchy that becomes clearer as one reads. Descriptions are rich and allow the reader to immerse themselves in the world. However, the story struggles with pacing, characterization issues, clarity, and copyediting issues. 

Thanks for the Contact

I read The Male Luna after the author, Vanna Bay, reached out to me on my site, and I am happy to provide my review. The opinions in this review are my own. 

Plot Overview

After his mother’s death, the duty of caring for his five siblings fell to nineteen-year-old Brayden. Brayden, who is barely old enough to take care of himself, let alone a whole brood of children, has uprooted the family and moved to Rocky Falls for a new job, an unspecified position in the local hospital. They move into a dilapidated trailer on the outskirts of town. 

Ill-Behaved Children

Brayden’s hope for a fresh start immediately derails, however, due to his brothers and sisters being unable to behave themselves in a grocery store. His older siblings, a 15-year-old and a 12-year-old, don’t help him keep control of the younger children at all, for some reason, and only add to his burden. It all comes crashing down when one of the twins spills a drink on another patron. 

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

Enter Damien, the other MMC in this story, who, in a completely unhinged moment, almost immediately physically assaults Brayden. And he gets off scot free because he’s the town’s mayor. (Read: he’s the alpha.) 

I do want to note that later in the story, Brayden physically assaults Damien, also, so if physical abuse is a trigger, there may be some behaviors that you find problematic. But as presented, a fully grown man assaults a teenager over a spilled drink. To put it mildly, it’s a bad first impression. 

Clear Communication? Don’t Know Her

Everyone in town else knows that Damien’s erratic behavior is due to Brayden being his fated mate. Some communication would alleviate so many issues. Confusingly, no one bothers to tell Brayden what’s going on until 64% of the way through the story. There are so many opportunities for someone to sit Brayden down and clearly tell him what’s going on. In fact, readers would benefit from this vicariously through Brayden learning about what’s up. 

Key Themes

Power and Social Hierarchy

Society in Rocky Falls is different from the real world. Alphas are dominant, betas are their administrative assistants, and omegas or lunas are submissive or vulnerable. Brayden rejects this stark power imbalance. Mostly because he doesn’t know about it until he’s trapped by it.

Consenting in Relationships 

And this is key. Brayden doesn’t know what is going on until it’s too late. This reality reveals what is likely the most problematic aspect of this scenario. Brayden cannot consent to any relationship with Damien because the power balance is already present. His choice will always be made under duress. 

Long-Reaching Effects of Trauma  

Brayden is traumatized as hell. He was groomed by his mother to be a sex worker and uses sex as a tool. He has compartmentalized his trauma to the point that he cannot sense his werewolf side. His trauma means he’s reactive, he’s emotionally stunted, and he can barely hang on. The traumatized child (let’s face it, 19 is still a child) cannot possibly comprehend that he is the fated mate of a werewolf. Yet he’s forced to. And things are rough. 

Sacrifice For the Greater Good

Brayden does not want to be Damien’s mate. For most of the novel, Brayden hates Damien. For good reason. He fights violently against the role he’s been forced into. He almost makes it. Damien’s packmates, however, force the situation. Because, as Damien’s mother says, “Damien’s position as Alpha meant that there would have been wider consequences for the entire pack.” 

Compromise for the Greater Good

Brayden struggles with the compromises he must make in this world. Especially because he’s in the dark about things for so long, he feels backed into a corner. He cannot make a choice freely; the ability to consent willingly was taken from him. 

However, after Damien’s impulsive actions, they have a biological imperative that must be fulfilled for both their sakes. And also the pack as a whole. This conflict is one that the characters are not emotionally mature enough to grapple with. I mean, sure, Brayden is too young to approach much of his life rationally. He’s 19. Damien, while older, is also emotionally immature. Both characters struggle to communicate their needs in a way that makes compromise possible.

Characters

Brayden

Brayden is trauma wrapped up in a person. His mother was a sex worker. And hey, there’s nothing wrong with doing sex work. As long as the person doing it enthusiastically consents. Well, Brayden was groomed into doing sex work from a too-young age by his mother, who later died. 

Maladjusted

Beyond being exceptionally problematic, this familial abuse, abject poverty, and lots of mouths to feed is the equation for Brayden to be a completely maladjusted young person. He’s only nineteen, his brain not finished maturing, and ooh buddy does he have some convoluted values about sex. He sees it as a tool, and is quick to use sexual behavior to get what he wants, even if what he wants is NOT sex.

Dissociated

Brayden is emotionally dissociated to the point that he cannot tap into something that should be innate to him: his half-werewolf side. Things to a werewolf shifter should be instinctive, based on centuries of genetics. But Brayden has severed his brain’s access to emotions and instinct, and his bewilderment about the town’s entire population’s strange behavior could have been avoided.

If Brayden had not come to Rocky Falls with such deep emotional trauma, this novel would be more of a run-of-the-mill omegaverse story. The fact is, though, that Brayden is flawed. As such, it sets The Male Luna apart from the rest and makes it unique.  

Redemption Arc?

Brayden’s tragic characterization needs a redemption arc in the sequel to The Male Luna. Damien needs one of those, too. Now that I think of it, the whole town does. They really treat Brayden like a pawn in a game that he isn’t even aware is being played.

Damien

Damien is erratic, and because we read about him primarily from Brayden’s POV, it’s no surprise that Brayden thinks he’s an explosive, aggressive, and emotion-driven brute. He shows some hope though, and despite the fact that he’s older, he’s inexperienced in love. His world frowns upon dating before finding their fated mate. Imagine the crushing realization that his fated mate hates him because of his emotional outbursts. Also, his behavior must be viewed from the perspective of an unreliable narrator. Brayden’s behavior is just as erratic and wild as Damien’s. 

Secondary Characters

A cast of characters brings the town to life. Lou, Aiden, and Olivia are all important werewolves in the town’s complex hierarchy. Travis is a rival sexual partner and someone Damien wants gone. 

The Children

The children play critical roles in Brayden’s life. I’m introducing them as a monolith because there are so many of them. But they serve as Brayden’s major motivation through the story. Providing them with a better future is the reason they moved to Rocky Falls. Their behavior is all over the place. Brayden isn’t their parent, but he needs to set some structure for them or they’re going to go batshit later in life. 

Glows

Lovely Illustrative Writing

The author has a firm grasp of rich description and attention to detail. The world comes alive on the page. Giving space to small details about the surroundings and atmosphere gives the reader a window into the world. This was done beautifully. 

Potential Character Growth

This book very much feels like the start of a series, as the characters can only go up from here. Especially Brayden, I feel like he gains some semblance of control as the novel wraps up, and he has so much potential for growth. 

Potential for Eventual Romance

In the last few pages of the book, I finally glimpsed a future where the two main characters could be romantically involved. Damien is controlled. Brayden isn’t reactive. They can come to an eventual peace and let feelings develop over time. I can see it. 

Grows

Omegaverse Metaverse

There are many variations and iterations within the omegaverse genre. One shouldn’t assume the reader understands how a particular omegaverse story’s universe works because they’re familiar with the subgenre as a whole. 

It seems like this story takes place within the omegaverse variation from Wattpad. I am less familiar with the tropes of this variation. So when reading this story, I had questions. I tried to make things fit within the boundaries of the omegaverse and fated mates stories I’ve read (and written!), but still had questions about some things. An information dump about how this particular omegaverse world works would not go amiss. 

Pacing

There are some pacing issues, namely in the Run. There was so much going on, without much explanation, and it was unclear. Storyboarding the action sequences could shed light on pacing issues. 

Copyediting Issues

The story’s biggest grow lies in copyediting. There are numerous issues with copyediting, namely in verb tenses and inconsistent tense shifts. Written primarily in the present tense, there are many occasions where the story drops into the past tense, sometimes in a sentence that started in the present. 

The past perfect tense and present perfect tense are also used with inconsistency. Unfortunately, these sorts of syntax issues detract from the story and muddle the clarity of the writing. 

Strong copyediting would fix these issues. 

Recommend?

I recommend this book, and look forward to seeing where it is going. 

Fans of fated mates and alpha/omega stories will enjoy the complex world-building and lore behind this story. 

While there are some issues with the story, I think each character has great growth potential, and the series could evolve into an epic love story between the main male characters. 

Review

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel read my review policy and submit a contact form.

The post Omegaverse MM Romance Review: The Male Luna  appeared first on Fae’s Journal.

Quick Time Travel Erotica

This quick time travel erotica is dirty and hot. And sometimes, that’s just what is called for. It’s a time travel erotica, light on plot and heavy on the smut. The cast of characters is It’s MMMM+ short story, too; there’s nothing at all. It’s billed as a straight to gay, first-time story, and it moves very, very fast for being a first-time thing. But it’s all good. It’s erotica, folks, suspend your disbelief.  

Blurb

Twelve knights. One vessel. All of them aching to fill him.

Gareth didn’t expect much from a budget Holy Grail tour—especially not to fall into a crypt, awaken a group of ridiculously hot knights, and be named their sacred vessel. Now, faced with the choice to leave or be worshipped, Gareth finds himself aching to stay… and to be filled.

44 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 11, 2025
Genres: erotica, mmmm+, time travel

Everything You Want It to Be

This sort of story isn’t deep. And does everything need to be? No, friends. An MMMM+ time travel erotica short story is supposed to be hot, dirty, and explicit. And this delivers. In copious amounts of.. Everything you want it to have. There’s cocks in every oriface, there’s so many orgasms you’ll lose track of how many. 

Soft Tender Feelings

And what I liked the most? Even with the extraordinary amount of smut, this story evokes a hint of romance, of tenderness, between the main character, Gareth, and Gideon, one of the many Knights Templar (yes, those knights), who are there to worship and revere him, their vessel. 

Plot 

The first chapter exists to set up the sex fest that ensues in the rest of the chapters. 

Gareth is our main character, our vessel. He’s on a tourist excursion for the Quest for the Holy Grail, a Monty Python-inspired romp through the British countryside. He twists his ankle and gets separated from the rest of his tour group, all septuagenarians. He falls into a crypt, gets swept back in time, and apparently, he’s the Holy Grail. And he needs to be, erm… filled. Repeatedly. 

Glows: Romance in an Erotica!

I was so happy to feel some tendrils of romance in an erotica. Sometimes erotica is just sex. And that’s fine. But I read MM Romance primarily because I like those happy, tender feelings. So I was pleased that there are facets of this story that are sweet and soft. It’s mostly just sex, yes. But the romance is there. And I commend the author for it. 

No Grows

This story is solid. I didn’t find anything to nitpick. And if you’re a regular reader, you know that’s pretty rare. I think that speaks for itself. 

Concise and Perfect

It’s always impressive to me how concisely erotica authors write. I am, to put it mildly, not a concise writer. This story isn’t lacking a single sentence; it’s a complete, and nearly perfect package of sexual gratuity. But while it’s not missing anything, there’s nothing there that doesn’t need to be. I respect the author who can write just what needs to be written and not have anything extra. 

Recommend This Time Travel Erotica?

Looking for a quick read that will satisfy your need to read about lots and lots of sex? Time travel romance your thing? Time travel erotica sounds like tonight’s read? This is your book, you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!

Reviews

I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel read my review policy and submit a contact form.

The post Time Travel Erotica Review: Shared with the Knights appeared first on Fae’s Journal.

Introduction

Anthony Auswat’s novel, The Teacher Inside Me, got banned from Wattpad after a whole boatload of reads. It’s a gripping, well-written, and roller coaster ride of a novel about a problematic teacher and a student who is in completely over his head. 

Crossing literally all of the hard lines for me personally as an educator, I struggled at first because the depictions of the developing relationship made me so uncomfortable. I pushed through to the part of the book where everything goes sideways, and honestly found that part easier to read. 

What This Book is (Thankfully) NOT 

This is not a story glorifying some fetishization of a student/teacher relationship. It’s a caution. This is not a MM romance. It’s a gay psychological thriller. Please be aware. 

I struggled through the first 30 to 40% of this book due to the obvious predatory behavior from the teacher, Mr. Hilton. Right from the start, I sensed that there was something else going on. The student, Liam, is fixated on Mr. Hilton. And maybe he’s on the spectrum. Maybe his feelings have been broadcast live and in person every day, front row, to the object of his fixation. While his feelings are naive and confused, Mr. Hilton’s are not. 

Beyond it being a completely taboo relationship, Mr. Hilton is a deeply flawed character. Mentally unstable, manipulative, evil. He really is the darkness. This gay thriller will take you on an absolute roller-coaster of a ride. 

The story is a warning, a cautionary tale about what can happen when unstable, emotionally manipulative people with a huge dark side orchestrate opportunities and take advantage of young people who aren’t emotionally mature enough to know better. 

Blurb

A forbidden student-teacher obsession. A queer coming-of-age thriller. A story that lingers like a bruise you can’t stop touching.

Liam is just trying to finish high school and keep his secrets to himself. Mr. Hilton, his English teacher, is everything Liam shouldn’t want—straight, married, and way off-limits—but possibly…interested. What starts as an innocent crush blurs into something more real, more intense, and more dangerous than either of them can control.

Because some lines should not be crossed. Some lessons can’t be unlearned. And some desires come at a terrible price.

The Teacher Inside Me is an emotionally charged LGBTQ+ psychological thriller about longing, power, and the darkness within us all.

Originally racking up 2.6 million reads by a global audience on Wattpad before it was banned, this newly revised and completely uncensored edition invites you back into the shadows—rawer, deeper, and more haunting than ever.

Perfect for fans of:
– dark academia tangled with forbidden queer romance
– slow-burn obsession filled with dangerous twists
– literary LGBTQ+ fiction with psychological depth
– banned novels
– vintage pulp paperbacks
– stories about boys who should know better but absolutely don’t

This is the book they tried to bury—but The Teacher Inside Me is too disruptive to ever disappear.

322 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 11, 2025

Genre:
crime, psychological thriller, LGBTQ+ coming of age, literary LGBTQ+ fiction

Invited to Review

The author of this book reached out to me to invite me to read it. And hey, you know what? I read some highly raunchy things. But I discovered that reading something that depicts a teacher knowingly manipulating his way into inappropriate situations with a(n) (of age) high school student might be one of my only hard limits when it comes to reading material. 

Plot 

As a teacher, I find nothing thrilling about a predatory relationship between an adult teacher and a student. It doesn’t matter in my state if the student is 18 when in the relationship. The teacher would still lose their license and be in jail. 

That power balance is why, and Mr. Hilton uses that to his full advantage here, seeing and capitalizing on a sick sort of opportunity with Liam. 

Liam is fixated on Mr. Hilton. Mr. Hilton asks him to come by his classroom, and Liam overhears him on the phone with his wife, talking her through an intimate moment. Liam walks right, right into it with his heart eyes on full display, unable to see the situation for what it is. Soon after, Mr. Hilton “accidentally” sends Liam an inappropriate picture.

Hired to tutor Mr. Hilton’s young wife, he enters into situation after situation where Mr. Hilton tempts him, teases him with vaguely inappropriate peeks into his life. To readers, this part is uncomfortable because of how transparent a manipulation it is. But Liam, he’s his own worst enemy. He doesn’t know enough, he’s socially awkward enough, he’s just hopeful enough, to overlook the obvious setup. He just sees an opportunity to live out his fantasy. That’s exactly what Mr. Hilton wants him to see. 

Things take a sinister turn fairly quickly. But Liam is riding high on his first sexual encounters so he ignores the massive and plentiful red flags. How much of what happens is exactly what Mr. Hilton set up to happen, and how much is him taking advantage of the situation? You’ll have to read to decide for yourself.  

Theme Exploration

The Teacher Inside Me explores complex themes through depictions of flawed characters and the pitfalls of believing unreliable narrators.

Inadvisable Fixations vs. Unrequited Love

Some fixations should be avoided. Some love should remain unrequited. The facts are, Liam probably made his fixation well known long before Mr. Hilton saw the chance to take advantage of it. Readers aren’t privy to the lead-up. What happened before the novel begins? What did Mr. Hilton’s relationship look like before our introduction in Liam’s English class? Was his marriage already on the rocks?

Regardless of what might have led up to it, the seemingly straight Mr. Hilton recognizes Liam’s feelings of unrequited love. As transparent as most young people are, it is logical that Liam had been obvious about his fixation with Mr. Hilton. Mr. Hilton saw this window of opportunity. It led to Liam being taken advantage of.

It would have been better for Liam to ignore his growing interest in his teacher, to recognize the inappropriateness. As his sister’s favorite movie suggests, he should have Let It Go. 

The Destructive Nature of Passion

Passion can be violent, dangerous. It can be sensual, overwhelming lust. The lines blur when emotions are high. But in this, we see characters lose control of their passions. And then try to make justifications to themselves and others. Try to manipulate the situation so somebody will be convinced they’re overreacting, that there’s no way they’re being taken advantage of.

Damaging passion also affects Liam’s family dynamics. Both of his parents have substance abuse problems. They are driven by their addictions, not by their intellect, nor by their great success in life. Their impulses rule their lives. Liam often bears the burden of dealing with them both: his mother’s depressive episodes when drinking, his father’s anger and violence. Liam is the victim of their passion and lack of impulse control. 

Emotional Maturity is Important

Adults ruled by their emotions make excuses. They say they just lose control, they can’t help it, they can’t control their impulses. The characters in The Teacher in Me are often emotionally immature, making decisions that someone in full control would not. Mr. Hilton presents his instability early, early on. The minute he waves his gun in Liam’s father’s face, that should set off every alarm in Liam’s head. But Liam’s parents are emotionally immature, too. He isn’t learning from adults who could help him develop his own emotional maturity, the ability to reflect and understand both his and others’ motivations. And that’s almost his downfall. 

Internalized Homophobia

There are a lot of slurs tossed around in this book, from adults, from students, and even Liam directed at himself and others. Liam is uncomfortable being gay, has gotten nothing but negative comments about gay people from his parents and his peers his whole life. It’s only logical that a large part of his struggle is internal. He has to come to terms with himself and let go of the internalized homophobia. Beyond the more critical and perilous challenges in the story, the personal growth Liam goes through is the most rewarding to see through to the end. 

One must ask how much of Liam’s inappropriate fixation on someone who should never be a possible partner is a result of his deep internalized homophobia. Mr. Hilton, were he an upstanding and professional educator and not an unhinged manipulator, would never pursue anything with Liam. He should be a “safe” fixation, in Liam’s inexperienced eyes. Which makes it all the more disgusting that Mr. Hilton uses Liam to orchestrate and ultimately cover up terrible things.

Glows

Incredible Writing

I can’t believe this gay psychological thriller was on Wattpad, but I don’t mean that in the way you’re thinking. The writing, the story, the twists and turns, it’s just impeccably good. The foreshadowing is spot on, and woah. It’s such a good story. It’s brilliant, way too good for Wattpad, and I hope this author has a spectacular launch to this book. 

Chekhov

Chekhov’s Gun, folks. If something is in a story, it must be used or important in some way. Right? So I have to commend the author’s use of a Chekhov play to tie in important themes, provide important foreshadowing, and set the overall mood. Indeed, if you look at some of the major themes present in Seagulls by Chekhov, The Teacher Inside Me mirrors many of the important elements of the human existence that the play does. Master class, really. 

Grows

Uncomfortable Intimate Scenes

I understand why the intimate scenes needed to be on page, as far as the narrative goes. However, because reading about this sort of relationship is such a hard limit for me, the portion of the story leading up to everything falling apart disturbed me more than the actual psychological thriller portion.

It’s tough to read through that part of the book. I can’t say otherwise. But ultimately, the Teacher Inside Me is a warning about why a young person should be aware of adults trying to push boundaries. Someone should not imagine pursuing a relationship with a person who has so much more power, like Mr. Hilton, someone in a position of authority. It has every potential of resulting in something awful, as Liam finds out here. 

Recommendation

I highly recommend this book. I think readers of psychological thrillers will like it more than MM romance readers. For MM romance readers, this might not hit all your buttons. The story might even trigger some. I suggest learning about the plot before reading. Don’t spoil the book, but it might be a good idea to know a little about it. 

Overall 

This story impressed me. It surprised me, made me uncomfortable, and ultimately had me rooting for Liam, hoping he’d overcome and come out the victor. 

Reviews

I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel read my review policy and submit a contact form.

The post Gay Psychological Thriller Review: The Teacher Inside Me appeared first on Fae’s Journal.

Strong Installment

Anyta Sunday’s new series, The King’s Man, continues to develop in exciting ways in Book II. Fraught with danger, increasing intrigue, and perilous political maneuvering, the pacing evens out in this installment and really finds its stride. Readers will be intrigued as they uncover more and more detail, and enjoy the increasing tension as they watch Cael and Quin dance into and out of each other’s lives in a complexly nuanced slow-burn relationship. Full disclosure: I am going to be mindful of spoilers in this review, probably more so than usual.

Blurb

A healer on the rise. A masked merchant hiding too much. A kingdom where the wrong kind of magic can cost you everything.

Cael is used to being underestimated. A par-linea healer in a world where magic is only for the elite, he’s fought for every scrap of recognition, and now, he’s finally earned a place in the royal city. But ambition has a price, and when he once again crosses paths with that sharp-tongued merchant who knows too much, their game of wits threatens to turn deadly.

Quin is an enigma, a man who moves through court like a shadow, watching, waiting. His gaze lingers too long, his smirks cut too deep, and when a violent conspiracy unfolds within the palace walls, Cael finds himself ensnared in a battle far bigger than himself. With wyverns wreaking havoc and a high duke tightening his grip, the city is on the verge of collapse. And somehow, Quin is always at the centre of it.

Torn between ambition and survival, Cael must decide who he can trust. But in a world where power is wielded more sharply than magic, trust may be the most dangerous weapon of all.

THE KING’S MAN is an epic romantasy filled with slow-burn passion, courageous choices, and the relentless spirit of a healer determined to beat all odds.

This six-book series is one continuous journey and romance arc and is best read in order for maximum enjoyment.

For readers who Slow-burn romance crackling with tension, A healer hero who refuses to back down, Courtly intrigue, masked secrets, and deadly politics, High-stakes magic and rebellion.

Perfect for fans of “The Captive Prince,” “The Magician’s Guild,” and “The Priory of the Orange Tree.”

221 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 13, 2025

2025 Favorite: The King’s Man

The King’s Man series is shaping up to be my favorite of 2025. If not the top, definitely the top mm romantasy. I’m excited about it. I want to invite all my MM romance friends to read it. It’s special to find something I genuinely want to share with as many people as possible. 

While Book I initially struggled with pacing and sparse descriptions, Book II does not share these struggles. The characters, the world, the magic, the politics, the systems, all continue to develop and clarify as the story progresses. The magic system evolves, it’s clearer how it all works with some fleshed out descriptions of spellwork. The reader is not constantly wondering if they understand what is going on. 

A hypothesis emerges

I believe that re-reading this series after it’s all finished will bring lots of things that were previously confusing in Book I into sharper focus.

Book II of VI 

This series is on a long track. So while I want to review the hell out of this book, I also want to preserve its secrets for readers who will want to read after seeing the reviews piling in. I don’t want to spoil things. A lot of times, my reviews are posted after a book drops. And yes, Book II was released a few weeks ago. But this whole series is new. Only the first two have been published. So I want to hold the cards close.

The Bloom of New Friendships 

We start immediately after the previous book, Cael has been admitted to the Royal City to continue his vitalian studies. New characters introduce themselves. And, quickly, new challenges start to arise. Cael is behind in his studies. Gee, wonder why, seeing as he’s not been allowed to develop his skills on threat of death till now. 

The lower-level vitalians are tasked regularly with treating the Royal City’s numerous servants. Cael notices things are amiss, and you know he’s going to stick his nose into things.

Comrades

Of the new characters, his fellow green-sashed associates seem to warm to his undeniable charm the quickest. Florentius and the other two apprentices, Makarios and Mikros (twins? I read so quickly I don’t recall if we’re told) are all at the same level as Cael, and though they resent him at first, they come to recognize that he’s here on his own merit. Cael is a good healer, innate instinct, and his steadfast determination overcomes any weaknesses, perceived or real, that manifest from being par-linea. 

Mounting Danger

Cael’s motivations continue to thrust him into peril and victory in equal measure. This book does end on an intense cliffhanger. That makes me want to finish up this review as quickly as I can so that I can continue reading, because I am desperate to know what happens next!

Complex Relationships

Despite Cael and Quin’s oblivious denial, they have feelings for one another. Cael also has Nicostratus, or Silvius as he was known in the first book, but their relationship seems tepid in comparison; the swirl of interactions between Cael and Quin has more edge, more tension, more spark than the other relationship can dream to muster.

Glows and Grows

This series is very exciting. It’s mysterious, complex, and unique in surprising ways. I have not read something like this in quite some time. It’s really gripped me now. In my last review, I wrote about my struggles with book I. They stemmed primarily from purposeful decisions: sparse descriptions of key elements of the society set in a complex world, many different characters with mysterious histories, motivations, and roles. But this was done mindfully, I think. I call it the dive into the deep end/sink or swim approach’’and it was a choice. 

Some people will really like that and be able to just run with it. Some people will struggle with it like I did. My fear is that some people might not give the book series a chance because of it. But I do want to encourage my readers that it is worth the initial struggle to see it through. Continue reading, and you will be rewarded by getting into a really interesting series.

The Spark of a Slow-Burn

The slow-burn romance really starts to take hold here, especially once some key identities are confirmed. Like me, readers may have made some assumptions about identities before the big reveal. I was glad to be right in my suspicions and felt very validated to have that potential locked into place. Cael and Quinn dance around one another beautifully. Quinn continues to be annoyed and bothered by things that Cael does. But secretly, maybe not so secretly anymore, Quin supports and holds Cael up, providing him with critical opportunities and new ways to further his aspirations and dreams.

Cael is a Button-Pusher 

“Let’s see what happens, YOLO.” – Cael’s philosophy in life, probably. 

Cael can’t help but push Quin’s buttons. And he’s in for a big shock because of it. Quin’s character is complicated and one gets the feeling he hides, by necessity, almost all his true feelings and intentions. And maybe has done for most of his life. Cael’s adventure is increasingly tied to the dangerous political games society forces Quin to play. Cael’s overwhelming instinct is to heal, to protect, to ensure Quin’s safety. Maybe he doesn’t understand why. But readers, this book starts with the warning that it includes a torturously slow-burning romance. So, gather your nerves, because things gon go down. Eventually. 

Theme Development 

Book I explores and introduces the themes that continue to play out in Book II. Readers will enjoy that the main themes develop in nuance as the realities of Cael’s situation evolve. 

Power is a Double-Edged Sword

Who has the power, and who wants it? This is a world where power can mean different things. Who is willing to do anything to protect their loved ones, despite being the face of power?

Who gets to have Power (Magic) 

On that note, the book explores ideas about who should be able to wield power in its many forms: through magic, political might, or healing. The ripe metaphors call up questions about power imbalances in our world. Why do the rich and powerful work to keep themselves on top and take the chance of improvement, the dream of rising above one’s station, out of the hands of everyone else? While our worlds are different, Cael burns with the same sense of injustice. 

Trusting Can Be Dangerous 

Cael trusts implicitly, to his peril. His naivety brings him trouble over and over, but this facet of his character burns strongly in him: it’s his cornerstone. He’s warned that the world will tread all over him because of it, and it does. 

Quin is more grounded in reality. He doesn’t seem to trust anyone. I think he wants to trust Cael.

Nicostratus? Well… his character development takes the back burner in this book. So much so that I start to wonder if he’s all he says he is on the surface. 

Recommendation

As already stated, this mm romantasy series is something worth honing in on. It’s special. I’m 100% all in. 

More MM Romantasy Awaits

Don’t mind me, I’m off to read Book III. Because I got the ARCs for all SIX BOOKS, Y’ALL! And I’ll be reviewing all of them! I really think the mm romantasy genre needs more going on. I’m so glad this one exists.

Reviews

I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel read my review policy and submit a contact form.

The post MM Romantasy Review: The King’s Man: Book II appeared first on Fae’s Journal.

Introduction

Anyta Sunday’s new series, The King’s Man, sets the reader loose in a fantasy world rich with magic, intrigue, and slow-burn passion. It’s an exciting departure from Sunday’s usual contemporary romance. I jumped at the chance to read and review the first book in what is supposed to be a six-book series, all following the same characters. The first 30 percent of this book might confuse readers, but sticking with it pays off handsomely in the end. 

In the first book of The King’s Man series, we first meet Cael, a half-blood mage in a world where only full-blood mages are allowed to perform magic. Quickly, readers discover the main players in this world of intrigue: Silvius, a mysterious man whose true face Cael does not know, and Quin, a sharp-tongued merchant who is Cael’s constant foil, who is seemingly forever disappointed in Cael’s inability to stay out of trouble. 

Or so it seems. What’s truly going on in this world is much, much deeper than initial assumptions.. 

Excited To See this ARC 

I saw this ARC on Booksirens and have enjoyed many, many of Anyta Sunday’s previous works. I snatched up the chance to read and review this book. Once I finished it, pretty much read it in one day, I couldn’t wait to start the second book, so I downloaded it from Kindle Unlimited so I could keep reading. 

Blurb

Healing is his calling. Love is his curse. And this is just the beginning.

Cael knows the healing magic is for the privileged, and par-linea like him exist only to serve. But when his forbidden spellbooks vanish and his father arranges his marriage to settle a debt, he flees into the royal woods, where he stumbles upon dying soldiers and a poisoned noble.

Using illegal medius magic, he saves the noble’s life, only to entangle himself in a dangerous game of politics. Now hunted for magic he shouldn’t possess, his only escape is to secretly compete in the mage examinations and prove himself a true vitalian.

But the capital is a den of vipers, and two men stand in his Silvius, the secretive fugitive who saved his life and kissed him like a promise, and Quintus, the sharp-tongued merchant who challenges him at every turn.

Both dangerous.

Both holding secrets.

Both about to change his life forever.

THE KING’S MAN is an epic romantasy filled with slow-burn passion, courageous choices, and the relentless spirit of a healer determined to beat all odds.

This six-book series is one continuous journey and romance arc and is best read in order for maximum enjoyment.

For readers who [like] slow-burn, rivals-to-lovers romance filled with tension. A rebellious healer who refuses to bow to the system. A mysterious noble with a sharp tongue and sharper secrets. Forbidden magic, political intrigue, and high-stakes deception.

Perfect for fans of “The Captive Prince,” “The Magician’s Guild,” and “The Priory of the Orange Tree.”

Genres: Fantasy, M M Romance, Slow Burn, Magic, Romance
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 13, 2025

Pushed Into the Deep End Approach

This is an exciting start to this series. This book has it all: an Inequitable society that favors the rich, characters with hidden identities and unclear motivations, political machinations, and just out of sight court intrigue. There’s also Cael, the nail-bitingly impulsive and utterly charming main character. Healing drives Cael. He’s determined to practice magic. Despite the death sentence getting caught would result in, he knows in his core that he’s capable of it. He dreams of a world where half-blood mages, or pan-linea, can wield the same magic as the privileged linea.

That being said, The King’s Man suffers from many first-book-in-a-series ailments. While it evens out after a while, I initially struggled to understand what was happening. 

Plot Summary

Generations of Cael’s family have been healers. Healing is a fundamental part of him. But he wants more. He wants to be a vitalian. A vitalian is a healer who heals with a higher level of magic. Non-vitalian healers like his father heal with folk remedies and lower-level magic. 

Big problem though, Cael is a par-linea, or a half-blood. Par-linea are forbidden from practicing magical healing. He cannot even study to become a vitalian. Only pure-blood linea are allowed. He’s risking his life if he ignores these laws and heals people with stronger magic as a par-linea. The government executed Cael’s grandfather because of it.

The thing is, though, Cael knows he’s powerful enough to be a vitalian. He knows deep inside that it’s not fair that only the privileged can become vitalian, just as it is unfair that only the rich and powerful can afford to be healed by them. His sense of moral injustice compels him to rock the boat, to challenge the whole structure of his society, even knowing the risk that if caught, he could be dooming both himself and his entire family to death.

Cael pursues his dreams while being helped along the way by mysterious figures, two figures who have carefully hidden their true identities. But the pathway to victory is hardly clear. It doesn’t help that Cael can’t seem to keep himself out of trouble to save his life. 

As the plot thickens, the curtain is pulled back to reveal a rich world imbued with potent herbs, rich magic, attacking wyverns, and a developing love triangle between Cael and two very mysterious characters.  

Themes  

Several important themes stand out from the first of The King’s Man series. 

Forbidden Magic and Fighting a Corrupt and Inequitable System

In a society where only some are allowed to wield the magic that seems innate to their world, Cael deeply feels a sense of injustice. It’s palpable. Why shouldn’t he be allowed to do the magic that he’s able to do? For Cael’s dreams to come true, he will to fight the systems to change the status quo. 

Cael just can’t help himself, which at times seems improbable. The trauma of his grandfather being executed for using magic he wasn’t supposed to should cause Cael to at least pause, to feel the danger he’s in. But he pushes forward with little regard for his own safety. He’s lucky he’s got friends in high places, is all I am saying. 

High Stakes Political Intrigue and Deception

And oh, what high places! Readers just barely get hints of what’s going on in the broader political realm, and they prompt a lot of questions. It’s only in the last third do readers start to get some answers. But this isn’t a one-and-done thing. This is book one of SIX books, so it’s okay. The true story may still be hidden, but have faith. All will be revealed in time. 

Slow-Burn Romance

The slowest of burns, really. I’m all in, fam. I literally can’t wait for this to develop further. I have ideas. Spoilery ideas. Stomach swooping ideas. But I will refrain from speculation at this point. 

Characters

There are many, many side characters in this story. Of note, I like Akilah quite a lot, as Cael’s pseudo-sister who’s always got his back. I don’t quite understand if she’s an Akla (a female who is of the servant-class) or just a friend. But she’s Cael’s ride or die, so I am a fan. So many other names, though, from tutors who you’ll be surprised are on Cael’s side, to Fredrica, someone who readers won’t understand just who she is, but who is nonetheless there when Cael needs her to be. The world-weaving is rich with characters. 

Cael

Cael is the main character. The story sticks close to him. It’s in close 3rd person, so we are more privy to his feelings than other characters. His motivations drive the story ahead, and the other main characters are drawn to him. Beyond that, I’ve already introduced who Cael is with a fair amount of detail, so I won’t rehash what I’ve already said. 

Silvius

Silvius is ‘masked’, meaning his face has been magically altered. So his true identity is unknown. Cael is drawn to him. And Silvius seems drawn to Cael, as he shows up in his life over and over. Silvius is a mystery. Who is he, and what are his motivations? Cael looks forward to his interactions with Silvius and develops a crush on him, which he feels is the start of something, of love. 

Quin

Quin is another character who seems to keep popping into Cael’s life, to a much different reception. They seem naturally inclined to butt heads, to antagonize each other. Quin presents himself as a merchant, someone rich and privileged, but who is willing to help pull Cael up by his bootstraps. His motivations are completely hidden, but one starts to get ideas…  

Glows

Unique Magic System

While at first it’s hard to get a good image in your head of what magic in this world looks like, once you do. I think readers will find it fascinating. Magic is innate in people, enhanced by consumed herbs and teas. Mages manifest spells able to heal, make someone fly, and more. It’s a very unique take on magic. Once readers find their footing, they will find the whole system super enjoyable. 

Grows

Jump In, the Water’s Confusing

After a glance at the map of the world, the book starts mid-scene and dumps the reader right in. There’s a lot of the necessary world-building going on, but it’s confusing. Names for people and magic constructs thrown around without explanations, I read the first third of the book with the sense that I didn’t know at all what was happening. 

I understand why an author might throw us into a world like this. They don’t want to show all their cards too early, after all. It’s a valid way to start a book. And I’ve read and reviewed books where this was done to great effect. The difference is, though, that the main character in that book didn’t understand the culture he found himself in. He had an incomplete picture, so it made more sense for the reader to be equally in the dark. 

Confusing Start

In this book, though, well. I am not going to sugar-coat this: It was confusing at first. Very confusing. Sure, leave key details hidden in the mist. One wants to keep the plot exciting. It’s ok to leave the reader guessing, where they don’t know exactly what’s going to happen. Sometimes.

But it’s also important to reward initial confusion with an explanation. Balance is key: the reader deserves some explanation. Don’t leave the reader guessing for too long; give them something to start with. If a reader is confused for too long, they might just give up on a book. 

Patience, Young Padwan

For what it is worth, I am glad I stuck around, because once the story developed sufficiently, I finally found my bearings. Sunday is a master at her craft, and she has fully imagined a complicated, detailed world for this series. But by choice, it’s one that the reader is initially not supposed to understand. 

Patience is needed. Because I think it will all become clear in time. Remember: this is a marathon, not a sprint. 

Recommendation

Readers of fantasy romance will enjoy this. I recommend it to anyone who likes Lily Mayne’s Folk series, The Riehse Eshan Series by Adelaide Blaike, The Radiance series by Tavia Lark, and of course, I can’t not mention Captive Prince. If you like any of those, you’ll dive into this one, and after that brief initial struggle, you’ll like it. 

Overall

The sky clears in book two. Additionally, action hits faster and more consistently. If you find this first book a bit of a struggle, I want to strongly encourage you to stick with it, because the story emerges and solidifies and is super, super good. Persevere, friend. It’s worth it! 

Review Paragraph

I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel read my review policy and submit a contact form.

The post MM Fantasy Romance Review: The King’s Man appeared first on Fae’s Journal.

Introduction 

Shadow & Ash is a well-researched historical mm romance by author Timoteu Montroig, with supernatural elements that fit right in with the time period. Well-paced and original, I flew through the story. It’s an enjoyable romp. However, it has several struggles. Telling instead of showing, history dumping, unrealistic dialogue, and uncomfortable intimate descriptions weigh the narrative down. All the same, I am giving this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars. If you are a fan of vampire stories, you’ll like the unique world-building found here. If you’re a fan of history, especially Greek history, you’ll definitely enjoy the context in which this story takes place. I recommend this one, give it a try, and support an indie author trying to get his book out there. 

I was pleased to get an email from the author to review his first novel, and I am always happy to give indie authors a read. Being an independent author is difficult, and I offer support when I can. 

Blurb

In the shadowed world where myth and reality collide, love knows no boundaries. “Shadow & Ash: Bloodbound” transports readers to ancient Greece, where Aristion—a century-old vrykolakas—and Kallian, a fearless young Spartan soldier, are bound by a forbidden, unbreakable connection. As their worlds clash, their love defies death itself, igniting a daring quest to transform Kallian into a vrykolakas. But few humans survive the perilous path to immortality.

Set against the backdrop of Sparta’s brutal conflicts with the Achaemenid Empire of Persia, Aristion and Kallian must navigate a world filled with treacherous allies, vengeful enemies, and ancient powers beyond comprehension. With each step, the lovers risk not only their lives but their very souls. Can love transcend the boundaries of mortality? Or will the shadows of fate tear them apart?

241 pages, Paperback

Published November 13, 2024

Plot

Set in the Classical Period of ancient Greece, around 482 BCE, Shadow & Ash follows the adventures of Aristion and Kallian as they infiltrate the Persian-controlled city of Sardis to gather intelligence on the military machinations of the enemy #1 of the Greek state. 

Love Blooms

As the year passes and they settle into their subterfuge, the feelings that bloom between the two become undeniable. Aristion tries to resist. They finally face their feelings when the danger comes from all sides. Despite the barriers that Aristion believes they face to being together, their shared experience pushes them to realize the lengths they’ll go to in order to be together. 

Hidden Vampire

One barrier Aristion struggles with in this historical mm romance is that he is a vrykolakas and by necessity his true identity is hidden from everyone, including Kallian. A vrykolakas is a vampire from Greek folklore, also known as a “walking dead” or “undead” creature. (Wikipedia). Aristion was changed some 70 years ago and carefully hides his immortality while he becomes a trusted advisor to Greek rulers. However invested he is in ensuring Greek victory, he knows his time with the current rulers is short. It’s only a matter of time before he will be forced to leave his current station because his lack of aging will become more obvious. 

Bad Guys

It’s worth noting that, like many historical mm romances that feature vampires, Montroig’s vrykolakas are misunderstood and only drink what they need to survive. They kill only when threatened. Aristion isn’t a bad guy, but there are definitely people who believe it’s their mission to wipe vrykolakas off the face of the Earth. 

Zoroastrian Warriors

It’s these, guys, they’re the ones. Aristion has placed his bets with the Greeks because he’s constantly aware of the lurking danger of Zoroastrian warrior priests who, in this alternate history, exist not only to keep the peace and social order, but to defeat vrykolakas. Replete with clerics who have harnessed magic to overcome vampires’ superhuman strength, these warriors ‘magos’ are the only threat these apex predators have. 

Important Themes

At its core, Shadow & Ash is about immortality and the morals surrounding it. Aristion perceives that a potential relationship with Kallian crosses lines, as his eternal existence means he is on a separate path in life from Kallian. He feels conflicted from this existentialism: what good is a vrykolakas’s eternal life if he’s lonely and still yearns for companionship?

Contextual Placement in History

Another important aspect of Shadow & Ash is its contextual setting. It is a fantasy set in a real historical period, the lead-up to the Spartan war with the Achaemenid Empire of Persia. After the Greeks defeated the Persian army at Marathon in 490 BC, tensions were still high between the rival empires. Aristion and Killian infiltrate the Persian city of Sardis in 482 BC, and leads up to the subsequent invasion led by Xerxes I, which culminated in the famous Battle of Thermopylae, which you might know about from that minor indie Zack Snyder flick 300 (being facetious of course this movie grossed $667 million globally).

The narrative of Shadow & Ash situates the fantasy elements of Montroig’s take on the vrykolakas mythology within these historical events and cultural contexts, making a rich MM historical romance. Exploring these intersections, where mortal humans and immortal vrykolakas collide within the wider historical context of ancient Greece and Persia, is where the story really shines. You can see the intensive research that was done and Montroig’s deep understanding of the history in every description of clothing, and each historical mention.

Characters 

Aristion is a warrior, someone who has worked his way into an important advisory role with the Greek military. He’s a vrykolakas, so he has to carefully hide the fact that he doesn’t age. He also needs to drink blood to stay strong, and must be vigilant to hide. This makes him guarded and closed off. But he’s drawn to Kallian in ways he can’t resist. 

Kallian is a young Spartan warrior newly graduated from the agoge, the military schooling Spartan boys undergo to make them fierce warriors, strong and fully laconic characters. He’s a fierce warrior, but still naive and fresh to the world. Kallian takes joy from simple things: hunting and sparring are the highlights of his days. Though he also appreciates his leisure time in the baths with Artisian very much, if ya pick up on what I’m putting down. 

Glows

Written by a Lover of History 

With every description in this historical mm romance, you can tell that Montroig loves history. The fascination with details is written lovingly into paragraphs. Great care was taken to ensure this story fits within its historical context. As another lover of history, I appreciated this as I read. Everything fit well into the time period, even people’s prejudices against vrykolakas. 

Well Situated Enemies

The Zoroastrian Warrior Priests of the time hunting the vrykolakas fits so well within the historical narrative that it seems authentic. The best alternative history takes are those that seem plausible within the actual historical context. While the vrykolakas come from Greek myth, the fact that these societies lived so close together makes it an easy jump to them being present in Persia at the time too, and the Zoroastrians’ connection with the supernatural makes them the obvious vampire-hunters of the day. 

Grows

Shadow & Ash does, unfortunately, struggle with a few elements that weigh the narrative down. 

Telling, Not Showing

 This is such a pitfall that a historically based novel can fall into. Someone with great historical knowledge is used to telling stories, and historians are natural storytellers. However, where a history book is expected to summarize information or state straight facts, it can lead to a flat and less engaging read in a romance story. Using rich descriptions and actions enriches the reader’s experience in a romance to something they can closely relate to. Despite the thousands of years that separate modern times from ancient Greece, the reader wants to feel like they’re there.  

History Dumping

Much like the previous pitfall, stories set in actual historical settings also run the risk of trying to put too much history into the story. When someone knows a lot, they want to share it. While I deeply respect that Montroig knows the history very well, it sometimes felt like too much time was spent telling the reader the actual history before we could get back to the story. More editing to blend the history with the story would help the narrative shine while informing the reader of the interesting history.

Dialogue Inconsistencies

While the author deeply understands the history of the ancient Greek world, what this book misses the mark on is the dialogue. Much of the dialogue reads as too modern. While I don’t want them to be speaking in their native ancient Greek, the tone was off for much of the dialogue. There are also far too many exclamation points. I believe I read once that a sharp editor will allow for exactly one exclamation point per novel. 

Laconic: Linguistic Sidebar 

Kallian using so many exclamation points just dumped me out of the immersive atmosphere. Given the deep understanding of Spartan history, Kallian’s character was so far from how I would expect a laconic Spartan warrior would act or speak. He should be, well, more laconic. 

la·con·ic
/ləˈkänik/ “lah-con-ic”
adjective: laconic: (of a person, speech, or style of writing) using very few words.
Example: “his laconic reply suggested a lack of interest in the topic.”
Synonyms: brief, concise, terse, succinct, short, economical

Etymology: mid 16th century (in the sense ‘Laconian’): via Latin from Greek Lakōnikos, from Lakōn ‘Laconia, Sparta’, the Spartans being known for their terse speech.

Definitions from Oxford Languages

Linguistically, the word laconic comes from the Spartan word for their country, Laconia. And it is used to describe how the people from this area would speak and act. Terse, people of few words, they got straight to the point. Their way of speaking said much about Laconian culture: they were a proud, war-loving, strict, and structured society. The Spartan people were not a very exuberant people.

Uncomfortable Intimate Descriptions 

Some words are just an ick for me. And this novel, unfortunately, uses them almost every time. I didn’t enjoy the spicy parts of this story because of the consistent use of words to describe the male anatomy that I don’t like. Muscle between his legs, manhood, and shaft are words that make me cringe. Just say cock. It’s okay to say cock. Cock. See?

Recommend or Naw? 

I recommend Shadow & Ash to readers who enjoy mm historical romance and vampire romance. If you know your ancient history passably well, you will be interested in this book for the detailed research that enriches the pages of this story. MM vampire romance aficionados will appreciate the unique mythology referenced here. The vrykolakas mythology is not your average vampire myth, and I appreciate something that’s unique much more than a vampire story that’s leaned into the tropes so hard it’s indistinguishable from any other vampire story. 

Reviews

I received a free copy of this MM historical romance from the author. Thank you very much for asking me to read your story! Let’s hope it’s the start of a series. I am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel, read my review policy and submit a contact form.

The post MM Historical Romance: Greek Vampires Review appeared first on Fae’s Journal.

Second Chapter is a brilliant second-chance romance between famous author Thomas and his high school sweetheart Oliver. You’ll want to read this one. I’m giving it a very strong recommendation. I read it all in one evening, and it involved tears, cheers, and a much too late bedtime. I simply could not put it down. My 4.5 out of 5 would be a solid five, except for some noticeable repetition of lines and some time incongruity that made me pause and run things back to see if I missed something. 

Blurb

Fifteen years ago, he wrote their love into the stars. Now fate is writing back.

When celebrated science fiction author Thomas Winters returns to Harbour Point after fifteen years away, he’s only seeking solitude to finish his bestselling space series. Instead, he finds Oliver Chen—the man who got away—now a widowed bookstore owner raising his thirteen-year-old daughter Lily.

As Thomas struggles with writer’s block, young Lily becomes the unexpected bridge between these two men with unresolved history. A passionate fan of Thomas’s books, she senses a deeper connection between her father and the author whose novels line their shelves.

In a small coastal town where private matters rarely stay private, Thomas and Oliver must navigate not only their complicated feelings, but also the challenges of building something new under the community’s watchful eye.

Second Chapter is a heartfelt story about second chances, found family, and the courage to choose love—proving that sometimes the most important journeys lead us back to where we truly belong.

Plot

A second-chance romance isn’t always my thing. But I vibed with this one fully. Famous author Thomas Winter’s career has taken him far from Harbour Point, where he grew up, and he never looked back. His feelings for closeted Oliver, who he left behind, haven’t ever gone away. He’s kept his love alive and well, because basically the whole story he has spent 15 years writing and gaining fame over is about his love for Oliver. It’s not very subtle. 

He’s having major issues writing the last book in the series. His writer’s block is extreme. Everything feels fake. His agent, his editor, and most especially his publisher are at the end of their rope. So, he finds himself going home to Harbour Point to work. How his agent chose his hometown randomly seems a bit of a stretch, but it works for the narrative the author is crafting.  Since the main character in his books is just a fictionalized version of Thomas himself, there’s a parallel with the story playing out this way. 

Once he arrives, it doesn’t take him long to reconnect with Oliver, who he is surprised to discover has a 13-year-old daughter, Lily. 

Characters 

Thomas

Thomas is a bit of a mess. But he’s an enjoyable mess. Thomas has not been back to his hometown since he grabbed the chance to leave when he got accepted into college. Now he’s back, and he’s anxious about his writer’s block. Being back in Harbour Point brings back all the nostalgia and a new perspective. Thomas has enjoyed success with his space-opera book series that he started writing while still in high school. He bounced his initial ideas off Oliver. Olive pulled back when Thomas got accepted into college. He let him go. 

Oliver

After Thomas left 15 years ago, Oliver decided to be the traditional, perfect son that his father needed him to be. He dove deeply into the closet. He navigated his father through illnesses and took over the family bookstore when his father passed. Oliver married Sarah. Sarah died of cancer three years ago. Even though theirs wasn’t a romantic love, they were each other’s rock and best friend. Oliver has been lost and drifting ever since her death, while at the same time helping his daughter deal with her mother‘s death.

Lily

Oliver‘s daughter Lily is my favorite in the whole book. Thomas’s books, which he wrote basically as love letters to Oliver, acted as a buoy, a life jacket for Lily, who is also a huge creative sort. She loves science fiction and has stories of her own bubbling inside her. 

Sarah 

Sarah is nearly a fourth MC because she is a driving factor in Lily’s motivation to write a story, which brings the main characters closer together. So why not, Sarah gets her own paragraph, too. Their solid partnership leads them marriage and start a family, even though Sarah knows Oliver is gay. They have Lily. Sarah got sick, and ultimately passed on. 

Glows

This Second Chance Romance is SO Romantic

Oh, how this story is romantic. The parallels between what needs to happen in the book Thomas is trying to write and what needs to happen to settle Oliver and his history are heart-swelling and lovely. Thomas’s character is stuck because Thomas hasn’t faced his past. 

He’s spent 15 years running away. He’s resisted coming home in the same way his character, Captain Elian, needs to in order to finish her story. To finish their story, Thomas needs to return to Oliver. They have to find one another again. 

The romance is fairly by the book, but it WORKS. Oh, how it works. Their love seems big and true and inevitable from the very beginning. What doesn’t make sense to me is why Thomas doesn’t see that this is what he needed to break through his writer’s block from the beginning. Maybe he is just in denial. 

Lily’s Story

The story Lily writes for the Young Authors competition is literally so gorgeous and compelling. I want to read it. Like I would purchase a book of the story that she writes today, yesterday, two weeks ago. It’s beautiful. It’s absolutely beautiful. So, if the author just came up with that idea to flesh out their side character’s plot, wow. 

Note to the author: You need to write Lily’s book. Publish it, because it’s beautiful. You should also go ahead and write the Captain Elian series because I would read that, too. But make Elian a man because I hate straight fiction, hah. 

But could a 13 year-old write that book I doubt it. It’s not out of the realm of possibility, but I would strongly doubt That that doesn’t make it a bad plot. It’s a book and the story works too adds to the journey that Thomas and Oliver are on in a way that isn’t subtle, but it’s very effective.

Parallel Character Development 

Much like Lily’s story, I want to read the series Thomas writes. The plot compels me, the details are poignant and beautiful, the characters, the science, the star charts that are mapped out. I want to read it. And it makes the story come alive, like Thomas is a real author. It’s one thing to say that the MC is an author, and then have it never come up again, and it’s another to have details about what the MC writes play a huge part of the plot. Well done on this part. 

Yes, the main characters are thinly veiled iterations of Thomas and Oliver. What Thomas needs to do to get his life back on track is what Captain Elian needs to do too. The journey Captain Elian and Thomas have taken in their lives is parallel to one another. Yeah, it’s not subtle but it doesn’t even matter because it just works. 

Grows

Not Subtle

It can be a glow and a grow, okay? I mentioned already that the metaphors and connections to their real-life love story are in no way subtle. I mean, the navigator’s name is Chen, which is Oliver‘s last name. Harbour Point is a main character in Thomas’s books; the whole town is there. Albeit, it’s Harbour Point with a space-façade over the real-life town. 

Pacing and Time Inconsistencies

On a few occasions, a character mentions something time-specific that conflicts with some other already established event. It was enough to make me stop and search the text for keywords to make sure I didn’t miss something. I didn’t, there are just some inconsistencies. 

For example, the deadline for Lily’s story is tomorrow. But later they mention the story again, and she’s still working on it. It seemed like time passed oddly a few other times that I am not remembering off the top of my head. 

Do You Know or Not, Friend?

And then there’s Oliver’s whole freak-out. At one point, Oliver acknowledges that he has known all along that the series is all about him and Thomas. Which is why it surprises me when, later in the book, Oliver has a complete freak-out at a sci-fi convention when confronted with this fact. 

If he knew about it all along, if he read the books and picked up on the not so subtle parallels with his life and Chen, with Thomas and his love story, it totally doesn’t make sense for him to lose it after he had previously expressed his understanding that the whole book the whole book series is Thomas’s love letter to him. 

I digress, that’s one of the reasons that it’s getting four and a half out of five instead of a solid five.

Repeating Phrases

I am nitpicky about this, but I dislike it when an author repeats phrases. Two intimate scenes had very similar verbiage, and I think readers notice when words and phrases are repeated. It takes the reader out of immersion and makes whatever is happening on page feel less important. And since it was an intimate scene, it pulled me out. 

Lily’s Maturity 

Seeing as I teach 13-year-olds and Lily is 13, I am largely skeptical about how mature, advanced, and unselfish Lily is written. It’s true that Lily is described as a very intelligent child. For what it’s worth, I have taught thousands of 13-year-olds in my career. 

The prose that Lily writes in her story is extremely advanced for a 13-year-old. I’m not saying that a 13-year-old couldn’t write like that, but most 13-year-olds that I have taught could not achieve the level of storytelling and prose that Lily can. 

But, this is a thing, people. Authors often miss the mark when it comes to writing children in a realistic way. Either they write children far too mature or far too immature. They’ll write very young children as speaking in full sentences and doing things autonomously at 2 years old. I’ve seen older children written as far too advanced. 

It seems it’s often the case that adults don’t know how children act if they’re not actively around children all the time. That might be a little bit of what’s happening here. However unrealistic I think Lily may be, Lily is still my favorite character in this book. 

Recommendation

I give this book a very rare 4.5 out of five stars. It’s nearly perfect. It is gorgeous. It is a second chance romance, which I incidentally don’t usually like so it’s even more remarkable that I give this one, a strong, strong recommendation.

Reviews

I received a free copy of this book via Booksirens and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel read my review policy and submit a contact form.

The post Second Chance Romance: Review of Second Chapter appeared first on Fae’s Journal.