Tag Archives: #DiverseRomanceBingo

Book Review of Bonfire (Hours of the Night #1.5), by Irene Preston & Liv Rancourt

Irene Preston and Liv Rancourt sent me a copy of Bonfire for the purposes of review. I reviewed the first in the series earlier in the year.

Description from Goodreads:
Thaddeus and Sarasija are spending the holidays on the bayou, and while the vampire’s idea of Christmas cheer doesn’t quite match his assistant’s, they’re working on a compromise. Before they can get the tree trimmed, they’re interrupted by the appearance of the feu follet. The ghostly lights appear in the swamp at random and lead even the locals astray.

When the townsfolk link the phenomenon to the return of their most reclusive neighbor, suspicion falls on Thaddeus. These lights aren’t bringing glad tidings, and if Thad and Sara can’t find their source, the feu follet might herald a holiday tragedy for the whole town.

Review:
If anything, I think this might be slightly better than the first in the series. The reader feels closer to the characters and Thaddeus isn’t quite so mired in his guilt. It was fun to see the him and Sara in a more settled, domesticated period.

It is of course a novella, so the plot isn’t overly involved and there is little build up to the climax that is settled with such ease as to be slightly disappointing. But it had a very sweet Christmas themed ending and is a wonderful little story to hold readers over until the next book comes out. Though, I think it would be most enjoyed if you’ve read Vespers, it does stand alone.

As a bonus, the authors happen to be running a giveaway for a $20 gift card. Why not check it out?
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Book Review of In the Absence of Light, by Adrienne Wilder

I borrowed Adrienne Wilder‘s In the Absence of Light through Amazon Prime.

Description from Goodreads:
For years Grant Kessler has smuggled goods from one end of the world to the next. When business turns in a direction Grant isn’t willing to follow he decides to retire and by all appearances he settles down in a nowhere town called Durstrand. But his real plan is to wait a few years and let the FBI lose interest, then move on to the distant coastal life he’s always dreamed of.

Severely autistic, Morgan cannot look people in the eye, tell left from right, and has uncontrolled tics. Yet he’s beaten every obstacle life has thrown his way. And when Grant Kessler moves into town Morgan isn’t a bit shy in letting the man know how much he wants him.

While the attraction is mutual, Grant pushes Morgan away. Like the rest of the world he can’t see past Morgan’s odd behaviors.

Then Morgan shows Grant how light lets you see but it also leaves you blind. And once Grant opens his eyes, he loses his heart to the beautiful enigma of a man who changes the course of his life.

Review:
A short review for this one. I loved it. It wasn’t perfect. It seemed a little long. The editing could use a bit more work. The prose occasionally got a little too purple. It strained credulity at times and the town of Durstrand was like Mayberry on crack. But I adored every minute of reading this book. It made me laugh and it gave me feelz. I appreciated that Grant was a little older, at 36, than the average romance hero and, though I don’t know enough about autism to know if it’s a realistic portrayal or not, I adored Morgan. I REALLY hope there is a sequel about Jeff in Miami. There really wasn’t any reason to tag some of the last chapter on if there isn’t one at least planned.

Book Review of Hexbreaker (Hexworld #1 ), by Jordan L. Hawk

I purchased an e-copy of Hexbreaker, by Jordan L. Hawk.

Description from Goodreads:
New York copper Tom Halloran is a man with a past. If anyone finds out he once ran with the notorious O’Connell tunnel gang, he’ll spend the rest of his life doing hard time behind bars. But Tom’s secret is threatened when a horrible murder on his beat seems to have been caused by the same ancient magic that killed his gang.

Cat shifter Cicero is determined to investigate the disappearance of one friend and the death of another, even though no one else believes the cases are connected. When the trail of his investigation crosses Tom’s, the very bohemian Cicero instinctively recognizes the uncultured Irish patrolman as his witch. Though they’re completely unsuited to one another, Cicero has no choice but to work alongside Tom…all the while fighting against the passion growing within.

Tom knows that taking Cicero as his familiar would only lead to discovery and disaster. Yet as the heat between them builds, Tom’s need for the other man threatens to overcome every rational argument against becoming involved.

But when their investigation uncovers a conspiracy that threatens all of New York, Tom must make the hardest decision of his life: to live a lie and gain his heart’s desire, or to confess the truth and sacrifice it all.

Review:
I really quite enjoyed this one. Well, it’s kind of hard not to when there is a big, lovable teddybear like Tom involved. Don’t get me wrong; I liked Cicero too. But Tom won the show for me.

I liked the idea of witches and their shifter familiars. I liked the world-building, which was never obvious but I still understood the politics and hierarchies of the world. The writing was mostly wonderful. One of my few complaints is that I thought it faltered into clunky, almost cheesy prose sometimes, but mostly not. My only other real criticism is that the sex scenes felt quite abrupt and a little out of character for where the characters were, emotionally at the time.

It’s a complete story, no cliffhanger and I didn’t feel I was missing information having not read the prequel. Gotta appreciate that. I’ve read a couple Hawk books now and I’ve been happy with each one. I look forward to more.