New Release-Review: PARIS AND THE REAPER by Layla Reyne (Soul to Find #2)

Paris and the Reaper by Layla Reyne is now live!

Paris and the Reaper

(Soul to Find #2)

by Layla Reyne

I was given the name Paris at birth.

So far, I’ve lived up to it; or rather, down to it.

Too pretty, too unfocused, too easy a target.

My father even tried to sacrifice me.

 

And then I was saved by a beautiful, haunted man.

 

Mac is a reaper; he delivers lost souls.

But when he came for mine, I wouldn’t let go.

And now I can hear other souls too.

I can help him. Love him, if he’ll let me.

 

Assuming we survive a conspiracy to bring Chaos through the veil.

 

Mac says souls get what they deserve.

If I do enough good, then maybe I can be worthy of his.

Maybe I can hold on to him and our bond—forever.

 

Paris and the Reaper is a soft, swoony, and suspenseful M/M urban fantasy romance. It features a grumpy raven shifter afraid to love and lose again and the sweet, cursed human who makes him want to risk it all.

  Download today!

Amazon US - Amazon UK - Apple Books - Nook - Kobo - Google Play - Layla Reyne's Store

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Carra's Review

First off, I would strongly recommend you read the first book in this series, Icarus and the Devil, and the short story, Jason and the Storm, before you read Paris and the Reaper.  This world the author has created is unique and complex so having those stories under your belt before diving in will give you a better sense of the overall world and the place of all the other characters in it.  You won’t find much backstory in this book, so reading the others first will keep you on more solid footing.

Both Paris and Mac were introduced in Icarus and the Devil, and now here they take center stage. Paris is compassionate and caring, though can seem impulsive when trying to prove himself.  Mac is the consummate protector, though innocent in his own way and with heartache in his past.  They match well together, and while the two are linked things between them are actually a slower burn than you may expect.

My one nit pick with this story is that the details are more surface-level.  Part of this I think is due to there being an assumption that you would have already read the other books in the series, so would understand what is going on (hence my advice to read those first before this one).  I really would have liked to have had things explained more in-depth than they were, particularly regarding the origin of the giants.

Even so, I was still entranced by the story and am looking forward to the next installment in the series.  Paris and the Reaper was a solid 4-star read for me, and I’d recommend to to M/M urban fantasy fans in particular…just please read the other stories first, trust me!  

About the Author

Layla Reyne is the author of What We May Be and the Agents Irish and Whiskey, Fog City, and Perfect Play series. She writes sexy, intense LGBTQIA+ romance featuring competent adults in kitchens, sports arenas, car chases, and other high-stakes situations. Whether it's adrenaline-fueled suspense, rival athletes, vampires and shifters in alt-realms, or love mixed with mouth-watering foodie goodness, queer folks finding happily-ever-afters is guaranteed.

 

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Cover Reveal: PARIS AND THE REAPER by Layla Reyne (Soul to Find #2)

 

Paris and the Reaper

(Soul to Find #2)

by Layla Reyne

Releasing October 22, 2024

Cover Designer: Sleepy Fox Studio

I was given the name Paris at birth.

So far, I’ve lived up to it; or rather, down to it.

Too pretty, too unfocused, too easy a target.

My father even tried to sacrifice me.

 

And then I was saved by a beautiful, haunted man.

 

Mac is a reaper; he delivers lost souls.

But when he came for mine, I wouldn’t let go.

And now I can hear other souls too.

I can help him. Love him, if he’ll let me.

 

Assuming we survive a conspiracy to bring Chaos through the veil.

 

Mac says souls get what they deserve.

If I do enough good, then maybe I can be worthy of his.

Maybe I can hold on to him and our bond—forever.

 

Paris and the Reaper is a soft, swoony, and suspenseful M/M urban fantasy romance. It features a grumpy raven shifter afraid to love and lose again and the sweet, cursed human who makes him want to risk it all.

Pre-order links

Amazon US - Amazon UK - Apple Books - Nook - Kobo - Google Play - Layla Reyne's Store

Add to your Goodreads TBR

About the Author

Layla Reyne is the author of What We May Be and the Agents Irish and Whiskey, Fog City, and Perfect Play series. She writes sexy, intense LGBTQIA+ romance featuring competent adults in kitchens, sports arenas, car chases, and other high-stakes situations. Whether it's adrenaline-fueled suspense, rival athletes, vampires and shifters in alt-realms, or love mixed with mouth-watering foodie goodness, queer folks finding happily-ever-afters is guaranteed.

 

Website - Goodreads - Amazon - Facebook - Facebook Group - Instagram - BookBub - Newsletter

New Release-Excerpt & Giveaway: MIDNIGHT ON THE MIDWAY by Morgan Brice (Carnival of Mysteries)

Midnight on the Midway

(Carnival of Mysteries series)

by Morgan Brice

Publisher: Darkwind Press

Cover Artist: Dianne Thies

Release Date: September 18, 2024

Pairing: MM

Tense/POV: Third person, past tense, alternating POV

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Mystery/suspense, Paranormal, Shifter, Urban Fantasy

Tropes: Meet cute, found family, suspect & investigator, fish out of water, supernatural carnival, psychics, caring veterinarian, paranormal mobsters, secret agent

Themes: Learning to trust, discovering the supernatural is real

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 65 000 words

It is a standalone book and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

Supernatural secret agents, vampires, and veterinarians!

Blurb

Drake Carlson is an agent for the Federal Bureau of Supernatural Investigation. He’s psychic and gets visions of alternate realities. Drake is tracking magical Mafiosi involved in paranormal crime. On a rare night out, he goes to an arcade and ends up in a Skee-Ball competition with Garrett Thompson, a cute veterinarian, and they really hit it off. More arcade dates and a visit to the Carnival of Mysteries lead to hot nights and a growing connection, and Drake begins to think he and Garrett could forge a forever relationship.

Then a mobster with a sick dog kidnaps Garrett, and a vampire henchman puts Garrett under his thrall. Drake is going to need all the help he can get—from the carnival, his own psychic mojo, and some paranormally skilled friends to catch the mobster, rescue Garrett—and, of course, save the dog—on the way to his happily-ever-after.

Midnight on the Midway is a fast-paced MM paranormal romance filled with supernatural suspense, found family, a brave veterinarian, vengeful vampires, sarcastic ghosts, midway magic, a fearless fed, hurt/comfort angst, love-conquers-all tension, and a very happy ending!

Part of the multi-author, shared-world Carnival of Mysteries series. Can be read as a stand-alone.

Excerpt—in an escape room

The attendant left the room which was designed to look like a Victorian parlor, and they heard the door click shut behind him. Ominous music began to play, and after a few minutes, Drake picked up other sounds like chattering teeth, moans, and wails.

“They go all-out, don’t they?” He followed Garrett’s lead to handle the objects on shelves and tables, gently shifting them to disclose secrets.

“This place has a good reputation.” Garrett turned slowly to survey the room.

Drake resisted the temptation to dive in with his agent training and decided to let Garrett take the lead. “I’ve never done one of these. Where do we start?”

Garrett looked pleased to share his love of the adventures. “This one was rated spooky but not extreme. It’s not like one of those live haunted houses at the beach where actors follow you around and chase you. Some places do have characters, but this one doesn’t.”

“Have you done it before?”

Garrett shook his head. “Not this particular scenario. I did the UFO one here a couple of weeks ago with some friends from work. So I’m basing my expectations on that.”

“So we get to live out our inner Scooby Doo?”

“Pretty much. Trap doors may open, but you won’t fall through anything. Handle anything that’s loose and look for clues or codes. Gently tug on things to see if they move. If it opens, look inside. There will be doors to other rooms, so look for hidden openings as well as regular doors,” Garrett said. “It’s more fun if we work together, so don’t try to do it all on your own.”

Drake thought that working together on a project might feel awkward, or there could be a push-pull vying to be in charge. To his relief, Garrett proved to be competent and inquisitive without any one-upmanship.

They divided the room into search sections, moving clockwise so they eventually went over each other’s areas without getting in the way. Garrett found the first of several clues and seemed genuinely pleased when Drake found a secret door that opened to lead them into a long-abandoned dining room.

A sudden shriek raised the hackles on Drake’s neck. Garrett chuckled. “Gotta watch out for the sound effects. They’ll get you every time.”

Drake relaxed, chagrined, and reminded himself that this wasn’t the usual life-or-death stakes. As he searched behind paintings, checked under couch cushions, and peered inside the grandfather clock, Drake admired the clever set dressing and the ingenuity of the scriptwriter.

Real ghost hunts rarely went smoothly, and while the escape room was made to look like a creepy abandoned house, it lacked the smell of mildew, rodents, and disuse that came with the real thing.

“You’re pretty good at this.” Garrett bumped elbows with Drake. “I think you’ve got a knack for it.”

If you only knew.

About the Author  

Morgan Brice is the romance pen name of bestselling author Gail Z. Martin. Morgan writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance, with plenty of action, adventure and supernatural thrills to go with the happily ever after. Gail writes epic and urban fantasy, with less romance, more explosions.

All of the modern-day Morgan Brice and Gail Z. Martin series crossover, so characters from one series appear in cameos and on page in important secondary roles in books from other series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but the more you read the more the expanded universe of friendships and connections becomes clear. 

Morgan and Gail believe that paranormal elements make any story even better, and her worlds are full of ghosts, psychics, shifters, creatures, vampires, monster hunters, and magic. 

She's also a huge fan of the TV show Supernatural. (Chibi art by Kamidiox)

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New Release-Excerpt & Giveaway: A TASTE OF DANGER: A Subparheroes book by Morgan Brice

A Taste of Danger: A Subparheroes book

by Morgan Brice

Publisher: Darkwind Press

Cover Artist: Dianne Thies

Release Date: September 5, 2024

Pairing: MM

Tense/POV: third person, past tense, alternating POV.

Genres: Romance, Mystery/suspense, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Tropes: Superhero with minor psychic abilities, odd superhero employment agency, craft brewer, secret agent, shifters, supernatural mobsters, fish out of water, small town

Themes: Learning to trust, balancing love and career

Heat Rating: 4 flames    

Length: 65 000 words

It is a standalone book and does end on a cliffhanger.

It’s part of a multi-author, shared world series Subparheroes, and it also connects to my Fox Hollow series. 

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US   |   Amazon UK

An unlikely rookie superhero and a dog shifter beer enthusiast team up to stop a nefarious supernatural plot.

Blurb

Food reviewer Scott Dixon didn’t just lose his job—he started getting premonitions linked to random tastes, a new ability he’s not sure how to manage. When an interview lands him a position using his visions to help people and stop criminals, Scott finds himself chasing bootleggers who create beverages specially formulated to control people with psychic abilities. The trail leads to upstate New York, where he meets a sexy craft brewer who takes his breath away, but might be more than he appears, testing Scott’s trust.

Craft brewer and Belgian Malinois shifter Gage Merrick never fit in with his law enforcement family. He loves beer and spent years developing brews designed to taste good to different types of shifters. When he meets Scott, sparks fly. But Gage’s passion for paranormally optimized beverages raises Scott’s suspicions, threatening their chance at happiness.

Will Gage be the love of Scott’s life, or will their affair leave a bitter aftertaste?

A Taste for Danger is a feel-good paranormal super-powered hero MM romance romp filled with secret agents, found family, good beer, quirky humor, sexy shifters, soulful psychics, and supernatural skullduggery!

This book is part of the multi-author MM Romance SubParHeroes series and is also linked to the Fox Hollow series.

Excerpt

“Ninety-nine, one hundred,” Scott Dixon counted out loud as he checked two more failed job applications off his spreadsheet. He sighed and took a drink of his now cold coffee. “Maybe one hundred and one is the charm.”

Getting laid off from his job as a food reviewer for Taste of the Rainbow magazine, which specialized in reviewing LGBTQ-owned and friendly restaurants, was bad enough. Receiving the notice via text two weeks ago was doubly awful.

Dear Scott—

We regret to inform you that due to declining advertising revenue, your position as a full-time food reviewer has been cut. You are free to re-apply to submit work-for-hire articles on an ad hoc basis at our freelance rate. Your keycard and network access have been deactivated. The contents of your desk and cubicle will be boxed and mailed to you. If you had personal items elsewhere, please let us know, and we will include them in the box. Please do not return to the office as you will not be permitted to enter. We wish you well in your new endeavors.

Since Scott had been in charge of hiring freelancers, he knew how their rate compared to his salary. Even if I freelanced the whole damn magazine issue, it wouldn’t pay what I’ve been making. He muttered several extremely impolite descriptions of his former boss as he got up to refill his cup. “Text messaging toadie. ’Fraidy cat f*cker. Anti-social asshole.”

To add insult to injury, his car needed repairs, putting a dent in his emergency stash. The unexpected expense of buying a new shirt and jacket for in-person interviews drained his funds further, even though he had found them at a consignment store.

Scott cut every subscription except his e-book and inventoried his cupboards and freezer for cheap meals so he could skip grocery shopping. Despite that, and even if he picked up some other freelance gigs to tide himself over, he couldn’t go more than a couple more weeks without a real job.

Scott didn’t want to sleep in his car or beg friends to let him couch surf, but that possibility loomed large unless something showed up real soon. He had less than thirty dollars in his wallet, and there wasn’t enough left on his credit card to pay rent.

A fast-food gig wouldn’t pay the rent, and it would eat up time I could use to job hunt. He hated the idea of pawning any of his gaming equipment—that was a last resort.

His phone rang, and he didn’t recognize the number. “Hello?”

“Scott Dixon? This is April from SPAM. We received your resume and are very impressed. I’m calling to offer you a full-time, salaried position with very generous health benefits and paid vacation. We’d like you to start immediately, and there’s a signing bonus to ease your relocation to Albany.” She named the salary and bonus. Scott nearly swooned at the amount, a hefty upgrade from his most recent salary.

“SPAM?” Scott’s mind whirled, trying to remember if he had sent a resume to Hormel. Even if he hadn’t, he had heard good things, and the offer had everything he needed. “Albany? I mean, yes, thank you. Sure. I just need to pack. Thank you.”

“How quickly can you come for orientation? We have a project we’d like you to head, and it needs someone to take over in a few weeks.”

“I can be in Albany in two days, just need to wrap up some things here in Rochester.” Scott was still reeling from the sudden reversal of fortune. “Can you please send me something in writing?” he remembered to ask, wary because he had heard about hiring scams.

“Of course,” April said. “I’ll have a confirmation letter out to you this afternoon. Congratulations, and welcome to SPAM.”

Scott stared at his phone for a few minutes after April hung up. I have a job—and a raise. I’m moving to Albany. Holy sh*t—I’ve got a job!

About the Author

  

Morgan Brice is the romance pen name of bestselling author Gail Z. Martin. Morgan writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance, with plenty of action, adventure and supernatural thrills to go with the happily ever after. Gail writes epic and urban fantasy, with less romance, more explosions.

All of the modern-day Morgan Brice and Gail Z. Martin series crossover, so characters from one series appear in cameos and on page in important secondary roles in books from other series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but the more you read the more the expanded universe of friendships and connections becomes clear. 

Morgan and Gail believe that paranormal elements make any story even better, and her worlds are full of ghosts, psychics, shifters, creatures, vampires, monster hunters, and magic. 

She's also a huge fan of the TV show Supernatural. (Chibi art by Kamidiox)

Author Links

Website  |  Audible Profile  |  Amazon profile

Facebook Group  |   Facebook Page

  Pinterest (for Morgan and Gail)  |  Twitter

 BookBub  |  Instagram

Sign up for my newsletter and never miss a new release

Read a copy of my Badlands short story Restless Nights here for free

Giveaway!

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

a $25 Amazon gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions