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cspoe's reviews
166 reviews
The Unexpected Heiress by Frank W. Butterfield
5.0
This was an absolute gem of a story and a great start to what I'm sure will become my go-to comfort reads for years to come, the Nick Williams Mysteries. "The richest homosexual in San Francisco is a private investigator." With a description like that, how can I not be in this 110%?
Frank Butterfield paints a gorgeous setting of San Francisco in the 1950s, so vivid and alive the city must be included as a main character alongside the likes of Nick and Carter. Speaking of-- Nick Williams is basically an accidental millionaire after inheriting money that he couldn't spend all of in his lifetime if he tried. He works to keep himself busy, not because he needs to financially, and is generous with his money when it comes to others, but a bit lousy at using it for himself.
Luckily, that's where Carter Jones enters the story, a fireman who has relocated from Georgia to California, and is madly in love with Nick. The two of them are absolutely head over heels in love, and already have a longstanding, healthy, established relationship at the start of The Unexpected Heiress. Nick's position in society, coupled with a great lawyer and a lot of cash, makes him rather untouchable in a time period of America that otherwise wasn't kind to gay men, let alone men so perfectly in love like these two. But frankly, I adore how Butterfield ran with this, giving the reader two men who aren't afraid, who stand up for each other and themselves, and who don't have a tragic romance. Are they always going to get off scot-free? No. But will Nick and Carter fight tooth and nail? Oh yeah. And also, both of these guys are badasses with hearts of gold. It's impossible to not be swept away with characters like these.
Without including spoilers, the story involves Nick's sister, a bunch of unexpected money worth killing over, and a business venture a la the Pinkertons with Nick, Carter, Mike (Nick's former lover and a cop), Marnie (Nick's secretary), as well as another fellow cop and firefighter.
I cannot recommend this book enough. A historical, light romance with the air of a noir mystery, except with a bit more sunshine. Nick Williams is officially one of my favorite fictional characters.
-C.S.
Frank Butterfield paints a gorgeous setting of San Francisco in the 1950s, so vivid and alive the city must be included as a main character alongside the likes of Nick and Carter. Speaking of-- Nick Williams is basically an accidental millionaire after inheriting money that he couldn't spend all of in his lifetime if he tried. He works to keep himself busy, not because he needs to financially, and is generous with his money when it comes to others, but a bit lousy at using it for himself.
Luckily, that's where Carter Jones enters the story, a fireman who has relocated from Georgia to California, and is madly in love with Nick. The two of them are absolutely head over heels in love, and already have a longstanding, healthy, established relationship at the start of The Unexpected Heiress. Nick's position in society, coupled with a great lawyer and a lot of cash, makes him rather untouchable in a time period of America that otherwise wasn't kind to gay men, let alone men so perfectly in love like these two. But frankly, I adore how Butterfield ran with this, giving the reader two men who aren't afraid, who stand up for each other and themselves, and who don't have a tragic romance. Are they always going to get off scot-free? No. But will Nick and Carter fight tooth and nail? Oh yeah. And also, both of these guys are badasses with hearts of gold. It's impossible to not be swept away with characters like these.
Without including spoilers, the story involves Nick's sister, a bunch of unexpected money worth killing over, and a business venture a la the Pinkertons with Nick, Carter, Mike (Nick's former lover and a cop), Marnie (Nick's secretary), as well as another fellow cop and firefighter.
I cannot recommend this book enough. A historical, light romance with the air of a noir mystery, except with a bit more sunshine. Nick Williams is officially one of my favorite fictional characters.
-C.S.
Dark Horse, White Knight by Josh Lanyon
5.0
Another one of my early Lanyon reads that I come back to when I need to feel as if I'm being welcomed home by old friends.
Dark Horse (read this first) is a great novella and an interesting departure from Lanyon's typical heroes. Sean isn't a man in uniform. He has no desire to BE a man in uniform. He's not the sort of individual who can bust open a door, gun at the ready, and take the bad guy out. He's a young man with a troubled and rough upbringing who is doing fairly well for himself as an actor in Hollywood. Sean is the sort of character that reminds folks of Lanyon's immense writing chops. He's a very emotional person, who is both unafraid and terrified of his struggles with anxiety and depression and immense feelings of inadequacy. He's profoundly young and HUMAN. And I think I understand him better, the older I get. Because we can all remember moments similar to Sean's, at least on some level.
He is counteracted by Dan, a larger-than-life hero. The love interest and, for all intents and purposes, the white knight that has a sometimes abrasive way of reminding Sean he has worth and is deserving of love. Dan isn't perfect, of course. He can be a bit domineering, his police personality spilling over into their personal lives, but again... the reason I come back to Lanyon over and over is because her characters are so perfectly flawed. So perfectly... real. They screw up and they try to do better next time.
Dark Horse is a great story about a stalker who everyone thought was dead, being back and coming after Sean. He's been aggressively stalked for over a year, and just when it seems to be over... Paul Hammond is back. White Knight, the sequel that also tip-toes the line of being a prequel, is very interesting in the way it's set up and delivered. It utilizes flashbacks-- filling in the holes left by Dark Horse to bring together a well rounded story flushed with suspense, danger, and the push and pull of two men struggling to figure out how to be in a relationship they both so desperately want.
A lovely paperback offers both novellas in one, and is a reminder that there is someone out there who loves us for simply being us.
Dark Horse (read this first) is a great novella and an interesting departure from Lanyon's typical heroes. Sean isn't a man in uniform. He has no desire to BE a man in uniform. He's not the sort of individual who can bust open a door, gun at the ready, and take the bad guy out. He's a young man with a troubled and rough upbringing who is doing fairly well for himself as an actor in Hollywood. Sean is the sort of character that reminds folks of Lanyon's immense writing chops. He's a very emotional person, who is both unafraid and terrified of his struggles with anxiety and depression and immense feelings of inadequacy. He's profoundly young and HUMAN. And I think I understand him better, the older I get. Because we can all remember moments similar to Sean's, at least on some level.
He is counteracted by Dan, a larger-than-life hero. The love interest and, for all intents and purposes, the white knight that has a sometimes abrasive way of reminding Sean he has worth and is deserving of love. Dan isn't perfect, of course. He can be a bit domineering, his police personality spilling over into their personal lives, but again... the reason I come back to Lanyon over and over is because her characters are so perfectly flawed. So perfectly... real. They screw up and they try to do better next time.
Dark Horse is a great story about a stalker who everyone thought was dead, being back and coming after Sean. He's been aggressively stalked for over a year, and just when it seems to be over... Paul Hammond is back. White Knight, the sequel that also tip-toes the line of being a prequel, is very interesting in the way it's set up and delivered. It utilizes flashbacks-- filling in the holes left by Dark Horse to bring together a well rounded story flushed with suspense, danger, and the push and pull of two men struggling to figure out how to be in a relationship they both so desperately want.
A lovely paperback offers both novellas in one, and is a reminder that there is someone out there who loves us for simply being us.
When One Door Opens by J.D. Ruskin
5.0
I came across this title several years ago when I was searching for a new book to read. I lean more toward genre books than straight up contemporary romance, so when I do find one I want to read, there is usually a unique character or plot aspect that draws me in. When One Door Opens features Caleb, an agoraphobic who hasn't left his apartment building in years. The love interest is a man named Logan, an ex-con and recovering alcoholic who crosses paths with Caleb when he's hired to deliver groceries and mail.
What develops is a slow burn, friends to lovers romance between two very imperfect people. Logan is, and doesn't hide the fact, that he's made some grave errors in his life, and is constantly struggling to not repeat those mistakes. His language and word choices aren't always acceptable, and he, as a character, pushes the reader's comfort zone at times. But much like the AA programs he's working through, and Caleb's reminder that everyone deserves a second chance at life, Logan pushes himself to be a better human. He's a fascinating character in the respect that he is someone a lot of people probably have or know in their real life. Someone who isn't the smartest or most handsome, someone who doesn't have a heart of gold, and in fact has some serious and complicated issues in need of addressing. And yet, there is humanity to him. The desire to learn and grow.
The book is a romance, but in a very subdued sense. Caleb gives Logan a chance to be a better man, and Logan in return is someone that Caleb learns to trust in a world that otherwise terrifies him. They do fall in love, there is sex, and the promise of a happily ever after, but I read this book more like a character study. Leads that, for both their positive and negative aspects, still endear themselves to the reader.
What develops is a slow burn, friends to lovers romance between two very imperfect people. Logan is, and doesn't hide the fact, that he's made some grave errors in his life, and is constantly struggling to not repeat those mistakes. His language and word choices aren't always acceptable, and he, as a character, pushes the reader's comfort zone at times. But much like the AA programs he's working through, and Caleb's reminder that everyone deserves a second chance at life, Logan pushes himself to be a better human. He's a fascinating character in the respect that he is someone a lot of people probably have or know in their real life. Someone who isn't the smartest or most handsome, someone who doesn't have a heart of gold, and in fact has some serious and complicated issues in need of addressing. And yet, there is humanity to him. The desire to learn and grow.
The book is a romance, but in a very subdued sense. Caleb gives Logan a chance to be a better man, and Logan in return is someone that Caleb learns to trust in a world that otherwise terrifies him. They do fall in love, there is sex, and the promise of a happily ever after, but I read this book more like a character study. Leads that, for both their positive and negative aspects, still endear themselves to the reader.
Fair Play by Josh Lanyon
5.0
Returning to Elliot and Tucker is always an emotional roller coaster for me. They are my absolute favorite couple and team of all of Josh's books, and that includes my adoration for Adrien and Jake and Sam and Jason. Their relationship is raw, intense, and so very human. They both have hang-ups and weaknesses and combined strengths that paint them each to be gorgeous, three-dimensional characters. Elliot can be a jerk. Tucker can be an ass. But at the end of the day, the way the two men come back to each other and handle it, like adults, takes my breath away.
Fair Play brings us to the next step in their romance, and in the midst of feeling out where to call home, Elliot's father is nearly killed in a house fire. This danger on Roland's life--and Elliot's-- escalates in that subtle, suspenseful way that only Lanyon can write. 0 to 100 in nothing more than a well crafted scenic description or perfectly delivered dialogue. Before we know it, Roland has gone underground and Elliot is sifting through his father's manuscript, Power to the People, to uncover the mystery of Roland's past, who is looking to take him out, and most importantly: why.
We are treated to some intense, personal moments regarding Tucker's past, as well as him and Elliot coming to terms with the needs of the bedroom vs. the needs outside of it. Very well done. The uncertainty, longing, desire, and hesitation were extremely profound.
Every Josh Lanyon book is a treasure to me. But adventures with Elliot and Tucker are like a balm on my soul and a love letter to my heart.
Fair Play brings us to the next step in their romance, and in the midst of feeling out where to call home, Elliot's father is nearly killed in a house fire. This danger on Roland's life--and Elliot's-- escalates in that subtle, suspenseful way that only Lanyon can write. 0 to 100 in nothing more than a well crafted scenic description or perfectly delivered dialogue. Before we know it, Roland has gone underground and Elliot is sifting through his father's manuscript, Power to the People, to uncover the mystery of Roland's past, who is looking to take him out, and most importantly: why.
We are treated to some intense, personal moments regarding Tucker's past, as well as him and Elliot coming to terms with the needs of the bedroom vs. the needs outside of it. Very well done. The uncertainty, longing, desire, and hesitation were extremely profound.
Every Josh Lanyon book is a treasure to me. But adventures with Elliot and Tucker are like a balm on my soul and a love letter to my heart.
Hexbreaker by Jordan L. Hawk
5.0
This book, simply put, is incredible. The 13th Hex was a marvelous introduction to this alternate, turn of the century, New York City, but Hexbreaker is where Jordan L. Hawk forever stakes a claim in the paranormal genre.
The world-building is phenomenal. Hawk is a master at blending fact with unrivaled imagination. Their attention to historical detail: the wintry streets in the Lower East Side, clothing, legitimate businesses of the time and political beliefs of citizens, all the way to the consolidation that created the New York City we know today, each is handled with such care as to paint a vivid landscape of the time, while not bogging down the reader in an unwarranted history lesson. Add to this, the creation of the Metropolitan Witch Police and their combative relationship with the regular police force, as well as the complex structure of animal familiars and where they exist in society, you've got one extremely powerful piece of storytelling.
Tom Halloran is a man with a serious past. A bad past. One full of regret, pain, and horror. And yet, Tom's mantra, passed down by his father, is to take care of those who need it. He's a beat cop who refuses to take bribes, doesn't get confessions via beatings, and in general is known by other coppers as Saint Tom. And I adore Tom. He is such a fascinating character, so believable, so relatable. Tom Halloran is an example of how to construct a three-dimensional lead that readers will fall in love with.
Cicero, a cat familiar, is on a mission to find his close friend Isaac, a familiar who has gone missing upon leaving the MWP. Unfortunately, the only way his chief will let him investigate the disappearance, linked to a gruesome death of another acquaintance who attacked a man like a rabid beast before he was thrown from a window in self-defense, is to team up with the rough, brick wall of an Irishman: Tom Halloran. Because a pawnbroker on Tom's beat brutally attacked and killed his wife in the same, animalistic manner. So there must be a link, right? But with the consolidation approaching at the New Year, no one but a beat cop and an unbonded familiar can be spared.
The relationship between Tom and Cicero is masterful writing. From enemies to friends to soulmates... Each man brings with him a considerable past full of hangups, worries, fears, in combination with intricate societal pressures, such as being a gay man in the late 1800s, being Irish or Italian, an honest cop in a brotherhood Roosevelt was still cleaning up, and a familiar seen as a tool instead of an equal. But despite these roadblocks, their romance is one I return to time and again, because it's just so beautiful.
There is so much in this book. And yet it is never a chore. Never tiresome or tedious. This is the sort of book all authors want to be able to write. The suspenseful plot will grip your heart, make you gasp, and fall in love.
The world-building is phenomenal. Hawk is a master at blending fact with unrivaled imagination. Their attention to historical detail: the wintry streets in the Lower East Side, clothing, legitimate businesses of the time and political beliefs of citizens, all the way to the consolidation that created the New York City we know today, each is handled with such care as to paint a vivid landscape of the time, while not bogging down the reader in an unwarranted history lesson. Add to this, the creation of the Metropolitan Witch Police and their combative relationship with the regular police force, as well as the complex structure of animal familiars and where they exist in society, you've got one extremely powerful piece of storytelling.
Tom Halloran is a man with a serious past. A bad past. One full of regret, pain, and horror. And yet, Tom's mantra, passed down by his father, is to take care of those who need it. He's a beat cop who refuses to take bribes, doesn't get confessions via beatings, and in general is known by other coppers as Saint Tom. And I adore Tom. He is such a fascinating character, so believable, so relatable. Tom Halloran is an example of how to construct a three-dimensional lead that readers will fall in love with.
Cicero, a cat familiar, is on a mission to find his close friend Isaac, a familiar who has gone missing upon leaving the MWP. Unfortunately, the only way his chief will let him investigate the disappearance, linked to a gruesome death of another acquaintance who attacked a man like a rabid beast before he was thrown from a window in self-defense, is to team up with the rough, brick wall of an Irishman: Tom Halloran. Because a pawnbroker on Tom's beat brutally attacked and killed his wife in the same, animalistic manner. So there must be a link, right? But with the consolidation approaching at the New Year, no one but a beat cop and an unbonded familiar can be spared.
The relationship between Tom and Cicero is masterful writing. From enemies to friends to soulmates... Each man brings with him a considerable past full of hangups, worries, fears, in combination with intricate societal pressures, such as being a gay man in the late 1800s, being Irish or Italian, an honest cop in a brotherhood Roosevelt was still cleaning up, and a familiar seen as a tool instead of an equal. But despite these roadblocks, their romance is one I return to time and again, because it's just so beautiful.
There is so much in this book. And yet it is never a chore. Never tiresome or tedious. This is the sort of book all authors want to be able to write. The suspenseful plot will grip your heart, make you gasp, and fall in love.
The 13th Hex by Jordan L. Hawk
5.0
The 13th Hex is a fantastic introduction to one of Hawk's newest universes, Hexworld. Everything about this series is unique and complex. A breath of fresh air to both the historical paranormal genre, as well as the shifter genre. Characters are multi-layered with the full gambit of human interactions: love, joy, hurt, embarrassment, pain, and growth. Relationships are sweet, heartbreaking, erotic, and beautiful.
In this short story, we meet one of the first of many reoccurring characters: Dominic Kopecky. Dreams of working as a witch for New York's Metropolitan Witch Police have been dashed when his magical aptitude test comes back as a big fat zero. Dominic is however, quite a gifted hexman. He works at the MWP, spending his days at a drafting desk designing the hexes that witch police and their familiars will use in the line of duty. Everything from unlocking doors to settling stomachs, someone must draw the hex to be infused with magic, and Dominic is that man. When a number of hexes in the city go wrong, and there appears to be a murderer on the loose, unbonded familiar and crow-shifter, Rook, approaches Dominic for help in unearthing the mystery behind the seemingly innocent, hand-drawn hexes.
Dominic is a wonderful character. He continues to be one of my favorite humans in the series, despite his introduction being relatively short in comparison to novel follow-ups. He's the sort of man that any reader can relate to. Dreaming of a career and a life that the world has told him is not suitable. Gifted, but overlooked in a crowd. Even rather self-conscious when it comes to his body. And Rook is a fabulous counterpart to Dominic! They are like peanut butter and jelly. A perfect combination. One is never far without the other as the series develops, and for good reason.
I highly recommend this title and this series. It'll stir joy for those who love historical New York City, produce wonder in the hearts of paranormal fans, and awe for anyone who has yet to experience Jordan L. Hawk's wonderfully bizarre imagination.
In this short story, we meet one of the first of many reoccurring characters: Dominic Kopecky. Dreams of working as a witch for New York's Metropolitan Witch Police have been dashed when his magical aptitude test comes back as a big fat zero. Dominic is however, quite a gifted hexman. He works at the MWP, spending his days at a drafting desk designing the hexes that witch police and their familiars will use in the line of duty. Everything from unlocking doors to settling stomachs, someone must draw the hex to be infused with magic, and Dominic is that man. When a number of hexes in the city go wrong, and there appears to be a murderer on the loose, unbonded familiar and crow-shifter, Rook, approaches Dominic for help in unearthing the mystery behind the seemingly innocent, hand-drawn hexes.
Dominic is a wonderful character. He continues to be one of my favorite humans in the series, despite his introduction being relatively short in comparison to novel follow-ups. He's the sort of man that any reader can relate to. Dreaming of a career and a life that the world has told him is not suitable. Gifted, but overlooked in a crowd. Even rather self-conscious when it comes to his body. And Rook is a fabulous counterpart to Dominic! They are like peanut butter and jelly. A perfect combination. One is never far without the other as the series develops, and for good reason.
I highly recommend this title and this series. It'll stir joy for those who love historical New York City, produce wonder in the hearts of paranormal fans, and awe for anyone who has yet to experience Jordan L. Hawk's wonderfully bizarre imagination.
Hexmaker by Jordan L. Hawk
5.0
Hexmaker is the second, novel-length installment in the brilliant Hexworld series by Jordan L. Hawk. Very different from the lives of a copper walking the beat and his fantastic, cocky familiar... Hexmaker introduces the reader to a briefly mentioned character prior: Dr. Owen Yates. He might as well be from another universe when compared to the humble upbringings of so many other characters. Owen is the middle son of the Yates clan, one of 400-family living on Millionaire Row. They are old money, elite, and his mother in particular holds the keys to New York society. Owen's burdens don't lie in scraping together enough money to pay rent or put food on the table, but in representing his family. He is duty and honor bound to care for them and their prestige by marrying Edith Vandersee, the youngest daughter of a family with new money-- but lots of it.
We are treated to a character that while pampered his entire life, is not the sort of man who feels he is above others. And when he does have those moments, he catches himself. Corrects himself. Owen is a witch, a forensic hexman, and is absolutely in love with magic and his job at the MWP. But his commitment to a society he feels alienated from, and the responsibility to care for his family in his older brother's absence leaves him a shell of a man. True joy and happiness have all but been beaten out of him.
Mal, a fox familiar, thief, and second-story man, is the perfect counteract to Owen's rigidity. Mal's experienced the lowest of the low, been tossed aside by his family, by New York, has been seen as nothing but a nuisance his whole life, and yet he is a man full of energy and courage. No matter what, Mal keep taking each day as it comes. His bark of a laugh cracks the wall around Owen, his dominance and care directed toward his witch sparks a need in Owen, so deep and profound, the reader can feel his desperation to be touched, used, loved, and cared for in a way he's never once felt.
Their meeting and magical bonding is fast and fierce. Their sex desperate and needy. But their relationship unfolds gently, unexpectedly for them both, and is so utterly sweet. The men find a strength in one another, and they better each other in ways they were lacking before meeting. And all of this unfolds while Owen and Mal are investigating the murder of a millionaire collector, while Mal is being stalked and attacked by unknown familiars after having seen too much at the Jacobs house. Add to this a mysterious artifact linked to the uprising of feral familiars in the city who are trying to enact a new world order, and you've got one hell of an exciting story.
Adventure, mystery, heartbreak, joy, representation, and unrivaled imagination. This book is what writing is all about.
We are treated to a character that while pampered his entire life, is not the sort of man who feels he is above others. And when he does have those moments, he catches himself. Corrects himself. Owen is a witch, a forensic hexman, and is absolutely in love with magic and his job at the MWP. But his commitment to a society he feels alienated from, and the responsibility to care for his family in his older brother's absence leaves him a shell of a man. True joy and happiness have all but been beaten out of him.
Mal, a fox familiar, thief, and second-story man, is the perfect counteract to Owen's rigidity. Mal's experienced the lowest of the low, been tossed aside by his family, by New York, has been seen as nothing but a nuisance his whole life, and yet he is a man full of energy and courage. No matter what, Mal keep taking each day as it comes. His bark of a laugh cracks the wall around Owen, his dominance and care directed toward his witch sparks a need in Owen, so deep and profound, the reader can feel his desperation to be touched, used, loved, and cared for in a way he's never once felt.
Their meeting and magical bonding is fast and fierce. Their sex desperate and needy. But their relationship unfolds gently, unexpectedly for them both, and is so utterly sweet. The men find a strength in one another, and they better each other in ways they were lacking before meeting. And all of this unfolds while Owen and Mal are investigating the murder of a millionaire collector, while Mal is being stalked and attacked by unknown familiars after having seen too much at the Jacobs house. Add to this a mysterious artifact linked to the uprising of feral familiars in the city who are trying to enact a new world order, and you've got one hell of an exciting story.
Adventure, mystery, heartbreak, joy, representation, and unrivaled imagination. This book is what writing is all about.
Wild Wild Hex by Jordan L. Hawk
5.0
A highly entertaining and fun adventure set within the Hexworld universe by Jordan L. Hawk. Readers are able to step outside the hustle and bustle of metro New York City and into the wild and lawless West with Wild Wild Hex.
Enoch Bright works for the US Marshals, Magical Law Enforcement Division, more colloquially known as the Hexas Rangers. He's got witch potential, but no familiar, so he doesn't take on any particularly important cases. But when his posse gets left behind, Enoch is left to bring in the Gentleman Bandit, Rafael, on his own. Rafael is a familiar, a lonely hawk with a murky past. He roams the territories as a sort of dusty Robin Hood, looking out for families and ranchers in dire situations who would otherwise perish without the aid of the Gentleman Bandit. When he and Enoch meet, there is definitely a mutual sizzle of attraction between them.
But more than the desire to bed one another, Rafael is looking for help in taking down the bloodthirsty Bone Gang. And after Enoch recently ran afoul with the group of murders and thieves, the two temporarily teaming up may be the best, if not only way, to strike some law and order in the Wild West.
Much like The 13th Hex was a fast, yet highly enjoyable short that introduced us to this beloved world, Wild Wild Hex could easily be the start of a western spin-off, should Hawk have any interest in pursuing this angle of storytelling. Introducing US Marshal characters to counteract the urban hierarchy of the MWP could be a very interesting spinoff! The dirt, grit, wildness, and overall location are very strong in this short, one of the many draws Hawk's writing has for me. They have a true talent at making the setting an interactive character. I felt transported to this desert territory-- could feel the heat, taste the dry air. And without spoilers, the train scene was one hell of a fantastic ride!
I really adored this story, and I'm so thankful I have a physical copy from GRL that I can keep on my bookshelf with the rest of my treasured Hexworld reads. If you've not partaken in this story, I recommend this thrilling and romantic tale between Enoch and Rafael!
Enoch Bright works for the US Marshals, Magical Law Enforcement Division, more colloquially known as the Hexas Rangers. He's got witch potential, but no familiar, so he doesn't take on any particularly important cases. But when his posse gets left behind, Enoch is left to bring in the Gentleman Bandit, Rafael, on his own. Rafael is a familiar, a lonely hawk with a murky past. He roams the territories as a sort of dusty Robin Hood, looking out for families and ranchers in dire situations who would otherwise perish without the aid of the Gentleman Bandit. When he and Enoch meet, there is definitely a mutual sizzle of attraction between them.
But more than the desire to bed one another, Rafael is looking for help in taking down the bloodthirsty Bone Gang. And after Enoch recently ran afoul with the group of murders and thieves, the two temporarily teaming up may be the best, if not only way, to strike some law and order in the Wild West.
Much like The 13th Hex was a fast, yet highly enjoyable short that introduced us to this beloved world, Wild Wild Hex could easily be the start of a western spin-off, should Hawk have any interest in pursuing this angle of storytelling. Introducing US Marshal characters to counteract the urban hierarchy of the MWP could be a very interesting spinoff! The dirt, grit, wildness, and overall location are very strong in this short, one of the many draws Hawk's writing has for me. They have a true talent at making the setting an interactive character. I felt transported to this desert territory-- could feel the heat, taste the dry air. And without spoilers, the train scene was one hell of a fantastic ride!
I really adored this story, and I'm so thankful I have a physical copy from GRL that I can keep on my bookshelf with the rest of my treasured Hexworld reads. If you've not partaken in this story, I recommend this thrilling and romantic tale between Enoch and Rafael!
Hexslayer by Jordan L. Hawk
5.0
Another Hexworld book by Jordan L. Hawk, and another home-run for the historical, paranormal genre! This series ages like a fine wine. Each novel, each short story, progressively takes on more and more elements of this fantastical world, wholly immersing the reader in the experience of a lifetime.
The over-arcing plot of the series grows more intense in Hexslayer. After the epic events of Hexmaker, familiars are being side-eyed by society, politicians, religious groups, and police like never before. Those unfortunate enough to transform into what New York City now deems "dangerous familiars" are immediately hauled to jail for the "safety and well-being of others." And this is where we join Nick, a horse familiar and Rook's brother, who cares for the unloved, unwanted, or independent familiars in the city. As the owner of Caballus, a familiars' only bar and tenement, Nick has given up all of his own hopes, dreams, and chances at love, to assume the role of protector. It has hardened him, angered him, and made Nick fiercely distrustful of any and all witches.
Which is why the romance with Jamie MacDougal, an officer with the Metropolitan Witch Police, makes for such a wild ride! Circumstances involving murdered feral familiars, tied to both Jamie and Nick, force the two to temporarily bond in order to get MWP approval to inspect the mysterious deaths. But Nick refuses to be broken by a witch, especially one who was a rough rider, and Jamie isn't about to let a hardass like Nick boss him around or pity him like the rest of society does, due to his missing leg.
Jordan's romantic subplot in this book is stunning. These incredibly complex, deeply emotional men are strong-willed, courageous, and willing to show one another parts of themselves they've hidden from the world. Their tenderness and simple acceptance of one another soothes a real human ache-- a need to be loved for exactly who we are and nothing more. And Jordan nails that aspect.
I can wax endless poetic about this series, but I promise it comes from a place of pure honestly. Every note and beat of Hexslayer is necessary in Jordan's building of this epic, magnum opus.
The over-arcing plot of the series grows more intense in Hexslayer. After the epic events of Hexmaker, familiars are being side-eyed by society, politicians, religious groups, and police like never before. Those unfortunate enough to transform into what New York City now deems "dangerous familiars" are immediately hauled to jail for the "safety and well-being of others." And this is where we join Nick, a horse familiar and Rook's brother, who cares for the unloved, unwanted, or independent familiars in the city. As the owner of Caballus, a familiars' only bar and tenement, Nick has given up all of his own hopes, dreams, and chances at love, to assume the role of protector. It has hardened him, angered him, and made Nick fiercely distrustful of any and all witches.
Which is why the romance with Jamie MacDougal, an officer with the Metropolitan Witch Police, makes for such a wild ride! Circumstances involving murdered feral familiars, tied to both Jamie and Nick, force the two to temporarily bond in order to get MWP approval to inspect the mysterious deaths. But Nick refuses to be broken by a witch, especially one who was a rough rider, and Jamie isn't about to let a hardass like Nick boss him around or pity him like the rest of society does, due to his missing leg.
Jordan's romantic subplot in this book is stunning. These incredibly complex, deeply emotional men are strong-willed, courageous, and willing to show one another parts of themselves they've hidden from the world. Their tenderness and simple acceptance of one another soothes a real human ache-- a need to be loved for exactly who we are and nothing more. And Jordan nails that aspect.
I can wax endless poetic about this series, but I promise it comes from a place of pure honestly. Every note and beat of Hexslayer is necessary in Jordan's building of this epic, magnum opus.