New Release Review: Merman & Magic: Part One Box Set by L.M. Brown #Review #Giveaway

Title: Merman & Magic: Part One 
Author: L.M. Brown 
Publisher: Pride Publishing 
Publication Date: April 14, 2020
Length: 931 pages 

Reviewed by Sammy

Synopsis

This fascinating series continues to captivate and entertain with a world full of magic, passion and sexy mermen. ~ The Romance Reviews
Mermen & Magic: Part One – a box set
1 - Forbidden Waters For the dying race of mer people, homosexual relationships are prohibited. When Kyle falls for Prince Finn he knows he is navigating forbidden waters.
2 - Tempestuous Tides Bound by a curse, two mermen find the greatest love of their lives, but can they keep it?
3 - Dangerous Waves A blind merman fleeing the sunken city of Atlantis is torn between the family he left behind and the love he swims toward.
Centuries ago the city of Atlantis sank below the waves, lost to the world above forever. With the help of their gods and the indigenous mer people the Atlanteans survived on the floor of the ocean for many years, until the day they vanished.
Now the sunken city of Atlantis is home to the largest colony of mer people left in the world. Hidden from all by the magical sea dragons they only venture up on land to mate.
Cursed by an Atlantean goddess, the mer people are slowly becoming extinct. Believing they are safe in the sunken city, they have no idea one of their own is inadvertently waking the sleeping gods and the original inhabitants of their city are merely biding their time until they can reclaim their land once more.

Purchase Links 

Pride Publishing 

Amazon

Review

L.M. Brown’s Merman & Magic Part One is a compilation of the first three books in her series, Forbidden Waters, Tempestuous Tides and Dangerous Waves. While you might think you can read these in any order or as standalones, I think you will get the richest experience and less confusion overall if you read this series in order. These novels do have recurring characters and gods and goddesses so that too means you lose the backstory of these folks if you read this series out of order.

From the first book which boasts a love triangle, humor, and magic, to the last one, the author creates a fascinating undersea world that spills over onto dry land in every story. We begin by meeting a nomadic tribe of merfolk who move from one area of the ocean to others avoiding or evading shark attacks. It’s one of these such attacks which will virtually wipe out most of the mermen of the tribe leaving a young man, Kyle, to take on the mantle of leadership. There is a safe haven for the merfolk but it entails giving up all their rights and forbids the practice of same sex relationships—and Kyle is, you guessed it, gay. After the shark attack wipes them out, they head to Atlantis and essentially prepare to sign away their independence. This is the basic plot vehicle for book one and leads Kyle to meeting the two men who will become his partners in life.

The second book picks up with a character we meet in the first one. Lucas is an advisor to the king of Atlantis and closeted. Each book deals with what happens to merfolk when they come into “heat” and the need to mate. For merman like Lucas and Kyle they find no satisfaction with women so that time is particularly painful for them. Lucas meets Justin—who wants nothing to do with his merman heritage and here is where the gods come into play—they levy a curse on Justin that will potentially keep he and Lucas from ever finding their happy ever after in each other.

The third novel brings the character, Dax, Kyle’s former lover from book one who went off on his own rather than travel with the others to Atlantis, back into play. We also meet the oracles and once again a goddess is called on for help. As you can see this is why it’s really important to read this series in order, in my opinion. I have deliberately not spent any time telling you details from any of the novels in this collection because to do so would make this review four pages long. Instead I want to give you my overall impressions of the three novels.

First, the world this author creates is a fascinating one—highly detailed with multiple locations and a wealth of characters. Without going into lengthy prose passages detailing the various locales, the author manages to give us a rich and colorful depiction of each place our characters live and visit. Quite a feat. Secondly, I found the series easy to read despite each story having multiple twists and turns and fast-paced action sequences. I take my hat off to this author keeping everything and everyone in order from book to book—that is quite the task considering how many folks are in these novels and how they eventually intertwine. I had no problems whatsoever recalling characters from previous novels and keeping track of the new ones.

Then there was the humor found in each novel. Despite the problems our mermen encounter in these three books, the author finds multiple ways to infuse each story with lighter moments and even some snark that keep the books from getting too heavy despite the serious scenarios explored. How Justin and Lucas meet comes to mind immediately—it was just fun—and with a curse looming over poor Justin’s head that made for much needed comic relief. I found myself really enjoying how the author brought much needed levity into the serious plotlines.

I did find that the endings in these novels often felt a little rushed. I also think there were some plot elements such as the trident thing in book one that seemed to go nowhere—at first, important then dropped. Then there was the use or non-use of the gods and goddesses. It felt as though they should have had a bigger role in resolving conflict issues but instead they seemed to appear on the scene and not really be used fully. For instance, the goddess Medina was built up as one being really powerful and yet we really didn’t get to see that—maybe that will be more fully explored in the other books in this series.

Overall, I really enjoyed these first three books. There were times I felt a bit of editing could have helped as sometimes the stories dragged on a bit and I found myself getting a little bored with the story but then something fascinating would occur and draw me right back in. I think author L.M. Brown has created a marvelous world of magic and folklore that will entice may readers to stay the course and enjoy all six books in this lovely series.

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Random Review: To Change The Stars by L.M. Brown #Review #Giveaway

Title: To Change The Stars
Author: L.M. Brown
Publisher: Pride Publishing/First For Romance 
Publication Date: April 23, 2019
Length: 156 pages

Reviewed by Truus


Synopsis

Jessiah will do whatever it takes to save his people—lying, spying or even selling his body.


A book written hundreds of years ago holds the key to the future of the last survivors of the human race.

Growing up in a massive underground cave network, Jessiah has never known any other world. When he discovers the existence of a time portal, he enlists the help of his friends to expose the truth about the greedy scientists who control it.

Garrett has no head for science and struggles to earn the respect of both his peers and his father. With a taste for parties and whores, Garrett is the chosen target for Jessiah and his friends to gain access to the laboratory containing the time portal.

Impatient and impulsive, Jessiah decides to move things along at a faster pace by playing the role of a prostitute to get close to Garrett. He is prepared to sacrifice his virginity for their cause, but he doesn’t plan on falling for Garrett in the process.

With the future of the human race in the balance, the stakes for humanity are high. With his heart on the line, the risk Jessiah takes might be even higher.

Only together can Jessiah and Garrett change the stars of everyone in the caverns.

Purchase Links

Publisher

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Review

There is an entire civilization living underground because of the poisonous air on the surface, caused by the Last War.

When Jessiah, Corinne, and Ashleigh get the knowledge of a Portal to better places which is located and hidden in a science lab, they have to infiltrate one of the scientists’ life to find access to the portal. Garrett seems to be an easy one.

Garrett is always looking for new whores and never engages with one twice. When he laid eyes on Jesse, he is more than intrigued by this whore.

Under false pretenses, Jesse finds a way to get Garret’s attention.

Jesse feels uncomfortable pretending to be a whore, but it’s all for an important cause.

When both men get involved, there is an added problem, Jessiah didn’t expect to fall hard for the man who only sees him as a whore.

To get to the portal it isn’t as easy as it seems and even more difficult after Garrett gets fired by his own father.

What a delicious read this was.

I expected it to be a harsher read with a lot of resistance but surprisingly it was quite a kind story. This was one of the things I loved in this read.

The story is smoothly written and comfortable to read. The scenery was not extensively developed, but enough to get a good impression. Most of the characters were all kind of nice and accommodating, except a few rude ones. Both Jessiah and Garrett were absolutely adorable and very lovable. Their emotions and sexy times were all delicious and well displayed. The whole move from the civilization stayed a bit vague but I didn’t mind because for me this story was all about Jessiah and Garrett.

I loved the huge and unexpected decision they made at the end!

Overall a captivating and entertaining read.

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Book of the Week: Falling Into Darkness by L.M. Brown #Review

Author: L.M. Brown
Book: Falling Into Darkness
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Publication Date: December 13, 2016
Length: 284 pages

Synopsis

Their love could save the soul of a fallen angel or damn an archangel to an eternity in hell.

The realm of angels was created as a paradise where angels could watch over the earth as mankind took his first steps. For the archangel Michael, it is the only home he has ever known and he could never envisage another life. Michael’s life changes the day his path crosses that of the favoured son of the morning. From the moment he saw him, Michael wanted Lucifer for his own. When the two angels come together the passion surprises them both.

Their love is forged in heaven, but is doomed the moment Lucifer falls from grace to become the leader of an army of demons.

Separated by war, the former lovers know the time will come when they must face each other in battle.

Their confrontation will set in motion events that neither could have foreseen. For Lucifer it is the chance to persuade Michael to stand at his side, as his partner as leader of the demons. For Michael, it is a mission to save his lover's soul, while risking his own.

Torn between his love for Lucifer and his duties as an angel, Michael walks a fine line, where one wrong step could result in his own fall from Heaven, and an eternity in hell.

Buy Links

Pride Publishing

Amazon

Review

This book… Where do I begin? There was so much happening in this story and it takes place over centuries! Yes, centuries. It begins before Lucifer’s fall from grace and follows him long after. It’s told entirely in Michael’s POV however.

Archangel Michael begins with admiring Lucifer’s beauty and when Lucifer realizes Michael’s love is everything to him he never lets him go. When this book started I immediately wondered how this could possibly work. The ruler of the Underworld and the leader of the Archangels? I read it with that in mind. I tried not to be surprised when choices were made and decisions were followed through. But, it’s a very emotional story. 

Lucifer and Michael, I’ll admit, are smoking hot when they are together. The level of sex in this book is off the charts. But, there’s so much more to this story than the sex. The passion is scorching, the plot is layers upon layers.

While reading Falling Into Darkness the author weaves us through time and circumstance. We visit many situations, tragedies, epic love, and drastic falls. We see birth, rebirth, death, and destruction.  At times this book consumed me and dragged me into the pits of Hell with Michael and Lucifer, and just as easily is had me souring into the heavens with them.

There’s no question you won’t be able to put this book down. You’ll not only want to know how this can possibly end, well, you’ll NEED to know.

This is an amazing, powerful, and gripping book!