New Release and a review The Hunted and the Hind By A.L. Lester.

Title: The Hunted and the Hind

Series: Lost in Time #3

Author: A. L. Lester

Publisher: JMS Books LLC

Release Date: 30 December 2020

Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male, Male/NB

Length: 40,000 words

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Mystery, Non-binary, Paranormal, Romantic Suspense, Historical, 1920s

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Synopsis

Inadvertently tumbling through the border after Fenn and then thrown into the middle of the internecine political disputes of their people, Sergeant Will Grant of the Metropolitan Police has spent three months in prison in the Underhalls of the Frem. When Fenn comes to free him and return him home through the border, he has very little time to work out what’s going on before the sudden appearance of Fenn’s missing younger sibling, Keren, throws Fenn for a loop.

Instead of returning them to London as planned, the trio step through the border to the Egyptian desert. Once they work out where they are, it’s a two week trip back to England with the possibility of pursuit both onboard ship and when they reach home.

Will the journey give Fenn and Will time to resolve the feelings they have been dancing around since the day they met? How will they keep Keren from recapture by the faction who tried to persuade Fenn they were dead? And has Will’s friend Alec forgiven Fenn for lying about their motives when they first traveled to London four months ago?

The Hunted and the Hind is the third and final book in the 1920s ‘Lost in Time’ trilogy. The books need to be read in order.

My Review

Note to self: When requesting an ARC copy of a book, make sure to read the entire blurb carefully. Yes, I did receive a free advance copy of this book, but I then had to purchase the first two books in the series because I got over-excited about the historical, time-travel, magic\paranormal theme and missed the last part that it wasn’t stand-alone. So, the author basically got two purchases from me in exchange for the free copy. 

On to the review: Yes, the blurb is right, you need to read the series in order. Book one, Lost in Time sets up some of the major characters of the series. Alec Carter and Will Grant come home from WWI and re-join the police force at about the same time. “Lew” Taylor is from the future where he was “working” (magical term) on a magical border between worlds. His foster sister is also a “worker” who transports herself back in time while trying to use the magic to find her dream job. Lew follows her “working” after he realizes what she’s done and is also transported back in time, but to a different year. While he’s searching for her, he finds friends to help him along the way. When one of those friends get murdered, he’s introduced to Alec Carter and Will Grant who figure out that he’s lying about something that might be related to the murder. Their investigation reveals the truth about the magical border and the “creature” that was pulled across from the other side when either Lew or his sister traveled back in time. The magical occurrences come to be known as “The Peculiar” with the group and the police supervisors above Alec and Will. Lew, Alec, and Will work together to try to locate the creature to stop the killing spree it’s on. 

In the second book, Shadows on the Border, we are introduced to Fenn who crosses the border (Their people call it the Shimmer) to capture the same creature that the others are also hunting. Fenn meets Will Grant first, and they become allies in their hunt for the creature. Will introduces Fenn to the others on his team. During Fenn’s stay with the group, it’s revealed that Fenn’s family (specifically the youngest sibling) is in danger if the creature is not caught and returned to the other side. The group finally captures the creature and Fenn works to push it back across the border, but Will is caught in the “working” and crosses over as well.

This leads us to the last book, The Hunted and the Hind, Will is imprisoned by Fenn’s people while Fenn works to free both Will and Fenn’s captured sibling Keren. Fenn’s society is undergoing a political battle that has created a dangerous situation for both Fenn and Keren. Fenn returns Will to his world on the other side of the border and brings Keren along to protect them. During this book, Alec and Lew are called in to assist the couple as they try to protect Keren from the wrath of one political faction from the other side.  

Often, I dislike reading series books that are not stand-alone especially if they have cliff-hangerish endings so it would have driven me nuts trying to figure out what happened to Will in Book 2 until Book 3 was released. But since I acquired all of them at the same time, I was able to just keep reading, and it was well worth it. The multiple romance arcs are a slow build over the entire series. Alec and Lew are the first to get their relationship lined out. Will and Fenn develop their relationship over the last two books, mainly in this last book of the series. 

I love the entire series, but the blurb tells me this is the last book in the series. I’m entirely disappointed if that’s the case because this storyline makes an awesome beginning for a continuing series of adventures for the entire cast of characters. Will, Alec, Lew, and Fenn work well together to thwart the enemy’s plans and to combat “The Peculiar” throughout the series. I’d be delighted to read any more books featuring these characters and future incidents of “The Peculiar.” Or maybe they get called to the other side to aid Fenn’s people with an incident? I hope my review puts a bug in the Author’s ear and encourages an exploration of additional scenarios for these characters.

Excerpt

“Can I ride the one over there, please, Will Grant?” Keren called across the yard, pointing at creature with a white stripe down it’s face that they’d become enamored of earlier.

Will Grant nodded and came across the courtyard toward them. “You may. That was my intention, anyway.” They looked at Fenn. “Do you have animals you ride in the Outlands?” they asked.

Fenn stroked Olive’s nose. “Not like these,” they said. “These are beautiful creatures. We sometimes ride the antacas we use for pack animals. Some  people breed them for meat, too. They have horns and a very sharp spine. And are extremely bad tempered. They’re smaller than these, though. Bumpy.”

Will Grant leaned against the stable door next to Fenn, as Keren took themselves across the yard to quiz the horse-keeper. He rubbed at Olive’s ears absently. “You’re not bumpy, are you girl? No-one would dream of accusing you of such a dreadful thing!”

The horse shook its head and buffeted Will Grant’s stomach. He staggered a little against Fenn’s side and blew out a laugh. It was very strange to see them like this, out of their city clothes, in what Fenn assumed were special clothes for riding. The humans seemed to have a variety of different clothes for each task, rather than sensible clothing that would serve for most things. Here in private, both Fenn and Keren had donned the extra clothes made for them in Port Said, patterned more or less on their usual loose trousers and robes.

It was even stranger to see Will laugh like this. After the conversation with their parent this morning, Will had seemed to let go of a little of the tension that had gathered round them since this trip had been mooted. It was a nice look on them, Fenn decided. Underneath it all was the tension and sadness that was Will’s permanent signature. But a little of that had eased. Fenn wondered what it would take to ease the rest of it.

“Come on, then,” Will Grant said, straightening. “Let’s get Keren up and we can go out for a wander through the woods and down to the lake. And once we’re there we can try our kias out near the water. We’re lucky Mama has kept the stable going, with no-one but her here to ride.” He glanced around. “The men coming home needed the work.”

Fenn nodded. “Your parent is a good person,” they said, cautiously. “They reminded me of Ana. Very…,” they searched for an accurate, polite word.

Will Grant laughed. “Very, yes,” they said. Their eyes had softened. “I haven’t done right by her,” they said. “I’ve been too wrapped up in my own head. I should have come home before.”

“It doesn’t sound like you were ready,” Fenn replied. “Home is a difficult place to be, sometimes.”

Will Grant shook their head. “But still. She’s my mother and she lost all of us. Father died a few years before the war and she missed him dreadfully. It was a love match, I think. They spent a lot of time together, anyway.”

Both of them were leaning against the stable door now, talking quietly whilst they watched the bustle as the horse-keepers got animals out for them all to ride.

“Is that not always the case, here?” Fenn asked, curiously.

Will looked at them over Olive’s nose. “For Mama’s generation, not always. Sometimes, marrying well is more important than whether you have strong feelings for your potential partner. Making the marriage and producing children is the thing, you see.”

Fenn looked at him.

“Not for me,” they hastened to add. “Mama has given up trying to marry me off. She made it clear this morning that she has no expectations in that direction at all.” They hesitated. “She said, you are welcome to visit here, too. She knows that I…have feelings…for you.”

Fenn was silent for a moment. “I would be honored to visit them,” they said. “Whether or not you have feelings for me, Will Grant.” They felt the shiver of embarrassment in Will’s kias. Humans did not talk about this sort of thing, apparently. Probably because most of them didn’t have kias and had to articulate everything verbally. It was very graceless and left a lot of room for misunderstanding. How did people without any kias at all between them manage?

They gently opened the edges of their kias to Will Grant and allowed their own feelings to be felt. Admiration, friendship, desire, love. All of it. Will glanced over and smiled, clearly picking some of it up without even trying to reach back.

The two of them stood against the door in amicable silence until the chief horse-keeper called across the yard, “Ready, Mr William? I’ve got Peter tacked up for you, here!”

Will Grant started. “Coming, Ralph. Thank you.

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Meet the Author

Writer of queer, paranormal, historical, romantic suspense. Lives in the South West of England with Mr AL, two children, a badly behaved dachshund, a terrifying cat and some hens. Likes gardening but doesn't really have time or energy. Not musical. Doesn't much like telly. Non-binary. Chronically disabled. Has tedious fits.

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New Pre-Release-- Ardent By Heloise West

Ardent from Manifold Press

Historical M/M Romantic Suspense

Renaissance Florence

Blurb:

In the village of Torrenta, master painter Morello has created a color that mimics the most expensive pigment of all, the crimson red. Master Zeno, from strife-ridden Medici Florence, tells him the color gives him a competitive advantage – but Morello must be careful. Fraud is ever-present in the dye and pigment markets.

As they work together in Torrenta, Morello falls hard for Zeno’s assistant, Benedetto Tagliaferro, a young man of uncommon beauty and intelligence. Benedetto is still fixed on his old lover, the master painter Leo Guisculo, and cannot return Morello’s affections.

But when Leo dies in a terrible accident, it’s to Morello that Zeno and Benedetto turn for help. And Morello soon finds that in Florence, every surface hides layers of intrigue.

75,600 words

Publication February 1, 2017

Preorder links:

Barnes and Noble

Manifold Press

Kobo

Excerpt:

     The village of Torrenta, Tuscany, June 1475

     Morello

The sun thrust warm fingers into the ancient Tuscan earth. The gray-green leaves of the olive trees shimmered, and the woods beyond beckoned Morello to abandon the painters’ workshop for their cool refuge.

In the growing heat the apprentices inside settled into an afternoon nap, curled on benches in dark corners behind him. The harsh fumes of linseed oil and varnish had irritated Morello all morning, and he was unable to sleep in the miasma. Perhaps before their visitors from Florence arrived, he might escape the heat. A long tramp in the woods pulled at his bones.

He reached for the walking stick behind the door, but a horse’s whinny stopped him, and a man’s voice called out. When no one stirred within to answer, he cursed the sleepers and stomped back through the shop, thwarted. In the lane in front of the workshop, two men removed packs from their horses.

“Good day, Master Zeno!” From the doorway, Morello called to the older of the two. “You made good time!”

At the sound of Morello’s voice, the apprentices roused themselves from sleep and peered around him.

The gray-haired master raised his hand and smiled. “Good day, Master Morello.”

Master Zeno’s companion, a tall young man with flowing golden hair, took the older man’s pack for him and shouldered the straps of both.

“Take their horses to the stable and fetch Master Franco,” Morello ordered the apprentices, and they hurried to obey.

Master Zeno’s journeyman brushed dust from the sleeve of his sweat-stained linen shirt, slapped more dust from his long thighs, and ran a forearm across his brow. His smile was uncertain as his glance met Morello’s.

Donato stood at the window yawning and scratching his stomach. He shaded his eyes for a better look into the misty glare of the afternoon. “Who’s the beauty with the master?”

Donato’s fellow journeyman Primo jumped to his feet and crowded against Morello in the doorway. “Can it be? He’s brought Tagliaferro?”

Donato groaned. “The man you’ve been mooning about since you last went to Florence, Primo? You’ve only just finally shut up about him.”

Morello ignored them. His irritation over his interrupted walk had vanished. Primo’s garlic- and onion-laden breath on his neck registered only remotely. He gazed out at the man from Florence, who, in Morello’s memory, had once been a long-legged boy with a head of yellow fluff too big for his skinny body. Morello stepped out into the sunlight that appeared to pour itself over the grown man, and stretched out his hand in greeting. Maintaining frank eye contact, Benedetto Tagliaferro adjusted the packs and took his hand.

When flesh met flesh, Morello stumbled – at least, his heart did. As if the wind from the beating wings of the love-inspiring putti he had painted just that morning pushed them toward each other.

“Do you remember me?” Benedetto asked with the shadow of that boy’s grin.

About Heloise West:

Heloise West, when not hunched over the keyboard plotting love and mayhem, dreams about moving to a villa in Tuscany. She loves history, mysteries, and romance of all flavors. She travels and gardens with her partner of thirteen years, and their home overflows with books, cats, art, and red wine.

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Book Review--If I Were Fire By Heloise West

If I were Fire

Heloise West

I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Conte Salvesto Masello is trying to save his family villa from creditors by selling off his family heirlooms. His father had gone mad and run up the debts Salvesto is trying to repay. Even worse, Salvesto hasn’t been able to locate some of the most valuable pieces of art work his father had hidden. Now, Salvesto is force to sell off his mother’s silver to one of the local pawnbrokers, Guelfetto. While dealing with the pawnbroker, Amadeo lands at his feet.

Amadeo made a bargain to rig the palio races for his contrade. When he didn’t lose as planned, his family kicked him out and refused to help him with his gambling debts. Guelfetto has Amadeo taken hostage and plans to sell him to their enemies, the Florentines. Instead, Salvesto pays his ransom with the last of his mother’s silver. Money that was supposed to go to pay off the villa. 

Now the two must find a way to save the villa and along the way, they find each other.

This book may be a short and quick read, but it’s very action packed. Over all it’s an enjoyable read, with good pacing and great descriptions. It could have been just a little nicer if it were a bit longer with some added depth. Even so I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. If you like historicals with good pace and a nice plot, I’d recommend putting this one on your list.