Someone wants Dominic St. Clair dead—and they’re using music to say so.

When a handwritten funeral march appears beneath the door of his St. Charles Avenue mansion, seventy-two-year-old conductor Dominic St. Clair knows the threat is real. A fixture of New Orleans’s cultural life, Dominic has lived a long, public career shaped by legacy, loyalty, and carefully guarded truths. Now someone from his past is orchestrating a final reckoning—timed to his farewell concert series and designed to unfold in front of the entire city.

To protect him, Dominic hires The Guardians.

Former Army Ranger Thiago Reyes is used to danger—and to keeping his distance. Calm, controlled, and relentlessly professional, he’s not prepared for Dominic’s home, where music drifts through open doors and boundaries blur. Or for Luca Moreau, Dominic’s sharp-witted, fiercely loyal personal assistant, who’s been holding Dominic’s world together for years. To Luca, Dominic isn’t just a client. He’s family. And Luca doesn’t trust anyone whose job comes with an expiration date.

As the threats escalate from ominous warnings to break-ins and near-misses in the streets of New Orleans, Thiago and Luca are forced into uneasy proximity. Their chemistry is immediate—and inconvenient. While Thiago digs into a decades-old grievance tied to Dominic’s rise, Luca refuses to believe this stoic bodyguard won’t disappear once the danger passes.

Each threat arrives like a new movement in a deadly composition, building toward a public finale during Dominic’s final performance. As the city’s music swells and the danger turns unmistakably real, Thiago and Luca must learn to trust each other completely.

Because protecting Dominic may cost them everything—and choosing each other may require the courage to finally step into the light.

Counterpoint is a romantic suspense novel about devotion, legacy, and the people who stand between others and harm—set to the rhythm of New Orleans, and a love story worth fighting for.

Review:

Dominic St. Clair is a music conductor in the last part of his life. He knows he's made mistakes in his past, but when someone sends a warning shot through the window of his salon while he's in the middle of practicing, he knows they mean business, and he knows why they did it.  

Thiago Reyes thinks his new assignment will be just like all his other protection assignments. Move in, protect the target and go back to New York until his next assignment. He never gets too emotionally involved with his charges or the people around him. However, he doesn't factor in a strong attraction to his target's personal assistant, or an old man set in his ways who refuses to follow orders and do what's necessary to keep him safe.

Luca Moreau loves his job as Dominic St. Clair's personal assistant. He loves his boss like family too, but he knows something is missing. So when the bodyguard sent from the The Guardians security company is dark and gorgeous, if a little uptight, he has to decide if he wants to pursue the man or ignore the attraction all together. After all, he doesn't even know if the man is gay.

When the sniper shot is fired through the window of Dominic's salon during practice, he knows it's the beginning of something dangerous. Someone has him in his sights, so he does what's necessary to protect himself and those in his household, even if he has no intention of changing anything about his life in the process. Thiago figures out pretty quickly that Dominic does what he wants, when he wants and doesn't take orders well. It takes both himself and the man's personal assistant who can read a room like a book to begin to truly understand what is going on and who has it out for Dominic. While they work together, Thiago and Luca discover an attraction neither of them can ignore, but each knows their focus must be on Dominic and keeping him safe, so until the danger is past, only stolen moments can happen. Will they be able to keep Dominic safe, or will the killer get to him first?

I absolutely LOVED this second book in The Guardians series! The found family aspect was one of my favorite parts, as was the slow burn romance between Thiago and Luca. The secondary characters are all well developed, and really add to the story. The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat from page one. If you love romantic suspense novels and mm romance, you do not want to miss the second installment of this series.Oh, and each book is a story in and of itself so you don't have to read them in order which means you can pick and choose as you like. I love that, and I know I'll be picking up book 3 as soon as it arrives!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Two worlds. One prophecy. A love that could doom them both.

Harper

Elves don’t exist.

They definitely don’t crash through portals in the middle of the DMV, looking like a gorgeous God of Thunder, and announce that I’m the chosen one destined to save their world.

Aaran is definitely real, dangerous, magic-wielding, impossible to ignore, and terrifyingly persuasive. After he saves my mother from a brutal, early death, how am I supposed to say no to helping him?

I can barely keep my own life together—my driver’s license is about to expire, for god's sake. How am I meant to fight a witch queen, survive her monsters, and save an entire world I didn’t even know existed?

Aaran

My mission was simple: find the human woman and bring her to Domhan to fulfill the prophecy.
Caring for her was never part of the bargain.

I shouldn’t have healed her mother of the cancer. The effort nearly killed me. But my world is dying, and I couldn’t stand the thought of Harper losing the last person she loves, even if it costs me everything.

The oracle claims her magic is powerful and untapped. If they’re wrong, we won’t survive long enough to reach the witch queen. If they’re right, maybe Harper will save us all, if dark magic and constant danger don’t tear us apart first.
Every step we take binds her closer to me. Desire may be the one magic neither of us can control.

This book was previously published as Light and Shadow by A.S. Fenichel

A Crown of Light and Shadow is the thrilling first book in the Reign of the Witch Queen series. If you love a fated mates, chosen one, good vs. evil romantasy that you can't put down, then you'll love A Crown of Light and Shadow.

Read A Crown of Light and Shadow today!

Review:

Harper is a human woman who can barely keep track of her life. Hell, she can't even manage to get her driver's license renewed on time, never mind the rest of her life. She's just doing the best she can while caring for her beloved mother who has been battling cancer. 

Aaran is an elf, from another realm and on a mission. A mission to help fulfill a prophecy that speaks of three human women who are the solution to defeating the witch queen; an elf who has turned to the dark side and is slowly destroying his realm. 

When everybody in her local DMV suddenly freezes as if they are stuck in time, Harper knows something is up. When a guy looking like Thor, the god of thunder steps out of a vortex and into the DMV right in front of her, and then knows her name, she's positive of it. Still Harper being Harper isn't willing to just accept the hot elf's explanation that she's to be savior of his realm, and she's definitley not going anywhere with him, or so she thinks. Even though she's pretty much made up her mind, she takes him with her when she leaves, not that he was going to let her leave without him, and even though she thinks he's crazy thinking she can help save his realm she listens. She even takes him with her to visit her mother in hospice. During that visit, Aaran does something that modern western medicine hasn't been able to do, he heals her mother of her cancer. What else can she do but go back to his realm with him to help him save his people?

OMG! This book is sooooo good!! It has everything you could want in a romantasy. A hot elf (who doesn't want a hot elf?), an ordinary woman getting picked up in one world and taken to another, a really evil witch to defeat, the possibility of not being able to stay with the one you love (Harper has to go back to her world and her mother if she survives), some very sensual and hot hanky panky, and a heck of a lot of cool world building. Oh, and lots of awesome secondary characters to get to know. This is one of those books that you read when you have a nice long weekend and several hours of uninterrupted reading time (or figure out a way to create it). It's the kind of book where you tell the hubby and the kids not to bother you on pain of death. They'd better figure out how to make their own meals, clean up after and entertain themselves, because you are reading this book and you are not moving from this spot until you're done! If you love elves, fantasy love stories, truly evil villains, wonderful secondary characters, and great world building, then you don't want to miss this book. Seriously, I highly recommend it! 

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

On a struggling alien vineyard, the only thing harder than surviving is letting someone get close.

Mariska

I have two years to make this work, and time is running out. The cozy small town is scary when the Aderians are all empaths who seem to know your innermost thoughts.

I came to Llykhe to escape, to find myself again. The vineyard granted to me by the Aderians is supposed to be my salvation, even if it’s rundown and the machines are failing. I have space, but not the privacy I came for.

Then there’s Jeltom. Grumpy and silent, he’s not your typical Aderian empath. When I ask him for help, he actually says no. With Valentine coming, I wonder if explaining a human holiday and asking him to share it is brave or foolish.

Jeltom

I hadn’t come home to fall for anyone. After being shot, I want simple: familiar air, quiet nights, and absolutely no responsibilities. Then Mariska crosses my path, human and shy like a skittish animal.

Giving her my help when she needs it is easy. It feels like the purpose I’ve been searching for all my life.

When she mentions a custom called Valentine, a strange human ritual, I don’t understand it, but I want to. Not for tradition’s sake, but for hers. This human might just be the one thing my people have forgotten how to find: my fated mate.

The Alien Warrior’s Valentine is a standalone Valentine-themed steamy sci-fi romance featuring a scarred alien warrior searching for home, and a traumatized human looking for peace. This is a story of love and redemption. It’s cozy, sweet, with a little action and a whole lot of romance.

Review:

Mariska is kidnapped, put in stasis, taken to another part of the universe and then rescued along with her human compatriots. When her best friend finds love, not wanting to be the third wheel, she decides to strike out on her own and asks to emigrate to a planet of empaths. She signs a two year contract and takes over a broken down homestead. The fact the Aderians can feel her every emotion (and sometimes she wonders if they can read her thoughts too) makes Mariska nervous. They're nice enough and most of them offer to help her, but Mariska mostly doesn't accept. 

Jeltom is unlike many Aderians; he's not empathic. After getting shot on an off-planet mission protecting scientists, all Jeltom wants is to be left alone to brood. He's returned home and is living in an old broken down cottage or maybe more like a shed behind his cousin's bar. He's perfectly fine having no responsibilities and a simple life. Then Mariska bursts onto the scene and changes everything.

When Mariska takes stock of the previous year, she realizes all she has to show for it is a sour wine and broken machinery that she's constantly trying to keep going. She knows that if she doesn't get her machines fixed, she's not going to be able to make her homestead profitable and she'll have to leave. That was the deal when she signed on to emigrate to Adera. So she decides to go into town and ask the one Aderian that doesn't make her uncomfortable, if he knows someone that can help; the owner of the bar The Laughing Nia, Avertom. He directs her to a man sitting in his bar named Jeltom. When instead of automatically offering to help before she even asks, when she does ask, he says no which really surprises her. But it also convinces her, he's the one she wants to help her. So, after a bit of haggling and chatting Jeltom more out of curiosity than anything says he'll help. It doesn't take long before a simmering attraction develops between the two, and Mariska even attempts to ask him if he wants to celebrate Valentine's Day with her. Of course he has no idea what she's asking and embarrassed she drops it. Fortunately for her, Jeltom wants to know more and contacts a friend of his who might be able to find out what Mariska wanted. Little do they know though, someone from Jeltom's past is about to burst onto the scene putting Mariska in grave danger. Will Jeltom get to her in time? Will he be able to put his Valentine's Day plan into motion?

I really enjoyed reading The Alien Warrior's Valentine. I love alien romance and Ms. O'Connor did a stellar job with this one. It has great world building, and wonderful emotional relationship buildilng, as well as plenty of spice! These two are perfect for each other, and it was fun to read about how they eventually come together. The mix of Alderian and human traditions really make it interesting as well. If you love alien romance, then you definitely want to add this one to your TBR pile!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Life as a half giraffe mage, a hybrid on the fringes of society, has its positives and drawbacks. Greginald (Gre) lives a simple life with his apothecary shop selling the odd herbal tea and spell for enhancements for certain kinds of men. Together with his whispering books and poltergeist that haunts the kitchen, he lives a fancifully dull life—until Esmeray comes along.

Esmeray is working his way up from the bottom in his father’s law firm to prove himself worthy of the Faust name. The only problem is a certain mage who has earned the ire of the church and society at large. Well, that and his sentient demon shadow. Defending the mage means defending his life as well. They’ll do anything to ruin Greginald.

Review:

Greginald is a half giraff shifter half mage hybrid who is most comfortable in his half shifted form. It can be uncomfortable for him to shift into his human form, so he spends as much time as he can in his half shifted form. Greginald owns an apothecary shop, and is fastidiously neat. 

Esmeray is a demon and a lawyer in his father's law firm. Because he wants to make it to the top of the firm on his own merits he has essentially forbidden his father to help him. So, his current office is a windowless room, and he takes on a lot of the work others don't really want to do.Oh, and he drives an old car as well. No perks from daddy just because daddy is rich, wealthy and owns the firm.

When Esmeray walks into Gre's office and tells him that he along with several others is being sued for cursing a man's d*** so it won't work properly, to say Gre is stunned would be an understatement. Afterall, just because he could do such a curse, doesn't mean he would. Gre's not like that, in fact he goes out of his way to help people, no matter how tempting it might be at times to do otherwise. Fortunately, Grey is so organized, he has enough evidence to make it easy for Esmeray to possibly get the case thrown out. Things get very dicy though when Esmeray's father arrives with a request Gre is not sure he wants to do. It will take some smooth talking and some very creative thinking if Gre is going to save both Esmeray and himself.

Beware the NeckRomancer by Lilo Quie is such a delightful read! I loved all the quirky characters and the world building is fabulous. The love scenes are emotional, and the way that Gre and Esmeray fall for each other is just sublime. And the secrets, oh the secrets that get revealed in this book about the different characters, twists and turns there is no way I could have imagined in my wildest dreams. Plus all the different gods, and goddesses are just so much fun, their personalities are all so distinct and yet so very human and at times fallible. I just loved them! If you enjoy MM Shifter Romance, or even if you've never read one before, I can so recommend this one to you! Check it out, you won't be sorry.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.