Book Review : Jon's Downright Ridiculous Shooting Case by A.J. Sherwood

What would things be like if psychics solved crimes? This is not an uncommon trope in novels, but Jon's Mysteries series takes it an entirely new way. In this series' alternate universe, one small change in the past has made it so modern psychics are licensed and regulated and often work hand-in-hand with the police.

Jon works for a company with other psychics who often act as consultants to the police and even FBI and CIA. He is a very powerful psychic who reads meridian lines of energy and can see a lot about other people. Everything from whether someone is lying to where they grew up is laid bare to his eyes. But in return for his abilities he can't handle any electronics and even being close to them can fry them. To even be in a car it needs to have EMP shielding. On top of that, he reveals the truth about people, often putting them in jail or just seeing what they want to hide. This means a lot of nasty people want him gone.

Normally Jon would have a partner to back him up and help him deal with the repercussions of being a psychic. But his talent is so powerful that most people get tired of having their electronics destroyed and dealing with his issues. He needs an anchor to keep him from getting lost in the minds of others, but it seems impossible for the preppy-cute and dry-witted guy to find someone he can be with.

Then Donovan shows up. A huge, hulky man most people find terrifying, Donovan is used to being feared. When he was in the military police it wasn't so bad, he was supposed to be scary, but now that he's trying to reintegrate into civilian life he's having a hard time. Even applying for a job at Jon's company is not going well until Jon spots him. And Jon sees the sweet marshmallow inside, not just the scarred exterior. Jon sees a patient, protective man who should be hired right that minute. So Jon's boss hires Donovan to be Jon's partner.

Two hurt men, each scared to believe someone will want them, put together solving crimes and just generally being adorable.

It's too cute. Really, some people might find it too cute. Jon and Donovan both are squishy sweet and need hugs. All the hugs. I adore them, but some people might find them cloying. There's just something about neglected, afraid of taking another chance people finding their perfect match that I love more than anything. Something about at last finding that perfect pairing, that person who sees who someone really is and likes that person. It's hugs all around since reading the sweetness is like that perfect, warm and tight hug that just makes you feel safe and comforted.

And there's murder! Crimes and serial killers, sneaky and crazy criminals, they all are threatened by Jon's psychic sight and Donovan's very big muscles.

At the front of the book:

Trigger Warnings: Your average cop show violence and criminals

Tags: Companionable snark, Flirting, Kissing, Jon needs a hug, Donovan gives the best hugs, Getting together, Self-esteem issues, Explicit content, Anal Sex, Romantic Sex, Random shooting, Which Donovan isn’t happy about, Donovan is a gentleman, Sort of, Jon just makes it REALLY REALLY HARD Okay?, Bisexual character, Public displays of affection, Muscles, Communication, Healthy relationships, The fluff might fucking kill you, Supernatural elements, Modern with Magic, Feels, All the Feels, Mostly accurate medical stuff, Multiple electronics died in the creation of this story, blame Jon

So many levels of humor in this series. Snark and wit and silliness and all-around feel-good fun.

Can you tell I love this series? It's perfection. And you know I'm picky and harsh. I don't give five stars for anything. But this series gets all the stars. Even the connected series about Donovan's brother gets some good stars too. If Jon was Goldilocks, Donovan would be Papa Bear and just right.

So, this is sort of a romantic paranormal mystery. Each book in the series features a different case that Jon and Don have to solve, along with all sorts of stuff on the sides. In Jon's Downright Ridiculous Shooting Case, out of nowhere a crazy young woman suddenly shoots a young college exchange student and accuses him of sending her blackmail letters but never showing up for the drop. Downright ridiculous, right? It gets weirder. And then even weirder.

In book 2 the group has to help a not-friendly police force and solve Jon's Crazy Head-Boppin' Mystery after some strange psychopath goes around sneaking up on random women, hitting them and running away. Donovan has to carry Jon like a damsel in distress and watch over him as Jon ends up recuperating for days after pushing himself too far.

Book 3, Jon's Spooky Corpse Conundrum, a body goes missing in a haunted mansion and among the police who are trying to solve the murder and find the corpse, Jon discovers someone he didn't think he would ever see again. And we find out what seemingly fearless Donovan is afraid of.

Jon's Mysteries series is followed by another series, this one featuring Donovan's brother who becomes an anchor for a medium after accidentally giving Jon a ghost for Christmas. Yep, ghosts are real and Brandon and Mack are soon solving their own cases.

All of the books are cute and funny, affirming and fun. Who knew love language included slamming prisoners down on tables and opening electronic doors?

Jon is preppy looking with his sweater-vests and tidy style. Blond, a little slim and not tall, he tends to be dismissed by those who don't know him or how powerful he is. He's very social and friendly, but rarely does anything with other people because he doesn't want to bother anyone. He radiates cheerfulness when he's happy.

Donovan is mostly Hawaiian and Tongan, so he's super big with lots of muscles and yummy warm skin. His size has always scared people, then acid was thrown on him, so now his scars scare people even more. He's really a gentle giant, a teddy bear, but people only see how intimidating he is. A big, darker-skinned man, even being the sweetest guy ever he still gets hassled.

It's too cute as these two both look at the other one with hearts in their eyes. And the rest of the characters think it's cute too. You can almost feel the subtle humor as the secondary characters silently laugh at how obviously these two like each other. Then again, both have spent their lives feeling uncomfortable and ashamed of their specialness.

Watching these two come together and learn to trust is one of my favorite parts of the series. They need each other so much, it feels so good when they develop and become who they are.

“You listen to me. If you see another serial killer or whatever while you’re out, and I’m not with you, do not follow him. You call me, I will drop everything and come running.”

I didn’t really mean to smile at him, it just sort of happened, a safety release for happiness overflow. “Okay.”

“I mean it, Bane.”

“I believe you,” I assured him, grin broadening. He made me think of that one line from  Sense and Sensibility: he’s the best and kindest of men. “Can I hug you?”

He wrapped both arms around me in response, hugging me tight enough to threaten the seams of my shirt. I didn’t care, hugging him back just as tightly. Such a warm, snuggling teddy bear, if a teddy bear could have these rippling muscles. He smelled really nice, too, like citrus. Not sure if I should say it, because I knew very well he was crushing on someone else, I hesitated. But I’d also gathered that people didn’t normally say stuff like this to him, so I said it anyway: “I’m really glad you’re with me.”

The writing style makes it very easy to picture even the body language of the characters. Sweet smiles, slight blushes, heart eyes, it all comes through even when not noted on the page.

There's a good mix of introspection and action in these books. Lots of police procedure and psychic elements too. They are very engaging. They get even better after reading more than once too as there are nuances and little bits that you might miss on first readings because they are just that layered. Nothing cardboard here, the world and characters and backgrounds are deep and rich.

The backgrounds are so rich and there are so many nuances that I'd absolutely love it if the writer came out with an anthology containing scenes from their lives. We have Jon seeing Donovan for the first time and being astounded by his inner goodness, what was it like for Donovan when the cute, little blond popped in and pulled his boss out for a secret conversation? What happened to lead Jon's old partner to leaving him on the side of the road with a knife in him? What about when Jon and Detective Borrowman first met? When Jon got hired? Defusing a bomb. Meeting his sister's husband. Seeing Skylar as a newborn. Donovan and Jonathan at the grocery store. Going to the movies. Helping the kids Donovan volunteers with. I want to read it all.

I prefer books with alternating POVs, which later books have, but the first book in the series is all from Jon's point of view and it leaves me wondering how Donovan internally felt when the little ray of snarky sunshine fell into his life.

All the books in the series are good about tying up loose ends. There also aren't a ton of errors, just a few minor ones. The depth of the world and even history of using psychics in police work is so well thought out that it impressive. That's one of my favorite parts about reading books by the this writer. She plots out everything better than most writers out there.

The books are pretty understandable. Not hard to follow. Though some aspects are a bit difficult.

They are in Nashville, Tennessee and I'm not familiar with the city. Glancing at a map or city skyline before starting the books might be a little helpful. Not needed, but it's hard to picture a city one hasn't been to.

Another bit unfamiliar is the food. Donovan's mother shows her love by feeding people, mostly traditional foods from Hawaii. If you are one of those people who want a full experience, order in some of the foods listed or just pick up a good Hawaiian or Pacific Rim cookbook. It definitely sounds like good food.

Sometimes I read mysteries to solve them. That isn't going to happen with these books. The crimes and people are just so weird there's no way to guess what happened ahead of time. It makes them even more interesting. No one could solve these crimes.

One of my favorite parts about the books is the stereotype demolishing, especially in their interactions. Big guy and smaller guy, we know who the bottom is, right? Nope, these guys are vers and their first time together Jon takes Donovan's curvy ass. It's really hot too. And later they play with handcuffs and blindfolds. Jon has a thing for being done up against the wall. Really good stuff, but not so much it takes away from the story or is more important than their relationship.

Good chemistry goes a long way. I love their relationship. It doesn't happen instantaneously, but rather a slow build up then a (literal) leap into a relationship. Donovan is decisive and Jon is good at reading people once he gets past his issues. They move quickly once they realize they each have a crush on the other. But their relationship goes in jumps and pauses as Jon's issues make him too afraid to go to the next step. It takes getting to book three before they finally really settle together.

I'd love to see more books with these guys. I like Mack and Brandon's but Jon and Donovan are my favorites. I'd love to see them get married and what the wedding would be like. Maybe looking for someone to perform the ceremony and finding a priest committing crimes between baptisms and weddings? They already have a florist.

It loses a bit of power seeing it through a screen, but to get a good feel for an important part of Tongan culture you should definitely watch this video as a Tonga team performs fierce Sipi tau.

Now imagine that fierceness keeping bad guys away. Tingles, right? Read the books and picture Donovan and enjoy.

Review : By Fairy Means or Foul by Meghan Maslow

Twig Starfig had no clue the unicorn was trouble the moment he walked into his office. Of course, it would be hard to notice trouble at that moment as he was busy forgetting his name and nearly drooling, completely overpowered by lust for the hottest guy he had ever seen. So much that he barely noticed the indentured servant who came into the office with him. Not a great way to show off detective skills.

Once Brandsome Nightwind, the unicorn, dials back on the unicorn lust magic though, Twig definitely starts noticing the cute human with him, and Twig's dragon half takes notice too.

While the unicorn tears up and tells his tale of woe, Twig finds himself constantly glancing at the other man who is rolling his eyes and just generally sassing behind his back. Apparently even being an indentured servant can't keep Quinn's sass levels low. And he doesn't seem to care for his master much.

The case is finally revealed by the distraught and stunning unicorn, Twig must find and get back the unicorn's horn.

As part dragon, Twig is able to magically sense where things are, so the case shouldn't be too hard. Though there is a holdup already. Brandsome doesn't have enough money for a deposit. Though he can temporarily sign over his indentured servant who will do anything Twig wants. Anything. Twig is not remotely interested in owning a sex slave, but before he can say no, he thinks about how Brandsome might just sign Quinn over to someone else to get the money. Unwilling to have that happen, he agrees to take Quinn as a surety.

As a half-breed, generally disdained by both fairies and dragons, Twig is a loner. He doesn't want or need anyone and has no intentions of keeping anyone around, but as he's forced to be around the human more and more, he finds himself falling for him. And his dragon doesn't help, he seems to have decided the human is his mate. Mate, not food, because his dragon half wasn't already weird enough.

Soon, the half-fairy, half-dragon who can't shapeshift, and the indentured servant who should be a wizard, but doesn't have access to magic, are falling for each other, but Brandsome still owns Quinn, and when they find the unicorn's horn, Quinn will have to go back to his owner. That is, if they survive trying to find the unicorn's horn.

I really enjoyed all three of these books and hope there will be more in the Starfig Investigations series. The world-building is top-notch, encompassing multiple realms and types of beings, each with their own uniqueness. 

A high fantasy romance detective novel shouldn't work, but it totally does. A fantasyland detective is as fun as a space western. It's as though the familiar set in the unfamiliar makes all the common tropes new again and fun.

The first two books in the series are solely from Twig's POV, while the third book is from Quinn's. While I miss seeing things from another point of view, it is better for the mystery to not switch between characters in each book as so many do today.

Twig Starfig tries to be the big, bad dragon detective, but while he is coarse and pretends to be gruff, he's really a marshmallow inside. He's bigger than most people because of his dragon blood, and he's just a bit bulky. He has midnight blue hair to his shoulders and black fingernails he can extend into claws. He can also shift his teeth, but is unable to shift his entire body into dragon form.

Quinn Broomsparkle is the first male witch wizard in 1000 years...well, he was supposed to be. Instead he was taken away from his family and taught magic for years, awaiting the day he came into his majority and could bond with a familiar to access his powers, only to find on that day that he couldn't seem to bond with any of the familiars at all. Sold into indentured servitude to pay back his schooling, Quinn is stuck with a narcissistic, mean-spirited unicorn who likes to gamble, cheat, and pass around Quinn at sex parties. This is not where Quinn saw his life going.

"Go ahead and say it. I can tell you’re dying to tell me something,” I said when he began chewing on his bottom lip. My dragon practically purred. What was that about? And what was with the urge to lean over and pull his abused flesh from his teeth? Must be the lingering effects of the unicorn’s magic. I was still so horny, my cock refusing to behave. My brain even now felt slow, but I could talk at least. Perdition, punishment, and perversions, that was some wicked magic. 

      “You’re awfully small for being dragon-born,” he blurted out, even though he was a good foot shorter than me. 

      Well that deflated my cock faster than a werebeaver with braces offering free blowjobs. My dragon wasn’t happy either if the grumbling in my head was any indication. 

      “And you’re awfully rude for a human,” I shot back. 

      He blushed. If I wasn’t so annoyed, I’d think it was adorable. But no.

The secondary characters are interesting as well. They each have very unique personalities and voices. It is very obvious when one or another is talking. They don't tend to reveal complex backstories, but they reveal enough to know they have them without hindering the storyline with unimportant details. Twig's father is an 8-inch tall fairy politician who wants Twig to run for office too. His dragon mother is slightly less terrifying and rules a clan in the dragon realm. There are also giants and ghosts, demons and and dragons, and numerous other creatures, including zombies.

Quinn is understandably intimidated by Twig at first. He's been used and abused for years and he doesn't trust Twig's altruism. But being afraid doesn't mean he's going to just roll over. He opens his mouth and talks back far too much for someone who knows he's likely to get his butt kicked for doing so. And when Twig doesn't punish him for it, he gets far more advanced in his snark.

“You know, dragons are known for their stamina,” I said to goad him a little. 

      “And selfishness,” he muttered under his breath, probably thinking I wouldn’t hear him. Little did he know, dragons had exceptional hearing.

The two are cute together. They play off of each other really well and have decent chemistry. The give and take between them reminds me a little of the snark chemistry between Flynn Ryder and Rapunzel, though the adult version.

There isn't a ton of sex in the book, but there are quite a few close encounters before they start. They want each other, but Twig is initially worried about inadvertently putting pressure on Quinn since he might not feel able to say no. Then, later, he is afraid of accidentally mating Quinn and since he don't want no relationship, his dragon will just have to suck it up, or suck it as the case may be.

The setting is really good. As they journey across the land we see the bad areas of the main fairy city, a huge desert, forests, and more. Each are unique and well-described, but not overly so so we aren't bombarded by details but can fill in our own images.

The pacing is good enough to keep one reading. Not too fast, not too slow. Just a steady stream of adventures, with a few high points throughout. I think the only slogging is in the desert.

Where By Fairy Means or Foul really shines is the tickle of the funny bone. It's sort of a better quality of Piers Anthony's Xanth style humor or along the lines of  Robert Asprin's MythAdventures. Less puns, but tidbits of silliness alternating with snark.

We continued through what had to be the center of the outpost, looking for a watering hole. It didn’t take us long. Another sign announced, “The Watering Hole and Inn.” 

“Creative folk.” I snorted, and then pushed through rickety swinging doors into a dimly lit saloon. An elderly cyclops barkeep shuffled down the counter toward us, setting down small pink doilies at each place along the way. Macramé hangings and weavings of cute Cerberus pups and adorable Pegasi foals littered every inch of wall space. Romance novels filled a large bookshelf near the bar. Not that I had a lot of time to look, but I did see a well-worn copy of Fifty Shades of Fae. 

“What’s with the grandma couture?” Quinn whispered from the side of his mouth.

The style of funny fantasy that doesn't take itself too seriously is my favorite part of the books. It's just genuinely entertaining. Though that doesn't mean there isn't character develop. Twig and Quinn both learn to trust each other and get past their issues quite a bit.

The editing is pretty good too. Few if any errors, and nothing overly wrong enough to disturb the story. Even the feel of the words was correct for the scenes.

Overall, By Fairy Means or Foul is fairly funny, even if a little foul. These two may be questing for a horn, but in fine fantasy style, a lot happens along the way, making the journey the destination. Twig and Quinn definitely deserve their HEA, even if it takes a form they could never have expected.

Oh, and the sequels are just as good! Most times, sequels lose the luster of the original and are just somehow lesser. But Be Fairy Game and His Fairy Share are both decent stories with new adventures and character developments. It is really worth reading all three. And hopefully the author will continue on.