Review: The Retired Assassin’s Guide to Orchid Hunting #2 by Naomi Kuttner

Rating: 5⭐️

I love this series so much. Intelligent storytelling, great characters, and unusual plot elements make this a really great series and entertaining read.

A paranormal cozy murder mystery that takes place in a unique small town in New Zealand, the author continues to explore her fascinating town and its unique inhabitants, many of whom have secret identities and unique backgrounds.

Including Dante, retired assassin, master wet worker, reluctant gardener and now cat owner. He’s trying to learn how to integrate into society, stop being an assassin (no small task when killers still pop up), and have a “normal life”. His small group of friends now include a neighbor and former con artist, Eleanor, and Charlie, a gardener who sees and communicates with ghosts.

Along with his AA group/(Assassins Anonymous), Dante has a full time just getting into the day. Here it’s an Orchid Society holding a special event in the town where events of the story are set to take place.

Kuttner uses New Zealand, from its gorgeous flora and fauna, to its connection to nature and its people here with the orchid and a special moth. The moth in particular turns into a powerful and beautiful aspect of the story.

Charlie, sweet yet deep in his beliefs connected to the land is one character who is evolving into a spectacular person. So is Eleanor. Rock on, Scooby gang!

The writing is so good. The flow of the story is fast, and the entire book goes way too quickly because it’s over before I’m ready for it to be.

Highly recommended. But start with the first book and then read on. Fabulous!

Love the simplicity of the covers.

Retired Assassin’s Guide (3 book series):

The Retired Assassin’s Guide to Country Gardening #1
The Retired Assassin’s Guide to Orchid Hunting #2
The Retired Assassin’s Guide to Amateur Theatrics #3 – Dec 7, 2026

Buy link

Book 2 of 3: Retired Assassin’s Guide

Blurb

Assassin. Gardener. Reluctant cat adoptee.

All Dante wants is to be left alone in the small New Zealand town no one’s heard of. No drama. No bodies. No questions.

But then, of course, the orchid convention comes to town, and Dante is knee deep in suspects, intrigue, and red herrings.

On top of all this, Dante must navigate a mysterious woman from his past, cat issues, and the terrifying prospect of a first date.

And he has to do it while fighting his instinct to solve problems the old-fashioned way: permanently.

The ‘Retired Assassin’s Guide to Orchid Hunting’ is a cosy paranormal mystery with found family, ghosts, a grumpy assassin and a sunshine gardener.

Come for the murder, stay for the cat, the gardens, and the chaos.

Publisher

Inkblot Publishing Ltd

Publication date

December 16, 2025

Language

‎English

Print length

320 pages

Book 2 of 3

Retired Assassin’s Guide

Recently Released Books That, Not Surprisingly, Won’t Be Reviewed By Me This Month or In The Near Future

There’s a short list of books recently published by authors I like and would have normally read and reviewed. However, for several reasons, each book has one or two elements that have made it into my “nope, not going there” category of book reads and reviews.

Starting off strong and really surprising in the Christmas category is

💀Merry and Bright by N.R. Walker, one in her Hartbridge Christmas series. Why is it on the list? Because as an opener, a heartwarming story begins with the main character running over a cat and killing it with his car. Accidentally of course, but nothing says holiday season like dead animals. Unbelievable. What is this author doing? Nothing more to say.

🔷Milo Ashby Needs A Bad Boy : Princes Take New York by K Sterling

I actually stopped a book prior to this release. It’s stories about billionaires/mega millionaires and royals who despite their wealth need love. Now K Sterling does a great job with nuances in her characters but filthy rich is still filthy rich. I realize that Sterling started this series years ago however the political climate and current situational dynamics make this an awkward series to continue.

Particularly as the atmosphere around here in RL is definitely not favorable towards the 98 percent of the RL billionaires and millionaires currently behaving so poorly. So books and characters of this kind feel tone deaf.

So hard pass on billionaires and multimillionaires as main characters unless they’re villains or cadavers.

And royals? Overseas, that’s the audience. But it feels less geared towards an American readership, so more likely an element people can’t connect with.

And Sterling isn’t alone here. There’s several writers, some British authors, some American, who’ve recently published stories about billionaires searching for love. And it’s books that feel out of touch with current reality .

Like rich influencers trying to complain about the lack of money and views because nobody wants to see them hawking their products in mansions when people are scrambling to buy food and pay bills.

These stories have lost their credibility with me. I have no interest in this trope.

PS: Don’t kill any animals, don’t make them disappear. Don’t mess with the animals. Movie or book. No!

So nope. Nope to all of the above. There’s so many other fantastic writers and tropes to explore that I just don’t feel like reading any of the above. And definitely not reviewing them.

Your thoughts? Any absolute nopes now in your reading?

Review: To Claim a Ghost :The Ghost Protectors Book 2 by Annabella Stone

Rating: 4.5🌈

The second book in The Ghost Protectors series, part of a larger military suspense romance universe created by this author, I found To Claim A Ghost a hit, full of characters and elements that make Stone so successful in this trope.

This was especially well written in the dynamic between the two characters who were torn apart by their respective families and political factions, then eventually reunited under the worst conditions.

To be a Ghost, a member of a secret paramilitary unit, is to be “dead”. To everyone who knew them, to have been “buried” and mourned by those who loved them. Even their own teammates don’t know each other’s stories.

So the burden and trauma of seeing the past before you and everything that entails is emotionally detailed in the scenes here and within the characters themselves. Angelo, now a Ghost and his former husband, Toro, and a sketchy undercover mission in Afghanistan that involves both the Ghost team and his former husband’s current situation.

It’s an investigation that’s involves current events, layered political realities, and multiple battle scenes. Fast paced, gritty and unpredictable.

At its length, there’s still a few elements that feel unresolved. I have a feeling they will be picked up in later books and storylines.

This is a terrific series and a very engaging read. One I’m happy to share.

Cover Design: LK Graphics

Cover Photo: David Wills Photography Models: Christopher John & David Wills

The Ghost Protectors :

To Love A Ghost #1

To Claim a Ghost #2

To Tame A Ghost #3

Buy link

Book 2 of 3: The Ghost Protectors

Blurb

A dead man tells no tales—or so they say—but can he find a happy ever after?

After being declared dead by his country and recruited to an elite team of Black Ops Operators, former Italian Special Forces Consubin Angelo Selvaggio has never fully embraced the life offered to him by The Ghost Protectors. His heart has always yearned for the one he walked away from. Now the only remaining member of his blood family is missing in one of the worst hell holes on earth, to save him, Angelo needs help from the same man he swore he’d stay away from. The man who’s heart he destroyed when he walked away to save both their lives. Is Angelo willing to risk it all to find his brother? Is he willing to cross every line and break every rule for the one he loves? Hell yes, there is no price too high for one last shot at love with the man who owns his heart.

After the loss of his husband in a roadside bomb on the sand strewn streets of Kandahar, Vittorio *Toro* Gambino took refuge in the Tribal Lands of Afghanistan. Using his intelligence skills to be Italy’s eyes and ears on the ground in the Middle East. A phone call from a dead man sends his world spiraling out of control. Everything he believed in —destroyed. Everything he knew as truth—gone. Everything he’d dreamed of is once again at his fingertips if he can get past the hurt and betrayal which burns in his soul. He’s about to find out if he has what it takes to Claim a Ghost?

Embers Romance LLC

Publication date

January 30, 2022

Language

‎English

Print length

288 pages

Book 2 of 3

The Ghost Protectors

Review: A Cowboy Holiday: MM Grumpy-Sunshine Romance by Lane Hayes

Rating: 4.5🌈

“There’s a little cowboy in all of us, a little frontier.” —Louis L’Amour

Of course, Lane Hayes starts this heartwarming Christmas romance with a quote from one of my favorite authors, Louis L’Amour. Perfect.

And the story that follows it is just as heartwarming and seasonally satisfying for all readers, those who are familiar with this author and those new to her stories and this holiday universe.

Written so that it’s in the same location and includes many of the characters from Hayes’ previous Christmas story, Moody’s Grumpy Holiday, this year we get a single veterinarian dad and his adorable daughter who end up helping settle in a dairy herd to a local ranch and find more than they expected.

Tanner, who’s co owner of Oak Ridge Ranch, finds himself drawn to the large, quiet vet who is marvelous with his animals and protective of his daughter.

Let me say the characters are excellently written, the relationships between each one feels grounded and believable and the town as well was a joy to revisit. The men, the children, and the animals! Heartfelt and emotionally charged. And so joyful.

I’m hoping that Hayes makes returning to the town and ranch in whatever way possible an annual story.

Two down. Hopefully more to come.

Another winner.

Cover Design by Reese Dante

Buy link:

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comA Cowboy Holiday: MM Grumpy-Sunshine Romance – Kindle edition by Hayes, Lane. …

Blurb

The cowboy, the rancher, and a little holiday magic…

Tanner

I meet the grumpiest man on the planet, and I’m head over heels in lust. No joke. Oak Ridge Ranch’s new part-time-vet-slash-ranch-hand is a bear, and he’s built like one too. If I were smart, I’d keep my distance.

In a twist, I’m not so smart.

But I can tell that under his hard-as-nails exterior, the cowboy is a gentle giant. Axel is a devoted single dad, a dedicated vet, and…I think he likes me. Or he wants me.

I can work with that.

Axel

I need the job at the ranch through December; then I’m out of here. I have a kid to think of, and it’s time to settle old scores and build a new life. But Tanner complicates things. He’s smart, intuitive, charming, and⁠—

Whoa! This is temporary. I’m not Tanner’s cowboy.

But I am attracted to him…and there’s nothing wrong with a little holiday fun, is there?

A Cowboy Holiday is an MM, bisexual romance featuring a single dad-cowboy-grump, a sweetheart of a rancher, and some holiday sparks.

Review: Temptation’s Tango: MM Romantic Suspense (Delta Force: Team Lynx Book 3) by Annabella Stone

Rating: 4🌈

“Delta Force: Team Lynx is the US Governments newest weapon in the battle against former military personal gone rogue. Led by former Delta Force Team Lynx’s Castello Moran and his team, they have recruited members from the CIA, FBI, NSA, ATF, and other Law Enforcement Agencies.”

I’ve read and really enjoyed other books by Annabella Stone. She focuses on military/black ops characters stories and their relationships. Primarily contemporary but with the occasional exception of a fantasy or paranormal twist.

And there’s multiple series set within the same connected law enforcement universe. This is one of them.

I picked up Temptation’s Tango primarily due to the inclusion of a K-9 main character, Balas, and the accuracy of the relationship between handler,Rafe Anderson, and his WMD/working military dog.

For me, this was the absolute best thing about the book. From his commands in the language used in every scene (Schutzhund) with Balas that not only enforces the depth of training but their own understanding of each other from years together. It’s a credible, deep and genuine relationship between a man and his canine partner.

Same goes for the team when they assemble in Rafe’s old home in Pine Bush due to the criminal activity he’s encountered and the seriousness of the situation that needs further investigation. They have the feel of a field team, which has been together a while and is found family.

Aspects of the story that I feel needs further exploration or more depth towards the ending are with the villains of the plot. And the romantic lead.

He’s cute and it helps that there’s some prior history as children growing up. But the timeline feels rushed.

And without giving away any spoilers, there’s no confrontation with the “real culprits” here. The boo hiss baddies. And that leaves the ending feeling less than satisfying.

The reader sorta “listens” into a gunfight that happens. Then there’s drama. Then a romantic relationship HEA.

So the story is sweet but military wise or law enforcement wise, not great. As I said, the partnership between Balas and Rafe for me stood out from everything else here as the best written and well defined.

And the teamwork is well done as well.

Haven’t read the other books but I’m sure I’ll get to them eventually.

Cover Art: Golden Czermak

Delta Force: Team Lynx (4 book series)

Salvation’s Sinner #1

Redemption’s Rebel #2

Temptation’s Tango #3

Absolution’s Assassin #4

Buy link

Temptation’s Tango: MM Romantic Suspense (Delta Force: Team Lynx Book 3)

Blurb

It was only supposed to be one kiss…

After his K9, Balas, took down an intruder on the White House lawn, former Secret Service agent, Rafe Anderson, didn’t count on his life changing quite so much. With Balas now the face of MWDs across the globe, Rafe lost his faith in the people he worked with when they decided Balas would be better off with a handler who wanted to be in the public eye and not one who shunned notoriety at every opportunity. He swore he’d never serve his country again, and he kept that promise for nine long lonely months until Delta Force Team Lynx offered him a job, using the one thing Rafe could never refuse to sweeten the deal. A chance to have Balas back in his life. Rafe agreed—Lynx delivered—he and Balas are once more a family, a team, and nobody is going to separate them again. With a month of leave in his back pocket, Rafe and Balas are going home to finally buy the house his mother sold before he could afford to buy it. His grandparents’ home in sleepy Pine Bush will make the perfect retreat from the ravages of working in war zones and the horrors of the dirty side of chasing former military members gone rouge…right?

Parker Frost loves his hometown, and unlike his brother, he doesn’t want to shake the dust of Pine Bush off his shoes. He’s happy living over his mom’s garage and working at The Hoot Owl. Slinging beer, running karaoke night, and making people laugh is his jam. If only he could avoid the unwanted advances from the man who keeps asking him out. Seriously, who offers you a thousand bucks a week just to date you? With that insult ringing in his ears, he takes matters into his own hands and begs the hottest man he’s ever seen to pretend they are a couple. Kissing Mr. Sexy Stranger will prove he’s not available, even for that much money…right?

It was only supposed to be one kiss—then one sleepover—now Rafe and Parker must figure out why their hometown is in the crosshairs of a drug lord. But before either can act on the desire pulling them together, Rafe really needs to figure out if his Temptation can really be a Tango.

Embers Romance LLC

Publication date

September 3, 2022

Language

‎English

Print length

248 pages

Book 3 of 4

Delta Force: Team Lynx

Review: A House By Any Other Name by Jenny Schwartz

Rating: 4.5⭐️

The second of author Jenny Schwartz’ Hidden Sanctuary series, A House By Any Other Name is my favorite of the two novels.

Both tales take place in the fabulous Uncertain Sanctuary universe but only this story is directly related to the characters in that series. And that immediately gives A House By Any Other Name added depth and detail missing from Any House in a Storm.

This story is filled with engaging,intriguing characters, some of which we’ve met before. Like Hector who is the disgraced brother of Evander, cyborg Elf and partner to Sorcerer Kira (Uncertain Sanctuary trilogy).

But Schwartz has also created a great character in Raisa, who’s fully grounded in a wealth of other characters and rich in her own history. She’s a strong personality, certain of her own abilities and her goals.

The revelation of the fact she’s a sorcerer isn’t much of a surprise, but the real joy is her sentient house. As each is created by the sorcerer themselves, they spring from an emotional source of that sorcerer. Raisa’s house is totally unique and unexpected. A aspect of this story I didn’t expect and loved.

And it happily is part of a successful twist at the end of the story. Another element that just made this story even more special for me.

The plot and storylines are ones that keep one absolutely invested in the characters journey and outcome. The romance is slow and credible between these two intelligent powerful people.

I just wish Schwartz would have more than one story to explore their journey going forward. They are that interesting.

I’m highly recommending this story and the Uncertain Sanctuary trilogy it’s related to.

Hidden Sanctuary series:

Any House in a Storm #1

A House By Any Other Name #2

Buy link

Book 2 of 2: Hidden Sanctuary

Blurb

Reality is a complicated multiverse of many species and rare magic. Diplomats are the official envoys and investigators who hold the Union of Worlds together.

Raisa never intended to be a diplomat. Like so many things in her life, it was her stepmother’s idea.

Hector is an elf in disgrace. He chose his cyborged brother over his lying, abusive family. Elves revile augmented people. They leave such despicable technology to their ancient enemies, the goblins.

When a diplomatic mission strands the two elves on a goblin world they find themselves the target of a legendary killer. If they die, so will the emergent species they were sent to save.

***

A House By Any Other Name is a stand alone novel in the Hidden Sanctuary series. It includes characters from the Uncertain Sanctuary trilogy. No previous knowledge of Reality is necessary to enjoy the adventure.

June 12, 2024

Language

‎English

Print length

255 pages

Review: I Ran Away to Evil 3: A Cozy LitRPG Rom-Com by Mystic Neptune

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Well, I Ran Away to Evil has reached the final level, the end of its journey and it’s been a great game.

Here all is revealed, there’s boss battles, deaths and revivals, ultimate victory and HEA’s.

Now it’s Gerda Jones, fabulous bridge troll who’s got a ton of secrets, that will be the character to bring the series to a conclusion. Along with Duke Julian von Slyke, who’s recently retuned for the wedding of his sister to the necromancer of the Dark Lord.

At over 400 pages, author Neptune has a lot of storytelling to do. And there’s more of the GameRPG elements here than in the previous books.

I’ll be honest in saying that some of these got distracting when what I wanted to concentrate on was the main plot points and storylines. Having involved boxes of character traits and levels occasionally is great. But towards the end, I feel that it took over the narrative.

What makes this is the character development, especially Gerda’s story. The slow reveal of her story is impactful as well as her relationships she has made with the other characters around her. They feel believable and credible in this setting.

This has been the first series I have read by this author but won’t be the last. Highly entertaining and engaging.

A definite winner.

Love the covers.

Cover design by MsArtsy and Jenny Zemanek

Interior illustrations by Arturo Gómez Martínez and Leah Zink

I Ran Away to Evil: A Cozy LitRPG Rom-Com, books 1-3

Each with a different main couple and storyline that fits within the series arc

Buy Link:

I Ran Away to Evil 3: A Cozy LitRPG Rom-Com

Blurb

A mysterious soothsayer and a reluctant royal fend off spies, assassins, and unexpected attraction in the action-packed third book of this romantasy series.

Gerda Jones is no average bridge troll. Sure, she can create riddles like the best of them, but she has skills up her sleeve that no one would expect . . . and a backstory that no one would believe. She uses her fortune-telling talents to change the fate of everyone around her, but avoids getting too close the anyone herself. All of that changes when Gerda catches the eye of Duke Julian von Slyke at his sister’s wedding. The tall, dark, and handsome half-elf is making her let down her guard—and inviting a royal heap of trouble into her life.

Julian would do anything to escape courtly intrigue and endless parties, but he can’t miss his own sister’s nuptials. Good thing, too, because from day one of the celebration he’s called on to help deal with everything from poisoned arrows and amphibian curses, to a missing bride. And at the center of every mishap there’s an infuriatingly beguiling troll . . .

As Gerda’s hidden identity begins to unravel, her attraction to Duke Julian continues to grow. Together, saving Valaria seems easy . . . but after it’s all done, will the unlikely pair be able to leave behind their pasts and find a future together?

A whimsical and twisty take on isekai, romance, and LitRPG, I Ran Away to Evil 3 is the charming conclusion of the series that asks, “What if Bridgerton was filled with magical creatures?” and “Who is the elusive Madame Potts?”

The third volume of the hit LitRPG romantasy series—with more than a million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

August 19, 2025

Language

‎English

Print length

409 pages

Book 3 of 3

I Ran Away to Evil

Review: Deadly Coins (Witch in the Woods #2) by Jenna St. James

Rating: 4⭐️

Deadly Coins is the second in the Witch in the Woods series by Jenna St. James. It’s another terrific mystery that brings further insight into the some of the otherworldliness of the island and the creatures that live there, and the history of its inhabitants.

In this story, it’s all about a cold case that hit close to home for one of Shayla’s closest friends. There’s an investigation, suspicion that falls on an older group of people, and a dramatic twist.

Another satisfying story and slow burn romance.

I’m here for it. Plus a grumpy magical flying porcupine !

Really enjoying the series.

Buy link:

Deadly Coins (A Witch in the Woods Book 2)

Blurb

A 40-year-old Witch with a New Career

A Gargoyle Sheriff Raising a Teenaged Daughter

And an Enchanted Island Full of Secrets

When game warden, Shayla Loci, and her cousin, Serena Spellburn, stumble upon a wounded dragon guarding gold coins, they have no idea it would lead to a clue about how Serena’s dad, Mac, really died nearly thirty years before. But that’s exactly what happened. Now Shayla and Sheriff Alex Stone must determine if Mac died of suspicious causes, and, if so, who caused his death and why. Between digging for thirty-year-old clues among supposed friends and experiencing a near-death fatality, Shayla is sure Mac’s death was planned. But can she prove it? With the help of Needles her flying porcupine, Shayla is unwavering in her pursuit to find Uncle Mac’s killer. But when things come to a head, and innocent people are in the way, will everyone come out unscathed? Or will Shayla have to make the ultimate sacrifice? If you like paranormal cozy mysteries and midlife main characters, then this series is for you!

Check out the Tour for “The New Worlds“ by Jaye C. Watts (excerpt from Other Worlds Ink tour )

Jaye C. Watts has a new queer sci-fi book out (transgender, poly, non-binary, pansexual, lesbian): The New Worlds.

The year is 2293 and the Truth no longer exists. In the future there are many truths, giving rise to many worlds, but each must be kept separate.

Born to protect these truths, Axton Bryce patrols the New Worlds Star System—to observe, participate, and gather information. But as she learns the ways of each world, she must also hunt for those who defy their world’s truth: the Outliers.

While stationed on a nearby planet, Axton meets the charming Ambassador Bray Wilde. As the two become close, Axton reveals a painful secret—the loss of her first love, exiled as an Outlier.

Longing to see beyond their own world, the ambassador proposes a rescue mission—one that will bring both friends and foes, and ultimately a fight for freedom. But first, Axton must make a choice: between a life-long allegiance… and the chance to claim a truth of her own.

Warnings: indoctrination, brainwashing, threatening with a weapon (guns & a bomb)

Universal Buy Link

Excerpt

I clenched my fists. “Focus,” I told myself. Grabbing my communication cuff, I fastened it around my wrist. “INS communications, activate.” I opened my wardrobe and reached for a freshly pressed uniform. “Aurelia, give me today’s briefing.”

It lit up and responded. “Your next assignment will be on the Amorous World for a standard duration of three months. You are scheduled to depart today at zero six hundred Geo Time and arrive at zero eight-forty Geo Time. The latest reports on the Amorous World are available for your review. Do you wish to accept, Mediator Axton Bryce?”

I crouched to lace up my boots. “I accept.”

“On behalf of Chairman West and the Individual Nations Secretariat, we thank you, Mediator Axton Bryce, for your work in protecting the Truth of many truths.”

I rose to my feet, skin prickling at the back of my neck. Though I couldn’t see it, I could feel it: two lowercase t’s under one capital T, branded at the top of my spine—a permanent part of me ever since my Veneration five long years ago.

I reached back, digging my nails in, tempted to tear the tattoo right from my skin. “She should have been there,” I whispered. If only she’d kept those thoughts to herself.

I grabbed my utility belt and wrapped it around my waist, ensuring the gun was secure. Staring at myself in the mirror, I straightened the collar of my shirt. I’d never been to the Amorous World before. Perfect, I thought. Some fresh scenery was just what I needed.

* * *

I checked my cuff—zero five fifty-five, right on schedule. Marching across the launch deck, I carried one efficiently packed piece of luggage. I never glanced back when boarding my ship; Brokazaria’s endless acres of skyscrapers would still be here when I returned. Instead, I looked up. The early-morning sky was just waking. Aside from Primus B—the Middle World’s secondary, and thus miniature, sun—not a star was in sight. As I approached my ship, the roar of its engine reminded me that soon the stars would be all around me.

I turned and gave the official salute to a line of NI Security standing at attention. In unison, the humanlike Machines returned the gesture, crossing their arms to form a lowercase letter t. Sergeant L43 pumped his eyebrows, prompting me to raise one of mine in response. Hard to believe they were once called “AI.” New Intelligence, we were told, was a much more appropriate term.

L43 stepped forward. “Afternoon, miss.” He grabbed my bag, allowing me to ascend the ladder.

“Thanks,” I said. I climbed to the top and crawled through the hatch.

“Catch!” the NI yelled, tossing up my luggage.

With a reflex just quick enough, I caught the bag. “Sergeant!” I scolded. “What if there was something fragile in there?”

“You humans,” he replied. “Always afraid something’s gonna break. Your luggage, your bones, your bodies… not to mention your hearts and minds.”

I rolled my eyes at the cheeky Machine. “Watch it, L, or I’ll get them to reboot you.”

Unperturbed, the Machine grinned and waved. “I’ll miss you, too. Bon voyage!”

“See you in three months,” I muttered, closing the hatch behind me. I immediately got busy flicking switches and hitting buttons. Muscle memory took over as I continued the launch prep with complete focus. Not a moment later, a blue light illuminated my cuff, drawing my attention. Blue indicated a direct message from Chairman West himself, Secretary-General of the Individual Nations Secretariat.

“Play address,” I said, eager to hear our leader’s words.

A ghostlike image projected from my arm, transporting the man’s titanic figure into my control room. Neatly trimmed grays blended inconspicuously into the rest of his dark hair, swept back to frame a chiseled face. Salt-and-pepper stubble outlined a pair of smiling lips—the beginnings of a goatee that never quite came to fruition. As always, a perfectly pressed suit hugged every one of his bulging muscles.

“Greetings, my children!” The chairman’s voice rumbled from a gaping grin, complete with gleaming teeth. “Today is a very special day, not only for the New Worlds Star System but for some of our most dedicated Mediators.”

My ears perked up as I waited for more.

“Today marks two hundred and fifty years of living in an interplanetary alliance, free from the terrors of war, safe from the dangers of Plurality! A quarter of a millennium since the United Nations of the Old World became the Individual Nations of the New Worlds, marking humanity’s Great Dispersion!”

A swell of pride surged in my chest. I was part of something big and important.

“All of this would not be possible without you,” he declared, “our magnificent Mediators. You have been instrumental in our coordination with each world, fostering the cooperation necessary to manage the complexities of a resource-based economy spanning a system as vast as ours. And!”—the chairman raised a finger, flashing one of his many gold rings—“most importantly, you have upheld the sovereignty of every truth within it.”

I gave a humble nod, as though he could see me.

“Lastly,” the chairman said, “further congratulations to the Mediators of unit 245. Tomorrow is your quinquennium! Five years of serving as peacekeepers, saviors, Mediators! Father Chairman West and the INS commend you.” His thick forearms crossed in a salute, only to vanish as the feed cut out.

I took a moment to absorb his words, stunned by how many years had passed. Then I checked my cuff—Time to go.

I finished preparing for the launch, my movements steady and certain. We had done it. Peace among the planets for over two centuries.

I paused, letting my mind drift…

It had to be worth it.

Author Bio

JAYE C. WATTS (he/they) is a queer and trans sci-fi writer living on Lək̓ʷəŋən territory in Victoria, BC, Canada. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, with a minor in Technology and Society, as well as a diploma in Professional Recording Arts from the Art Institute of Vancouver.

When he isn’t writing, Jaye can be found falling down rabbit holes of all kinds thanks to an unquenchable curiosity and lust for learning – homeschooling will do that to you.

Jaye also loves classic jazz, mixing cocktails, biking all over the city, and of course, people watching.

Author Website: https://www.jayecwatts.com

Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/jayechristinwatts/

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/jayecwatts/

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayecwatts/

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/156707355-jaye-c-watts

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jaye-C.-Watts/author/B0FVL8XMKW

Review: Morning Glories & Murder (Willowmere Cozy Mysteries Book 6) by Corrine Winters

Rating: 4⭐️

Morning Glories & Murder is the sixth novel in Winters’ Willowmere Cozy Mysteries series and I find that, in a 17 book series, there’s elements of this that I still love and others that I find less appealing at this point.

Number one is the gorgeous language and the absolute beauty of the words Winters uses to convey a sense of character or atmospheric magic in her work. Succinct, poetic and witty, I love the expression of her voice here.

Her ability to create a mystical, living almost sentience that flows from the dirt and wood in Willowmere is amazing. It’s believable in feeling both ominous and beautifully ancient simultaneously.

The murder mystery each book is occupied with are also good. But each has felt a bit flat because of there’s been so much time spent on a convoluted, investigative work that apprehending the culprit is a rushed affair, concluded all too briefly.

Relationships too are sparsely linked, dryly written about and even more weakly linked. The reader must infer from bits of information where different relationships might be headed, if anywhere. I’m actually ok with that.

But it’s with the main character of Maeve Everhart where I personally have the most problems connecting. She’s been hinting at having considerable power but time and again she’s attacked. Yet Maeve is passive against violent aggressive tactics or undermining maneuvering.

Throughout story after story, she avoids taking evidence to the town’s sheriff, keeping clues to herself ( sometimes losing the key material), waiting and watching for “the soil” and Whim, the familiar to point to a possible motive or culprit.

It’s frustrating to read. Because essentially it’s wandering around as the culprit continues to escalate “evil doings” right until the last few pages. Then it’s boom, it’s whoever. Done.

Here she’s personally attacked in a number of ways, professionally, personally etc. And again, it’s an approach of “ idk, not sure what I can do about it “.

For me, I’m not sure if this type of character is worth the effort. Love the language, not connecting with any but the cat, a snarky wry individual on his best days.

Think I’ll give it a rest for now. Come back later when I need a hit for sentences like this:

“From his perch atop the hanging planter by the window, Whim offered a disdainful yawn and flexed one white-tipped paw. “It’s not the rosemary. It’s the coming crowd. You can feel the potpourri energy swelling already. Too many amateur aromatherapists. Not enough dignity in the ceramics.”

Sigh.

Not a fan of the covers, which doesn’t match up with the tone of the book.

Willowmere Cozy Mysteries (17 book series):

1 Mildew & Murder (2025)

2 Moss & Murder (2025)

3 Marigolds & Murder (2025)

4 Mulch & Murder (2025)

5 Magnolias & Murder (2025)

6 Morning Glories & Murder (2025)

7 Milkweed & Murder (2025)

8 Mulberries & Murder (2025)

9 Mint & Murder (2025)

10 Moonflowers & Murder (2025)

11 Marjoram & Murder (2025)

12 Mandrake & Murder (2025)

13 Meadowfoam & Murder (2025)

14 Mayapple & Murder (2025)

15 Mallow & Murder (2025)

16 Mist & Murder (2025)

17 Mosswine & Murder (2025)

Buy link:

Book 6 of 17: Willowmere Cozy Mysteries

Blurb

Willowmere’s Summer Artisan Faire was supposed to celebrate beauty, craft, and memory. Instead, it begins with the discovery of a beloved potter’s body beneath her own shattered booth.

Maeve Everhart wasn’t looking for another mystery. But the clay doesn’t lie—and neither does the soil. As whispers of sabotage echo through the town’s sunlit streets, she’s pulled into a web of rivalries, forgeries, and unfinished work that someone was desperate to keep buried.

With her greenhouse rattled by secrets and old friendships tested by fire, Maeve must piece together a broken charm, a fractured legacy, and the truth that lives in what Petra left behind.

Because in Willowmere, every creation carries intention—and some were made to remember what others wanted to forget.

Get ready for a whirlwind mystery and cozy thrill ride in this paranormal cozy mystery. Get under a blanket and be prepared to be immersed!

Publication date

May 21, 2025

Language

‎English

Print length

151 pages

Book 6 of 17

Willowmere Cozy Mysteries

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