Where We Converge

by A.E. Bross

Darius Adair just wants to live in peace. He wakes up, goes to work, does his job, and comes home to a quiet studio apartment in Chicago. As a mage working to protect the magical and the mundane alike, it's as normal a life as he can have. After everything he’s been through, he deserves that much.

A call in the dead of night shatters that illusion.

Morgan Slavin can’t recall much. His memories are fractured, and his body feels like a thousand bits of broken glass. He only knows one Time travel sucks. After completing a ritual that forced him through the timeline, his mind, body, and magic are twisted and broken. Beyond the pain and mental anguish, there's little he can reach for. He is desperate to find an anchor in this storm. After all, he came back in time to stop...what? Why had he returned?

Sent by the late-night call to find the broken Morgan, Darius now must help him find out what he's come back to stop, and soon. If that wasn’t challenging enough, the longer they’re together, the more Darius feels himself drawn to Morgan, and the more willing he is to open old wounds that nearly destroyed him in the past.

Genres: LGBT, Queer, Urban Fantasy, Contemporary, Time Travel, Gay, M M Romance

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 15, 2023

About the author

A.E. Bross has also published under Adrienne Bross.

Born an April baby in New York, New York, Adrienne "A.E." Bross enjoyed everything from soccer to flute lessons to horror stories while she was growing up, but her real passion was writing. Soon, fantasy began to overtake horror in her repertoire, and with thoughts of dragons and magicians, she went to college and gained her BA in English Literature.

Regardless of how whimsical and amazing fictional fantasies are, they do not always pay the bills! However, an MS in Library and Information Sciences, and a steady job as Librarian, Keeper of the Secrets and Knowledge of the ages , would.

Now she wears many titles: spouse, friend, parent, writer, enby, reader, moviegoer, mother sibling, poet, offspring, gamer, pan-fabulous, video gamer, artist, photographer, blogger, enemy, friend, librarian, and probably a million others that (for the sake of brevity) shall not be named.

It's been a busy few years.

Reviews

[Menoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

*received an arc from the author and this is my honest opinion*


Time travel !!!!! Bisexual main character !!!! Magic society!!!!! Hurt and comfort bass boosted.


This was everything I wanted and needed to be honest. I just love everything related to time travel, it’s just a cool concept overall.

I loved the writing, the characters and the story kept me hooked throughout the whole book. Everything was so compelling. And I will sagely wait for more because I have so many questions.

Shoutout to Morgan who has the same name as me, love to eat, and deserve to be bubble wrapped. Darius deserve the bubble wrapping treatment too.

I loved the representation, Darius is a Demi-Bisexual man, and he’s super clear about it, and seeing it ON TEXT. Yeah love that. Fuck his coworker for being a biphobic piece of sh!t. Hated her so much.
Emily was a delight. Trinity too !
And Ines. Beloved, she’s just tired of everyone’s bullshit. I love her so much. She deserves 6 months of vacation on a spa.

Anyway I loved it!!!
Thanks to the author again for the arc ❤️

[Helen Whistberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an intricately plotted time travel romance/urban fantasy with lgbtqia+ friendly cast of characters and an emphasis on mental health, inclusivity and kindness which I found very refreshing. Darius is a mage scarred by past events. Morgan has been thrown back through time with secrets of his own that tie into a tragedy Darius would rather forget. Much of the story focuses on their tentative exploration of their feelings and whether each can let down their guard and trust the other. The magic system and culture were well-thought out and intriguing but in some ways felt secondary to the romantic storyline. I appreciated the realistic exploration of anxiety and panic attacks that seem a very natural reaction to being thrust back in time without being able to 100% remember why and for what purpose. This reads in some ways like a prequel novel that is setting up a longer series as the ending leaves the door open for further mayhem one presumes, but lots of lovely side characters and found family vibes along with the sweet romance made this an enjoyable read for me.

[Sarina Langer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Folks, this is SUCH a comforting book. It's perfect to fall into a rough day. It's so calm, y'all. Nothing stressful at all. *she says, extremely tense throughout*

I was promised demi-rep in this book, and I got demi-rep! This was so nice to see. The relationship in this was adorable, and I love how it developed. Just LOOK:

'[...] the man whose words didn't hurt as much as the rest of the world [...]' - GAH

Also, I'm trash for how the author talks about time travel.

I can't wait for the sequel.

(Sybil: *does anything*
Me: *frowns* suspicious)

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the plot and the writing, but it seemed like it was trying too hard to be emotional, so instead of empathizing with the MCs, I kept wondering how they could cry so much and when they would stop. In other words, the emotions didn't hit hard because it was trying to hit hard the entire time.

I was also disappointed by the fade to black, yet it was explicit enough that I wouldn't recommend it to a young teen. I'd prefer it to be one or the other. Nothing worse than a bunch of build up leading to a sudden F2B.

Still an enjoyable read overall.

[aspeccharactersoftheday]

Darius Adair from Where We Converge is demiromantic demisexual!

https://www.tumblr.com/aspeccharacter...

[R.J. Sorrento · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting, romantic, and magical, Where We Converge is the latest from A.E. Bross. A departure from their fantasy series, this book is the first in a paranormal romance series that features mages and time travel set in Chicago. I love the world building and how it all feels grounded in reality even with the magical aspect. Bross also thoughtfully handles time travel itself, both the consequences and the unexpected surprises.

At the heart of the story are Darius, a mage with a tragic past, and Morgan, a time traveler whose memories and magic are shattered by the process. Together they need to stop something terrible from happening…if only Morgan could remember what it was.

Strongly recommend this book for readers who love their MM romance with a dash of magic, witty banter, and Chicago references. Where We Converge will be available August 15.

Note: I received a digital ARC. This is my honest review.

[✨Meli the bookworm✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charity and compassion had never been his strong suits, and feeling any connection of any kind was rare at best. Being standoffish, prideful, and thinking of himself above others— those were his strengths. When he had shared that thought with his therapist, the psychologist had suggested that he was also quite talented at self-deprecation. Darius couldn’t argue.


4.25⭐
Introverted mage (Darius) recovering from trauma must help another mage from the future (Morgan), who traveled back in time for a reason he can not recall. Time travel. Broken people. Hurt/Comfort. Found family. I feel like this novel was written for me. I am a sucker for paranormal/urban fantasy books with a dash (or a 100) of romance, so when I heard of this book I was ALL IN.

A subtle romance (Darius is demi, and explicitely says so, which was incredibly refreshing to actually see it laid out IN TEXT instead of headcanon it), the worldbuilding in Where we Converge is complex, deep and exquisite. Many times we encounter fantasy books which sole explanation of their world is "magic exists, periodt", lol. Not here, this book not only gives you a glimpse of how magic exists in this world, but beautifully explains how people with magic navigate such world, the considerations they need to heed regarding non-magical people, the entities that rule such interactions and punish taboos with the use of magic, and even points out the existence of other creatures such as shades and vampires.

I greatly enjoyed the care that was put in the repercussions, on both the body and psyche, of time traveling. The way anxiety/panic attacks were written was very compelling; it made me emotional and there were times when I even had to stop reading, and take a couple of minutes to remind myself that no one in reality was going through distress, that it was just a book, which speaks volumen to how relatable all of that felt.

The romance between Darius and Morgan was sweet, oh so sweet!! Listen, I see broken people trying their damndest to be strong for the other despite being one nanosecond away of falling apart themselves and I am gonna stan. I don't make the rules. It's the Law. And I am nothing but an officer of the Law.

I also truly adored the found family elements; Ines, Trinity, Emily and even Ty. I wanted to know these people, I wished they were my friends, part of my own chosen family. Not Sybil; for all I care she can rot in hell.

Perhaps, my only gripe would be that despite appreciating all of that, I felt we spent too much time trying to nurse our time traveler to some kind of functionality; even by the 50% mark we still had no idea what was the event Morgan was supposed to stop or let happen, there didn't even seem to be any real urgency to find that out (they even went shopping for clothes, which I get it, clothes that fit you appropriately work wonders on someone who has gone through a traumatic event, and dealing with your whole existence being distroyed and rearranged in another timeline definitely qualifies as a traumatic event), meaning that whatever was the reason for Morgain going back in time could already be happening or even had already happen by that point. I also have some questions about exactly was the actual reason for him traveling in time. Was it to stop what Kris was doing? And what was exactly what Kris was trying to achieve? And how did the fact that Darius no longer existed in Morgan's future in the other timeline, when he came back and they stopped Kris, was affected by the fact that Darius now was alive in the aftermath of their confrontation?

Overall, I am genuinely impressed with the writing, the complexity of the worldbuilding and all the feels it evoked and would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves their urban fantasy stories, sprinkled with a tender romance, especially if you fancy time traveling as much as I do.


[I receiced an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review]

[EM Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bross has been on my indie radar for a long, long time, so I was psyched when they reached out to offer me an ARC of their new book Where We Converge. And then, of course, I read the premise. HOH BOY.

When Darius Adair is awoken in the middle of the night by a phone call, the last person he expects to hear on the other end is the 8-year-old daughter of his dead love. Her voice brings back a myriad of painful memories, but when she demands Darius go in search of an unknown mage who’s psychically screaming out for aid, he can’t say no. And it’s a good job, too. Because Morgan Slavin, the mage in question, has just tumbled through time to stop magic from tearing the world apart. If he’s going to succeed, he’ll need all the help he can get to keep himself from falling apart in the process.

I loved this little book. It very much gave me queer Dresden File vibes, a thing that I did not know I needed until Bross sent me their blurb. And it’s not just because of the mages in Chicago element. It has the same great sense of humour, with a whole cast of characters providing well-timed witty one liners and self-deprecating cracks, and has a heart to it, a reassurance that let’s you know everything is going to work out even during the most intense scenes. Plus on top of that: queer rep. What more could I ask for?

Darius and Morgan, the two narrative POVs were genuinely great fun to spend time with. Darius, with his tragic backstory, managed to be broody and complicated without falling into whiny melodrama. Meanwhile, Morgan’s narration gave a fascinating and different perspective on what it might be like to travel backwards through time. I particularly enjoyed the little details around his experience of trying to move forward through time, after shooting so sharply backwards: the constant glitches in his relation to the present, and his struggle to feel like anything is real when so much has changed around him were superb touches that I hadn’t really seen before.

And, of course, as well as loving these two chaotic queers separately, I also loved watching their romance grow. It happened faster than I anticipated, I think largely due to the length of the book, but what was there was quiet and gentle and based on support and trust; a little sugary sweet something at the centre of a rapidly unraveling plot. Honestly, there is a scene towards the end where Morgan reads to Darius in bed and I don’t think I’ll ever get over the concept and strength of that as a romantic gesture (particularly in that context which I’m not going to spoil). Like, I didn’t think my love language was acts of service when I started reading Where We Converge, but damn, Bross. You changed my mind.

I think my only qualm with this book is that I felt like I didn’t quite get all the answers I wanted from the main plot. The central issue does get resolved, but unless I missed something glaringly obvious (I’ve recently gone back to work full time, so it’s not out of the question), some of the big questions about what was actually happening, never got answered. So as a standalone, this doesn’t quite hit the five star mark for me. It was a really enjoyable read, but didn’t quite get there. However … I am 100% gonna sit here patiently waiting for a sequel that may not actually ever exist, where it turns out nothing is actually fixed and the whole gang of my favourite mages have to get back together and save the world properly this time 😉

Basically, what I’m saying is, if you’re looking for a queer mages, a hurt/comfort romance with plenty of warm love and affection, and some great tension, Where We Converge is well worth a look. And also you should read it and then help me gently harass Bross for more, please and thank you.

[Tabatha Shipley · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I Did Like:
+Amazing opening! This first chapter starts off feeling completely mundane and normal until that phone call. Then we know we’re in some kind of fantasy world and I AM HERE for the way we are dropped in.
+The entire Magic system works. I like the different styles and abilities, I like the rules and the attempt at governing it all.
+Cast of characters is (mostly) awesome. Right away I adored Darius, Morgan, Emily, Ines, and Trinity. They’re the best kind of found family—the ones you’d want to be a part of too!

Who Should Read This One:
-Fans of urban fantasy will like the depth of the world building.
-Readers looking for light spice (read: cute) MM romance inside a fantasy world will also love this one.

My Rating: 4 Stars

For Full Review:
https://alltherightreads.com/2023/07/...

[Wil Fish Fishyfish · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little rough around the edges, but fun.
The chapters alternate between POVs; one chapter ends with a phone ringing and the next entirely retcons it like the author forgot where they were going.

The climax is a little rushed and unsatisfying, clearly there's more to the story. I'm hoping the author continues building their voice in the next book.

Because yes, despite the above critiques, I will be looking for the sequel. If you enjoy urban fantasy, if you liked the Dresden Chronicles but thought Harry Dresden was an ass and there was way too much cringe-worthy heterosexuality, this book is for you.

[JamieBoops · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was probably the perfect book for me because I love stories with a focus on emotion and character which still make sure to have an intriguing plot to tie it all together. I loved these characters so much and my only wish is that I could have more of them! The dual POV works really well and ensures neither protagonists character gets lost in the story and helped all the more with strengthening them both. Amazing story about the struggle of living with trauma and anxiety

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magic, time travel, queer characters- many elements that are in my wheelhouse and well executed. I did feel like the book ended somewhat abruptly, but the author has indicated there will be more to their story.

[Beaumont]

Looks good! 276 pages according to other websites.

[dee~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely and very unique.