Strikes Twice

Elementally Yours #2

by F.N. Manning

A determined air magic wizard. A tormented man with an electric curse. When lightning strikes anyone he touches, can love strike back?

Cover and more details coming soon!

187 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 4, 2024

About the author

F.N. Manning writes the One More Thing and Ward Magic series while living in a small town on the North Carolina coast and not going to the beach enough. The author loves complex characters and cancelled TV shows. F.N. makes the world gayer by writing one M/M romance novel at a time.

Reviews

[Latecia Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I enjoyed book 2 a little more than 1...its all because of Marty and Azure...their chemistry was off the chain and I loved their relationship. There was really no angst...no miscommunication...their banter was fun. The entire curse was intriguing and Marty's determination to help Azure what made this a page turner. So glad I had an opportunity to read. I love the ending and can't wait to read more in the series.

I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manning gives us a romance, terrific chemistry, a stumbling-slow to grow relationship

Review: 4.25🌈

This series is so fascinating and each story enlarges the universe. With Strikes Twice , the story focus’s on characters whose different elements, are air and electricity and the challenges they’re facing.

Manning changes up the characters here in that Marty Russo had already accepted his brand as an air wizard, accomplished in his magic. Additionally, he’s known to the family of ice mages we met in the first story, a neat twist I appreciated. I really loved seeing Mrs. Blanchard again, and in a totally new perspective. She’s wonderful.

Azure “Az” Serrano, isn’t just a cursed person, he’s a dragon. So it’s a whole different element of magic to explore as the mystery unravels.

Manning, in fact, has more narrative strengths written into the book than is explored to the depths we want, simply because they are so intriguing and interesting.

There’s the damaging past history of Marty’s fire element parents and the impact that it left behind. We get some of that but that mother/step father dynamic is heartwarming and would love to see more.

The same goes for dragon history, their magic and Az’s family. A deeper dive would have felt satisfying.

But Manning gives us a romance, terrific chemistry, a stumbling-slow to grow relationship between Marty and Az that’s realistic and relatable. Their interactions, the fears and mounting hopes, it keeps the reader connected to them and the story.

The couple, mystery and journey to a HEA makes this an entertaining and heartfelt story. It’s one I’m recommending.

Elementally Yours:
Frost or The Bite #1
Strikes Twice #2
Bold As Brass #3 - October 13,2024

[Marion · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book of the Elementary Yours series. Even though there are characters from book one that make an appearance, you can still enjoy this book as a standalone. This is the story of Marty Russo and Azure Serrano. Marty is a newly graduated air wizard. When he loses a job before it starts, he goes to the man in charge of the study. Az is a dragon shifter who thinks that he has been cursed for six years. He is alone. He can't be around family or friends because each time he touches anyone he gives them an electric shock. With each exposure, the shock becomes stronger and more dangerous. To keep everyone safe, he is staying alone. After much negotiation and nagging, the two decide to work together to try and break the curse. This is their story. I loved how they grew to like and respect each other in spite of the their preconceived impressions. And as I am fluent in snark, I enjoyed the banter between the two of them. This is a fairly new to me author and I really enjoyed their book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Electrifying!

Pick up this page-turner of a novel, and enter into a magical realm where elemental magic works with humans, and dragon shifters exist. Air brand Marty Russo is desperate to be hired into a research project, only to find the funder of the project has cancelled it. Marty then meets Azure Serrano, who – it turns out – is the funder of the cancelled project, to research and discover a way to lift a curse.

Marty insists he can help Azure, and Azure relents. As they work together, the two resist a growing attraction, knowing that acting on their impulses can put Marty in danger. I was struck by the way Manning drew me into the story, carrying me along with Azure and Marty as they found ways to be with one another without touching. I also enjoyed the secondary characters – particularly Marty’s mother, a very distractable Firebrand.

All in all, reading Strikes Twice is a pleasant way to spend a lazy afternoon.
(I received an advance copy of this novel from Booksprout. This is a voluntary review.)

[Suzanne Irving · Rating 5 out of 5]

F.N. Manning has written a very touching, no touching story about an air wizard called Marty who helps a dragon called Az who is cursed to not be able to touch anyone. Sounds like a fairy tale but this spicy story is as far from one as can be, although if you read some of the original fairy tales and not the sanitized versions then this is more along those lines. It’s slow burn just because of the plot and they don’t really like each other in the beginning. I don’t usually like slow burn stories but because there are real reasons why they shouldn’t get together I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.
I was amazed how creative Manning was in ways that their characters were able to work around the no touching rules, some of them rather funny. Honestly if I could I would have given this creative book six stars.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[C.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Challenge missions can be fun. Az, is a dragon who has a problem zapping anyone he touches with an electrical charge. Marty, is an air wizard who can soar with his magic. He decides to take on the challenge of helping Az. Their first meeting is a hoot and things just get more fun from there. The path of trying to complete the challenge is sweet and fun once these two realize they are on the same size. Great story, nicely done. I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Marty and Az’s story, I’m really loving this series and can’t wait to read more. I loved how Marty and Az’s relationship started and how they tried to stay away from each other but the connection between them was just to strong, I liked how Marty solved the problem and hope that we get to see the guilty party get what he deserves later in the series.

[Jimbo · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was just a fun romp with magic. Entertaining enough. Nothing but fun reading time