Gideon Goode is clever as the devil and twice as pretty. He even has the t-shirt to prove it. When the coven takes down a den of demons, it’s him they turn to in order to clean up the mess. While they search for a permanent solution, Gideon uses his power over memory to trap the beasts, caging them within the very humans they possessed.
But the search for the right spell eludes the coven, much to Gideon’s chagrin. The continuous enchantments siphon off his magic, causing him to grow weaker as time passes. Sexual healing helps, but he’s mateless and there’s only so much random d*ck he can take before that gets old. Not that he’d admit that to anyone. He has a rep to maintain.
The instant someone starts killing off his prisoners, Gideon senses it. The coven goes on high alert to search for who’s targeting their otherwordly captives, but not before Lucifer gets involved—and—Gideon’s mates show up in town.
What’s a boy to do but to go to Hell and back to protect what’s his?
International bestselling MM romance author Kelex lives in Hampton Roads, Virginia with her twenty-something slacker kidult and two senior grandpups.
When not being a pain in her daughter’s ass or writing under various pen names, she also loves to create stained glass, paint, crochet, bake gorgeous breads, and host game night with all her kiddos, be they born or adopted.
3.75/5 So I both quite enjoyed this and spent a fair bit of it annoyed, which I think is a hard balance to achieve, lol. I guess I feel like I got a solid payoff for the annoyance, anyway. I’m not usually a fan of romances where the MCs don’t meet until much later in the book. That certainly occurs here (I think it’s around 50%), but because we’re in book 3 of a series, there’s a lot of subplots that kept me intrigued, and it gave the reader time to learn a lot about Esau and Joaquin.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Esau and Joaquin’s relationship a lot of the time (I believed they loved one another, but it just seemed to be *not working* a lot, someone unhappy, etc.) or the lack of communication between them and Gideon (on so many occasions). But by the end that had been addressed, and it did feel like the gaps in the initial relationship were because they weren’t a triad yet. A lot of the inflexibility that made me initially uncomfortable finally shifted, and they really seemed to have everything they needed together.
I liked the trans and gender fluid presence and understanding. I liked Haman and the fact that people are not black and white. I liked how protective everyone was even when they were confused or conflicted. It was fun to see Daniel and the others again. I loved that Gideon went back to Beverly. I loved how much Joaquin and Esau loved Graham’s cooking. I loved just how fierce Gideon was even when he couldn’t always see it in himself. There’s definitely some good mystery here to go along with the romance. Looking forward to more of the series.
I received an ARC from GRR. This is my honest review.
To Hell and Back is the third book in the Enchanted Ink series. In my opinion this is not a standalone and should be read after the first two books. This is about Gideon a witch, Esau a human and Joaquin a jaguar shifter. There is so much going on in this book but it is so good. I cried several times while reading these guys story. Kelex made the characters so real that I felt everything they did. I love the fact that even though they are fated mates they still have to work to be together. I couldn't put the book down once I started it. I can't wait for the next book in the series. I would definitely recommend this book and series. It was a definite 5 star read.
I'm going to be the odd one out, and that's fine. I did not really like this book. I adored Only Skin Deep, and was thrilled when I saw Kelex was writing this one. But man, this just didn't work for me. I feel like there were some issues with the amount of time it actually took to get all the characters in the same place, and some weird holes in the plot that never get discussed. I never quite connected with any of the characters, and feel like there is a possible trigger warning that was missed, as a trans character is never mentioned, but then...BAM. Please don't think I'm transphobic, but I prefer to have some warning because I'm not always in the mood for a trans character being front and center. Also, I hated the ending. No spoilers, but I was mad.
After ending the first book in this series feeling lukewarm, I wasn't sure if I'd like the direction Gideon, Joaquin, and Esau's story would take, but boy was I wrong. I found their journey to be a captivating, magic-filled adventure with plenty of character development, romance, and suspenseful moments. The demonic threat that's been present throughout the entire series only seems to be getting more complex, and I really enjoyed seeing the twists and turns Gideon's coven encountered as they attempted to cleanse Salem of its poison. It feels like the authors have really gotten into their groove with the world and lore building of this universe, and I thought the pacing of the reveals in this book were very satisfying and well thought-out.
This book started with Gideon separated from his mates by almost an entire country and chronicled each step of their lives that brought them into each other's orbits. Gideon masked it well, but he was struggling with loneliness after watching multiple members of his coven mate up and feeling like the fourth wheel during their hangouts. Add to that the huge magical burden he'd taken on to keep his coven safe and I was seriously worried about his physical and emotional well-being before Joaquin and Esau arrived in town. When the three of them did finally find each other, they each had some growing to do to be ready for the depth of their mate bond. Gideon was playing catch-up since Esau and Joaquin had been bonded for most of their lives, Joaquin went on an impactful journey towards self-love and healing, and Esau had to figure out his path forward in his career and what role he wanted to take with his lovers. The three of them had strong chemistry right from the start but stumbled and faltered in expressing themselves clearly, and that led to multiple rounds of miscommunication and hurt feelings. I personally really like it when romances showcase the growing pains of separate people merging their lives together, and in this case it was heightened by the big secrets each man was keeping. I thought the balance of romance building and plotline building was nicely done, and every time I would get comfortable with how close Esau, Gideon, and Joaquin were growing something else would flare up to remind me that things weren't as stable as they seemed. Even though I knew the demons were probably planning something big, I was not expecting these characters to literally be dragged to Hell to face their biggest threat, but what a thrilling and unexpected showdown it turned out to be. When the stakes were at their highest, Joaquin, Gideon, and Esau had each other's backs, and I think it says a lot that even after the dust had settled they didn't run away from each other. My mind is still kinda reeling from how big and all-consuming my emotions were after finishing this book, but it's safe to say that these men have more than earned their happy ending.
**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.
I want to start this off by saying this is NOT a standalone, you need to read what occurs in those stories before you can read this book. If you don't you'll be pretty lost, and you won't have all of the details of the events that the characters refer to in this book.
As for the book itself I found it to be good. I love Gideon's character, he's a fashionista and continuously tried to prove himself even though he doesn't have to. His character is stubborn, kind, caring, fiercely loyal, and protective of those he loves. I really enjoyed reading about his and Daniel's bonding time, they have such a beautiful friendship, it's so sweet!
Joaquin and Easu's characters I had a difficult time connecting to, they felt a bit jilted and underdeveloped. This pair lost their families to despicable demons, and now they hunt them. In the beginning of this story Easu's job was important, it was mentioned how long he's been working, how he likes his job, etc. But then after they leave their home there's hardly any more scenes where he is working. It felt a bit disjointed to me, I don't quite understand why his job was mentioned in the first place if it wasn't going to play a part later on in the story as well.
The relationship developed nicely, it wasn't rushed, although there was quite a bit of miscommunication. If these three would've talked to each other and lay all their cards on the table, a lot of the things that eventually happened wouldn't have happen. Or if it did, then they would already know the important details rather than being surprised by them. The side characters were great! We got to see more of the characters from the previous books, along with seeing more of Phoenix's character and get shown a little bit of what he can do.
Overall a decent continuation of this world and I can't wait to see who's story is next.
“To Hell and Back” is the third book in the Enchanted Ink series written by Kelex (The series is also written by JP Sayle who has written book 2 and a novella so far.) This book has me thinking about what I really feel about rating it. As a whole I enjoyed reading this book a great deal. I love the characters, I love the energy and the plot, the world building is amazing and interesting plus, it kept me entertained (until 4am this morning.)
This book furthers the happenings in Salem around the Enchanted Ink coven as mind witch Gideon meets his mates. We get to see previous MCs in their dynamic while learning more about the others in the core part of the coven.
Gideon Goode packs a lot of power into his small frame. He is a memory witch and when the coven takes down a den of demons, he is called upon to help. While looking for a way to bind them permanently, Gideon manages to contain the demon within the human they have possessed. Unfortunately, this containing requires Gideon’s power and he is getting low. Sexual magic helps but someone new every night gets to be too much. Then Gideon feels the death of some of his prisoners, alerting Lucifer. When Lucifer wants that containment method, Gideon refuses. If all that is not bad enough, his mates show up in town, but their lives and Gideon’s are so very different.
There is so much going on in this book. Gideon needs help but often refuses the help offered. He and his two mates have communication issues, leading to a lot of misunderstandings. Lucifer refuses to accept Gideon’s lack of cooperation. It turns out Gideon may wind up in hell after all. To Hell and Back has all the amazing aspects of a great read. There is some heat of course and not just the one between the mates. There is love and sacrifices and found family teaming up to save the members of that family. Action, twists, past trauma, and so much more make this book one not to be missed. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and this is my very own opinion.
I have been DEEP in this series this week and it’s just so good.
Definitely buckle up though, because this is a LONG one. I’m so glad Gideon got his HEA! I’ve loved this whole series, but I struggled with this one for a bit, because miscommunication and martyr tropes don’t tend to be my favorite. Gideon took on so much, and was so powerful, but completely refused help even when he really really needed it. The magic he did was so cool though. And then there were so many layers of miscommunication and ultimatums between him and his mates that I struggled with a bit. There were so many beautiful moments of love and acceptance between them that the moments when there were just silly miscommunications or rather just lack of communication, or and then a couple ultimatums as well, it was such a harsh contrast. And while I understand why some of them happened, it just isn’t my particular favorite trope. (Like I get the thing with the demons, but at the same time, I really don’t like ultimatums). Thankfully the miscommunications got resolved pretty quickly, and didn’t drag on too long, so that definitely made it better and pointed out how important communication is.
But after this I am soooo ready for phoenix’s story! Between that and wondering what the demons are up to, I can’t wait for the next book!
To Hell and Back is the third book in the Enchanted Ink series, and I was eager to dive into it. I had so much fun with Only Skin Deep, the first book in the series, and it left me desperate for more. I really struggled with the second book, but I blamed this on the author change. Thus, I was excited when I saw book three was back to Kelex telling the story.
Unfortunately, To Hell and Back did not work for me. I feel there is a bit too much inconsistency in the characters’ personalities between the books, and it made it extremely difficult for me to get back into the world. This would have been fine except the way this story was told did not work for me. There was too much jumping around at the start, with lots of time skips, and this also prevented me from being invested. Add in the fact that a lot of time passed before the characters were together, and then there was a lot of misunderstanding when they finally were, and this one failed to tick the boxes that made me love the first book so much.
Many clearly adore this return to the series, so I am putting it down as the problem being with me. I doubt I will continue the series, but I will continue to say the first book was a lot of fun.
I've enjoyed the Enchanted Ink series immensely. The storyline, a coven of demon fighting witches, is original and the worldbuilding is excellent, the characters are interesting. Their fated matings feature triads and their HEAs are hard earned. I've loved snarky Gideon from the start and am so happy he gets his story. It's angsty. Gideon, the coven's mind witch, stretched his powers to the max. He's been to Hell through entrapped demon memories and is unable to close his eyes without reliving them. Human, Esau and jaguar shifter, Joaquin became demon hunters because both lost their families to demons. On the run from demon Assassins, they are sent to Boston and meet the third in their mating, Gideon. Secrets and misunderstandings almost derail their triad from the start. Gender fluidity and trans body dysphoria are respectfully handled. The chosen coven family are supportive and sometimes give needed kicks in the butt. Lots of the witch crew need their own books and mates. As does rainbow auraed, Haman. I very much enjoyed this story. Can't wait for more. I received an advance copy of this story and this is my review.
This is the third book in the Enchanted Ink series. It is definitely not a standalone. You must read this series in order to enjoy and understand it. This is the story of Gideon. Gideon is a memory witch and part of Cassius’ coven. He has watched his friends find their fated mates and form their own triad. He is tired of being alone and wishes he could find his mates as well. There is a lot of story and action that happens in the first part of the book. Gideon doesn't meet his mates until around halfway through the book. Joaquin and Esau are demon hunters. Esau is a human and Joaquin is a jaguar shifter. The action of the book continues after all three meet. Esau and Joaquin are comfortable with each other. It takes some getting used to Gideon's stubbornness. As with all new relationships, miscommunication leads to misunderstandings. I enjoyed their story. I loved the found family that we are immersed in. The book is written well and is easy to read. I am really enjoying this series.
I received a complementary advanced review copy of this book from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
My favourite of the books in this series(and also the longest). A few things get explained here and there’s a better grip on the overarching plot, now that we start learning who the main players are while we still don’t know why their coven specifically has been targeted. I wasn’t a fan of the several time lapses until they meet (at about 50% of the book).
I liked how the author explored body dysmorphia and gender fluidity here, although I wish he could see more of the support group Joaquin visited. However I didn’t like how selfish he was with Esau for the 20 years they have known each other. He didn’t realize how Esau had other needs or how tired of the hunting he was, and Esau didn’t want to say anything because he didn’t want to hurt his mate’s feelings. I also didn’t like how hot and cold he was with Gideon when the poor boy did nothing wrong. But I liked how they finally talked and created compromises for their relationship.
I’m curious for the next book as we got a peek of who the next triad might be - and no, I don’t think it’s Cassius, yet.
Wow, that was a BIG book. It was good to be back at Enchanted Ink and I was excited for this instalment. After previous books flowed effortlessly into one another, this one felt a little off at the start, especially the recap, but once it moved past that, it was great. The story starts just after the battle at the demon house to free Raymond and Pierre and moves on from there. As the story unfolds we learn more about Gideon and of course meet his mates. The book deals with some difficult subjects and to me at least, they were dealt with compassion and sensitivity. On top of all the pain and angst though, we have fights with demons, Incubi and a kidnapping and battle with Lucifer himself. The flow is good once you get past the jagged beginning, the characters well formed and I adore the world built in and around Enchanted Ink. Now I just have to wait patiently for Nix's book. 4.5* overall
Kelex has done some amazing world building with this series and this story just adds to this wonderful tale about shifters, witches, demons and more. I particularly love the characters of Gideon and Joaquin being gender fluid and trans and that Haman is a demon, but one who is trying to be as good as possible. The idea that things aren’t black and white is something that often shows up in Kelex’s work and I like that she takes so much time exploring it. We even have Lucifer show up in this book. The way the whole coven does what they are best at is really cool, even if it’s to be the food provider and I like that everything that people do is seen as important and a contribution to the coven. It is also fun in a continuing story like this to keep seeing the same characters and find out how they are. I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more in this series especially with the big hint dropped near the end of the book.
Gideon, Esau and Joaquin story was exhilarating with lots of twists and turns, secrets, betrayal, sacrifices, and greed for power. I was excited to see who Gideon’s mates ended up being, and a black jaguar and a human with an interesting gift are the perfect combination. They had a long, difficult road to happiness thanks to past hurts and suffering, misunderstandings, and circumstances that seems to be against them. I loved to see how they learned to trust in each other, to communicate their feelings, how they accepted their flaws, and the way they discover new things about themselves. They have challenges that bring to light secrets well hidden, as well as new plots that can change the order of things. It had danger and adrenaline, emotional moments, bonding time, as well as loving moments, and tender ones. It was an amazing read and can't wait to see what happens next.
What a ride. Gideon is a witch and part of Cassius’ coven. The story shows how lonely Gideon is but is putting on a happy face. With the problems of demons, Gideon helped with putting the demons in stasis within the human bodies they occupied. Joaquin and Esau are in San Diego, when Joaquin overhears demons saying the assassins will be going after the two of them. With Esau’s grandmother appearing in Esau’s dreams, they head east to Boston. This is the start of the story of how the three of them meet and learn more about each other. Great world building, high heat and chemistry. Love this world and cannot wait to read more.
What an amazing story and such a fantastic addition to this series! I absolutely loved Gideon, Joaquin, and Esau! All three of these guys are going through their own thing and they just pulled at my heart! They were fated but they definitely had things to work through and it was so sweet how supportive they were. There was so much going on in this story and it kept me engaged from beginning to end! It’s definitely a very captivating read and it just pulls you in! This whole story was just amazing and I can’t wait to get more in this series with all these amazing characters and everything they get into! Very highly recommend! This is my honest opinion of this complimentary copy of this book
This is book three of the enchanted ink series and is another really good addition and continues on from were book two finished off, again the world building is good as even though this is book three there is so much happening in the story it needs to be kept updated this one is slightly darker than the others and it is an emotional read at times but I liked Gideon, Esau and Joaquin and would have liked them to get together sooner but understood the need for a slow burn between them as although they were fated mates each had baggage and they needed to work on the best way for them all to be together. Really looking forward to the next book in this series to see what happens next
I'm kinda loving this series and I thought this book was a perfect addition. I find this universe pretty fascinating in terms of the fantasy aspect but I fell like Gideon deserved better than to spend so much time away from his mates...there I said it. I felt like 3 was the magic number in this relationship in more ways than one. Esau and Joaquin were lukewarm at best without Gideon but once they are all together sparks fly and everything falls into place as it's fated to be. Even though I had that one dislike I still enjoyed it immensely. I would recommend this book for sure.
* I received an ARC from GRR, this is my open and honest review *
I wanted to love this book as much as I did the others in this series, but Gideon, Joaquin and Esau just didn't seem like they had a good relationship. It might be that i felt rushed as they didn't get together until the book was at about halfway. Not a lot of communication between them which ended up causing hurt feelings which could have been avoided if they had just talked. This one just didn't work for me as much as the others in the series have. I'm waiting to see who is going to be next and hoping it will be great. I received an advanced copy of this book and am leaving this voluntary review.
This is a fabulous read and addition to the Enchanted Ink series. There is so much going on plotwise in these books that it keeps one on the edge of one’s seat. Aside from a great, hard won romance story we have the continuation of the coven’s troubles with the demons. I was hard pressed to put this one down and was disappointed to turn the last page. Gideon, Esau and Joaquin certainly worked extremely hard for their HEA with some surprises thrown up along the way. I am excited for the next book in the series and hope we do not have to wait too long.
There were several things I really liked about this book. It picks right up from the last novel and has a great story line. The world building in this series is terrific. A little darker than the others, it really adds to the story. The relationship between the three is well built, however, I was hoping they would all find each other sooner than they did. I understand the buildup, but I would have loved to see the three together sooner. There is so much more to come, and I look forward to it.
So much world building and detail continues! I definitely recommend this as a series. The time spent on the depth of each character is refreshing too. This a longer read so I got attached to these guys. I loved that Gideon was just pretty boy of a witch but held so much power and determination. He lived to protect his mates. Gideon, Esau and Joaquin are an unpredictable match and there is a lot of action and emotions going on throughout.
This is book 3 in this series. There is alot going on in this story. Demons, Hell, Lucifer, Mates and ghosts. A truly well written and emotional story. With enough strife to pull you in a couple different directions. The pull of mates is not always enough to hold them together. It takes hard work and the desire to be mated. There are some surprises in store for our new mated throple. Definitely a must read!
I absolutely loved the world building in this book. It was so good. These three men all have some serious issues they're dealing with, and I really enjoyed the slow burn buildup. Yes, they're fated mates, but they need to get to know one another first and figure out how to be a cohesive unit. I also really enjoyed the diversity with the inclusion of a trans and gender fluid character.
I absolutely loved this book - it’s a fantastic, engaging read that brings Esau, Gideon and Joaquin to life. Their story is beautifully told, their history complicated. This incredible book builds and builds into a scene that I literally could see in my head - Kelex did an amazing job and I adored this! Sexy, sweet, a bit heartbreaking but also healing - it was everything I hoped it would be and more!
I loved, loved this book. It's the third in the Enchanted Ink series and it was one hell of a ride (pun intended). In addition to a great overall story arch we get the personal story of Gideon, Joaquin and Esau which is kind of a slow burn in the beginning (until they meet, that is). I especially liked the play with gender norms in this one and also the reuinion with other characters I've come to love (Daniel, I'm looking at you ;-)). I translated this book, so I got a free copy.
Good! Tough - all three MMC have so much damage from shitty events in their past. Which makes them getting together a convoluted thing. Some mysteries from past books are resolved, some things develop more. I thought this was the last book in the series, but, whew, it looks like there will be two more. I’m glad because there are a lot of open ends, and I am really enjoying these characters and this world.
Gideon is an excellent character and I adore him! Ok.. I am really enjoying this series. And as much as I love fated mates, I am really loving the fact that this series does not make it instalove. They may be fated but it doesn't mean everything is going to work out right away. Honestly, there were a couple of things I was not sure how they were going to get past. Joaquin, Gideon and Esau each have complications they are dealing with and for a time it seemed questionable if their complicated lives would mesh. I could not put this down. Fingers crossed for Haman... I do love a redemption story.
This is a brill story and I loved following Gideon, Esau and Joaquin as they meet though things are not easy for them as they have secrets which do end up crashing together and causing problems for them. There is a lot of action, intrigue, magic, love and surprises. I can’t wait for the series arc to continue.