Midlife Wish

Hunting After Forty #6

by Lia Davis, L.A. Boruff

Everyone's favorite hunting duo along with their gnome sidekick and extended family are back for another hunt. This time one of their own is being targeted.

147 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 26, 2025

About the author

In 2008, Lia Davis ventured into the world of writing and publishing and never looked back. She has published more than twenty books, including the bestselling A Tiger’s Claim, book one in her fan favorite Ashwood Falls series. Her novels feature compassionate yet strong alpha heroes who know how to please their women and her leading ladies are each strong in their own way. No matter what obstacle she throws at them, they come out better in the end.

While writing was initially a way escape from real world drama, Lia now makes her living creating worlds filled with magic, mystery, romance, and adventure so that others can leave real life behind for a few hours at a time.

Lia’s favorite things are spending time with family, traveling, reading, writing, chocolate, coffee, nature and hanging out with her kitties. She and her family live in Northeast Florida battling hurricanes and very humid summers, but it’s her home and she loves it! Sign up for her newsletter, become a member of her fan club, and follow her on Twitter @NovelsByLia.

Reviews

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

No! No, you can’t leave me there! Just a quick heads up, this book ends on one heck of a cliff-hanger. And that cliff is steep and treacherous. On the other hand, I loved watching all of our leading couples being ridiculously head over heels for one another. Plus, we get the opportunity to learn about Gil’s past and his people. Now, I'm in an absolute white-hot froth of agony to get my hands on the next book.
I received a complimentary advance copy of this book through Booksprout.

[Cath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book six of the Hunting After Forty series and the main characters are hunters Blair and Lily, who run he antique shop, My Junk Your Trunk, and their resident gnome (genie) Gil (Gnuprilurt), who has been magically protected for years, to hide him away from his enemies. Gil doesn’t talk about his past and when his powerful magic starts to misfire, Blair gets a visit from the spirit of his friend Vi (Gnuvius), who has been murdered! Blair and Lily wonder if the disturbance to his magic has anything to do with a warning letter Lily had recently received, telling her to be aware of danger from the shadows. They need to figure out who has given Lily this vague warning and she realises that the handwriting looks familiar, after her grandmother Pearl tells her names of rogue hunters or those who have defected from the cause. But that still doesn’t explain what danger she and the others might be facing. Vi had placed a protective enchantment on Gil years ago and her death has caused the protections to weaken, allowing Gil’s magic to be released uncontrollably. Both Vi and Gil are bound by an ancient Genie’s Oath and can’t even speak or discuss who his enemy could be, under pain of unimaginable levels. Gil was cursed and Vi took powerful artifacts from other genies, to make some deals she shouldn’t have to Genie lords, to secure the protection on Gil and hide him from the very person or people who probably had her killed. His magic is surging out of control at odd moments and he has no way of stopping it, causing damage to items in the store, like Jade’s potions, and even causing the clocks to run backwards, as well as spooky shadows appearing in the mirrors and corners of the rooms. The store seems to be the centre of everyone’s lives at the moment, especially with all the recent relationships and mate bonds bringing couples together, even Blair’s daughter Meggan finding a new love in Spark and Blair moving in with Maddox. Lily has moved into the apartment above the shop with her mate Reed, and it seems Jade, the witch who uses a corner of the shop to sell her potions, has also found a love interest in David. But all the uncontrolled magic possibly being seen by humans leads Blair to make the difficult decision to shut down the shop, until they can get some answers!

Even Luci (Lucifer) has turned up offering his assistance in their genie problem and they have to visit or summon three genies Vi gives them clues about, Gnumar the Terrible, Gnukari the Ugly, and Gnuletta the Charming. Gnukari the Ugly never leaves the Badlands, a place only jinn can travel, so he uses a touch of Gil’s magic to allow them all to travel with him, and seemingly has his own little side project he is interested in pursuing. Vi comes back with a warning for Blair and her friends, that they are getting too close to secrets some don’t want uncovered and they are in danger now as they seek to uncover the truth about Vi’s death and Gil’s curse. An ancient power has been hunting Gil for eons and a shadow assassin killed Vi and is coming for Gil. They will have to work together, trusting the bonds they have and the family they have created altogether, and use that strength to overcome what hides in the shadows and is coming for Gil. They will have to ask a favour of Luci again, seeking information from the genie’s mirror enemies, the Ifrits, to find this assassin and see if they can stop him. This may allow Vi to rest in peace and for Gil to be safe once more, but nothing is ever that simple when this bunch are involved. This book leaves us on a cliff edge, as Gil’s magic finally bursts out of control completely and he isn’t the only one caught up in the destruction. How they will solve this problem, or if they even can, will be left to the next book in the series and leave us all guessing as to what will happen next! So much happens at the very hub of their existence in this final page, bringing a shocking nightmare into reality for all those left behind. Reality will not be kind, as loss and heartache becomes their fate. I can’t wait to see how they will recover from this and whatever might happen next.

I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout, and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above

[Rebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the time I cracked open Midlife Wish (Book 6 of the Hunting After Forty series by L.A. Boruff), I already knew I was in for something special. But what I didn’t expect? How deeply this one would sink into my heart.

There’s just something about Blair and Lily’s world that feels like home—if home was an antique shop full of enchanted oddities, a mischievous gnome-genie named Gil, and more midlife magical madness than any woman should reasonably be expected to handle before her second cup of coffee. And that’s exactly why I love it.

The moment that mysterious letter arrived? I felt that thrill. You know the one—equal parts “uh-oh” and “let’s do this.” The cozy calm of My Junk Your Trunk quickly spirals into chaos, and watching Blair and Lily rise to the occasion—again—was so satisfying. These women aren’t just getting older. They’re getting bolder, sharper, and even more determined to protect their found family, magical secrets, and, of course, their deliciously protective werewolf mates.

Maddox and Reed? Swoon. They’re everything I want in fated mates—loyal, growly, and willing to burn the world down to keep their women safe. The chemistry is still sizzling, the banter made me laugh out loud, and the emotional beats caught me right in the chest. These relationships feel earned, real, and wrapped in the kind of magical devotion that makes you believe in love all over again.

And then there’s Gil. That gnome-genie cracks me up every time. But in this book, with his life—and the very spell hiding him—on the line, I found myself more attached to him than ever. The layers of mystery, danger, and supernatural sleuthing had me flipping pages late into the night.

L.A. Boruff does it again—delivering a story with warmth, humor, danger, and just the right amount of sparkle. This book made me wish for more time with these characters… but also reminded me why I fell in love with this series in the first place.

Midlife might come with more aches and magical chaos—but it also comes with power, purpose, and a whole lot of heart. Can’t wait for the next one!.

[Stan Hutchings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another crisis threatens Blair, Lily and their team
The team of Blair and Maddox, Lachlan and Amber, Jade and David, Meggan and Spark, and Gil, are up against a mysterious assassin, and are faced with another mystery that threatens all of them. Gil seems most affected, but Lily fears that something bad is coming for all of them. Despite the tension, there are still moments of calm, loving, romance, and tenderness as the team works together, supporting each other, and getting a little help from Luci, Vi the ghost, an Ifrit, and several other supernatural beings, leading up to the final shocking cliffhanger ending

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The gang is back in book six of the Hunting After Forty series and be warned this book ends in a cliffhanger but it is so worth the read. As always these authors gave us a fabulously fun, paranormal mystery with suspense, danger, humor, and unexpected twists. The writing is well done, the characters are well developed, and the story is a page turner. I recommend this book, this series, and these authors to everyone who loves to read. Midlife Wish is book six in the series and I can't wait to read the next book in the series. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

[Lollybobbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic pnr mystery

Great great great addition to the hunting after forty series. Full of action and mystery and carries on the story with a fabulous air. Fair warning though, this one leaves you on a killer cliff hangover. You have been warned.

[Dana F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Wow what an exciting fast paced read. Once you start reading you won’t want to put it down. It will definitely keep you entertained from beginning to end and leave you wanting more.

[Karen Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light read

I enjoyed this book more than the last one in the series but not as much as the first couple of books. The couples are stable and were finally learning a tiny bit more about Gil. There is not a resolution to the problem in this book - hopefully in the next.

[Phthon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Gil! What a horrible curse! I can’t imagine just how terrified he is. Blair and Lily have such a large, wonderful support base but even that isn’t enough to stop what is happening to Gil. I love this series and this book! I can’t wait for the next one to find out what happens next!

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

things get wackier and weirder for some of our favorite mixed hunter-supes couples and folks around them.

when magicks go strange, nothing is off the table for what might happen next.

turning things sideways in new ways adventures.

[Ramona Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

book 6

Good story but it does leave you hanging as usual. The characters and storyline are well written. The story is fast moving and with all the characters working together they get the bad guy

[Debbie Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. I really hope the next book comes out soon. It is a good fight to save friends that I hope will be successful.

[Elissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished Midlife Wish by Kim Lorraine and I’m obsessed! Magic, romance, and second chances all wrapped into one spellbinding read. Perfect for anyone craving a little midlife magic!

[Lois · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed and dissatisfied. This felt like half a book to me as we were left on a cliffhanger and will have to wait a year before the next book.

[Freda Paxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confusing

The other books didn't seem to jump from character to character. I had a difficulty keeping up with the characters.

[stephanie huntington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging and entertaining