Vampire Edwin Marsh has a new shadow. James is jumpy and traumatised, but he’s also willing and cute. And, oh man, his blood has the most enticing flavour Edwin’s ever tasted. Every time he feeds from James, he falls deeper under the spell of this quiet human. Patience is not Edwin’s strongest virtue, but he’s learning to listen, and more importantly, to feel again.
James Wilson is grateful to have a roof over his head, safe from his all-too-frequent nightmares. Trying to forget the abuse he’s been through, he is already devoted to Edwin but mortified by his physical responses when the vampire takes his blood. Edwin is impossibly beautiful; how could he ever return James’ growing crush? The added complication of a certain witch with kind eyes and a gentle touch is almost too much to contemplate.
Trace Dempsey, the Council’s senior witch, faces imminent homelessness and the loss of his entire livelihood unless he asks Edwin for help. Already feeling awkward that circumstances have foisted him on the vampire and his new shadow at the beginning of their relationship, he is dismayed to realise he finds both his new landlord and James increasingly tempting.
Three damaged men have the chance to build a new life together. Their collective secrets, however, carry supernatural repercussions, and they’ll need more than a bit of luck and the odd potion if their love can overcome their pasts.
An Evergreen Council MMM paranormal romance set in London with a cast of vampires, shifter, Fae, and humans.
This was a sweet MMM paranormal romance with 3 men with histories and secrets in forced proximity.
Unlike Fang'd and Claw'd, there isn't an adventure component to this and it's a gentler paced book.
If you haven't read Claw'd for James's back story, there are some notes, but it felt better in the context of having read Fang'd and Claw'd first.
There's a lot of mental health struggles represented here. I appreciated the representation of Edwin's WWI shellshock and the horrors of that war being brought up. I would have preferred to see a trained therapist brought in to help with James's PTSD. There not being any supernatural therapists seemed unrealistic in this context.
In this, you'll find: •MMM paranormal romance •Gay vampire, turned after WWI •Bisexual hard of hearing human, recovering from being kidnapped & raped •Pansexual witch •Foster care survivor •Mention of wartime injuries •Losing home to new landlord demolishing it •PTSD •Forced proximity •Use of the word "slave" as an archaic term in relation to vampire donors
Edwin, James, and Trace are all likeable characters, and each of them has a well-delineated, unique personality. Their intersection and mutual agreement to form a throuple seemed to happen perhaps a bit too smoothly to me, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. The story was filled with many mutual hurt/comfort scenes, as James coped with the aftermath of his abuse at the hands of Cormack; Edwin navigated his deep-seated war trauma; and Trace dealt with his own hidden secrets. Dalziel featured heavily in an unexpectedly caring role, and we were also treated to scenes with the ever-lovely Charley and Luc, as well as other peripheral characters from the earlier books in this series. The story’s big reveal gave Trace his very own Beauty and the Beast moment, and it was a pleasure to read. This is a must-read for fans of the Evergreen Council series!
I loved this book so much. I totally adored the characters and the dynamic between them and was happy to dive once more into the awesome world VIN George built. I hope there will be more books in this series as we still haven’t heard about some characters yet. If I had to criticise one teeny tiny point it would be that I missed Alec but just because I have a soft spot for him. O am sure his time will come.