Flax's Pursuit

AURA Series #2

by Angel Martinez, Bellora Quinn

Flax's Pursuit by Angel Martinez and Bellora Quinn

Book two in the AURA series

A murderer haunts the city, turning the unwary to stone. Between hunting this evil and corralling new arrivals, Flax struggles to guard both his life and his heart.

Quinn and Valerian have come through the trials of facing an undead lich queen and the perils of falling in love. Now they work to restore AURA to its previous strength and efficiency while navigating their new life with each other. Fortunately, they’re not in this alone.

Kai Hiltas has taken over as the head of the research department at AURA and has become everyone’s favourite workaholic, everyone except his lover Tenzin, who has had enough of his late nights and broken promises. As Kai tries to salvage his relationship, he finds a teacher for Quinn, who also happens to be one of Valerian’s new officers, Flax Wolfheart, a sexy elf with trouble written all over him.

Flax has motives beyond simply teaching Quinn to control his magic. He’s trying to recover from his own losses and failures, but he has a plan. The two newest elvish crossovers, Ash and Sage, are sizzling hot and might even like him. With them as backup as he tracks a deadly stone mage and figures out how to teach Quinn, Flax sees his chance to impress Val and snag a place by his captain’s side. On the hunt for both danger and redemption, Flax’s pursuit leads him ultimately down trails he never expected.

The AURA series

AURA, the Agency of Unnatural Resettlement and it’s a weird job, but somebody’s got to do it.

A magical catastrophe tears the fabric of reality, causing unpredictable holes between worlds through which anything might fall—elves, centaurs, trolls, yeti. The brave officers and employees of AURA struggle daily to help the lost and injured, and contain the irretrievably violent while their research staff scramble to find a way to reverse the effect.

Anything can and does pop through into the human world, sometimes with disastrous and deadly results. It’s a race against time to see if the AURA mages can repair reality and stop the inter-dimensional flood before something crosses over that proves strong enough to destroy the world.

About Angel Martinez

The unlikely black sheep of an ivory tower intellectual family, Angel Martinez has managed to make her way through life reasonably unscathed. Despite a wildly misspent youth, she snagged a degree in English Lit, married once and did it right the first time, (same husband for almost twenty-four years) gave birth to one amazing son, (now in college) and realized at some point that she could get paid for writing.

Published since 2006, Angel's cynical heart cloaks a desperate romantic. You'll find drama and humor given equal weight in her writing and don't expect sad endings. Life is sad enough.

She currently lives in Delaware in a drinking town with a college problem and writes Science Fiction and Fantasy centered around gay heroes.

About Bellora Quinn

Originally hailing from Detroit Michigan, Bellora now resides on the sunny Gulf Coast of Florida where a herd of Dachshunds keeps her entertained. She got her start in writing at the dawn of the internet when she discovered PbEMs (Play by email) and found a passion for collaborative writing and steamy hot erotica.

Genres: Fantasy, M M Romance, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Magic, Menage, M M M

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 14, 2015

About the author

Angel Martinez currently lives part time in the hectic sprawl of northern Delaware and full time inside her head. She has one husband, one son, two cats, a love of all things beautiful and a terrible addiction to the consumption of both knowledge and chocolate.

Angel's alter ego writes the all-ages science fiction - Sandra Stixrude.

Reviews

[Lilia Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying this series. While I continued to like the paranormal theme--and the presence of a yeti--I did find the mystery/bad-guy plot to be pretty basic, with no larger meaning or allegorical undertone, really just an excuse to throw people in danger. Instead the focus is almost entirely on the relationships, both new and continuing from book one. None of it was too deep, but I was plenty caught up in it. Normally, the book 2, now-we're-together plotlines don't work for me; a lot of times authors descend to contrived or obvious difficulties or misunderstandings, but the problems here felt both normal and organic, with the added interest that the lovers involved were elves, mages, drows, or (snap!) yetis. It also helped that this book was hot--like really hot. Like elves-having-orgies hot. In fact, I'd go so far as to call it HAWT--and quite a bit hawter/hotter than book 1, which was pretty hawt itself.

Bottom line: low-pressure but always enjoyable paranormal read, that includes yetis, and also really hot elven group sex.

(final point I hope is addressed in next volume: there are still no significant female characters!)

[Eva Millien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone’s working to restore AURA to its previous strength and efficiency while navigating their lives. Recovering from his own loss and failures, Flax is trying to impress Val only to find love in an unexpected direction in this riveting paranormal m/m romance. Once again all the intriguing characters held me hostage from the very beginning, Flex captured my heart with his situation and I am so glad that he met Sage and Ash, also the magical and unique quirks in this world just keep adding to the fascination of this series and I can’t wait to read the next one.

See my full review at:
http://glbt.theromancereviews.com/vie...

[namericanwordcat · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Flax's Pursuit, we get three romances. Each one is compelling. However, Flax's romance in some ways gets the least page time and it would have been a stronger book if we got more pages with Ash, Sage, and Flax after their bonding.

This is not a stand alone. You really much read the first book in the series to enjoy this one and enjoy it you will.

While there is a very well built world and a serial killer magic mystery to be solved, this series is character and romantic love driven. Which I like the most.

Kai and Tenzi from the first book hit troubled times and it makes for a wonderful romance. However, I am not against sexy times with a Yeti which we don't get.

Quinn and his elf` deepen their relationship. It is really lovely and tender

Flax meets a newly crossover pair of Bonded Elves. And he is clueless for a long while but that is okay. The adjusting to new possibilities and cultural is well done.

The murder mystery could be clearer in the end but the plot adds interest.

A very nice entry.

I bought the next book but I am not thrilled that on of a set of mate's gets killed off.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

****Reviewed for Prism Book Alliance®****

4.5 Stars

Flax’s Pursuit is book 2 in the AURA series and picks up shortly after book one ends. While the title leads you to believe this is Flax’s story, a new character in the series, it really revolves around Quinn and Val, as well as Kai and the mysterious Tenzin, just as much.

I loved how the mystery of the culprit unfolded, and there were great action scenes fraught with danger and magic, but the real focus were the relationships between all the main characters.

I loved seeing Quinn and Val again and seeing them cement their devotion. Flax was an interesting character, though I didn’t like him much at first, he did grow on me. Ash and Sage offered a unique insight to new arrivals to this world and I liked their interactions with the previous three. Kai and Tenzin’s story was more in the background but no less heart wrenching. All had depth and individuality that created a great story.

I love this world that the authors have created and I hope for more tales set in it, whether we revisit old friends or meet new ones.

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

In book two, Flax is a newer recruit elf who is crushing on Val. Despite himself, he starts to like Quinn but he still holds out hope. It seems that in the elf world, someone who is dominant like Val would have 4 or 5 "mates" for lack of a better word. Sort of a loose polyamourous group and it's difficult for elves to be alone and they can pine away. However Flax is sent to "rescue" two elves who've fallen through the veil. He becomes friends with them and they start a relationship but he's so fixated on Val that he can't see what's right in front of his nose.

Hmmm. Is it bad I kind of wanted Val to form a group with the three elves and Quinn? Okay, pervy me. It didn't happen but there is more police work all of the different creatures again which I enjoyed.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still loving this series!!!

I want more!

[Love Bytes Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Heart Review by Vicki

Wow. There is so much awesomeness in this book I don’t even now where to start! Let me think about this…

This is urban fantasy at it’s finest. The story takes place in our world, but it’s our world turned on its head. A badly done magical event has caused rifts to periodically form in the boundary between our world and other realms. This causes magical beings to fall out of their world and in to ours. A government-funded group has been established to manage the assimilation of the beings that appear. This group is called AURA, the Agency of Unnatural Resettlement and Assimilation, and is mainly staffed by refugees. Elves, griffins, sirens, centaurs and such. We learned all of this is Quinn’s Gambit, the first book in this series.

We also met Quinn, a magic wielding human, and Valerian, his elf lover, who both work for AURA. Their story is full of excellent drama, and at the end of the first book they are happily living together. Part of this book focuses on Val and Quinn, as they work through the potential to add other elves to their relationship. The potential mates are Flax, an elf that works for Val and has had the hots for him for some time. The others are Sage and Ash, two very recent arrivals to this strange new world. Flax, Sage, and Ash, have some drama and issues to deal with between the three of them, complicating it is the idea to court Val and Quinn and see about a bond with them.

The non-relationship plot follows the AURA folks as they are searching for a murderer, who has been turning people in to stone. Flax and Quinn play a big part in this storyline, Val poking about a bit, and Sage and Ash are involved on the side. Also Kai, the head of the magic department, and his assistants, including the most excellent character ever, VICKI! We follow the AURA folks as they look for the bad guy. Creepy! But I loved how it was done, we see not only the good guys hunting the bad guy, but his side of things as well. I loved how they all worked together to solve this mystery, everyone contributing their bit of talent to the mix.

There is also some drama between Kai and his lover Tenzin, a freaking yeti! Kai is kind of an asshole, and works too much, leaving his big beautiful yeti alone. We see their relationship go down, then go back up. I love Kai and his darkness, his dedication, and his big heart. I wish we had seen a bit more of Tenzin, I think he’s a fantastic character, I’ve never read a book with a yeti in it before. Well, he was in the first book, so technically this is my SECOND yeti book!

So I LOVED this book! I loved the first one, I loved this one, and I hope we’ll see more so I can love them as well! I loved that we see so much of Val and Quinn in this book, it’s as much their book as it is Flax’s. I loved the mystery that provides the background to this book, it kept me interested the whole time. I love Kai and his drama, and loved how that resolved. I loved Flax, Sage, and Ash. Their story was quite good, and the three-way sex between them was hot and very lovely. I loved the drama between Val and Quinn, and Flax, Ash, and Sage, the whole potential relationship thing was very cool. And I loved how it all worked out.

This is a nice long book, as the first one was, so there is lots of time for world building. There is background, rules, unique characters, and time for relationships to develop. It’s all smooth and calm, then moments of intensity, drama both good and bad. There’s a bit of humor, sweetness and darkness, and some seriously amazing sexy times. The writing was great, great characters, a creative story, quick dialogue, and damn fine sex.

I don’t know what else to say! I loved it! If you read the first book, you’ll love this one. If you didn’t read it, you could read this one on its own, but I wouldn’t. I’d go get Quinn’s Gambit and read it first, then follow it up with Flax’s Pursuit. If you have not read any urban fantasy, this would be a great series to start with.

If we don’t get Yeti sex in the next book I’m going to hunt you down Angel!

Here is my review of Quinn’s Gambit, the first is this awesome series!

This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This M/M & M/M/M UF romance left me unsure how to rate it. I didn't really love often-misguided Flax for most of the book. However, he wasn't the only PoV character, or really even any more important than:
(A) Quinn and Val, refusing to get carried away by foolish jealousy, and figuring out what would and wouldn't work in their relationship — which felt more convincingly deep here than in Quinn's Gambit, though for a while it seemed to be heading in a direction I wasn't sold on (Not a spoiler: I'm not telling whether the authors succeeded in persuading me, or the characters decided against it), and
(B) Kai, fighting hard to win back his beloved yeti lover Tenzin, who felt like he always came second to Kai's work.
There were also some passages from the cryptic PoV of the tragically delusional-but-deadly perpetrator. The answer to who/what was doing the petrifactions was original and not obvious, and there were several suspenseful and scary moments, though the book does have more about romance than mystery/thriller.

It was interesting to see Ash and Sage, two "good-guy" characters, having difficulty getting past their lifelong prejudice against the drow (whom they'd been mid-battle with when dumped through onto this dimension!), even though other elves (et al) whom they respect and/or care about treat Kai as an accepted and valuable member of the AURA team. We also witnessed for the first time some other ways new arrivals need to adjust: food bought in stores rather than hunted/gathered, warriors still being mere civilians as far as law enforcement is concerned (i.e., get involved = get in trouble), and more.

Even Flax, no new arrival, has to check his assumptions re. the true limits, costs, and potentials of human magic; he does not get off on the right foot with Quinn, though there's a great deal of growth between them, even before Quinn shares more of the troubled past which is subconsciously holding him back. But then, Flax tends to be rash and cocky... when he's not lamenting his lack of true connection in this world (wishing for more with Captain/Tesined Valerian, while being accustomed to fleeting, promiscuous hookups) and feeling that he's already beginning the fading (the end of an elf's life).

As said before, I won't reveal whether or not the possibly of Ash and Sage (whose own bond is open to additional lovers) and Flax, along with Quinn as "First", becoming a new senrist for Val comes to pass, but the sexual content in this volume does include encounters involving all of the threesome in different configurations. I will say that my personal preference in fictional relationships to read about is rarely in favor of completely unequal ones, and this book's trio all consider Val as the leader (prince), to be served however he wishes, if he so wishes.

I always try to mention how well the editing/proofreading was done, and in this book the news is good: I only spotted one minor typo ("as says" s/b either "as he says" or "and says") and one iffy bit of syntax ("not a happy one", where "one" has no direct referent such as "feeling" in the previous sentence).

I don't think I'll head straight on to book 3 right now (especially given one sad thing I know is going to happen in it), but I do plan to read it later.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is part of a series and should be read in order.

This book picks up a little after the last. Since then Valerian has taken on the Captaincy spot that was left open after the prior events. Quinn has started working on a freelance basis for the AURA research department. Valerian and Quinn are now living full-time together as the bonded pair they are. The fire between them has not cooled down and they are still sex as hell together.

But this story is not only about Valerian and Quinn. There is also the Kai and his Tenzin having issues with their bonding. As an extra bonus there is the story of Flax, an elf hunter for AURA who finds his matches in two elf newcomers to Earth. Throughout all the relationships is the ongoing issue of someone with the power to turn people into stone. To say the least, a hell of a lot goes on.

There are the interconnecting relationships, not just the romantic but also the friendships that have developed. Even as they hunt for the person turning people into stone, the emotional bonds of the three romantic relationships are highlighted and explored.
Kai and Tenzin experience bumps in their bonding.

As Kai works himself to the bone, he has put a strain on his relationship. Instead of putting Tenzin first, he has focused on work. And Tenzin takes drastic measures. Now Kai has to learn a different way of balancing his work and personal life.

Meanwhile, Flax has issues of his own. When he first landed in the human world he did not handle it well. Alone he turned to drugs and nearly lost himself. Now working as an officer for AURA he hunts those bent on causing problems. When he is blackmailed into training Quinn, he does with the wrong ideas that nearly backfire on him.

It isn’t until Ash and Sage come through an event that he learns there may be something else out there for him. And let me tell you these three are smoking hot together.

The descriptions and dialogue are rich and lushly descriptive. Even with so much going on with the different relationship that are already established and the new one taking place I did not find myself getting lost. Everything was easy to follow.

I loved the first book and I loved this one too. The concept is different, interesting, and it’s not one-dimensional. Because of that I have been drawn into this world the authors have created. I enjoy the different characters and their unique traits.

This series is turning out to be an awesome urban fantasy and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *

[Jennifer Lavoie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven’t read Quinn’s Gambit, the first book in the AURA series, you need to. The events from the first book are referred to, and the characters present, for the most part, are established in the first book. There are a few new additions which are great, but the book focuses just as much on Quinn, Val, and Kai as it does on Flax and the new crossovers.

Set after the incident with the Lich queen, Quinn and Val are settling into their new lives with each other and at AURA. Val is the new captain and Quinn works for them. Kai wants him trained, though, and he sets him up with Flax, a talented elf fairly fresh from the academy. Quinn and Flax don’t like each other at first for many reasons, and their relationship starts off rocky. Flax wants the captain, and he doesn’t think Quinn is worthy enough of him. He needs a relationship, and it becomes clear that what happens to Val in the first book is starting to happen to him. But will he find someone to bond with before it’s too late? And what about Kai and Tenzin? Kai stays at work late and breaks promises, and it pushes Tenzin to his limit.

My heart broke for half the book. The authors are really good at portraying characters that make me feel for their situation. I felt as if I was there with Flax as he realized the fading was starting, and when Kai watched Tenzin walk out the door.

As far as new characters go, Flax, Sage, and Ash are great. Their bond with each other grows throughout the book, and they plot to get both Val AND Quinn in their beds to form a senrist with them, because of Val’s heritage. I won’t lie, I really, REALLY wanted it to happen the more the book went on. I was with Quinn thinking about it, and while at first I was put off by it like he was, the more he thought, the more I did, and then the more I wanted it. It just seemed like a really good idea, and I wanted Flax to be happy. I love Quinn and Val alone, but Flax needed someone to love him. Thankfully, he does find that.

I look forward to the next book in this series. I have no idea what will happen, but I know I’ll love it just as much as the first two books.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

It felt like I waited forever for this release! Honestly, who didn't? Quinn and Valerian stole my heart and I loved that their practically perfect romance moved past the honeymoon stage and got down and dirty this time. Romance is easy, true love is 2 parts hard work and 1 part destiny and the boys' commitment is tested so watch out world!

Flax is my beloved troublemaker with unexpected depths. The kind of guy who hurried his heart under a rock solid layer of sarcasm and a larger than life personality. The kind of bad boy who loves 'em and leaves 'em, don't get your hopes up too high because even though we get a tiny peek, it will take a miracle of epic proportions to tempt him out of his shell!

The only blip on this ride of perfection is Kai and Tenzin. Now, we all knew that Kai was as stubborn as a mule but when they hit the rough patch we all saw coming, watch out world because Tenzin isn't about to let Kai corner that market alone. I couldn't decide what I wanted to do first, knock their heads together and scream in frustration... MEN!!!

Have no fear; the drama is better than ever and all our favorite agents are back for round two. There's enough magical mayhem to satisfy the secret, or not so secret, thrill seeker in us all and a few new characters to sweeten the plot. So, sadly for me, the waiting begins all over again as I watch impatiently for the guaranteed amazingness that will be book three.

My OFFICIAL REVIEW written for Carly's Book Reviews.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

SQUEE! As stated at the end of my review for book one of this series, I was jumping straight into the sequel, and I wasn't kidding, peeps. I had so much fun with the world Angel Martinez and Bellora Quinn created, and I knew I wanted more. More sexy paranormal species, definitely more inter-species loving, and more of the guys I fell in love with during the previous installment. 'Flax's Pursuit' is book two in the 'AURA' series, and I apologize, but I'm not going to repeat myself as to what all of the acronyms mean. This is a series which I truly believe must be read in order, so if you haven't read book one, 'Quinn's Gambit', please do so before picking this one up.

Flax is a young elf, from the same world as Val. He has superior magical abilities, but, like most young elves, is quick to anger, impatient, and oh so eager to prove himself to his former battle prince, Val. He's also the elf Kai assigns to work with Quinn and his magic. This doesn't go over very well, initially, as Flax can't understand why Val would bond mate with a human, much less a runty little human who couldn't control his magic. You can imagine Quinn's response to all of this.

Please find my full review at Rainbow Book Reviews

[Denise White · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

This book was waaaay better than the1st book....I finally saw the love between Quinn and Val now that they were in their relationship...I love the relationship with Flax, Ash, and Sage..it was done with taste and most importantly it flowed naturally!! And when Quinn and Val made their decision it fit perfectly and made sense....the plot was a hellava lot better as well...this story engrossed me and I held on tight...Kai and Tenzi's story line was believable and realistic....and the bad guy in this one is not the usual which was a surprise....4.5 because the world building still needs some work but there were definitely some improvements ....I know the next book will be spot on....bring on book 3!!!!!!

[DaisyGirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 (4.0) Stars

I freaking LOVE this series. We get to revisit with old friends and meet new ones.

Bottom line: Can't wait for book 3!

[Elithanathile · Rating 2 out of 5]

Giving this one a try ...

[Anne Barwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m already hooked on this series, and loved Flax’s story, which picks up from book 1 in the series. I’d recommend reading this series in order, as they do build on previous books. I love the worldbuilding, and the different ways the crossovers cope with their new world… or don’t.

Poor Flax. I shook my head over a lot of his well-meaning, somewhat desperate, actions through this book as he tried to endear himself to Val. I felt sorry for Kai trying to win back Tenzin too. The only relationship on track is Val and Quinn’s, despite Flax’s less than brilliant idea about that too. And Sage and Ash, who have a new world to deal with.

I liked how the characters and relationships were explored as part of trying to find who or what is responsible for turning people to stone. I also liked that this threat wasn’t introduced to the plot lightly, with there being almost fatal consequences for several characters when they come face to face with the murderer. Those scenes are tense, and I keep turning pages, hoping no one was going to get killed. I loved how Quinn is coming into his own now he’d with Val, and how powerful he really is.

Up to now most of the crossovers have been in the human world a while, so I enjoyed seeing how differently Ash and Sage dealt with it. Flax grows the most character wise in this story and I liked him coming into his own. A bonus was seeing more of Sin too. He always steals every scene he’s in.

I thought the situation with the stone mage was nicely done, and I liked that it was a little different, and kind of sad too, with the villain not really being evil per se.

[Susana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 to 5 stars
Flax Wolfheart, a young elf with some attitude issues, has a desperate crush on his Captain, Valerian Hartgrove. Too bad Val only has eyes for his beloved Quinn. With the help of two newly arrived valiant warriors, Sage and Ash, Flax plan to seduce Val and Quinn. But maybe what Flax really needs is nearer and fully available…
The second book in the AURA series is as enticing and enjoyable as the first one. Even more, because some of the characters are already known and dear to you. Not only Val and Quinn, who grow attached by the day, but Kai and Tenzin, who go through a deep crisis in their relationship. It was really moving how Kai tried to win Tenzin back, how lost and sad he was without his beloved. We also get quite a lot of Sin, the sassy incubus who seems to have left his troublesome past and embraced his new life as an active member of AURA. As for the new arrivals, Flax, Sage and Ash, I loved them from the start, because… Elves! Silver haired, green-haired, Prusian blue haired, golden haired… Beautiful, brave, aggressive, comforting… In this series elves come in all shapes and colours, and I love them all. I really liked the almost relationship that grew between Val and Quinn and the beautiful elves, and I loved the idea of the senrist for Val… I also understand that would crash terribly with Quinn's issues with intimacy so….
As for the mystery, it was intriguing, and the investigation thrilling. I was completely engrossed by it, and I never saw the end of the murderer coming. It was, at the same time, surprising, beautiful, and distressingly sad.
Lovers of paranormal romance, and specially those of you who find elves irresistible, you should give this series a try. You won't regret it.

[Riayl · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

I didn't like this one as much. I think the main reason is that I felt everyone was pursuing their own selfish desires with no thought to others, with the exception of Quinn, who was the one that was having to give up the most. I spent a lot of the book pissed off at everyone but Quinn and Tenzin (I mean, who could ever be pissed with Tenzin?)

Had Quinn been okay with it, I could have happily had this turn poly. Had everyone seemed a little more concerned with how Quinn was, instead of just pursuing their own happiness, I would have been happier with the way the story went. I didn't feel like it really showed the characters as they should be. Quinn is human and the youngest and he felt like the most mature. So I generally skip this one in my rereading. (I hate to say that because Angel Martinez is one of my favorite authors, but we can't all like everything. I'm sure it is probably me identifying with Quinn way more than necessary.)

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second books in a multi-book series can be tricky. The author needs to touch base with the couple from the first book, introduce new characters and new romantic pairings and complications and in this series, also give us a paranormal killer to find. That can easily lead to a fragmented story with so many ragged edges left for the next book that a reader gets confused or discouraged. Thank goodness these authors avoided all the pitfalls. I really enjoyed Flax and his relationships and how all the characters from book one and this book mesh together logically. There is a high level of heat in this one and the murder mystery was interesting.

[Manon Lavoie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm confused. I'm at 17% and I'm still not sure who are the MCs !
When I read the blurb, it wasn't clear at all. First, it is about Valerian and Quinn, then Kai and Tenzin, and about Flax. But at the end of the blurb, there two new characters.

So, as I said, I'm at 17% and I feel like the 3 MCs are Flax, Quinn and Valerian. But, I don't feel the chemistry building between the three of them at all. We'll see !

Edit **
I just finished the book and it was very confusing at times. The threesome between Flax, Ash and Sage was not natural and I never felt real chemistry! There was too much emphasis on Quinn and Valorian. Too much time on the plot who ended in a very anticlimactic way ! All in all, it was a book that went in too many directions with too many characters !

[SFBookReviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flax's Pursuit is the second book in the AURA series. The book is an urban fantasy with some romance and continues the story of Valerian and Quinten, but also introduces the poly relationship of Flax, Sage, and Ash. The book is filled with magic and magical creatures and has very good world-building. The book is filled with a good story and lots of great characters. Overall a very enjoyable read and looking forward to more in the series. I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[MM Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

The boys are back! Val and Quinn and Sin and Kai and Tenzin along with the flower fairies and the rest of the AURA team. And we also have newcomers like Flax and Sage and Ash.

Flax's Pursuit was quite intense. The story arc of the murder mystery kept me on the edge of my seat. And the romance story arc of Flax had me biting my nails. All products of excellent writing with a well developed plot and great characters. Kudos to these great artists, BELLORA QUINN AND ANGEL MARTINEZ. They are my top favorites!

[Janet Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world building in this story is phenomenal. We get three romances, and the story is not a standalone. You must read Quinn’s Gambit to know what going on with this story. The love between Quinn and Val is well done, The relationship between Flax, Ash and Sage is done nicely, not over the top and Kai and Tenzi felt realistic. I love the quirkiness of the characters. Overall, a great story. The story is well written and flowed nicely, highly recommend. I’m voluntarily reviewing from an advanced copy that I received. My reviews are solely based on my thoughts and opinions.

[T.A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Great Story

Flax Wolfheart thinks that he's in love with Valerian but he's just lonely, it's good the Ash and Sage have crossed over to show him what real love is.

I truly enjoyed seeing more into the lives of the characters we met in the first book and seeing the new characters show Flax something special.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

another good story and I loved to see Quinn and Val again. the mystery was very well done
but I had some troubles with Flax and the relationship side. not bad but it was somehow not really that interesting to me as Quinn and Val ...

[Brandielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first one was good. This one caught me off guard with how much I liked it. It didn’t feel too busy. I was genuinely interested and engaged in each storyline.

[Tünde Kasza tóth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than the first book, which was actually quite good. Still too many pointless sex scenes. But at least a little bit less brooding and self flagellation.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars, rounded up. Ugh, I had hoped this one would be better than the first one, but nope. Same oversexed characters who don't know the meaning of self-control. Seriously, they act like horny 14-year old boys. And the sad thing is that it isn't needed. These books have fairly decent plots and would be so much better if the writers spent more time developing secondary plotlines and characters instead of inserting gratuitous sex scenes and trying to justify them. But no, apparently sex is the only way elves can relate to each other, and it's the only thing that gives their lives meaning. Harrumph. At least they didn't screw it up with the menage. They get an extra half star for that.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flax's blindness

This book took me on a journey from start to finish. Flax an elf arrived 4 years ago is now an officer at AURA with a crush on Val, Quinn is trying to learn control and Kai is being his bossy self but pushing his yeti away from over work!
This story brings in Ash and Sage an already bonded couple.
Flax is a lone elf and requires that something special all Elves need to keep moving.
This story was hot from the sex scenes but awkward in the scenarios from the men in the story and the possibility of a new senrist and Val back in charge of it.
Can't wait to start book 3

[CertainPOV · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this series, it's a fun new take on the fantasy genre. For a while there I couldn't understand why Flax didn't see what was right in front of him, but then I realized that I had been standing in that spot myself. It was also nice to gain an insight into Kai and Tenzin's relationship; I immediately saw myself in Kai. I'm glad we both came to before it was too late!

Highly recommend this series if you enjoy 21st century fantasy, especially with a law and order twist!