In the Twist

The Wild Hunt #1

by L.A. Stockman

Twelve dead children. An ex-priest with the faith to move mountains. A hunter out of the depths of legend. Together, they must find a way to overcome their pasts and become something entirely new if they are to defeat an ancient evil.

David Shaughnessy was content in his life as a police detective in Armata, California. It lacked the visceral, sick thrill that came with exorcising demons, but it was better for him, saner. Until the night he got called out to a vicious murder in the woods, and met Dallan Jaeger. The older man and Interpol agent is much more than he seems to be, and their connection is immediate, powerful. Trust blooms quickly as they learn to work together to pursue the evil fae responsible for the murders.

They must learn to do more than trust each other if David is to fulfill his birthright and claim what was so long denied him. Only then do they have a hope of catching the killer…in the Twist.

Genres: M M Romance, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Mystery, Horror, Contemporary, Fantasy

134 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 22, 2016

Reviews

[SheReadsALot · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Hearts--Debut novella urban fantasy with a religious/mythology tinge, In the Twist, is the first in the Wild Hunt series. It's definitely a story that is not for everyone. Read the blurb. Still think you're ready? The story begins with a gory start...a disemboweled junkie child kind of start. Still with me? There are triggers up the wazoo, potential readers are heavily warned. While the subjects are dark, the story isn't as dark as it seems. (Think light-ish DMC read)

If you don't mind viscera here and there.

Anyone, still here with me?

You are?

Great. :)

Irish ex-priest, now American detective David Shaughnessy is a damaged soul with so baggage he could probably run his own department store. He's fairly young but has lived a lifetime of pain, shares a home with a sister and houses unwanted orphans. He was an unwanted once. And was used and abused by those who he should have trusted.

Present day David can care for those in need but doesn't care about himself, he's scarred and tattooed. While on a case, he meets older and worldly Interpol agent Dallan Jaeger. Dallan and David see the world...differently. Together, they uncover the mundane and magic world, open a new way of life for David and meet the 'The Wild Hunt', a group of the world's best warriors of legend.

The first 30% was a struggle for me. In fact, it took me days to get through. It wasn't the subject matter (because this barely scratches my dark meter) but the POV is muddled. At one point eye colors changed from ice blue to green-grey. And I thought it disemboweling was going to be as good as it got. But something pushed me to keep reading.

And I'm glad I did.

After 30% or so, the story got less muddled and more interesting, especially the urban fantasy world, religious and historical undertones brushed through. There was action, magic, romance, horror and mystery. It might've also been the swords added in too. I'm a sucker for swords. There's more to Dallan, David and his family. I like the mythological/fantasy world created. And I enjoy anything with a hint of heaven/hell thrown in made interesting. I enjoyed the author's take on it (the hints the reader gets).

Bare bones, this story hits an appropriate checklist of romance: man meets man, they share interests and mutual attraction, fight said attraction while uncovering a mystery and falling for one another for a solid HFN.

Not bad, right? What's the difference from all the other urban fantasy romances? The Wild Hunt, for one. Picture international badass immortal warriors from the ages. The faeries in this book are evil. And there are dukedoms in Hell.

I thought all of that was cool.

But I have quibbles.

My main quibble with this novella is it could have been longer.

For someone with David's depth of damage, the rapid way he gets over his hangups for love? I want to buy it. I really do. But it takes time. His mental abuse is so ingrained, the hurt and pain were written so well (a bit too well in aspects) that I ached for him. We get novel length feelings and major declarations in a novella. And some really lovely words, that I normally flutter like glitter fairy to I really enjoy. But the time span the men spend together is days. It's not like we're talking normal human relationships here. I can turn a blind eye for fated mates (not the case here).

I liked the attraction between Dallan and David. The romance was nice when I overlook the muddle. Because the conversations that Dallan and David had, really had when trying to overcome the hardships of their past (namely the abused), oh...those were sweet. Like laying jewels on your damaged feet kind of sweet. I basked in some the words when the muddling lessened.

I especially liked the duke. I kind of wished there was elaboration on the backstory about that. The story slowly unfolds David's background and his kids. It's more about him than Dallan, though both men are equally interesting.

Worth a gander (those who can handle the subject matter)? I think so.

Underneath the weaker start, rapid insta-love, beginning POV confusion, there's a solid plot. And it's too soon to call, but there were hints of something in the prose. It reminded me of a few urban fantasy stories I used to read in the past underneath my quibbles. And I think that if the author finds a groove, explains plot points and keep the POV separate...this could be an urban fantasy series to watch.

I'll be back for book #2, Titan's Watch, see what else the author has up her sleeve especially for these characters.



A copy provided for an honest review.

[Kazza · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a totally confounding read. Endearments thrown out there when there is no relationship, no chemistry. Two grown men having adolescent feelings over and over about a shared kiss that came from nothing and nowhere. A. Kiss - come on! There is a total lack of clarity in the MCs voices. The individual POV for the MCs was not necessary - seriously, David's may as well have been Dallan's and Dallan's David's, so I had no sense of who these guys were at any stage. None. That is a huge problem for me. Then add in a sister and family with children - I'm not a huge fan of children in this genre - and nothing in the story that made it anything like the dark premise promised in the blurb, and I was disappointed. There are these cryptic thoughts in the narration and they just kept bugging me. They could have ignited my interest but they didn't.
There's also some conflicting narrative I won't go into. Also, you don't have a young boy brutally murdered and then have some feelings stirring for professionals at the scene, paranormal or not, I did not like that.

Two stars for the small but fairly atmospheric world building, the split of British English and American English for the respective characters - nice touch.

I think the author has a good story in them but, sadly, this one didn't work for me.

Copy supplied by the publisher in return for an honest review.

[Cryselle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one isn’t for the faint of heart. The story starts off with a scene that made me queasy, and right away I knew this book would be going some dark places.

Horror readers (which is not me usually) will be right at home. LA Stockman gives us a damaged but still strong hero to take on this monster, and David finds an unlikely ally in his fight against the horror stalking the children. An Interpol agent with a larger scope than most, Dallan Jaeger is both attracted to David and willing to give him the space he needs to be ready for a relationship. Dallan’s almost too good to be true, between his skills, knowledge, his unexpected kindness, and a pack of really scary backup.

The Catholic church comes off very badly here: what’s happened to David at their hands is truly atrocious and comes with no apologies. It was pretty awful, and the sad part is that after all the recent real life scandals, it isn’t even that surprising. This is one of the very dark places the book goes, and I’m interested to see how the uneasy relationship with the church that was his everything progresses now that David’s come a long way from the scared child he was. I will read books two and beyond to find that out, no matter how dark it goes.

The series is titled The Wild Hunt, and while the band of spectral hunters does show up, only the leader has a large role here. This is book one, so a lot of things are being set up that I’m ready to follow into future books. I’m really anxious to see these guys kick ass and take names.

While I could only feel for David, and applaud for his triumphs and get queasy with his trials (it took me three days to finish reading his encounter with the Sluagh, because I’m kinda squeamish), Dallan had more issues for me. He’s very touchy-feely understanding, considering his other role. I’m not quite sure that works as characterization, but it was exactly what David needed. That and a few things that made me check who’s head we’re in were issues for me.

However, LA Stockman has created a world and characters that definitely intrigue me. This book is much darker than my usual reading preference, so extra win for pushing me out of my comfort zone and making me want more.

[Sucajo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it when a book comes along and takes you completely by surprise. I had no idea what to expect going into this; just a new to me author and a very intriguing blurb.

The relationship between David and Dallan had an element of "fate" to it - two flawed individuals who complement each other. While the pace of the relationship was on the fast side there was an other-worldliness to it which made this more acceptable for me.

There are strong horror elements through this book as well, not necessarily in a conventional sense but more of an insidious feeling that threaded itself through the story. We do get some of David's back story but there is still a lot more to learn about him before his actions and motivations can be properly understood. Dallan is pretty much still a mystery so I am hoping that we will find out more about him as the series progresses. There are a lot of powerful themes through the book although it has a strong paranormal feel there are issues common to contemporary society as well eg bullying, religious intolerance, homophobia.

This definitely feels like only the beginning for David and Dallan and I am really looking forward to finding out what happens next for them.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Tamika♥RBF MOOD♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars



I'm still confused by the end of the story. I know most Urban Fantasy stories first book in the series is generally world building and introduction of characters. This book didn't follow that formula, in fact I felt like I stumble somewhere in the middle of the series. It was no introduction of the world. I am still uncertain on the mythology of the characters. Some of it I got, and figured out but by then the story was over. I think it was to short and not properly told.

I didn't connect with the characters and some of the time, I didn't know when the pov changed. I can't distinguish the two main characters from one another at all. David & Dallin still confuses me. I don't like being confused. It was okay writing but the story was so congested and disjointed that I'm left feeling nothing. Sad to say it, but once it was finished I was happy. I wanted more background on both guys, the world building and everything else included. I think this is one of the books that would have benefited if it was around 320 pages or so. It never got a chance to change my mind either. Sorry but this book didn't work for me at all.

[Nocturnalux · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This is a case of a novel that attempts to convey a dark, disturbing story and a redeeming romance only to let the latter completely overtake the former, with little to no overall coherence. Add to this an aborted split perspective and a narrator that tries too hard to praise the main characters and the reader is in for a rather disappointing experience.

Which is a shame since the novel kicks off with an impressive description of a crime scene in which a boy has been gutted and put on display on a tree. This particular scene is suitably gruesome and stands all the more powerfully since the narratorial voice is not overally engaged in providing commentary. Unfortunately, this is undercut almost immediately by the addition of the second main character, Dallan, who serves as the love interest of the protagonist, David. Their mutual attraction is very poorly explored and made doubly so by first taking place in the above mentioned crime scene. But the biggest offender in this domain is how the novel rushes to establish a romance, complete with terms of endearment every third sentence, almost as if it needs to build it as soon as possible. Dallan will wax about how they are meant to be and makes sweeping comments regarding David's personality, having only known him for a couple of days. Their emotional interaction is that of a couple that has been together long enough to have developed a mutual knowledge when there is no actual relationship. It is as if the novel is aware of its limited length so it must force a sense of being together before the action proper starts while at the same time wanting to capture the sense of reluctance in one of the parties that often heralds the beginning of a romance.

This ambivalence can perhaps work if done properly but In the Twist fails almost completely. And one of the major reasons why it cannot raise above a cluster of clichés is its issues with narration. The novel starts by structuring parts according to one or the other main character. This shifting of perspective could assure that both characters received the same attention in terms of their inner thoughts but the narratorial voice is so involved in esculpating and heaping praise on the characters that the distinction becomes almost entirely moot. To make it even less compelling, individual thoughts are enmeshed in the narrative but clearly identified with italics when they mingle so perfectly with the narratorial voice itself.

This confusion only brings to the forefront one of the greatest flaws with the novel, its almost nonstop endorsement of the characters as the greatest, prettiest, most amazing people ever. The reader is never allowed to infer anything from the characters actions or reflections because the narrator will comment on them, repeatedly, and always in glowing terns. For example, David and his sister have adopted a plethora of unwated children, that will be referred to later, the narrator goes to great lengths to impress on us how kind and courageous this. The result is a feeling of manipulation that backfires by devaluing the audience's ability to draw any conclusions by itself.

The main characters are superficially interesting. David has a truly horrendous background, being an ex-priest with a truly dismaying childhood that has left him understandably afraid of any romantic involvement. His dedication to catching evil doers, when it is not eclipsed ill timed sexual tension, is well worked into the story. Dallan is the rugged type with an aura of mystery that the novel does a decent job of preserving.
Sadly, while taken individually they are interesting, taken together they fall into a very predictable and eventually infuriating pattern in which Dallan will spew terms of endearment only to have David snap back, then Dallan will heap praise on David who will then go into self-hate. This becomes routine and is supposed to pass for character development.

And on the subject of character development, once David assumed his angel-nature and has his scars wiped clean, all the years of fighting for accepting his body image are equally wiped off. This was a crucial mistake. What was a clumsy romance far too bogged down by the tropes of the genre while still remaining very human devolves into divinity so that the stakes seem knocked down even as they are supposed to be higher than ever. Dallan suffers an equal fate, what passes for acceptable behavior in a man in love becomes ridiculous in someone has lived for hundreds of years. That the reader has almost direct access to his thought process makes it even obvious that Dallan does not pass mustard as what he is meant to be

As for the secondary cast, they are comprised mostly of David's adopted family and the whole lot is very difficult to take seriously. Every single child is amazing, either a genius, or adorable, or quirky but so special and great that the world cannot accept them, as the text actually tells us, explicitly, just in case we missed it. They were so blatantly created simply to make David shine that the older teens take an absurd interest in his love life, as does his sister, who seems to have no actual identity other than protect David. As some many background characters before them, these have an uncanny way of guessing the main characters' feelings and are very eager to butt into the affair.

The actual paranormal part of the story is the book is at its best. The idea of having a very hybrid lore in which several traditions mingle freely is hardly novel but at least it keeps the plot from becoming too one tone. It also provides some interesting friction between the mains as their views of good and evil needs clash given that David has a traditional Catholic background as opposed to Dallan's more relaxed pagan one. Were In the Twist to develop these elements, it would probably have been a more satisfying read.

Ultimately, this is a case of a novel that tries much too hard to push an interpretation of who the characters are, what they mean and what they want. In denying the reader any space to think or see things for themselves, the narrator kills expectations as being guided by the hand becomes tiresome. Empathy is a worthy goal for an author but forcing empathy is the hallmark of a poor writer.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Hearts

This is one of those stories where you know it’ll take you out of your comfort zone but you’re going to dive in anyway. My hope was that I’d love it and it’d be a start to an amazing series. I’m happy to report that this, readers, is something special. This book was so surprising because I find myself really enjoying things that I normally don’t. Magic, fairies, demons, and goblins are usually my favorite book topic but this one sucked me in. On top of that this story has the added elements of a gory murder mystery so there’s tons going on and it all really just worked for me. Plus the slow burn between the two main characters totally wetted my appetite…

David and Dallan come together to try and solve the serial killings of several young children and early on it’s apparent that this is otherworldly stuff. David has tons of secrets and an array of talents and powers all his own. Dallan is mysterious but caring, compassionate, gentle and dangerous. I couldn’t think of two better characters coming together to try and stop this monster.

In the Twist is the start of the series so basically we are getting some world/character development while also focusing on the problems at hand. Which in this world are great, indeed.

I don’t want to give too much of the plot away because one of the things that intrigued me so much about this book was the vagueness of the blurb.

Overall, this is in my opinion a great start to this series. I really want more. I have so many questions and I’m so intrigued. This is a new author to me and I loved the writing, the characters, and the world.

Absolutely recommend.

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.

[Curtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Shaughnessy hoped when he moved to California and became a police detective, he'd left dealing with truly dangerous creatures behind him. But after a series of murders, it's clear he's not dealing with a human killer. And when the mysterious Dallan Jaeger shows up, he learns it's something new he's never dealt with before. And David used to be a demon hunter.

Together, the two of them must work to stop the creatures that are killing children before they strike again. And according to Dallan, who is used to hunting these types of spirits, it will take everything they've got. He's never seen anything like this before.

But then Dallan has never seen anything like David before, either. The attraction between them is fast and mutual. And it proves to be a lot for both of them to deal with--especially on top of this case. Which just adds to the tasks before them as they race against a ticking clock...

--

The overall idea here is great. The concept for the story is something I actually enjoyed. And the characters' backgrounds provide a great setup to the whole thing.

But there are some issues for me here in the execution. For one, Dallan is referred to alternately as Jaeger and Dallan early on in the story. It isn't until later that Dallan Jaeger is referred to as his full name. So for a brief period I was confused about whether there was a third person involved. Secondly, the relationship moves super fast with very little explanation as to why.

The imagination in creating and crafting the story is clear. So I give this a decent recommendation, though there were some parts that definitely made me scratch my head.

[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.]

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.75 stars

Murders like those that David and Dallan are investigating are horrible even for the human world, but trying to figure out what paranormal being is doing such terrible things to these boys is a different story (Warning: these murders are violent, gruesome, and difficult to stomach). There are a lot of characters, starting with David’s sister and their little family of adopted children. Next comes the other hunters Dallan works with. A bit of a hint is thrown out one of them might actually even be Alexander the Great. There are various cops, fae, and other paranormal creatures, and finally, during flashbacks, the priests who take David and his sister, stash them in a church run orphanage, and proceed to break David to mold him to their will. I found all these characters made for a story that was a little…busy. I had to go back and reread several passages to make sure I had the gist of what was going on.

I stepped out of my comfort zone for In The Twist. I’ve always been a big fan of murder mysteries, and please don’t think less of me, but the more gruesome the better. The blurb for this book grabbed my attention right away. I realized this was going to be a story with a bit of the paranormal thrown in, but I didn’t expect so much. That doesn’t make it bad. It just made it a stretch for me.

Read Kenna’s review in its entirety here.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book free by the author in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is not the normal book that I would choose to read. I generally like my books where I can read and not have to think deeply about whats happening.
This book wasn't like.
David is a policeman in California and one day he is called to the site of the brutal murder of a teenage boy. Whilst at the scene he is introduced to Dallan, a member of Interpol who believes that this murder is tied to a series he is already investigating.
The first part of the book sets the scene. You get to know David a little and his family which consists of his sister and 4 adopted children.
It seems neither Dallan or David is 'normal' and magic is involved and this is where I begun to get lost.
Part 2 deals with magic and fantasy and to be honest it was ahard slog for me to get through this part. I had to concentrate so hard to understand that I could only read for about 30 mins at a time.
When we finally move onto part 3, the reading for me became easier and I was able to motor on.
I loved the premise of this book and if you are really into magic and fantasy I am sure its right up your street but for me, I had trouble understand some of the concepts and therefore this wasn't my type of book.
A minor point but an irritation of mine is grown men calling each other 'love' as a pet name.
3.5 rounded up.

[Samantha]

This sounds sooooo good. -happy dances-

[Stacey Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given a free copy by the author through the Don’t Buy My Love reading review program in the M/M Romance group on Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

David is a police detective and Dallan is an ex-priest working for Interpol who are investigating the brutal murders of twelve children. Like the I was warned, the murders are pretty heinous and gory. Horror fans should appreciate the scenes. The attraction between David and Dallan happens quickly so those who don’t like insta-love probably will take issue with it. I did enjoy the paranormal aspect with the demons and faeries, who are not the good sort here. I thought the author did a good job with the world building in that regard. The premise of the story was interesting and had a unique feel. We get a lot of back story on David, not so much on Dallan. The things David went through are pretty awful and it has shaped his view on relationships and life. The mystery is interesting as is the investigation. The story has a heavy feel to it with other issues coming into play such as religion and bullying. Those were all things that I found that I could like.

What I didn’t care for was the POV switches. It happened way too often. It yanks you right out of the story. Imagine trying to listen to a book on an eReader when you can’t figure out who is saying what. Major frustration. I can do insta-love generally, but I didn’t feel there was enough to go on, or for whatever reason, I just didn’t connect with the characters. I didn’t feel any warm and fuzzy. If I wanted to read this from a purely paranormal story with two gay investors, I could get into it, but not going with the romance angle. It just didn’t work for me. The world building that was there was good and it was interesting, but I couldn’t help but ask where the rest was when I was done. It felt like a lot was crammed into a little. I think if the book were longer and we were given some more details and explanations with the set up, it might have been a little more fulfilling. Overall it was good despite the things that I had an issue with. If you like paranormal/horror it’s worth giving it a try.

[Sammie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the story and the characters well enough, but I feel like the editing was not as thorough as it should have been. The narrative was choppy and flat. There were places where things could have been fleshed out more, and other places where things could have been trimmed back. The POV shifts were unnecessary, seeing as the narrative never stayed in that POV; and the characters sounded the same anyway. It may as well have been told from the same POV.

Overall, a disappointing read.

[Frederic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!!! It is totally awesome and guess what? There will be another book in this series. Yahoo!!! I am so excited about it! Ok.. now I need to calm myself down and write this review. When I read the blurb it was talking about an exorcism, demons, and other creatures. I was sold right away. I did not know what to expect from this book and , in the end, I was totally shocked (in a good way!).

Those who have read some of my other reviews know that I love main characters that were struggling and suffering a lot. I am totally sold when this same character is trying to help others by using their experiences. David falls right into this category. His childhood has been a nightmare. He was raped and told time and time again that he was unworthy. He always thought that it was because of his sexuality (he was in for a big surprise). He became a priest and was trained to become and exorcist. The priesthood was not for him, he left and is now a police detective in a small California town. When he was called to a scene where he found a teenage boy dead, he knew that it was not a crime that was committed by some human villains. When Dallan, from Interpol, arrived on site and told him that there were 11 other boys that had suffered the same fate. They both vowed to stop the killing spree before it claimed another victim.

David and his sister are living together. He is socially awkward and has no friends or lover. He does not think he is worthy enough to have someone in his life other than his sister. He and his sister adopted several children that would have been left to themselves; rejected by their family and could have died or lived the same trauma than David did. All of his love is aimed at those children. They are his whole life. He is not aware of all of his strength until Dallan helped him to get in touch with it.

Dallan is an interesting character. I don’t want to get into too many details because I want you to discover the story as it is meant to be read. He is courageous and self-confident. I would not call him an alpha because he has that little something that makes him lovable and he is in touch with his emotions. He trusted David assessment that the killing was not done by a human and he added his own knowledge into the mix. He was able to show David that someone outside of his family could be trusted. He is the catalyst that had David getting in touch with his true nature.

In this story, mythology and paranormal are intertwined together. That is what is making it an incredible story. It is darker than what I am usually reading, but that is that whole vibe that is required for that type of book. That are a lot of twists, character development is amazing and I fell in love with David and Dallan. Bringing that fantasy world into my daily life was pure pleasure and I am waiting impatiently to read the second installment. It can very well become what one of my favorite book series.

*I was gifted this book by Jeep Diva in exchange for an honest review.

[The Novel Approach · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise for the first book in The Wild Hunt series is pretty unique. David is a detective in Armata, California, and at a murder scene involving a kid, ends up thrown back into a world he had been trying to forget when he left Rome and the Vatican. Except, instead of only knowing of demons, he finds there is whole spectrum of other nasty things out there.

Dallan Jaeger is not just an Interpol agent. He is a man who tracks the big baddies and is a part of a secret department within Interpol, to keep their existence quiet. He is a man with quite a bit of secrets.

First I want to jump into my niggles with the story so that I can go on to what did work for me, since I think there is quite a few good aspects to the story. I say I mostly enjoyed it, because there were just some minor issues I had with this story that made it difficult to really become immersed.

Even though each chapter was essentially supposed to be from one character’s POV, via third-person narrative, there were several sections where the POV seemed to switch to the other character’s, making me have to re-read those paragraphs a couple of times. I honestly don’t know if it was just me or the authors writing style that caused this to happen, and it was a little frustrating. Also, it was pretty much insta-love. This is common and for me isn’t always an issue, but in this particular story, I felt it a little rushed in the romance portion of the story.

Now, on to what I did enjoy! The mystery was pretty unique and I enjoyed David’s history, which impacts the mystery pretty substantially. It wasn’t easy to read about what he went through, and I cringed many times, but overall I feel his history and the truth of who he is will give a lot of options and ideas to use in future stories.

David and his sister, Saoirse, live in a unique situation, and are truly wonderful people who collect the unwanted children and provide love and shelter. The children play a huge role in David’s life, and based on this first book, some of them are going to be an integral part of the series as a whole. I am looking forward to finding out what is to come.

I don’t recommend this story for people who are squeamish and have difficulties with reading about children being killed. The killings are discussed often and their injuries are clearly portrayed, not glossed over in anyway. For me, it added to the tension and driving force to find the killer fae, but for others it may be difficult to read such detail.

All in all, I think this first book in the series has a lot of promise. I am intrigued by the world L.A. Stockman has started, and there are so many directions this story could go. It will be interesting to see what else is in store for David and Dallan.

Reviewed by Lindsey for The Novel Approach Reviews

[ItsAboutTheBook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review can be read at It's About The Book

2.5 stars

David Shaughnessy and Dallan Jaeger meet while investigating a gruesome crime. There is an instant connection between them. Both men are aware the other is not quite human, and Dallan updates David the killer they’re trying to catch isn’t human either. David has a long and scary history fighting inhuman killers while working for the Catholic Church. He’s also got a long history of hating himself and being victimized by the Church. It doesn’t take long for David and Dallan to figure out who the killer is, but they do have to wait until the killer is able to kill again. In the meantime Dallan has to convince David it’s okay to be himself.

If Laurell K Hamilton’s Merry Gentry series were mashed up with an insta-love, fated mates paranormal book this would be the result. Throw into the mix lots of hurt/comfort and the idea finding the right person to love is what it takes to make you whole. I didn’t particularly enjoy this story. The parts I found most compelling were the crimes themselves. I’m not against insta-love as a whole, but this was indeed instant. David and Dallan meet, start living together, raising David’s kids together, and wanting to be together the rest of their very long, paranormal lives in under a month.

In some respects this book is new and interesting. Insta-love in paranormal books is usually associated with some kind of shifter, and it’s not often paired with grisly crime scenes. I did find the crimes and investigation to be interesting. Whereas this book wasn’t for me, I do think people who are big fans of paranormal stories where characters have an instant and irreversible connection could enjoy this book.

[blub · Rating 3 out of 5]

David is an ex-exorcist turned California? cop. When a gruesome murder case lands in his lap, he finds himself being pulled into a world he tried to leave behind.

Dallan works with Interpol and actually comes to pursue the case that just landed in David's lap. Dallan is more than meets the eye, though. David can't help but to feel safe with him although he tries to keep his distance. Together the two try to find the culprits responsible and stop them.

I found this an interesting read but I just wish there was more. The beginning didn't feel like a beginning it felt like I was picking up the story a chapter or two in, it made me feel off the whole read. I also felt the ending was abrupt and I didn't like that Rhian and Ipos was brought up and it was hinted about their relationship but nothing much more was given.

Dallan and David themselves were fascinating characters. There was nice climatic scenes. I have to say that I wasn't expecting the gruesome descriptiveness of some of the horrors David had/was experiencing. As I said before I did think the story got a bit rushed the closer I got to the ending. Also it seemed David personality took a 180 turn. He was a lot bolder towards the end and I understand his rebirth was responsible for it but it threw me off still.

A free copy was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

[Diverse · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Twist is a fantasy, and it looks like it's part of a series. So, I always give book 1 of any series some leeway on things. I go into it knowing there will be some holes and questions that may not get answered until other books.

However, I was so confused through a lot of this. I had hope that the level of confusion would dissipate the more I read. Usually if there's 3 major questions, at least 1 gets an answer. But this questions kept building and building with no answers.

There wasn't a lot of world building for a book one, or even a standalone for that matter. It is a fantastical world with amazing characters and a darkness just bitter enough to haunt you for a long time. I was so beyond thirsty for more growth.

The potential is there. It's screaming. It could have been utterly outstanding. And though it was entertaining and the MC's were overly romantic which at times I found adorable, it' simply fumbled and left me boggled at the end. I simply wanted to understand it.

Hopefully further books in this series will unravel this.

[Elle W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
From reading the Blurb, I really wanted to read this book mostly because I don't get to read too many paranormal m/m stories. So I went into it with expectations that were not met. The story itself was great, the characters well developed and the plot was well thought-out. But it was just a little hard to read. I had to concentrate on the story which kind of took the enjoyment out of reading.
I would have loved to connect better with David and his pain although he did triumph in the end, it didn't feel like he conquered anything.
It was a good story, with the potential to be a great story.

[Christina's Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

What to say? What to say? There really isn't anything other than HOLY CRAP!!!! L.A. Stockman had me from the first two paragraphs. She held nothing back, didn't lead in with a little bit of fluff, but BAM!! It was laid out bare for us readers in the most volatile way which kept me reading.

You can see my full review on my YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/RJ2v1HD6vjA