Nothing Ventured

The Chosen One #2

by Macy Blake

alternate cover edition of ASIN B07GNSQ2DW

A Gay Paranormal Harem Romance

Sawyer Smith is woefully unprepared for the dangers that come with being part of the supernatural world. As a magical null, he is human and vulnerable, even with the powerful, sexy guardians who have claimed him as their own. When a simple visit turns deadly, Sawyer’s mates take action and whisk him away to the clan of rich and powerful griffins.

As a griffin, Eduard Eastaughffe is considered supernatural royalty, but even with all his wealth and power, his duty as a guardian must come before all else. If he can convince his clan to support his newfound mates and not judge the fact they include a dragon, a vampire, a mage, and--Goddess forbid--a human, the rest of the clans may fall in line without much of a fight.

Danger lurks in close quarters and a new guardian is revealed. If Sawyer hopes to discover the ancient enemy hunting the Chosen One, he must survive the newest tests facing him. Because at the end of the day, when you’re a human among magical creatures, it’s nothing ventured… nothing gained.

Genres: Paranormal, M M Romance, Fantasy, Shapeshifters, Vampires, Romance, Magic

242 pages, ebook

First published August 19, 2018

About the author

Macy Blake believes in unicorns and fairies, in moonbeams and stardust, and that happily ever after comes in all colors of the rainbow. When she’s not busy at the day job, she loses herself in paranormal romance, living vicariously through her favorite sexy fictional heroes. These days you can often find her pounding away at the keyboard, trying to capture the magic of her own worlds.

Reviews

[☆ Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet! More forward plot movement and less Pene Party this time around. : )

After a near-deadly attempt on Sawyer's life, the guys were on the move to find safer ground, seeking refuge on the island where Eduard's clan of griffins lived.

But a new, unexpected adversary threatened to take Sawyer away from his guardian mates, which was what the majority of this story was about. Dealing with that threat and keeping the Chosen One safe.

The fifth guardian (of eight) was also revealed, coming to Sawyer's rescue in the nick of time, but the story didn't go into enough details about Saeward's previous life in the sea to fully endear him to me just quite yet, although, I'm pretty sure that will happen in the next book.

Sawyer also took another small step forward in unraveling the mystery of what had been happening in regards to the decline of the supernatural world, and what his possible role might be in correcting that, thanks to another visit from the Goddess, aka "Mother", as she preferred to be called.

There was still some sex in this latest book, but it wasn't the constant stream of bodily fluid exchange found in the first story, for which I was profoundly grateful.

Don't get me wrong, I like a bit of steam in my stories, but there's dick and then there's DIIIIIIICK, so the first book had me skimming way more pages than this second one.

The bit at the end, with Sawyer being told to "go fetch", along with the rose petal-tossing pixies, I can't wait to see where that shit's going to go, but I have zero doubt it's about to get way more high maintenance up in here.

I also have zero doubt that both Sawyer and Henry will be calling a bitch out on their pretentious, royal bullshit, and stat!

I thoroughly enjoyed that this book was much more plot-driven than the first, so I'd rate it at around 4.25 stars and will be continuing the series ASAP.

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[Barbara➰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread February 2024

Enjoying the reread. It's been a while.

Reread June 2021

Still love this series!

Reread May 2019

I actually enjoyed this one more this time. Poor Ward...he deserves a good man or men in this case 😉. These guys are so hot together and I love how alpha Draco is with all his mates.

Originally read February 2019

The mystery is unfolding and the guardians are appearing. I can't wait to see how this all plays out. I'm totally in love with all these guys.

[Valerie ❈M/M Romance Junkie❈ · Rating 4 out of 5]

That ending! 😂😂😂😂

I have been binge reading the books in this series. I cannot start the next book. I HAVE to actually get work done. I have not gotten anything done because... this book.

I must wait until after work to read. I must wait until after work to read. *my new mantra*

2/2/2020 I’m binge reading again in preparation of the release of book 5. I’m loving it just as much this time.

2/11/2020 reread after finishing book 5 in hopes of finding hints that I might have missed.

SUGGESTED READING ORDER

Sweet Nothings- Prequel
- The Chosen One
The Trouble With Love
- Nothing But Trouble, Book 1
Santa Trouble
- Nothing But Trouble, Book 2
All or Nothing
- The Chosen One, Book 1
Nothing Ventured
- The Chosen One, Book 2
Hell on Earth
- Hellhound Champions, Book 1
Double or Nothing
Next to Nothing
- The Chosen One, Book 3
Hell To Pay
- Hellhound Champions, Book 2
Give Him Hell
- Hellhound Champions, Book 3
Nothing Gained
- The Chosen One, Book 4
Stop at Nothing
- The Chosen One, Book 5
Sweet Spot
All Kidding Aside
- Magical Mates, Book 1
Stop Kidding Around
- Magical Mates, Book 2
Hell Breaks Loose
- Hellhound Champions, Book 4

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75*

And we’re back.
Here we have both story and forward movement. I’m so glad I stuck with it and read this one it was way better than the porn fest that was the previous book.

That’s all you’re getting from me. There’s loads of reviews and I’m moving straight onto the next one now with my fingers firmly crossed.

[Cadiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous second instalment

Things are coming together at a right pace now as more guardians are found and more enemies revealed.

I've still got no clue where the narrative is going but I don't care. These books are on fire, the smexy times between all the men just get better and better.

I'm also loving all tgd different mythical creatures which are being pulled into the story line from all kinds of different mythologies.

Just loads of fun and a great read.

[Cæsar Eanraig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling!!!

Gripping plot, I was devouring the pages, every scene was appealing, with different emotions! Fun and adorable scenes, then scary and worrisome, I was at the edge of my seat several times, emotional and of course steamy moments, a roller coaster and super rich, the connection between the characters was mesmerising! I was satisfied!! High praises to Macy Blake!!!

The scene with the mail man was scary… I wasn’t expecting that!
The love making scenes were alluring, really hot

Magdalen… don’t trust her, Helena don’t like Sawyer but at least she’s honest, so is alright I guess.

The dinner was tense, but the next party was better, Eduard’s dad warming up to Sawyer, was really sweet, knowing about Augustus’s wife, moving moment.

See?! I knew it! I knew Magdalen was behind it, she was too friendly… I got her number from the start

I found a flaw, Sawyer said that Henry’s Dads weren’t fated mates, but they were!


I also have this book on Audible, outstanding performance fromMichael Dean, incredible acting, I really appreciate when the narrators are totally committed, beautiful voice and great technique! High praises to him!!!

5⭐️

[⚣Michaelle⚣ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yep...binge-reading.

[⭐Toonasa⭐ •Romance Book Lovers' Haven• · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Reread + adding more tags on March, 2023)
I know, I Kno, I said I'd reread this series slowly. But I couldn't help myself from completing this story in a day 😅. Not only had I wanted to reacquaint myself with Ed's dad but also to meet Saeward & fae! Poor Sawyer 😔. The horniness is lower, but there's character & story development. Next book we gonna get fae mayhem 🤣.

(Read on Feb, 2021)
5 -Plot's getting Serious now- Stars⭐
I loved Sawyer, Draco, Henry, Eduard, Andvari; The Wow Adventures, Heart-racing times & Saeward! DEVOURED this in 6hrs.

SERIES REVIEW (Chosen One, Book 1-5)

I'm in Love & Awe with this series❤. With the Romance, hot Gay Sex & Adventures, it kept me on my toes! I popped two of my cherries with this series: This was my 1st by Macy Blake; My 1st Gay Harem, Fantasy & PNR made it all the more perfect; & the largest harem I've read till date, omg 9 guys?! I binge read this entire series😘.

The Individuality of each guy was Awesome & how we gradually meet'em. I loved the Multiple POVs!
We have our main guy: Sawyer; Smart, Complex, Creative, Delightful; The Chosen One, Human/Magical Null/God (?!?!).
Then we have the 8 Guardians...Who's attraction to eachother & Sawyer maybe unconventional but with Good reason! *Ahem, Mates*
Draco; Growly & Protective; The Dragon, Sawyer's Friend.
Henry; Smart & Guy Next door Vibes; The Mage/Seer.
Eduard; Elegant & Charming; The Griffin, Billionaire.
Andvari; Quiet & Observant; The Vampire Warrior.
Saeward; Sweet & Gentle Giant; The Hippocamp.
Loch; Funny & Sleek; The Fae Warrior.
Dakota; Dark & Deep, the one who took the most time to warm up to Sawyer (Reasons..!); The Lynx.
Pip; Cute & Hilarious; The Kushtaka. I'd have liked to have more time with him, as we get him in last book.

I love all of them so much! I adored all the Various side Characters here & how everyone talked most things out. The World-Building Is good (Enough to sustain The story), Macy made her whole Myth world, it's fun!
As the threat gets Revealed, Dangers increases. Secrets Found, Pieces of the Puzzle Stringed. The Finale was great! I hope, if I have time, I'll read the other books in the Chosen One Universe Soon! #MustRead
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NOTHING VENTURED
We meet Eduard's Family & The 5th Guardian here!

This starts after a few weeks from the 1st book. Everything's going Ok, But when a Unknowing threat passes their Security, Our 4 guardians know it's time for Sawyer & them to go somewhere else for a few days (Can't keep S trapped for long, eh?). What's better than to visit Eduard's Family & gain a few alliances?

The Anticipation, Excitement, Worry, Emotions, Making it official, Deep talks, The Visit, Awkward times... Sawyer being human, it wasn't easy for Eduard's Fam to Accept him, but they soon did (Augustus, Ed's dad, & Sawyer become Besties too!).

But there's an Insider threat...Scary times, Alone & Vulnerable, The 5th Guardian - Saeward, Help-Sex(?!)-Care, All Together again, Interrogation, Justice or injustice...
&, As Saeward doesn't know about the prophecy or He's A guardian, that talk was fun! He's not ready to join Them as mates, but he will soon (I know!).
I loved how this story was more Plot driven, though we get Hot Sex too!!

Plus that Ending..omg! Back at home, a Faerie Prince just visited them!

[Santy · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is nothing like finding a series that hits all your spots, grabs you and doesn't let go. This series is doing all of that for me and more.

There has been an addition of one more guardian who appeared to literally save the day and luckily turned out to be a total sweetheart. The story/overall plot moved on quite a bit with this book and I plowed through all of it at lightening speed. It was sooo good! I feel like this book/series is perfect for the mood I'm in and I love it when that happens to me! *happy sigh*

Oh and that ENDING? Boy o Boy is that Fae Prince is going to be in for one surprise with all that "fetching" he's demanding! LOL!

I'm enjoying it so much I once again finished it in one sitting and jumped into Book 3.

[Kaity · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 stars

i am glad i gave this one a go, since i was worried it would be too much peen for me, which is shocking. haha

but this one, everyone decided to take a chill pill on the penis, and decide to actually do "normal" things haha, but this one had more of the overarching plot come in to play and you got to meet the 4th..5th possibly guardian/mate... haha

can't wait to see what happens next in the series, also Cecil is the true MVP in this book haha that sassy butler knows whats up.

[Mariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 yes, thank you, may I have another (three Mate)

I was hoping for a bit more development on the fantasy world building and magic system in this sophmore effort in the series, but let's be real, that's not why any of us are picking these books up.

I’m greatly enjoying the relationships in this, ans though I really wished the new addition was handled differently, I quickly fell in love with Saeward.

It really is a balancing act in developing all of these relationships in equal measure, making sure you're giving everyone equal time and attention. But like Draco, Blake is taking good care of her characters.

I can't wait for Saeward to find his home with the Mates, and for the next guardians to join the party!

[ricecake · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐

Okay, I enjoyed the heck out of this one!



The plot
Sawyer and the guardians travel to the clan of rich and powerful griffins. Griffins are considered as supernatural royalties. Eduard has to convince his clan to support him and his mates. They face danger and also meet their new guardian along the way.

The story
Ugh, I loved it. The writing was good and had a nice pace. I was very intrigued by every moment of it. And I love how the characters were so close. My favorite scenes were the ones where Sawyer met their new guardian. I don’t want spoil anything but DAMN… that was lovely.

The characters
Obviously the characters were still as awesome as in All or Nothing. But the new guardian… Saeward is fine af! I love him so much. He’s so cool and nice and kind. Definitely my favorite character! Also he partly lives in the ocean? Hell yea. Also he was polite as heck. That’s a weak spot for me I also LOVED Eduard’s father. At first he was a bit cautious about Sawyer but after that he was a sweetheart.



I’m definitely going to continue reading this series. I just have to know what’s going to happen next. (*≧∀≦*)

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.75 stars

The Chosen One series is one I find simply fun to read. It’s more the characters themselves as Blake has set up a number of unique and interesting paranormal characters and Sawyer’s mates are a dragon shifter, a griffin, a vampire, and a seer. There is also the introduction to the next shifter guardian and mate who is another rare creature; oh, and then one more guardian, but we don’t learn much about him yet.

This book builds off of the first story and I would not recommend reading this one without reading the first in the series, All or Nothing, as that is where the characters are introduced, as well as the entire framework of the story. The book opens with Sawyer in danger and the entire group relocating to Eduard’s family estate. The griffins are an interesting group and it was fun to learn about where Eduard comes from. We also get a little back story on Henry, but there are so many characters competing with the larger plot that it’s still difficult to really know them all at this point, and that is one area that was missing some for me.

Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.

[Chiara]

DNF...I surrender

[Relly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread 2023

Better than the first one.
Review below still stands

Reread 2020

Still enjoyable

Better

3.75 ⭐️

I liked this one better than the previous book. I felt that the author focused more on the storyline than the sexy times. The sexy times were still there but it didn’t feel like that was the main basis.
I liked seeing the griffon clan how they all interacted. And I also like seeing the characters all stick up for each other and themselves.
I really liked the addition of Ward, even if I’m still unsure of the way he was brought in, but I think it is well done that he isn’t immediately part of the ménage, and that he wants to take his time and get to know each of the guys. I’m interested to know his backstory and hope we learn more about him.
Looking forward to more from this world and how to see how the prince redeems himself. I wonder if he is somehow connected to ward and his past.

[Achim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compared to the previous book it focused more on the story. We even get an idea what this prophecy might all be about, most of the guys didn't act anymore like they were casted members of a paranormal boyband and with Ward we even have a new guardian who firstly doesn't know about the prophecy and secondly can't be included immediately into Sawyer's harem, so there's a chance I might have a look into the next book ... sometime.

[Trip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why did I wait to read this book, its just as amazing if not better then the first one! There's still plenty of steam and lovely relationship development here, yet we also get to see more of the plot unfold along with meeting another of Sawyers guardians/mates. Also get to visit the griffin's in this story which was a lot fun, to start to see how they feel able the chosen one being human and reactions to the various mates.

Eduard is still my favourite! I just find him such an interesting character, his calm and serious yet so caring at the same time. He has a lot to go through in this one, so I really enjoyed seeing him develop. We learn more about Henry's history here too and I still adore his mischieve, with Draco and researching with Sawyer.

Andivari gets a lot of time to shine here too, which I loved. Draco is as always an amazing leader in many situations, I just love how he brings them all together and pushes them.

Sawyer has a lot going on still with figuring the prophecy out and doing research, I adore him so much. He may not have powers but his so smart and sweet, I find him amazing and I enjoy the fact his purely human in many ways yet it doesn't prevent him from trying to do things.

Saeward! I think his going to become a close favourite with Eduard, as I found him fascinating with only the small amount we get to know of him in this book. His rather withdrawn and cautious, uncertain so I like that his not jumping straight in with the others and still working things out. I look forward to seeing him develop in the next book.

Overall I enjoyed this story a lot and sped through it, just so much fun! That ending was hilarious and I look forward to seeing what happens next after the first meeting with the Prince. It should be interesting xx

[Kaylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was so much better than the first - 3.5 stars rounded up. There was more plot to it and less sex scenes. There were just too many in the other to the point that I thought about not continuing the series. I'm glad that, Pam talked me out of that! So thanks, Pam! :D

I really enjoyed this. I absolutely love how Blake handles the polyamory aspect with how the mates interact, and how they have their own relationship with each other. Makes me happy.

[Sawyer] often stayed up with someone at least once a week, if not twice. It was nice to have the long quiet hours to talk one-on-one, and he'd had some of the most intimate conversations with his new mates during those hours.

Draco stripped as the others went outside to their makeshift fire pit. He let the change come through him and stalked over to them in his dragon form. He nudged Henry and received a hug in return. Andvari's hand petted down his neck and over his back. Eduard curled his hand over Draco's side. And Sawyer. His Sawyer smiled at him before asking to fly.

This balanced humor and sincerity throughout the book very well, and I was very pleased to see it. Sometimes it can be corny but it's done in a way that the character (usually Sawyer) does it intentionally, and it doesn't feel forced for the humor as often happens. It was also really great to be able to see/hear more about their cultures.

Ward shimmered again, and he returned to full horse form, prancing his way out of the water before shaking his body and splattering Henry and Eduard with cold droplets before he danced away from them with his head held high.

I also really liked the Mother here. Very intriguing.

I will definitely be continuing!

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four men, Draco a dragon, Henry a mage, Eduardo a griffin, and Andvari a vampire, have all come together to safe guard the chosen one. Sawyer, was a decidedly uninteresting man. No special powers, nothing special about him at all. He still didn’t understand how these amazing beings came to be his protectors, his mates. Sawyer loves his men and they would give their lives for his.

Danger from an unexpected source has the guardians in protection mode. They take Sawyer away to an island where he will be safe. Introducing him to Eduardo’s family. They are faced with disbelief that a mere human could be the chosen one. When the evil they are fighting does the unthinkable the guardians face a true test of their bonds, and discover a new guardian in the process.

This book furthered the relationships of the men. Their individual personalities becoming more evident. I don’t think it had the impact that the first book in the series had but I enjoyed it. Definitely not a standalone.

I received an arc of this book.

[Nanna Mørk-Sander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much like the first book, the first half or so is almost exclusively sex scenes. That is fine, but since I know that there is a whole lot of story being told in the book, I wish that all of the book - and not just the last half - had a focus on plot sprinkled with sex scenes.

The world building is great, and the drama arch as well as the relationships between the mates are amazing - maybe even worth of a 4 or 5 star rating. I just wish that the first half didn't threaten to bore me with the same again and again.

The first half drags it down a little for me, but I am glad I stuck it out - both because it is how the mates bond, and also because the last part was superb.

[Janet (iamltr) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why can't I stop reading these??


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What I love the most about this series is the fact that these mates don't just live to serve the chosen one. They truly love each other and I'm down for that.

We got to meet a new guardian in this one, but he is not like the others. He knew nothing about being called to guard the chosen one and will have to learn more about the whole setup.

Sawyer was hurt and doubting himself which is great to see when your literal title is the chosen one.

Michael Dean rocked the narration though it's hard to keep track of six different mcs

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than the first

This was much more balanced when it came to sex. I definitely got the plot and it built excitement for the next instalment. I really like all the different personalities.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the bright side, this book has a better plot to sex ratio than the first one. On the downside, it's about 50/50 and still too high for my liking. But we got what feels more like character development and I appreciate that

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

More yummy goodness!

[Jennifer☠Pher☠ · Rating 4 out of 5]

More story not as much sex.

Better.

I am seriously addicted now though, too much sex or not.

This still isn't my thing but this series is. Weird.

More mates!

On to the next one!

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time)]

Thank you for the gift, An Appreciative Participant!

[Finnegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story continues, and this time we learn more about the griffins, and another mate is revealed. I like that the story nods toward Greek mythology, including creatures like a hippocamp and gods and goddesses that would feel quote at home on Olympus. Then end, with the arrival of the fae prince, had me immediately start on book 3.

[Debra ~~ seriously slacking on her reviews ~~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

More plot and a bit less sex than the first one, there is a new setting and plenty of action as well. I am completely enamored of this series and the new guardian, Saeward - although we don't get his whole story he has already grabbed my heart.

The ending that left me racing to the next one.

[Rachel Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK I'm super invested in these guys!! I definitely love them all together, all the personalities, and getting to know more about them. Now we have a new person in the mix, and more danger and unknowns for them all. I'm hooked for sure.

[Leaundra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying this series...