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The ABCs of Spellcraft #2
Trouble in Taco Town
Road trip!
When Dixon and Yuri head for Taco Town, they’re hoping to track down Uncle Fonzo. What they find instead is a fiasco. Is it sabotage? A curse? Or is it just a bunch of badly worded Spellcraft?
The small Minnesota berg is a tourist destination featuring a memorable roadside The Big Taco. It’s not actually edible, but there’s a flock of birds passing through that never got the memo.
One thing’s for sure, Fonzo has been there. Not only do plenty of folks recognize his photo, but they paid him to solve certain problems…all of which are now exponentially worse. Dixon wants to chalk it up to a run of bad luck. Yuri knows a con man when he sees one, and while he doesn’t relish the thought of destroying Dixon’s hero, he wouldn’t mind knocking the guy down a few pegs.
But there’s definitely something screwy about the Spellcraft they uncover. And they’d better figure out how to repair it before the Big Taco is reduced to crumbs—and with it, the livelihood of all their new friends.
The ABCs of Spellcraft is a series filled with bad jokes and good magic, where MM Romance meets Paranormal Cozy. A perky hero, a brooding love interest, and delightfully twisty-turny stories that never end up quite where you’d expect. The books are best read in order, so be sure to start at the beginning with Quill Me Now.
When Dixon and Yuri head for Taco Town, they’re hoping to track down Uncle Fonzo. What they find instead is a fiasco. Is it sabotage? A curse? Or is it just a bunch of badly worded Spellcraft?
The small Minnesota berg is a tourist destination featuring a memorable roadside The Big Taco. It’s not actually edible, but there’s a flock of birds passing through that never got the memo.
One thing’s for sure, Fonzo has been there. Not only do plenty of folks recognize his photo, but they paid him to solve certain problems…all of which are now exponentially worse. Dixon wants to chalk it up to a run of bad luck. Yuri knows a con man when he sees one, and while he doesn’t relish the thought of destroying Dixon’s hero, he wouldn’t mind knocking the guy down a few pegs.
But there’s definitely something screwy about the Spellcraft they uncover. And they’d better figure out how to repair it before the Big Taco is reduced to crumbs—and with it, the livelihood of all their new friends.
The ABCs of Spellcraft is a series filled with bad jokes and good magic, where MM Romance meets Paranormal Cozy. A perky hero, a brooding love interest, and delightfully twisty-turny stories that never end up quite where you’d expect. The books are best read in order, so be sure to start at the beginning with Quill Me Now.
82 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2019
111 people are currently reading
146 people want to read
About the author
Jordan Castillo Price
138 books2,133 followersAuthor and artist Jordan Castillo Price writes paranormal sci-fi thrillers colored by her time in the Midwest, from inner city Chicago, to various cities across southern Wisconsin. She’s settled in a 1910 Cape Cod near Lake Michigan with tons of character and a plethora of bizarre spiders. Any disembodied noises, she’s decided, will be blamed on the ice maker.
Jordan is best known as the author of the PsyCop series, an unfolding tale of paranormal mystery and suspense starring Victor Bayne, a gay medium who's plagued by ghostly visitations.
Jordan is best known as the author of the PsyCop series, an unfolding tale of paranormal mystery and suspense starring Victor Bayne, a gay medium who's plagued by ghostly visitations.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
September 8, 2021
3 Stars
It’s been a long minute since I read Quill Me Now, and this second foray definitely shows a different side of JCP. More whimsical, more light hearted, this continues to delve into the unique magical world she has created.
This next installment showcases Dixon and Yuri going strong, inseparable as they are two halves of one whole - scrivener and seer working together - a pairing that is needed in order for magic to do its awesome thing.
Dixon is determined to find his wayward Uncle Fonzo, and as he and Yuri trace Fonzo’s trail to Taco Town, magical mayhem abounds. While Dixon wholeheartedly believes Fonzo had good intentions in helping the town’s citizens, Yuri’s not too sure of that.
The best part of this is the stark juxtaposition between Dixon’s idealistic beliefs and pure heart and Yuri’s jaded, grumpy cynical self who has seen and suffered much, as well as the smart ways these two work their magic. If you’re looking for MM paranormal cozy romance, then this might be your thing!
It’s been a long minute since I read Quill Me Now, and this second foray definitely shows a different side of JCP. More whimsical, more light hearted, this continues to delve into the unique magical world she has created.
This next installment showcases Dixon and Yuri going strong, inseparable as they are two halves of one whole - scrivener and seer working together - a pairing that is needed in order for magic to do its awesome thing.
Dixon is determined to find his wayward Uncle Fonzo, and as he and Yuri trace Fonzo’s trail to Taco Town, magical mayhem abounds. While Dixon wholeheartedly believes Fonzo had good intentions in helping the town’s citizens, Yuri’s not too sure of that.
The best part of this is the stark juxtaposition between Dixon’s idealistic beliefs and pure heart and Yuri’s jaded, grumpy cynical self who has seen and suffered much, as well as the smart ways these two work their magic. If you’re looking for MM paranormal cozy romance, then this might be your thing!
June 18, 2019
Remember Yuri the beefy Russian Seer and Dixon and shamelessly flamboyant Scrivener from “Quill me now”? 😁 (I still think it’s one of the best titles out there! Made my pun-starving heart so happy. 😉) Anyhow, the boys are back and boy, they are back with a “bang”!
After the whole unfortunate “Precious Greeting” incident, Dixon and Yuri are now officially dating and very much in love. And things were going so well until they got some news of their treacherous and notorious uncle, uncle Fonzo. Apparently, uncle Fonzo is allegedly wreaking havoc in a tiny roadside town called “Taco Town” with a giant Taco sculpture attraction. And when these magic duo went there to investigate the truth about uncle Fonzo’s misadventures, they will find that birds are migrating. Vegetables are busting out of sudden for no reason and the town is now selling a rather-unfortunate-female-anatomy snow globes instead of taco snow globes. It’s time Yuri and Sixon gets to the very bottom of this incident and find out what really happened in Taco town. 😁
Fun, witty, silly and ultimately oh-so-amusing. 💜 You wouldn’t find a more different couple than Yuri and Dixon but these two just worked so well together. And their investigations of the Taco related drama is just so exciting and fun. Thoroughly enjoyed it and already can’t wait to start the next book in the series.
4 Shut up and kiss me Yuri stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was provided by the author for an honest and unbiased review.
After the whole unfortunate “Precious Greeting” incident, Dixon and Yuri are now officially dating and very much in love. And things were going so well until they got some news of their treacherous and notorious uncle, uncle Fonzo. Apparently, uncle Fonzo is allegedly wreaking havoc in a tiny roadside town called “Taco Town” with a giant Taco sculpture attraction. And when these magic duo went there to investigate the truth about uncle Fonzo’s misadventures, they will find that birds are migrating. Vegetables are busting out of sudden for no reason and the town is now selling a rather-unfortunate-female-anatomy snow globes instead of taco snow globes. It’s time Yuri and Sixon gets to the very bottom of this incident and find out what really happened in Taco town. 😁
Fun, witty, silly and ultimately oh-so-amusing. 💜 You wouldn’t find a more different couple than Yuri and Dixon but these two just worked so well together. And their investigations of the Taco related drama is just so exciting and fun. Thoroughly enjoyed it and already can’t wait to start the next book in the series.
4 Shut up and kiss me Yuri stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was provided by the author for an honest and unbiased review.
October 16, 2021
Audio - 4 Stars
Story - 3 Stars
Story - 3 Stars
August 20, 2021
This sequel is a more than worthy successor to "Quill Me Now"! I love Dixon and Yuri!
June 21, 2019
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.75 stars
Trouble in Taco Town is a cute novella that reunites us with Yuri and Dixon from Jordan Castillo Price’s ABCs of Spellcraft series. The first story, Quill Me Now, was part of a multi-author Valentine’s Day collection, and I found it quite charming, so I was happy to hear that the author was using it as a launching point for the series. We learned in that first book that Dixon’s uncle Fonzo is missing, and while Yuri understandably has his doubts about Fonzo after the events of the first book, Dixon is still desperate to find him. This story takes Yuri and Dixon off to a small, novelty town where they hope to find Fonzo, but end up finding a crazy mess that they must untangle. As with the first story, there is a lot of humor here and things are presented with a lot of lightness. There is a bit of an absurdity, but it is grounded by the nice world building, entertaining characters, and the well done story.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
3.75 stars
Trouble in Taco Town is a cute novella that reunites us with Yuri and Dixon from Jordan Castillo Price’s ABCs of Spellcraft series. The first story, Quill Me Now, was part of a multi-author Valentine’s Day collection, and I found it quite charming, so I was happy to hear that the author was using it as a launching point for the series. We learned in that first book that Dixon’s uncle Fonzo is missing, and while Yuri understandably has his doubts about Fonzo after the events of the first book, Dixon is still desperate to find him. This story takes Yuri and Dixon off to a small, novelty town where they hope to find Fonzo, but end up finding a crazy mess that they must untangle. As with the first story, there is a lot of humor here and things are presented with a lot of lightness. There is a bit of an absurdity, but it is grounded by the nice world building, entertaining characters, and the well done story.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
June 27, 2019
I love the author but this series is a little too cutesy and quirky for me. Still, the concept of magic is original and it's a quick fun read.
May 9, 2019
Short and silly fun.
October 23, 2019
3.5 stars
June 6, 2019
Trouble in Taco Town (Spellcrafters 2)
By Jordan Castillo Price
JCPbooks, 2019
Four stars
In the second installment of the adventures of Dixon Penn and Yuri Volikov, we find our Scrivener and his Seer on the trail of Dixon’s uncle Fonzo Penn, a master Spellcrafter who seems to have gone rogue shortly after Dixon’s failed quill test.
Without the edge of darkness that Yuri’s enslavement gave the first book in this series (which was also part of the multi-author Bad Valentine series), it reads more like a screwball comedy. Tracking uncle Fonzo to Taco Town Minnesota is full of comic asides and near-slapstick silliness. However, for all the absurdity of the setting and the townspeople, Ms. Price weaves into her clever narrative plenty of troubling questions about just what Fonzo Penn is up to.
Dixon, who is Yuri’s unlikely boyfriend and sidekick, is a ditz. He chatters endlessly, never quite waiting for the thoughtful Yuri to answer him. He is smart, but his thoughts flitter around, never seeming to settle or focus. In that he is not unlike me at that age, and thus I am very fond of him. But I also love Yuri, huge, dark, brooding and very Russian. The narrative alternates between their two points of view, and benefits from their very different characters. They make a great team, but these two young men are only just beginning to discover the strength of their partnership.
Yuri fled Russia to find freedom as a gay man and a Seer, while Dixon was the golden boy of a famous magical family until he failed his initial Quilling. Beneath the goofball action, this is the book where they begin to find their balance as a couple. Price is a subtle one; she quietly underscores the potential power of these two off-kilter men, romantically and magically.
I am feverishly awaiting the third book in the series. I am truly hooked into the world of Spellcrafters.
By Jordan Castillo Price
JCPbooks, 2019
Four stars
In the second installment of the adventures of Dixon Penn and Yuri Volikov, we find our Scrivener and his Seer on the trail of Dixon’s uncle Fonzo Penn, a master Spellcrafter who seems to have gone rogue shortly after Dixon’s failed quill test.
Without the edge of darkness that Yuri’s enslavement gave the first book in this series (which was also part of the multi-author Bad Valentine series), it reads more like a screwball comedy. Tracking uncle Fonzo to Taco Town Minnesota is full of comic asides and near-slapstick silliness. However, for all the absurdity of the setting and the townspeople, Ms. Price weaves into her clever narrative plenty of troubling questions about just what Fonzo Penn is up to.
Dixon, who is Yuri’s unlikely boyfriend and sidekick, is a ditz. He chatters endlessly, never quite waiting for the thoughtful Yuri to answer him. He is smart, but his thoughts flitter around, never seeming to settle or focus. In that he is not unlike me at that age, and thus I am very fond of him. But I also love Yuri, huge, dark, brooding and very Russian. The narrative alternates between their two points of view, and benefits from their very different characters. They make a great team, but these two young men are only just beginning to discover the strength of their partnership.
Yuri fled Russia to find freedom as a gay man and a Seer, while Dixon was the golden boy of a famous magical family until he failed his initial Quilling. Beneath the goofball action, this is the book where they begin to find their balance as a couple. Price is a subtle one; she quietly underscores the potential power of these two off-kilter men, romantically and magically.
I am feverishly awaiting the third book in the series. I am truly hooked into the world of Spellcrafters.
October 8, 2020
3.5 Stars
Review:
This was another cute, light, slightly ridiculous in a fun way novella. Dixon is the most hopeful, optimistic, glass half full kinda person, and Yuri is not, and it makes for a fun dynamic sometimes. I also liked learning a little more about the magic system and how it works. The plot and characters had their usual silliness and made me chuckle. You can't take these books too seriously, but they're fun.
I enjoyed the audiobook, narrated by Nick Hudson. Further thoughts on the audio can be found in my review for Book 1 or The ABCs of Spellcraft Collection Volume 1.
*Rating: 3.5 Stars // Read Date: 2020 // Format: Audiobook*
Recommended For:
Fans of previous books in Jordan Castillo Price's The ABCs of Spellcraft series. Anyone who likes sweet m/m romance, unique magic systems, and silly, sitcom-esque stories that aren't meant to be taken too seriously.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
Review:
This was another cute, light, slightly ridiculous in a fun way novella. Dixon is the most hopeful, optimistic, glass half full kinda person, and Yuri is not, and it makes for a fun dynamic sometimes. I also liked learning a little more about the magic system and how it works. The plot and characters had their usual silliness and made me chuckle. You can't take these books too seriously, but they're fun.
I enjoyed the audiobook, narrated by Nick Hudson. Further thoughts on the audio can be found in my review for Book 1 or The ABCs of Spellcraft Collection Volume 1.
*Rating: 3.5 Stars // Read Date: 2020 // Format: Audiobook*
Recommended For:
Fans of previous books in Jordan Castillo Price's The ABCs of Spellcraft series. Anyone who likes sweet m/m romance, unique magic systems, and silly, sitcom-esque stories that aren't meant to be taken too seriously.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
January 30, 2021
Fun. This is a delightful, silly story. I am loving the charming cheesiness of this series. It's over-the-top and amusing and does not take itself seriously. JCP never disappoints!
January 7, 2020
I think it's pretty evident that I will read anything that JCP writes. Whether it's dark, scary, futuristic, fantastical, snarky, thought-provoking or just escapism, she's always a win. (I mean, hell, Vic is my favorite character ever.) So let's add funny to that list. Like LOL funny.
I love how different these characters are; in this case I guess opposites really do attract! Stoic Yuri, hard on the outside but with a soft center, who'd do anything for Dixon. Including go on a crazy road trip to find a way-ward uncle and get roped into helping a town reclaim/repair its errant magic. And Dixon. OMG so clueless, so full of life and love and energy...eternally optimistic. I adore how he just throws himself into everything. Together they are sweet and sexy, an adorable duo.
Can't wait to read what they get themselves into next...
I love how different these characters are; in this case I guess opposites really do attract! Stoic Yuri, hard on the outside but with a soft center, who'd do anything for Dixon. Including go on a crazy road trip to find a way-ward uncle and get roped into helping a town reclaim/repair its errant magic. And Dixon. OMG so clueless, so full of life and love and energy...eternally optimistic. I adore how he just throws himself into everything. Together they are sweet and sexy, an adorable duo.
Can't wait to read what they get themselves into next...
April 10, 2023
“What happened to the monkey?” Dad said.
My mother didn’t bother to hide her relief. “The zoo took it, and good thing. Those animals are constantly throwing poop.”
cute adventure to taco town. Squirky
My mother didn’t bother to hide her relief. “The zoo took it, and good thing. Those animals are constantly throwing poop.”
cute adventure to taco town. Squirky
December 7, 2020
Another funny installment in the Spellcraft series, and I am really enjoying Dixon and Yuri's adventures. Taco Town sounds like a hoot and a half, and I still don't know if uncle Fonzo is friend or foe, but I had so much fun reading this. Off to book 3!
August 9, 2020
Series Reaction: https://neverhollowed.com/2020/01/28/...
Rating: 4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits
Rating: 4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits
July 16, 2020
Another very enjoyable mystery, ( even if I still don't fully understand the magic fully ).
I love Yori and Dixon, such opposites but together they make me smile.
I love Yori and Dixon, such opposites but together they make me smile.
June 1, 2019
I was hoping that the author would continue Dixon and Yuri's story when I finished Quill Me Now back in February so when Trouble in Taco Town popped up in the "recommended for you" section on Amazon I one-clicked and read it immediately. Well, I was not disappointed or wrong in my hoping. The ABCs of Spellcraft is already a fun and delightful series that I can't wait to read further. Between Dixon's eager and unending "up-ness" and Yuri's quiet "don't-jump-in-ness", they really don't seem like they could be any more opposite if they tried but as the saying goes: opposites attract. They may not appear as they match on paper but the minute you see them together you just know that their opposite-ness not only balances each other but it helps bring out their strengths. Don't get me wrong, how Yuri doesn't throttle Dixon a dozen times a day is beyond me, I think I'm a pretty positive person but HOLY HANNAH BATMAN! Dixon's peppiness would really make me pull my hair out😉😉. So Yuri may not seem like he's a patient person but Dixon is living proof that he is and you can't help but love them for their balance.
You'll notice I haven't mentioned the plot or their quest to find Uncle Fonzo. I don't do spoilers as those of you who follow my reviews will already know but I don't think I've ever read a book(short, novella, or full length) that truly embodies the theory "you have to read to believe". What the boys find in Taco Town really needs to be experienced to appreciate the full magnitude of how important wording is to spellcrafting.
Trouble in Taco Town, the whole ABCs of Spellcraft series, is a delightful gem that may be short in quantity but it's overflowing in quality. This is a series that is best read in order and trust me you want to read this series. Humor doesn't often play a part in the paranormal genres but it is a perfect fit for Dixon and Yuri's journey.
You'll notice I haven't mentioned the plot or their quest to find Uncle Fonzo. I don't do spoilers as those of you who follow my reviews will already know but I don't think I've ever read a book(short, novella, or full length) that truly embodies the theory "you have to read to believe". What the boys find in Taco Town really needs to be experienced to appreciate the full magnitude of how important wording is to spellcrafting.
Trouble in Taco Town, the whole ABCs of Spellcraft series, is a delightful gem that may be short in quantity but it's overflowing in quality. This is a series that is best read in order and trust me you want to read this series. Humor doesn't often play a part in the paranormal genres but it is a perfect fit for Dixon and Yuri's journey.
September 30, 2020
Shaping up to be one amongst my few favourite series, but no surprises there, since JCP also created another that I enjoyed immensely years before, the Petit Morts series, which I still reread occasionally to this day. The way she marries romance with the paranormal and magic is always sublime and well done. The writing is as usual effortless and unhurried, and despite this being novella length, it packs in all we needed to know, right down to all the minute details.
I loved the dynamic between Yuri and Dixon, and how well they balance each other out. One with staid hardness, the other with flighty softness. And as unlikely as the two of them seem to be suitable for each other, at the hands of a lesser author the relationship will just come across as forced. The way they are handled here though, is more like they fit in spite of their differences. I loved the peeks into the no-nonsense seriousness of Yuri and how he deals with Dixon's flightiness as he came into the relationship more and more.
I loved the quirky, wild goose chase/road trip through the wilderness aspect that this and the next few books are shaping out to be, and I especially enjoyed the homey backwardness of the small towns and their characters, and bringing in to play Yuri's and Dixon's crafting. There is also that mystery bit with regards to uncle Fonzo that I am just dying to find out.
I loved the dynamic between Yuri and Dixon, and how well they balance each other out. One with staid hardness, the other with flighty softness. And as unlikely as the two of them seem to be suitable for each other, at the hands of a lesser author the relationship will just come across as forced. The way they are handled here though, is more like they fit in spite of their differences. I loved the peeks into the no-nonsense seriousness of Yuri and how he deals with Dixon's flightiness as he came into the relationship more and more.
I loved the quirky, wild goose chase/road trip through the wilderness aspect that this and the next few books are shaping out to be, and I especially enjoyed the homey backwardness of the small towns and their characters, and bringing in to play Yuri's and Dixon's crafting. There is also that mystery bit with regards to uncle Fonzo that I am just dying to find out.
May 3, 2019
I am so thrilled that the Quill Me Now Valentine story has given rise to a series. This book catches our pair of Dixon Penn, now a full fledged scrivener, and his very patient boyfriend Yuri, a seer, in their next adventure. Starting with a postcard from the absent Uncle Fonzo, these two find themselves in the oddly named Taco Town. It seems Fonzo is just ahead of them spreading magic and leaving some unexpected results in his wake. I love the humor and the humanity that are evident in this story. Watching Dixon and Yuri figure out the puzzling spells while they are also figuring out how much they mean to each other is so endearing and fun. And if you need hot and intimate moments between two fantastic guys- well that’s here too! The crazy cast of characters that appear in this small town are hilarious. This is such a fun book and is perfect for anyone needing a break from the real world!
March 7, 2020
I am totally loving this series so much. Dixon is just this ball of energy and sunshine who finally feels like he belongs. And Yuri is so beloved as well. As calloused and cynical as he is, Dixon is showing him there's more to life and love. The only thing that breaks my heart is how Yuri is trying to prepare Dixon for the inevitable heartbreak that occurs when reality really sinks in to how things happened. And the man he loved his whole life, is not who Dixon really thinks he is. And for Yuri, I love him even more, because he is being so precious with Dixon. Or trying to be. I love these two.
May 3, 2019
I loved 'Quill Me Now', and I love this second book in the series. After the events in the first book, Dixon and Yuri are decided to find Dixon's uncle, Fonso. With that in mind, they go to Taco Town... and from then on you won't be able to stop laughing. The characters they find there are eccentric and simply delightful, the plot great, and Dixon and Yuri are quickly becoming a favourite pairing. Watching how Dixon is managing to melt Yuri's rocky surface is pure joy. And the thoughts of Yuri at the end? Awwww! So, so sweet!
I need more!
I need more!
April 21, 2023
This was an ummm... weird (in a good way) quick story. I think the story will come together as I go along in the series, at least I hope so. LOL
QUICK THOUGHTS
• Paranormal
• Fast easy read
• Magic and other such weirdness
• Quirky
• Opposites attract
• Grumpy/Sunshine pairing
• Made me laugh
• Looks like the beginning of some great adventures? LOL
• Love the MCs.... A somewhat grumpy but cuddly bear Yuri & the flamboyant, non-stop talking but ever so sweet Dixon
• The end but not, the adventure continues
• NOT a stand-alone
QUICK THOUGHTS
• Paranormal
• Fast easy read
• Magic and other such weirdness
• Quirky
• Opposites attract
• Grumpy/Sunshine pairing
• Made me laugh
• Looks like the beginning of some great adventures? LOL
• Love the MCs.... A somewhat grumpy but cuddly bear Yuri & the flamboyant, non-stop talking but ever so sweet Dixon
• The end but not, the adventure continues
• NOT a stand-alone
January 12, 2023
Better than the first one which is common in a new series. I like how the little disparate pieces all came together in the last leg of the story. (Couldn’t tell you how many legs there were…)
Enjoyable enough to want to read the next one soon.
Enjoyable enough to want to read the next one soon.
February 26, 2021
Short and fun, I enjoyed this more than the first one. Hopefully the series keeps getting better.
May 4, 2019
Yuri and Dixon are such a delightfully unlikely couple, it was very nice to meet up with them again.
After rehoming the animals from Emery Flint’s office at Precious Moments, Dixon and Yuri take off in search of Uncle Fonzo—the latest clue to his location? A postcard from Taco Town, home of the giant Taco in all of its Americana glory.
When they arrive, however, Uncle Fonzo is gone, and as they trace his steps he seems to have “solved” several of the town’s problems with incredibly wonky Spellcrafts. The Taco is crumbling, there’s an influx of rare birds worthy of Hitchcock, a horticulturist’s tomatoes have gone overboard, and the town’s snow globe making factory is making snow globes with things in them _resembling_ tacos, only not so much. Dixon refuses to believe that Uncle Fonzo could be behind all of these mishaps, until he and Yuri go searching and find the Spellcrafts his Uncle left behind, although they’re in a cryptic form.
Together, Dixon and Yuri create a Spellcraft in an attempt to negate the previous Spellcrafts, as destroying them could have even worse unintended consequences.
Everything seems to have worked out, as everyone they met along the way helps put things in the town back to rights, and they wonder if there wasn’t some method to Uncle Fonzo’s seeming madness. The way all the seemingly unrelated pieces fall together is both masterfully and delightfully done.
Yuri and Dixon are sort of a Yin/Yang couple. Dixon is innocence, curiosity, and a non-stop talker. Yuri is quiet, absorbs everything, and is still coming to terms with the fact that he is accepted for who he is, and it’s okay to let his guard down a little. They are a truly complimentary pair, and one I look forward to reading more about. Highly recommended.
ARC received from author. Opinions are entirely my own.
After rehoming the animals from Emery Flint’s office at Precious Moments, Dixon and Yuri take off in search of Uncle Fonzo—the latest clue to his location? A postcard from Taco Town, home of the giant Taco in all of its Americana glory.
When they arrive, however, Uncle Fonzo is gone, and as they trace his steps he seems to have “solved” several of the town’s problems with incredibly wonky Spellcrafts. The Taco is crumbling, there’s an influx of rare birds worthy of Hitchcock, a horticulturist’s tomatoes have gone overboard, and the town’s snow globe making factory is making snow globes with things in them _resembling_ tacos, only not so much. Dixon refuses to believe that Uncle Fonzo could be behind all of these mishaps, until he and Yuri go searching and find the Spellcrafts his Uncle left behind, although they’re in a cryptic form.
Together, Dixon and Yuri create a Spellcraft in an attempt to negate the previous Spellcrafts, as destroying them could have even worse unintended consequences.
Everything seems to have worked out, as everyone they met along the way helps put things in the town back to rights, and they wonder if there wasn’t some method to Uncle Fonzo’s seeming madness. The way all the seemingly unrelated pieces fall together is both masterfully and delightfully done.
Yuri and Dixon are sort of a Yin/Yang couple. Dixon is innocence, curiosity, and a non-stop talker. Yuri is quiet, absorbs everything, and is still coming to terms with the fact that he is accepted for who he is, and it’s okay to let his guard down a little. They are a truly complimentary pair, and one I look forward to reading more about. Highly recommended.
ARC received from author. Opinions are entirely my own.
June 15, 2021
This series is light-hearted, rompy fun with an established m/m relationship and no explicit sex. Here Yuri and Dixon go on a road trip in search of Dixon's Uncle Fonzo. They visit what is perhaps the world's largest taco and either set off or undo a series of unfortunate events. There's an interesting Goldbergian vibe in the way the town's problems are all connected, and I liked the emphasis on partnership and the many ways the magic of this world can go wrong.
I'm also digging how the series seems to be structured with each book dealing with a case of the week while an underlying mytharc moves the story forward. I'm not a fan of the way Yuri and Dixon, after having sex once, immediately enter into a long-term relationship with little to no discussion about wants and needs, but I like them as characters even if I'm not feeling the chemistry. Dixon is over-the-top enthusiastic about everything in Yuri's POV, but he's not nearly so OTT in his own, so I'm going to chalk that up to cultural differences and not, as I'd prefer, the fog of love, as Yuri mostly tunes out Dixon's high energy rambling. They get along well, though, and make a good team.
Contains: non-explicit m/m sex; a few errors in the ebook.
I'm also digging how the series seems to be structured with each book dealing with a case of the week while an underlying mytharc moves the story forward. I'm not a fan of the way Yuri and Dixon, after having sex once, immediately enter into a long-term relationship with little to no discussion about wants and needs, but I like them as characters even if I'm not feeling the chemistry. Dixon is over-the-top enthusiastic about everything in Yuri's POV, but he's not nearly so OTT in his own, so I'm going to chalk that up to cultural differences and not, as I'd prefer, the fog of love, as Yuri mostly tunes out Dixon's high energy rambling. They get along well, though, and make a good team.
Contains: non-explicit m/m sex; a few errors in the ebook.
July 11, 2021
My biggest problem with JCP is how we HAVE to BUY her books to read them. The first in this series was good, but sooooo short and not really worth the money, but the plot was intriguingly tempting. Thus, I bought the first in the series, then kicked myself after liking it because it was funny, then mistakenly buying the next in the series. I say mistakenly because the characters got more ridiculous and became annoying to me. I can't explain it -- JCP does this to me every time. She writes a pretty good intro book, then her writing goes lame. I apologize for sounding snarky and uncomplimentary, because I do.think she can be a great writer if she'd only put a little more details in and anticipate hanging plot threads instead of trying to write novellas. I can generally finish one of her books within an hour. Boring, at times. Two stars. Didn't get the corny new characters or their odd behaviors which I suspect the writer inserted for sexy times in the book. It didn't work - none of it -- in this book.
May 28, 2019
Love the series, but given the amazing way Price writes sex scenes it’s a shame they are off page. It would be 5 stRs if they were on page.
July 26, 2019
This series is super fun and I only wish we could get more steamy scenes! Yuri and Dixon are super hot!
May 6, 2019
Dixon Penn’s Uncle Fonzo is missing, or I should say, Uncle Fonzo is still missing. He disappeared from Dixon’s side on the day Dixon’s Quilling Ceremony failed (the first failure of a ceremony in known Scrivener history!) and has been gone for well over a year.
Back in the first entry to this series, Quill Me Now, Uncle Fonzo has already been gone just about a year, leaving Dixon unemployable as a Scrivener and both Dixon and Fonzo’s daughter, Sabrina, drowning in debt. As that entry proceeds, Dixon – and the reader – ultimately learn why the ceremony failed – and it is all Uncle Fonzo’s fault. Before the story ends, Dixon nearly dies because of Uncle Fonzo’s betrayal, but he also earns his Quill and meets Yuri, who helps to save his life and becomes Dixon’s significant other.
Now, as this 2nd entry begins, Sabrina receives a post card from her father, Dixon’s Uncle Fonzo. This is the first word – the first clue – in over a year that the man is actually still alive. They are so surprised – and overjoyed – to receive the card that they skip right over trying to figure out where it has come from. Yuri is the one who spots the giant Taco statue and its almost undecipherable location plaque in the photo on the card – Taco Town, Minnesota.
Roadtrip!
This entry in the ABCs of Spellcraft series is definitely not a standalone novel. Events in the past are alluded to but not explained – not even in a short summary. Thus, Dixon’s and Yuri’s backstories, their relationship issues, the concepts of Spellcasting, Scrivener, Seer and Handless – everything that drives the events in this novel – are only explained in the first novel, Quill Me Now. Therefore, do not start this series here and expect to follow it, let alone understand it.
Unlike the first novel in the series and its successive bridge short story, in this entry, Ms. Price alternates the POVs from one chapter to the next. Sometimes Dixon is narrating, sometimes Yuri. But each chapter is titled by the narrator’s name so shifting perspectives is quick, especially since the two main characters have observably different personalities.
As each chapter progresses, the author takes us deeper and deeper into the “troubles in Taco Town” which have supposedly been caused by Uncle Fonzo’s spellcasting. She also uses each “trouble” to highlight and strengthen the relationship between Dixon and Yuri. So, as the tension increases and the plot progresses, the characters grow.
From a historical perspective, the first entry of the series is a paranormal suspense with actual physical lives on the line. The bridge short story contains paranormal elements but with minimal suspense. Now, in this current entry, the focus seems to shift from any level of paranormal suspense to an active paranormal adventure, with economic rather than literal lives on the line. However, we cannot forget the relationship element in any of the entries. Ms. Price makes that an integral element of each character’s decisions and dialogue and it all just flows.
Personally, Yuri is my favorite character of the pair that Ms. Price has created. I like the way she makes him both logical and suspicious and uses those traits to temper Dixon’s stream of consciousness way of prattling on. Now, Dixon is no piece of fluff intellectually, but he simply would not have come up with my favorite lines of the whole book (from Yuri in Chapter 2):
“It made them feel better to mock what they didn’t understand. I say, let them laugh. It’s so much easier to pick off your enemy when they underestimate you.”
I received a copy of this work in exchange for a fair and honest review. That action has, in no way, influenced my opinion of the content or the writing.
Back in the first entry to this series, Quill Me Now, Uncle Fonzo has already been gone just about a year, leaving Dixon unemployable as a Scrivener and both Dixon and Fonzo’s daughter, Sabrina, drowning in debt. As that entry proceeds, Dixon – and the reader – ultimately learn why the ceremony failed – and it is all Uncle Fonzo’s fault. Before the story ends, Dixon nearly dies because of Uncle Fonzo’s betrayal, but he also earns his Quill and meets Yuri, who helps to save his life and becomes Dixon’s significant other.
Now, as this 2nd entry begins, Sabrina receives a post card from her father, Dixon’s Uncle Fonzo. This is the first word – the first clue – in over a year that the man is actually still alive. They are so surprised – and overjoyed – to receive the card that they skip right over trying to figure out where it has come from. Yuri is the one who spots the giant Taco statue and its almost undecipherable location plaque in the photo on the card – Taco Town, Minnesota.
Roadtrip!
This entry in the ABCs of Spellcraft series is definitely not a standalone novel. Events in the past are alluded to but not explained – not even in a short summary. Thus, Dixon’s and Yuri’s backstories, their relationship issues, the concepts of Spellcasting, Scrivener, Seer and Handless – everything that drives the events in this novel – are only explained in the first novel, Quill Me Now. Therefore, do not start this series here and expect to follow it, let alone understand it.
Unlike the first novel in the series and its successive bridge short story, in this entry, Ms. Price alternates the POVs from one chapter to the next. Sometimes Dixon is narrating, sometimes Yuri. But each chapter is titled by the narrator’s name so shifting perspectives is quick, especially since the two main characters have observably different personalities.
As each chapter progresses, the author takes us deeper and deeper into the “troubles in Taco Town” which have supposedly been caused by Uncle Fonzo’s spellcasting. She also uses each “trouble” to highlight and strengthen the relationship between Dixon and Yuri. So, as the tension increases and the plot progresses, the characters grow.
From a historical perspective, the first entry of the series is a paranormal suspense with actual physical lives on the line. The bridge short story contains paranormal elements but with minimal suspense. Now, in this current entry, the focus seems to shift from any level of paranormal suspense to an active paranormal adventure, with economic rather than literal lives on the line. However, we cannot forget the relationship element in any of the entries. Ms. Price makes that an integral element of each character’s decisions and dialogue and it all just flows.
Personally, Yuri is my favorite character of the pair that Ms. Price has created. I like the way she makes him both logical and suspicious and uses those traits to temper Dixon’s stream of consciousness way of prattling on. Now, Dixon is no piece of fluff intellectually, but he simply would not have come up with my favorite lines of the whole book (from Yuri in Chapter 2):
“It made them feel better to mock what they didn’t understand. I say, let them laugh. It’s so much easier to pick off your enemy when they underestimate you.”
I received a copy of this work in exchange for a fair and honest review. That action has, in no way, influenced my opinion of the content or the writing.
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