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Diviner's Game #1
Bishop to Knight One
an alternate cover edition can be found here
Deejay:
I have spent every day of the last ten years taking in and caring for my sisters’ sons. The problem is, we’re the sons of Naiads and I’ve never met a Nymph of any kind that cared about her male offspring. The boys don’t inherit the magic required to care for and connect to the waters of the earth, therefore they’re useless to the Naiads. Never mind that I have enough magic to wipe all Naiads off the planet altogether. Not that I would. Probably. My nephews deserve better than their mothers, and as long as those Naiads keep bringing me their sons, I won’t have to destroy them. I’ll even take their stepsons off their hands.
Yes, single parenting can get lonely. No, I’m not going to act on my attraction to my newest ‘nephew’, no matter how many boxes he ticks for me.
Matt:
The best thing my old man did for me and my brother was die. With him dead, his girlfriend brought Cary and me to live with her brother. Deejay is rich, powerful, and sometimes gives me heart palpitations. I will do whatever it takes except abandon him to make sure Deejay adopts my brother, even if that means I have to insinuate myself into every part of this powerful man’s life. I didn’t plan to woo him, but I won’t ignore the attraction between us for too much longer.
After all, who knows how long I have left to live what with every other person I meet trying to kill me. I don’t know what I did to Houston’s Non-Humans, but I won’t go down without a fight. Bring it.
Bishop to Knight One is a 115k age-gap MM paranormal romance.
Trigger warnings include: off-page past child abuse and on-page descriptive violence. In this family, the boys have tragic backstories.
Deejay:
I have spent every day of the last ten years taking in and caring for my sisters’ sons. The problem is, we’re the sons of Naiads and I’ve never met a Nymph of any kind that cared about her male offspring. The boys don’t inherit the magic required to care for and connect to the waters of the earth, therefore they’re useless to the Naiads. Never mind that I have enough magic to wipe all Naiads off the planet altogether. Not that I would. Probably. My nephews deserve better than their mothers, and as long as those Naiads keep bringing me their sons, I won’t have to destroy them. I’ll even take their stepsons off their hands.
Yes, single parenting can get lonely. No, I’m not going to act on my attraction to my newest ‘nephew’, no matter how many boxes he ticks for me.
Matt:
The best thing my old man did for me and my brother was die. With him dead, his girlfriend brought Cary and me to live with her brother. Deejay is rich, powerful, and sometimes gives me heart palpitations. I will do whatever it takes except abandon him to make sure Deejay adopts my brother, even if that means I have to insinuate myself into every part of this powerful man’s life. I didn’t plan to woo him, but I won’t ignore the attraction between us for too much longer.
After all, who knows how long I have left to live what with every other person I meet trying to kill me. I don’t know what I did to Houston’s Non-Humans, but I won’t go down without a fight. Bring it.
Bishop to Knight One is a 115k age-gap MM paranormal romance.
Trigger warnings include: off-page past child abuse and on-page descriptive violence. In this family, the boys have tragic backstories.
398 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2020
222 people are currently reading
688 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Cody
47 books706 followersJennifer Cody lives in Small Midwestern Town, USA, aka the sticks of Kansas. She has three kids and a Beardo she loves. Her sleep schedule is weird, so messages sent at midnight usually get answered relatively promptly. She reads all kinds of mm romance and urban fantasy, but her favorites are gay-for-you, small-town romances and over the top urban fantasy romances. Her own writing doesn’t always reflect her reading preferences, but mostly it does. She writes what she wants to read and reads extensively because she’s an addict. To books, obviously. And caffeine because sleep is for other people.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
May 19, 2023
5/5 ⭐ What a checkmate!
Bishop to Knight One is the first piece in this game of chess which is the ❛Diviner's Game❜ trilogy, ❝a knight❞ how Tio would say―letting myself to paraphrase this complex character―of the bigger picture which is this series and whose unanswered questions will thoroughly explained if we read all of these books following the order established beforehand ♟️
Jennifer Cody has surprised me, I'm not gonna lie. I deeply enjoyed the whole book because it hold all the ingredients I cherish whose delicate mixture and skillful making, only could result in the perfect cup of tea 🍵 Hence, my unwavering five stars 🌟
◾ This time I would like to talk about the three key elements 🗝️ which make Bishop to Knight One such an special read to me, so we're getting into my three big positives:
► The sweetest ❛found family❜―or maybe ❛searched family❜, in Deejay's case― 💌 I love the whole D'Aquino family, each member who conforms this sort of Cheaper by the Dozen with ❛magical vibes❜ 🔮 💜 Deejay Aquino has eleven sons at the beggining of the book, seven of them already moved out of the house, but he's still raising five little childs at home: Colt, Kendall, Jasper and the babies, Alex and Eren ❥ All of them are his biological nephews and he spent the last ten years caring them because they are sons of naiads, as the way he is, and women of his species only care about their female offspring.
This is the way the readers meet Matt and Cary, two stepsons of Felixia, one of Deejay's sisters, who sent the boys to him due to the deceasing of her boyfriend, who was the biological father of these two orphans.
These two boys join into the family and are quickly integrated amongs the rest of the boys, but Matt who is almonst eighteen years old, unlike Cary who is only four, does not see Deejay as his new ❛old man❜ 😏 The sentiment is quite reciprocated, because of Deejay is little by little getting smitten of Matt 's mature and dominant personality, without forgetting about his strong phisical shape which doesn't match with an eighteen teenager 😳
I swear I could read an entire book of this family which narrates their day by day without a bit of plot because I'm enough interested in all the character by themselves. Jennifer's plot is an extra gift for me 🎁 but the main prizeare her fabulous characters who are perfectly developed and having the risk of being blurried by the amount of them, she makes them individual beings, dotting them with special features which make them uniques ❥ Some examples:
↬ ❝I'm Colt Aquino. I'm thirteen❞ my angriest son says [...] ❝I've been with Papa the longest, since I was three and I'm his favorite❞ 😎
Colt is the most temperamental of the younger sons, being a pre-teen doesn't help too much, by the way. He is quite possessive with his ❛Papa❜ and doesn't get well his relationship with Matt. This boy is a ❛dreamcatcher❜ who has the ability too see clues of the strings of fate through dreams, then he is a sort of ❛diviner❜, but a little bit less powerful.
↬ ❝I'm Kendall. I'm also thirteen❞ [...] my most studious son explains, pushing his glasses up his nose [...] Kendall is socially awkward in general. He doesn't pick up in social cues well in settings with unfamiliar people [...] Rather than prevaricate, Kendall tends to speak blunty, which doesn't always earn him friends [...] He may always struggle with his social-emotional development, though years of therapy have helped immensely 🤓
I've got a soft spot for Kendall. It is not because he's a ❛touch telepath❜, maybe it is due to the introduction by the author of a character who presents many features of Asperger's syndrome. Obviously, I'm not a doctor and I'm not going to diagnose Kendall, but here we have some traits:
▷ He has problems in order to recognize verbal and nonverbal cues or understand social norms.
▷ He doesn't express his emotions or it seems that he doesn't take others' into account.
▷ He uses language in a very formal way.
▷ He has pretty focused interests on which he accumulates a lot of information.
↬ Robbie is the latter add-on into the family, another Dejaay's step-nephew who has his own mysterys―like his species―with which we'll have to deal in the third instalment, Queen To King Three, because he'll be the main character of that book. For now, we only know that he is an anxiety ball who must be protected at all cost ❤️🩹 I also enjoy how the author displayed Robbie's anxiety disorder, having to deal with it by myself too, I know how difficult is struggling against an invisible enemy and being defeated sometimes.
► Matt and Deejay as the perfect example of ❛healthy and secure❜ relationship ❥ Despite of the premise and the shadowy vibes which means a relationship with inherently imbalanced power, it turns out to be the opposite. Matt is no the teen he seems, and his sexual relationship starts after he is an adult under human standards. His parental instincts are about as strong as Deejay's and both together are the perfect ❛parental duo❜, so from the beggining they're pretty married without notice it 💍
↬ ❝I picked the kids from school, helped with homework and snacks, played with Cary and Jasper [...] while Deejay bathed the twins, and then I helped Deejay with the babies' nighttime routine❞
↬ ❝I love going through the day to day with him. He makes the grind of parenting enjoyable [...] It's nice to have an understanding partner I know I can trust❞
↬ ❝How does this man know what I need and how to support me? [...] Why is he so goddamn perfect❞
I did not overlook how Deejay's view about Matt changed into his mind through the book. It is a tiny detail, but the latter has turned out from being barely a teen to be a grown man with whom Deejay has built a solid relationship ❥ Plus, the latter statement I chose quoted by Deejay resumes perfectly what I say when I talk about ❛healthy and secure❜ relationship: all their decisions are asolutely agreed by the two of them, wether family issues or sexual intercourse between them. They're the perfect match ❣️
► Plot as chess game ♟️ where the reader has to figure out the best moves and who are the players involved into it 🎲 The world building is a marvelous intrincated gem which is plenty of details amazingly displayed, mainly thanks to Matt who is reading an encyclopedia which holds information related to each magical creature who places that world, or the differents goverments for each species 🦄 ♡
*SPOILERS*
I've spotted the importance of Chanda, a ❛diviner❜ and Matt and Robbie's teacher who gets involved with the latter of them and he also has deals with the Hub ruled by Loretta, another ❛dreamcatcher❜ who is a little bit shady person By other hand, Erroll, an elven from another realm, is a priori the main villain here but after reading the book I still don't understand how Chanda is linked with him. Plus, what the hell are doing Loki―Loretta's ❛headsman❜ who dispenses justice into the Cage 🩸 ―and Gage―who is his little brother and also a ❛dragon shifter❜ 🐉 who attends to the same high school that Robbie and Matt―in all this madness? I only know that Erroll is obssessed to avoid his own dead and Matt is the main piece into that aspect of the game, but a minor piece into the big picture―if we endorse Tio's words [who is also this man, for Christ's sake?]―of the ❛Diviner's Game❜, who I don't know if is Chanda or who the hell is that ❛diviner❜ 🤯 I've got my suspictions about Chanda wanted to quit Loki out from the Cage in order to avoid his death by Erroll's hands and instead he replaces him using Matt because he knows he can survive thanks to his stronger magical skills. Ok, but then why letting Deejay and Matt's babies being kidnapped by Erroll? I'm chattering too much and getting my mind wrappled by confusion:
◾ Negatives:
❌ The book ends 🥀
I'm going to end because this review is getting longer than I expected, but I just can't refrain myself from keeping writing. I'm already starting the seconds instalment ❥ Loki and Gage are two step-brothers who hide an obscure past, I'm pretty sure!
Bishop to Knight One is the first piece in this game of chess which is the ❛Diviner's Game❜ trilogy, ❝a knight❞ how Tio would say―letting myself to paraphrase this complex character―of the bigger picture which is this series and whose unanswered questions will thoroughly explained if we read all of these books following the order established beforehand ♟️
Jennifer Cody has surprised me, I'm not gonna lie. I deeply enjoyed the whole book because it hold all the ingredients I cherish whose delicate mixture and skillful making, only could result in the perfect cup of tea 🍵 Hence, my unwavering five stars 🌟
◾ This time I would like to talk about the three key elements 🗝️ which make Bishop to Knight One such an special read to me, so we're getting into my three big positives:
► The sweetest ❛found family❜―or maybe ❛searched family❜, in Deejay's case― 💌 I love the whole D'Aquino family, each member who conforms this sort of Cheaper by the Dozen with ❛magical vibes❜ 🔮 💜 Deejay Aquino has eleven sons at the beggining of the book, seven of them already moved out of the house, but he's still raising five little childs at home: Colt, Kendall, Jasper and the babies, Alex and Eren ❥ All of them are his biological nephews and he spent the last ten years caring them because they are sons of naiads, as the way he is, and women of his species only care about their female offspring.
This is the way the readers meet Matt and Cary, two stepsons of Felixia, one of Deejay's sisters, who sent the boys to him due to the deceasing of her boyfriend, who was the biological father of these two orphans.
These two boys join into the family and are quickly integrated amongs the rest of the boys, but Matt who is almonst eighteen years old, unlike Cary who is only four, does not see Deejay as his new ❛old man❜ 😏 The sentiment is quite reciprocated, because of Deejay is little by little getting smitten of Matt 's mature and dominant personality, without forgetting about his strong phisical shape which doesn't match with an eighteen teenager 😳
I swear I could read an entire book of this family which narrates their day by day without a bit of plot because I'm enough interested in all the character by themselves. Jennifer's plot is an extra gift for me 🎁 but the main prizeare her fabulous characters who are perfectly developed and having the risk of being blurried by the amount of them, she makes them individual beings, dotting them with special features which make them uniques ❥ Some examples:
↬ ❝I'm Colt Aquino. I'm thirteen❞ my angriest son says [...] ❝I've been with Papa the longest, since I was three and I'm his favorite❞ 😎
Colt is the most temperamental of the younger sons, being a pre-teen doesn't help too much, by the way. He is quite possessive with his ❛Papa❜ and doesn't get well his relationship with Matt. This boy is a ❛dreamcatcher❜ who has the ability too see clues of the strings of fate through dreams, then he is a sort of ❛diviner❜, but a little bit less powerful.
↬ ❝I'm Kendall. I'm also thirteen❞ [...] my most studious son explains, pushing his glasses up his nose [...] Kendall is socially awkward in general. He doesn't pick up in social cues well in settings with unfamiliar people [...] Rather than prevaricate, Kendall tends to speak blunty, which doesn't always earn him friends [...] He may always struggle with his social-emotional development, though years of therapy have helped immensely 🤓
I've got a soft spot for Kendall. It is not because he's a ❛touch telepath❜, maybe it is due to the introduction by the author of a character who presents many features of Asperger's syndrome. Obviously, I'm not a doctor and I'm not going to diagnose Kendall, but here we have some traits:
▷ He has problems in order to recognize verbal and nonverbal cues or understand social norms.
▷ He doesn't express his emotions or it seems that he doesn't take others' into account.
▷ He uses language in a very formal way.
▷ He has pretty focused interests on which he accumulates a lot of information.
↬ Robbie is the latter add-on into the family, another Dejaay's step-nephew who has his own mysterys―like his species―with which we'll have to deal in the third instalment, Queen To King Three, because he'll be the main character of that book. For now, we only know that he is an anxiety ball who must be protected at all cost ❤️🩹 I also enjoy how the author displayed Robbie's anxiety disorder, having to deal with it by myself too, I know how difficult is struggling against an invisible enemy and being defeated sometimes.
► Matt and Deejay as the perfect example of ❛healthy and secure❜ relationship ❥ Despite of the premise and the shadowy vibes which means a relationship with inherently imbalanced power, it turns out to be the opposite. Matt is no the teen he seems, and his sexual relationship starts after he is an adult under human standards. His parental instincts are about as strong as Deejay's and both together are the perfect ❛parental duo❜, so from the beggining they're pretty married without notice it 💍
↬ ❝I picked the kids from school, helped with homework and snacks, played with Cary and Jasper [...] while Deejay bathed the twins, and then I helped Deejay with the babies' nighttime routine❞
↬ ❝I love going through the day to day with him. He makes the grind of parenting enjoyable [...] It's nice to have an understanding partner I know I can trust❞
↬ ❝How does this man know what I need and how to support me? [...] Why is he so goddamn perfect❞
I did not overlook how Deejay's view about Matt changed into his mind through the book. It is a tiny detail, but the latter has turned out from being barely a teen to be a grown man with whom Deejay has built a solid relationship ❥ Plus, the latter statement I chose quoted by Deejay resumes perfectly what I say when I talk about ❛healthy and secure❜ relationship: all their decisions are asolutely agreed by the two of them, wether family issues or sexual intercourse between them. They're the perfect match ❣️
► Plot as chess game ♟️ where the reader has to figure out the best moves and who are the players involved into it 🎲 The world building is a marvelous intrincated gem which is plenty of details amazingly displayed, mainly thanks to Matt who is reading an encyclopedia which holds information related to each magical creature who places that world, or the differents goverments for each species 🦄 ♡
*SPOILERS*
I've spotted the importance of Chanda, a ❛diviner❜ and Matt and Robbie's teacher who gets involved with the latter of them and he also has deals with the Hub ruled by Loretta, another ❛dreamcatcher❜ who is a little bit shady person By other hand, Erroll, an elven from another realm, is a priori the main villain here but after reading the book I still don't understand how Chanda is linked with him. Plus, what the hell are doing Loki―Loretta's ❛headsman❜ who dispenses justice into the Cage 🩸 ―and Gage―who is his little brother and also a ❛dragon shifter❜ 🐉 who attends to the same high school that Robbie and Matt―in all this madness? I only know that Erroll is obssessed to avoid his own dead and Matt is the main piece into that aspect of the game, but a minor piece into the big picture―if we endorse Tio's words [
◾ Negatives:
❌ The book ends 🥀
I'm going to end because this review is getting longer than I expected, but I just can't refrain myself from keeping writing. I'm already starting the seconds instalment ❥ Loki and Gage are two step-brothers who hide an obscure past, I'm pretty sure!
June 12, 2023
You know, I read to turn off my brain ... but here I actually had to turn it on. I can't believe what Jennifer Cody made me do here! Even worse that this is a trilogy and I really need to know more!
So, in the beginning it was a bit hard for me, because the world that was built here, must first be grasped. But the incredibly good writing style has managed to suck me in and not let go. Who needs sleep and work is overrated anyway ...
To say that I am fascinated would be an understatement. I love everything about this book, even if I felt a bit out of my comfort zone. - I hate books with lots of characters, I'm not a fan of families, too much interweaving in the plot annoys me - so why can I read this book in one go when so much stands against it? I blame it on the talent of the author. 😉
The relationship that develops between Deejay and Matt is very intense, but also slow and realistic. There are so many things happening that the few moments these two have to themselves come across as little gems. Oddly enough, I didn't feel that the relationship took up too little space in the book.
I like him, but I like him a little too much, because sometimes, especially when I’m alone, I can’t get my mind to settle on anything but him. 💞💞💞
I am thoroughly enjoying the excuse to touch him. He’s smooth as steel and hard as stone. His muscles stand out, defined by their bulk. He’s thick everywhere and feels pretty fucking wonderful under my fingers. 😊😊😊
They just match. I find it liberating that there are no insecurities, both are so mature and know what they want, there are no misunderstandings, no sexual drama or the like.
“Let’s just agree that of the two of us, I have more freedom to put the effort into our romance that it takes to make it grow. For now, just enjoy the ride and let me romance you. I’ll make sure we’re both satisfied.” 😍😍😍
There is some violence here ... Cage fights, it gets bloody and there are killings. And even though it's a fantasy story, these things are more than realistic. And not to forget, child abuse and neglect is the big theme here, so it's not a light story before bedtime.
“Promise me, Deejay, promise me that if I don’t win, if I die, you’re going to get our babies back. We didn’t start this shit, but we sure as hell are going to end it. Get our babies back and end them all.” 🖤🖤🖤
So, in the beginning it was a bit hard for me, because the world that was built here, must first be grasped. But the incredibly good writing style has managed to suck me in and not let go. Who needs sleep and work is overrated anyway ...
To say that I am fascinated would be an understatement. I love everything about this book, even if I felt a bit out of my comfort zone. - I hate books with lots of characters, I'm not a fan of families, too much interweaving in the plot annoys me - so why can I read this book in one go when so much stands against it? I blame it on the talent of the author. 😉
The relationship that develops between Deejay and Matt is very intense, but also slow and realistic. There are so many things happening that the few moments these two have to themselves come across as little gems. Oddly enough, I didn't feel that the relationship took up too little space in the book.
I like him, but I like him a little too much, because sometimes, especially when I’m alone, I can’t get my mind to settle on anything but him. 💞💞💞
I am thoroughly enjoying the excuse to touch him. He’s smooth as steel and hard as stone. His muscles stand out, defined by their bulk. He’s thick everywhere and feels pretty fucking wonderful under my fingers. 😊😊😊
They just match. I find it liberating that there are no insecurities, both are so mature and know what they want, there are no misunderstandings, no sexual drama or the like.
“Let’s just agree that of the two of us, I have more freedom to put the effort into our romance that it takes to make it grow. For now, just enjoy the ride and let me romance you. I’ll make sure we’re both satisfied.” 😍😍😍
There is some violence here ... Cage fights, it gets bloody and there are killings. And even though it's a fantasy story, these things are more than realistic. And not to forget, child abuse and neglect is the big theme here, so it's not a light story before bedtime.
“Promise me, Deejay, promise me that if I don’t win, if I die, you’re going to get our babies back. We didn’t start this shit, but we sure as hell are going to end it. Get our babies back and end them all.” 🖤🖤🖤
February 17, 2022
Well, this was an unexpected pleasant surprise. It was recommended to me on fb when I asked for mate recommendations. I believe it is a new author and I was, well, surprised it was as good as it was.
Matt was a sweetheart, caring for his brother and now his new family. And Deejay was amazing as well, taking in his horrible sisters' abandoned and abused children. I hope we get more of these two as we go, and so many interesting side characters for books of their own!
Were there some issues? Yes. There were things that needed fleshing out a little more, sort of breezed over and left hanging. Then there were things that were too much such as day-to-day activities (I didn't need to know every step of their daily routine which only added to the number of pages, not really the story), but other than those minor annoyances, I really enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to more in this series.
Matt was a sweetheart, caring for his brother and now his new family. And Deejay was amazing as well, taking in his horrible sisters' abandoned and abused children. I hope we get more of these two as we go, and so many interesting side characters for books of their own!
Were there some issues? Yes. There were things that needed fleshing out a little more, sort of breezed over and left hanging. Then there were things that were too much such as day-to-day activities (I didn't need to know every step of their daily routine which only added to the number of pages, not really the story), but other than those minor annoyances, I really enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to more in this series.
February 13, 2022
The plot was interesting enough and having a naiad as a main character in a world where male naiads are abused, abandoned or worse because only female water nymphs count is a nice variation of the usual paranormal configuration list but the promising setup of a billionaire naiad adopting all the male kids of his sisters to keep them sane and alive and while doing so falls in love with one of them (luckily he's not really his nephew but the son of his sisters latest affair), is getting drowned in too many details about the validity of human laws vs. species law and Hub law, about aura reading, about maturity and legal age difference regarding species etc. Then the plot is becoming convoluted instead of a dangerous chess game and the feels fray out in the face of everyday live with 6 sons at home. So Deejay and Matt are falling in love? Yeah, nice but do I care? Not so much to not skip the few sex scenes. There was still something that kept me reading but I really can't say what, certainly not the tweaky curses and the implicitness of death sentences. Now I know how this book ends but I can't tell the why or if all the open threads are to be closed in the next books or just fail to make sense for me.
September 24, 2021
This was... all over the place.
RTC
RTC
October 26, 2021
Hm, this wasn't quite a win for me.
I started skimming the last 20-25% of this, because it was just becoming too long. It was only around 300 pages but felt much longer than that.
I liked it, for the most part, and I liked Deejay and Matt, our main characters. More focus could have been on the romance, in my opinion. Once we got to these two actually having sex, except for maybe the first time, it wasn't very interesting sex scenes, in my opinion.
Now, I liked their little family, the 'littles' as Matt called them were adorable, and the plot and set up of this world was interesting enough.
But then it got to be a little too convoluted for me. For some reason, an elf prince wanted to kill Matt because he didn't want him to become the Headsman of the Houston Hub - all this has to do with 'non-human' beings and their own ways of governing.
But then he also for some reason hired a Chaos Eater to...fuck shit up, but if all the elf wanted was Matt dead, why was all this other shit happening? Why wasn't he just straight up trying to kill Matt, then? Why was Deejay brought into it at times. Even Deejay's - and now Matt's - twin babies were taken, for some reason.
I still wasn't sure what the deal was with the Elf. We had no idea why Chandra did what he did, and why we were never told what Robbie was, and they just continued not telling Deejay and Matt anything, even though what they were doing was directly affecting Deejay and Matt. It was frustrating, and I don't care that it'll be answered in Robbie and Chandra's book, it should have been answered in this book.
I started skimming and tuning out a bit when it just started to become way too long. I just kinda wanted to be done with the story around 80% in.
Also, having things focus on Gage and Loki as well, and Robbie and Chandra just took away from Deejay and Matt. There was just too much going on, and too much set up for the next two couples, that it detracted from the main couple of this book, which is supposed to be focused on them.
Also at times there was talk about how this family had to communicate, but then they wouldn't communicate. It was a little frustrating.
Overall, this could have been greatly improved. I still like the first half overall pretty well, and I liked Deejay and Matt individually and together, and I loved the family they were creating, so there were definitely things to like about this.
But there was just too much wrong for me to really love this. It was too much plot and not enough character/romance, at least for our main couple, especially in the second half.
So overall, an okay, likable read. Just not much more me, unfortunately. I know I won't be reading the next books in this series either.
I started skimming the last 20-25% of this, because it was just becoming too long. It was only around 300 pages but felt much longer than that.
I liked it, for the most part, and I liked Deejay and Matt, our main characters. More focus could have been on the romance, in my opinion. Once we got to these two actually having sex, except for maybe the first time, it wasn't very interesting sex scenes, in my opinion.
Now, I liked their little family, the 'littles' as Matt called them were adorable, and the plot and set up of this world was interesting enough.
But then it got to be a little too convoluted for me. For some reason, an elf prince wanted to kill Matt because he didn't want him to become the Headsman of the Houston Hub - all this has to do with 'non-human' beings and their own ways of governing.
But then he also for some reason hired a Chaos Eater to...fuck shit up, but if all the elf wanted was Matt dead, why was all this other shit happening? Why wasn't he just straight up trying to kill Matt, then? Why was Deejay brought into it at times. Even Deejay's - and now Matt's - twin babies were taken, for some reason.
I still wasn't sure what the deal was with the Elf. We had no idea why Chandra did what he did, and why we were never told what Robbie was, and they just continued not telling Deejay and Matt anything, even though what they were doing was directly affecting Deejay and Matt. It was frustrating, and I don't care that it'll be answered in Robbie and Chandra's book, it should have been answered in this book.
I started skimming and tuning out a bit when it just started to become way too long. I just kinda wanted to be done with the story around 80% in.
Also, having things focus on Gage and Loki as well, and Robbie and Chandra just took away from Deejay and Matt. There was just too much going on, and too much set up for the next two couples, that it detracted from the main couple of this book, which is supposed to be focused on them.
Also at times there was talk about how this family had to communicate, but then they wouldn't communicate. It was a little frustrating.
Overall, this could have been greatly improved. I still like the first half overall pretty well, and I liked Deejay and Matt individually and together, and I loved the family they were creating, so there were definitely things to like about this.
But there was just too much wrong for me to really love this. It was too much plot and not enough character/romance, at least for our main couple, especially in the second half.
So overall, an okay, likable read. Just not much more me, unfortunately. I know I won't be reading the next books in this series either.
March 19, 2022
Deejay Aquino, 29, mage, adopts all the abused or abandoned sons and stepsons of his sisters.
When Matt, 17, and his brother Gary, 4, show up on his doorstep, the lines between fatherly love and not-so fatherly love get blurred.
This said: I thought the set up was a bit poorly done. Matt is not blood related to Deejay, nor is Matt quite a child, but I think it's still uncomfortable.
Someone has it out for Deejay's little kingdom, and there is quite a bit of action. There is also a lot of baby cuddling and teenager drama with the younger siblings. There is a plot that never made sense and a semi cliffhanger that does not entice me enough to continue with the series.
While I enjoyed the pace of the story and Deejay as character, I was too often annoyed with TSTL decision makings that I have to rate a 2.5 star rating down to 2.
When Matt, 17, and his brother Gary, 4, show up on his doorstep, the lines between fatherly love and not-so fatherly love get blurred.
This said: I thought the set up was a bit poorly done. Matt is not blood related to Deejay, nor is Matt quite a child, but I think it's still uncomfortable.
Someone has it out for Deejay's little kingdom, and there is quite a bit of action. There is also a lot of baby cuddling and teenager drama with the younger siblings. There is a plot that never made sense and a semi cliffhanger that does not entice me enough to continue with the series.
While I enjoyed the pace of the story and Deejay as character, I was too often annoyed with TSTL decision makings that I have to rate a 2.5 star rating down to 2.
February 27, 2022
Fun but sweet
I started reading this book without knowing what to expect, but I was soon wrapped up in it to the point that I didn’t want to put it down. It had a fair amount of action but also lots of sweetness with the dedication the main characters had both to each other and to their family.
It did a good job of wrapping up the romance for the MCs while still leaving plot points unanswered that I can only assume will be addressed in the other books.
If I had one small complaint it would be that the book needed another round of edits or proofreading (breaks instead of brakes, peak instead of peek, out instead of put, and so on), but it wasn’t bad enough to detract from my enjoyment or stop me from reading more.
I started reading this book without knowing what to expect, but I was soon wrapped up in it to the point that I didn’t want to put it down. It had a fair amount of action but also lots of sweetness with the dedication the main characters had both to each other and to their family.
It did a good job of wrapping up the romance for the MCs while still leaving plot points unanswered that I can only assume will be addressed in the other books.
If I had one small complaint it would be that the book needed another round of edits or proofreading (breaks instead of brakes, peak instead of peek, out instead of put, and so on), but it wasn’t bad enough to detract from my enjoyment or stop me from reading more.
Read
May 27, 2022The premises were good but lost my interest during the reading
October 16, 2021
I've struggled with rating this one, 3 stars seems fair, but even with being provided review copies of the next 2 books, I don't think I will be continuing this series.
For the things I liked:
-I really enjoyed the world building. So many interesting magical species which is always something I enjoy immensely. Here we had some I had never heard of before, which was just a ton of fun. The actual world could have been fleshed out a little more (especially with how much mundane stuff was thrown in), but I have a feeling it is done in other books as the whole series runs concurrently.
- The characters. I liked each character that was introduced. Interesting, developed, and very real feeling. I'm also a sucker for cute kid characters though, so if you are not, then it might not be the book for you.
-The writing. Overall, I feel like Cody is a strong writer. Sure, it could be tightened up, as I stated before there was a lot of superfluous mundane information that didn't really add to the story, but sometimes I like that in my fantasy books to cut through the stuff that is new to me. Some could have been cut down, but I didn't find it unbearable.
Now, for why I don't think I'll continue this series:
-The romance. I am a voracious romance reader, so books with weak (in my opinion) romances, just aren't really for me. The lesser issue here was once the two MCs got together, it just became wayyy to sappy and saccharine. It didn't fit with the pretty badass characters we had seen before. It's also when the MCs lost a little of their individuality, you really could have switched out the POV without much change. But the main issue, and one I think you absolutely should be aware of before beginning this series this romance just made me feel pretty icky. I actually enjoy age gaps, and I'm okay with pseudo taboo relationships, but one of the MCs is 17 and the other is 29 when the attraction starts between the two of them. I'm actually 29 now, and I can't see myself having much of a conversation with a 17 year old, and I sure would never want to sleep with one. Cody tried to get around this by: 1. nothing happening until after the MCs 18th birthday and 2. explaining that non-species mature at different rates; but as an adult living in the US 18 is really a hard line for me. Honestly, even an 18 year old with someone my age would ick me out to a degree. I either want all the parties to a relationship old enough to drink, or none of them (YA). So like I said, nothing happens until all parties are of legal consenting age, but the fact the same premise seems to be the set up for the next two books, I don't feel comfortable reading them (to each their own since they are legal consenting adults when they get together, even if just barely). I also wish more reviews had talked about it as I would have never picked up this book, so I'm sorry for the lengthy review, but I feel it is necessary.
For the things I liked:
-I really enjoyed the world building. So many interesting magical species which is always something I enjoy immensely. Here we had some I had never heard of before, which was just a ton of fun. The actual world could have been fleshed out a little more (especially with how much mundane stuff was thrown in), but I have a feeling it is done in other books as the whole series runs concurrently.
- The characters. I liked each character that was introduced. Interesting, developed, and very real feeling. I'm also a sucker for cute kid characters though, so if you are not, then it might not be the book for you.
-The writing. Overall, I feel like Cody is a strong writer. Sure, it could be tightened up, as I stated before there was a lot of superfluous mundane information that didn't really add to the story, but sometimes I like that in my fantasy books to cut through the stuff that is new to me. Some could have been cut down, but I didn't find it unbearable.
Now, for why I don't think I'll continue this series:
-The romance. I am a voracious romance reader, so books with weak (in my opinion) romances, just aren't really for me. The lesser issue here was once the two MCs got together, it just became wayyy to sappy and saccharine. It didn't fit with the pretty badass characters we had seen before. It's also when the MCs lost a little of their individuality, you really could have switched out the POV without much change. But the main issue, and one I think you absolutely should be aware of before beginning this series this romance just made me feel pretty icky. I actually enjoy age gaps, and I'm okay with pseudo taboo relationships, but one of the MCs is 17 and the other is 29 when the attraction starts between the two of them. I'm actually 29 now, and I can't see myself having much of a conversation with a 17 year old, and I sure would never want to sleep with one. Cody tried to get around this by: 1. nothing happening until after the MCs 18th birthday and 2. explaining that non-species mature at different rates; but as an adult living in the US 18 is really a hard line for me. Honestly, even an 18 year old with someone my age would ick me out to a degree. I either want all the parties to a relationship old enough to drink, or none of them (YA). So like I said, nothing happens until all parties are of legal consenting age, but the fact the same premise seems to be the set up for the next two books, I don't feel comfortable reading them (to each their own since they are legal consenting adults when they get together, even if just barely). I also wish more reviews had talked about it as I would have never picked up this book, so I'm sorry for the lengthy review, but I feel it is necessary.
February 10, 2021
A Joyfully Jay review.
2.5 stars
I was really looking forward to Bishop to Knight One as the title, cover, and idea of the story all appealed to me. However, it didn’t work out the way I was hoping. We meet Deejay first and he has a lot of story to tell. By 8%, there was a lot of information offered on his background as a male Naiad (water nymph), how he amassed a fortune and a title, and how he now adopts the male children his sisters abuse and don’t want. Matt then appears with his little brother and, although they are not biologically related, Deejay’s sister brings them to Deejay.
We know that Deejay is a good guy taking in and adopting and providing for all these children. The children all have tragic backstories, which is one area that is not overly detailed. What wasn’t made clear, however, was why if Deejay knew his sisters abused their children, and they kept having so many children (he’s adopted about 14 already in various age ranges), why Deejay wasn’t proactive in getting to the children before they were abused and dropped at his door, as he knew how to find his sisters.
This is a long book and a lot of that had to do with the pages of details we get on their lives. I like to know about the characters, but here we get information on them making coffee and heating up milk and the family schedule and on and on and there are so many details that merely add pages, but don’t add to the story. There are many, many, and many more characters in this book. Some play a role and others are in passing, but they are all given names and at least some background information and it was way too many characters for one book.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
2.5 stars
I was really looking forward to Bishop to Knight One as the title, cover, and idea of the story all appealed to me. However, it didn’t work out the way I was hoping. We meet Deejay first and he has a lot of story to tell. By 8%, there was a lot of information offered on his background as a male Naiad (water nymph), how he amassed a fortune and a title, and how he now adopts the male children his sisters abuse and don’t want. Matt then appears with his little brother and, although they are not biologically related, Deejay’s sister brings them to Deejay.
We know that Deejay is a good guy taking in and adopting and providing for all these children. The children all have tragic backstories, which is one area that is not overly detailed. What wasn’t made clear, however, was why if Deejay knew his sisters abused their children, and they kept having so many children (he’s adopted about 14 already in various age ranges), why Deejay wasn’t proactive in getting to the children before they were abused and dropped at his door, as he knew how to find his sisters.
This is a long book and a lot of that had to do with the pages of details we get on their lives. I like to know about the characters, but here we get information on them making coffee and heating up milk and the family schedule and on and on and there are so many details that merely add pages, but don’t add to the story. There are many, many, and many more characters in this book. Some play a role and others are in passing, but they are all given names and at least some background information and it was way too many characters for one book.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
March 12, 2021
3.5 stars.
This turned out to be an unexpected surprise. I enjoyed the concept of the supernatural world that this author created. i will admit as a mother of two sons, i was not happy with how these sons were being treated before they wound up in DeeJay's care.
I loved the relationship between DeeJay and Matt but i especially loved how Matt was with his little brother and then the rest of the boys.
My only problem is a lot of the issues were left unresolved and I am generally confused about some things, however, I know the plot continues on with the rest of the series.
I am looking forward to finding out what is really going on.
A very entertaining read.
This turned out to be an unexpected surprise. I enjoyed the concept of the supernatural world that this author created. i will admit as a mother of two sons, i was not happy with how these sons were being treated before they wound up in DeeJay's care.
I loved the relationship between DeeJay and Matt but i especially loved how Matt was with his little brother and then the rest of the boys.
My only problem is a lot of the issues were left unresolved and I am generally confused about some things, however, I know the plot continues on with the rest of the series.
I am looking forward to finding out what is really going on.
A very entertaining read.
October 24, 2021
Jennifer Cody did some serious worldbuilding with this book. I fell in love with the characters - all of them, even the kids and I am not really big on having children in my romance novels.
It's set in Houston, my hometown, and I won't look at my neighbors the same now, I'll be looking to for clues that they're non-human! This is the first in a series, but it's got a full HEA with this couple.
Highly recommend!
It's set in Houston, my hometown, and I won't look at my neighbors the same now, I'll be looking to for clues that they're non-human! This is the first in a series, but it's got a full HEA with this couple.
Highly recommend!
February 4, 2022
Having now finished the trilogy in 2 days I have rated this book 4 stars instead of 3/3.5. This trilogy is a Rashomon style story with each book taking the same time frame/events and telling it from the perspectives of the main couple in each book. It was not repetitive at all and she truly did manage to absolutely nail creating a new and interesting paranormal system/world.
For reference 4 stars are for books that I love so much I want to download them straight to my brain and 5 are reserved for books I have reread.
These books are for anyone who wants:
New paranormals (Naiads, telepaths, gods and Diviners rather than vamps and werewolves)
Incredible world building
Found Family
Kids (mostly in book 1 some kid stuff in book 3)
Slow Burn (book 2 is chock full of UST and the main couple don't do the actual deed until the end but books 1 and 3 are kinda more medium burn)
Some of the best *chef's kiss* exploration of dealing with trauma (I cannot say how impressed I was with this aspect of Book 3)
Also bonus points for avoiding the biology as sexual preference trope (all "passive partners are small and all tops are huge) and doing some interesting things with teacher/student and step-brother tropes that avoided a lot of the things that tend to squick me out about those (evening of power dynamics, emphasis on consent etc)
For reference 4 stars are for books that I love so much I want to download them straight to my brain and 5 are reserved for books I have reread.
These books are for anyone who wants:
New paranormals (Naiads, telepaths, gods and Diviners rather than vamps and werewolves)
Incredible world building
Found Family
Kids (mostly in book 1 some kid stuff in book 3)
Slow Burn (book 2 is chock full of UST and the main couple don't do the actual deed until the end but books 1 and 3 are kinda more medium burn)
Some of the best *chef's kiss* exploration of dealing with trauma (I cannot say how impressed I was with this aspect of Book 3)
Also bonus points for avoiding the biology as sexual preference trope (all "passive partners are small and all tops are huge) and doing some interesting things with teacher/student and step-brother tropes that avoided a lot of the things that tend to squick me out about those (evening of power dynamics, emphasis on consent etc)
July 3, 2023
So I have tried to read this author's books and although I got through a lot of the How to Date a Murderer series or whatever it's called (I honestly can't remember) it's just ALL. OVER. THE. PLACE. I think the humor was supposed to be cute and quirky but it came off as juvenile.
This book is sadly the same except without the attempted humor. I don't even know how far I got but the story got bogged down by minutiae and what I think was supposed to be world building. It was honestly just extraneous information that took away from the story.
I also felt like I had been dropped in the middle of the story and was not privy to previous storylines. I loathed how Deejay was like "you're mine and I will adopt you" everytime a new kid was dropped off. It came off as possessive but I think it was supposed to be protective and reassuring. I will say that there was a lot talk about consent in every form and boundaries being respected so that was very positive but kind of excessive.
Still, it seems like a lot of people enjoy this and if I could shut my mind off and just get lost, it might be fine but my brain has to pick at everything so take my review with a grain of salt (over thinking...)
This book is sadly the same except without the attempted humor. I don't even know how far I got but the story got bogged down by minutiae and what I think was supposed to be world building. It was honestly just extraneous information that took away from the story.
I also felt like I had been dropped in the middle of the story and was not privy to previous storylines. I loathed how Deejay was like "you're mine and I will adopt you" everytime a new kid was dropped off. It came off as possessive but I think it was supposed to be protective and reassuring. I will say that there was a lot talk about consent in every form and boundaries being respected so that was very positive but kind of excessive.
Still, it seems like a lot of people enjoy this and if I could shut my mind off and just get lost, it might be fine but my brain has to pick at everything so take my review with a grain of salt (over thinking...)
March 21, 2023
The story started off okay. I liked the idea of one man helping his sisters' sons and caring for them. The problem was that there were too many side characters and extra plots introduced. Neither were given proper attention and everything got muddled. The other issue for me was how easy and anticlimactic the solution to every problem was. I dislike it very much when the authors take this particular approach: magic solves everything in a jiffy. *sigh* Plus there was too much focus on everyday activities (food, chores, going to school, etc) and not enough on romance. I was bored in the end and had to start skipping to be able to finish. The end was disappointing. Why the villains were who they were? No explanation and nothing making sense. And the humor while started light turned into constant annoyance. I will not continue with this author's work.
April 12, 2022
Too many words, too many characters, too many side plots that adds nothing to THIS story. And we still have mostly everything unsolved. Yeah. No.
December 4, 2020
For as long as I can remember I’ve been drawn to myths, legends, and folklore. I was the nerdy chick role-playing as the Care of Magical Creatures professor on Harry Potter RP forums because I loved learning about different mythological beings. Add that to my obsession with magic and the paranormal, and you have an exciting concoction of fictional goodness. All of which can be found in Jennifer Cody’s new release. Bishop to Knight One, the first book of the Diviner’s Game series, thrusts us into a wonderful world of characters, creatures, and beings who live among humans.
First, we’re introduced to Deejay Aquino. He’s a male Naiad in a society where Nymphs don’t appreciate their male children. Being born without the magic female Naiad’s use to care for the water, boys are seen as useless. Many are abandoned at a young age to fend for themselves. Deejay was one of those boys. He was able to beat the odds as a kid and grow into a successful, wealthy man. He only has one goal in life though, and that’s finding all of his sister’s unwanted male children to adopt as his own sons. And that, my friends, is how we meet Matt and Cary Blank.
Matt and Cary are left on Deejay’s doorstep by his sister, Felixia. They’re not really related to him but he claims them as his own anyway. Cary, who is four, slips right into the role of being another one of Deejay’s children. Seventeen-year-old Matt, not so much. There is an attraction between them that, by human standards, would be considered a big no-no. An older man taking advantage of a teenager who’s a month away from being deemed legal? How very dare he! The problem is that Matt isn’t any more human than Deejay is. By the laws of the magical world, he’s been an adult for nearly four years. So really, there’s nothing wrong with the building tension between them.
I love that both Matt and Deejay tried to fight off their feelings for one another. They lived their daily lives looking after little ones, dealing with mythical beings, and just trying to go about living their lives as normal as possible. It was nice seeing the slow crumbling of their wills. I enjoyed seeing how their relationship transitioned from adult and teenager to partners. It was sweet, sexy, and left me wanting more of their dynamic.
All of the characters were so interesting! Each of the kids wiggled their way into my heart. It was so sweet seeing Matt and Deejay looking after the babies! It made my heart melt with how cute they were. I was more than a little pissed at Deejay’s older kid’s behavior. I think Deejay and Matt did a good job of handling that crappy situation. I’m also chomping at the bit to see the sexy sinful explosion between Gage and Loki! I just love it when relationships push the limits. You’re killing me with waiting, Jen!
All in all, I thought this was a wonderful start to a series! Jennifer Cody is a new to me author, but she’s got herself a loyal fan in me. If these are the sort of stories I can expect from her then she’ll easily become a one-click buy for me and I don’t do that often. If you’re looking for something that plays with mythical beings in a fresh and interesting way, give this woman a chance! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed once you’ve immersed yourself into the incredible world Jen’s created!
First, we’re introduced to Deejay Aquino. He’s a male Naiad in a society where Nymphs don’t appreciate their male children. Being born without the magic female Naiad’s use to care for the water, boys are seen as useless. Many are abandoned at a young age to fend for themselves. Deejay was one of those boys. He was able to beat the odds as a kid and grow into a successful, wealthy man. He only has one goal in life though, and that’s finding all of his sister’s unwanted male children to adopt as his own sons. And that, my friends, is how we meet Matt and Cary Blank.
Matt and Cary are left on Deejay’s doorstep by his sister, Felixia. They’re not really related to him but he claims them as his own anyway. Cary, who is four, slips right into the role of being another one of Deejay’s children. Seventeen-year-old Matt, not so much. There is an attraction between them that, by human standards, would be considered a big no-no. An older man taking advantage of a teenager who’s a month away from being deemed legal? How very dare he! The problem is that Matt isn’t any more human than Deejay is. By the laws of the magical world, he’s been an adult for nearly four years. So really, there’s nothing wrong with the building tension between them.
I love that both Matt and Deejay tried to fight off their feelings for one another. They lived their daily lives looking after little ones, dealing with mythical beings, and just trying to go about living their lives as normal as possible. It was nice seeing the slow crumbling of their wills. I enjoyed seeing how their relationship transitioned from adult and teenager to partners. It was sweet, sexy, and left me wanting more of their dynamic.
All of the characters were so interesting! Each of the kids wiggled their way into my heart. It was so sweet seeing Matt and Deejay looking after the babies! It made my heart melt with how cute they were. I was more than a little pissed at Deejay’s older kid’s behavior. I think Deejay and Matt did a good job of handling that crappy situation. I’m also chomping at the bit to see the sexy sinful explosion between Gage and Loki! I just love it when relationships push the limits. You’re killing me with waiting, Jen!
All in all, I thought this was a wonderful start to a series! Jennifer Cody is a new to me author, but she’s got herself a loyal fan in me. If these are the sort of stories I can expect from her then she’ll easily become a one-click buy for me and I don’t do that often. If you’re looking for something that plays with mythical beings in a fresh and interesting way, give this woman a chance! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed once you’ve immersed yourself into the incredible world Jen’s created!
October 10, 2024
October 2024
Kindle edition
I did like the two daddy caring situation, although Fraser did annoy me with his attitude. Colt's reaction was confusing, curious what he saw. The whole rock thing was cool. The age gap was a little iffy at the start and then it kinda hammered Matt was an adult, classed as an adult etc. Didn't like the reaction to Gage. Fave character was Tio. Didn't like that he was treated as the villain. He was chaotic neutral at best and good with children. Not really feeling the Loki/Gage thing.
Kindle edition
I did like the two daddy caring situation, although Fraser did annoy me with his attitude. Colt's reaction was confusing, curious what he saw. The whole rock thing was cool. The age gap was a little iffy at the start and then it kinda hammered Matt was an adult, classed as an adult etc. Didn't like the reaction to Gage. Fave character was Tio. Didn't like that he was treated as the villain. He was chaotic neutral at best and good with children. Not really feeling the Loki/Gage thing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2022
Wow!
So much happening in this! So many sneaky people doing sneaky things. Poor Deejay and Matt could only react to keep their family safe.
So much happening in this! So many sneaky people doing sneaky things. Poor Deejay and Matt could only react to keep their family safe.
November 16, 2024
(May 2021)
This turned out to be a nice surprise. The story and characters were written well, and I especially enjoyed the found family theme. Deejay took in his nephews—whether they were related by blood or not—and they became a mostly happy family. Their family dynamic was one of my favorite parts of the story.
Deejay and Matt’s relationship was heartwarming, evolving gradually over time. I appreciated that they remained a strong couple for most of the story. Unlike many stories where the MCs engage in a push/pull dynamic with an obligatory breakup, they built a solid relationship early on, which made their connection feel more genuine.
🌡️The few sex scenes are low to medium-steam.
🔻 The MCs are indistinct. I often got confused as to who was talking. Their similar personalities didn't help.
🔻 Physical descriptions, including the MCs, are minimal.
😵💫 There's extensive world-building.
I skimmed through much of the following:
🔻 The pages and pages of info-dumping.
🔻 The overwhelming number of PNR creatures & groups.
🔻 The convoluted subplots that felt like rabbit trails.
The overstuffed plot was often confusing and difficult to follow. It's unclear why Deejay and Matt were targeted, but I hope this will be eventually explained.
I'll try to read the next book, because there are many questions left answered.
305 F-words + many others
Edited to Add: The series was a bust. Book 2 was rated two stars. I no longer read complex plots that I can't remember a month or two later.
This turned out to be a nice surprise. The story and characters were written well, and I especially enjoyed the found family theme. Deejay took in his nephews—whether they were related by blood or not—and they became a mostly happy family. Their family dynamic was one of my favorite parts of the story.
Deejay and Matt’s relationship was heartwarming, evolving gradually over time. I appreciated that they remained a strong couple for most of the story. Unlike many stories where the MCs engage in a push/pull dynamic with an obligatory breakup, they built a solid relationship early on, which made their connection feel more genuine.
🌡️The few sex scenes are low to medium-steam.
🔻 The MCs are indistinct. I often got confused as to who was talking. Their similar personalities didn't help.
🔻 Physical descriptions, including the MCs, are minimal.
😵💫 There's extensive world-building.
I skimmed through much of the following:
🔻 The pages and pages of info-dumping.
🔻 The overwhelming number of PNR creatures & groups.
🔻 The convoluted subplots that felt like rabbit trails.
The overstuffed plot was often confusing and difficult to follow. It's unclear why Deejay and Matt were targeted, but I hope this will be eventually explained.
I'll try to read the next book, because there are many questions left answered.
305 F-words + many others
Edited to Add: The series was a bust. Book 2 was rated two stars. I no longer read complex plots that I can't remember a month or two later.
May 25, 2022
Ugh.
This is weirdly gushy, and overstated in the way many young adult novels are (not a compliment) and is in no way a YA. The emotional beats work, I like the MCs and the worldbuilding well enough, and found family is my favorite trope. That was enough to get me to finish reading it, but ugh. It is tragic to bury a good story under so much clutter. Clutter is not a style choice, it's just bad habits unchecked. Holy mother of pearl, this BEGS for a real editor's skill. It is a MESS. It started as fanfic, according to the author's note, which gives fanfic a bad name.
For example, at 66% I had no trouble following the many-persons antagonistic conversation, but man, there is no art to it at all. Add in more repeating of feelings and laws and whatnot, which is zero trust in a reader's ability to retain data and/or sloppy editing, and you get me, an annoyed reader. I knew at that point that if I finished reading, I'd be done with this author. Well, I did finish the thing, the Big Kerfuffle was even more chaotic than was called for, and then it went on and on and on until the end. Which is sweet, but, yeah.
Not at all recommended.
This is weirdly gushy, and overstated in the way many young adult novels are (not a compliment) and is in no way a YA. The emotional beats work, I like the MCs and the worldbuilding well enough, and found family is my favorite trope. That was enough to get me to finish reading it, but ugh. It is tragic to bury a good story under so much clutter. Clutter is not a style choice, it's just bad habits unchecked. Holy mother of pearl, this BEGS for a real editor's skill. It is a MESS. It started as fanfic, according to the author's note, which gives fanfic a bad name.
For example, at 66% I had no trouble following the many-persons antagonistic conversation, but man, there is no art to it at all. Add in more repeating of feelings and laws and whatnot, which is zero trust in a reader's ability to retain data and/or sloppy editing, and you get me, an annoyed reader. I knew at that point that if I finished reading, I'd be done with this author. Well, I did finish the thing, the Big Kerfuffle was even more chaotic than was called for, and then it went on and on and on until the end. Which is sweet, but, yeah.
Not at all recommended.
February 16, 2022
Well this was twisted. A rather well done story, with a lot of unexpected twists and turns. the second half got a bit too complicated and twisted, some things were just odd and out of place, but overall a good book.
October 21, 2025
This was a hard one for me to rate. I loved the writing and the majority of the story, but the taboo elements ding this a bit for me. This is a weird age gap story where you've got a teenager and his "adoptive father" but even that relationship isn't really the case. Matt and his little brother are dropped off at Deejay's door by Deejay's sister as female naiads have no interest in male children. They weren't even her kids just the kids of her most recent boyfriend who passed away. But Deejay is willing to take in any of his sisters off case children, blood or not. Matt's been raising his little brother since he was born as well. So while Deejay would be willing to adopt them both it's strange since he's only ten years older than Matt to begin with.
Frankly Matt never feels like a teenager. The author tries to play this off as his particular race mature at 14yrs old, so really he's been an adult for years by the rules of their species. So again trying to take away a little of the ick factor. But what ends up happening is that you lose a little of the distinctiveness of the voices and Matt and Deejay almost felt interchangeable at times, outside of their specific abilities.
Now if you ignore all that and pretend Matt's in his early twenties (which fits with the way he interacts with everyone and the way he speaks) the story actually becomes much more interesting. I actually enjoyed the plot and there's a lot of complicated things going on. Even at the end of the story not everything is explained. I liked all the secondary characters, even those whose motives seem suspect or live in the morally gray. I'm curious about what's going on with the other characters while we follow the story going on with Matt and Deejay and it looks like we'll get more of that in the next two books.
Frankly Matt never feels like a teenager. The author tries to play this off as his particular race mature at 14yrs old, so really he's been an adult for years by the rules of their species. So again trying to take away a little of the ick factor. But what ends up happening is that you lose a little of the distinctiveness of the voices and Matt and Deejay almost felt interchangeable at times, outside of their specific abilities.
Now if you ignore all that and pretend Matt's in his early twenties (which fits with the way he interacts with everyone and the way he speaks) the story actually becomes much more interesting. I actually enjoyed the plot and there's a lot of complicated things going on. Even at the end of the story not everything is explained. I liked all the secondary characters, even those whose motives seem suspect or live in the morally gray. I'm curious about what's going on with the other characters while we follow the story going on with Matt and Deejay and it looks like we'll get more of that in the next two books.
October 21, 2021
This was the first book I read by this author but it definitely won’t be the last. You have Deejay, who is a male naiad. Naiad’s only keep their female offspring while they discard the males. Deejay started adopting all the male offspring from his sisters to give them a better life. In comes Matt with his baby brother, Cary. Matt was 17 at the time and was taking care of his brother. He thought he was human who could see auras. This is their story of how their relationship started and how they figured out what species of non-human he was. I loved it and looking forward to reading Gage and Loki’s story.
I received a copy of this book for my review
I received a copy of this book for my review
September 24, 2021
This was a weird one. The age difference was weird. 15 adopted kids was weird. Knowing a web of conspiracy and danger is being woven around you and doing nothing about it is weird. Not sure what to think about this one.
April 21, 2022
⭐️2.5⭐️
December 11, 2023
4.5 stars
I really like the concept for this series. You don't truly understand what's going on until you've read all 3 books.
Also found family: *chefs kiss*
I really like the concept for this series. You don't truly understand what's going on until you've read all 3 books.
Also found family: *chefs kiss*
April 8, 2022
3.5 stars
Good read overall, but it was so hard to follow in some places. I still do not know why LL did what she did, so I'm feeling like details were missing.
Good read overall, but it was so hard to follow in some places. I still do not know why LL did what she did, so I'm feeling like details were missing.
January 3, 2021
This book is fantastic!
Deejay is the son of a naiad and they only keep their daughters. He got lucky qnd hia mother raised him till he was 16 but normally they are abandoned early or even killed. At the age of 19 he's become a billionaire and set up a life for himself, but that all changes when he stumbles across his 3yr old nephew being mistreated. He takes his nephew and sets up a home for his nephews. Let's his sisters know to give him their sons and he moves on with life.
Ten years later one of his sisters drops of two boys that are definitely not hers... but he doesn't care that rhey are step nephews..... they are his. One boy is almost 18 and the other is 4. It's obvious that the older boy, Matt, has been taking care of the younger brother.
In this book you meet many different kinds of creatures and a complex world that is so intriguing!
Matt is huge, 7 ft tall and almost 400 lbs of muscle! He takes after his dad, physically, but has vowed to take care of his brother no matter what. When we meet Matt he's a month away from 18 and he doesn't know how he fits in this new life. He struggles trying to fit in at first, but eventually jumps in to help Deejay with all the littles in the family. They quickly become a team caring for the 6 month old twins, 4 yr old, 6 yr old, and 2 thirteen yr olds.
Matt is attracted to Deejay but afraid to do anything because he thinks he's ugly. Deejay is attracted to Matt but he's still underage. Once he turns 18 he decides he isn't going to wait.... he wants Deejay!
This book is full of cute kids, magical creatures, curses, and so much more. It was a delight to read and I cannot wait for book 2.
Deejay is the son of a naiad and they only keep their daughters. He got lucky qnd hia mother raised him till he was 16 but normally they are abandoned early or even killed. At the age of 19 he's become a billionaire and set up a life for himself, but that all changes when he stumbles across his 3yr old nephew being mistreated. He takes his nephew and sets up a home for his nephews. Let's his sisters know to give him their sons and he moves on with life.
Ten years later one of his sisters drops of two boys that are definitely not hers... but he doesn't care that rhey are step nephews..... they are his. One boy is almost 18 and the other is 4. It's obvious that the older boy, Matt, has been taking care of the younger brother.
In this book you meet many different kinds of creatures and a complex world that is so intriguing!
Matt is huge, 7 ft tall and almost 400 lbs of muscle! He takes after his dad, physically, but has vowed to take care of his brother no matter what. When we meet Matt he's a month away from 18 and he doesn't know how he fits in this new life. He struggles trying to fit in at first, but eventually jumps in to help Deejay with all the littles in the family. They quickly become a team caring for the 6 month old twins, 4 yr old, 6 yr old, and 2 thirteen yr olds.
Matt is attracted to Deejay but afraid to do anything because he thinks he's ugly. Deejay is attracted to Matt but he's still underage. Once he turns 18 he decides he isn't going to wait.... he wants Deejay!
This book is full of cute kids, magical creatures, curses, and so much more. It was a delight to read and I cannot wait for book 2.
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