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Devastating Magic #1
Imperfect Illusions
A drafted empath. A dreamwalking poet. A world at war.
Chicago, 1917.
Idealistic, aspiring poet, Elliot Stone can make people feel euphoria or horror with a simple touch. But that's only part of his magical abilities. He can also wake in the dreams of people he cares deeply for.
Stubborn, fiercely independent Warren “Sully” Sullivan is an illusionist with a secret of his own: he feels the emotions of others as visceral sensations. That, and a lifetime of fending for himself, has left him guarded.
On their last night of freedom before shipping off to training—military and magic—Elliot and Sully indulge in an explosive, emotional night together. Elliot assumes it's a one night stand and nothing more, until he awakens in Sully’s nightmare. The urge to rescue Sully is impossible to resist. And when dream-Sully begs him to keep coming back, something Sully would never do while awake, Elliot can’t resist that either.
As real life draws them into battle, their shared dreams become a refuge that only Elliot recalls. So when Elliot has the opportunity to recruit Sully to the secret elite unit of magical soldiers he leads, he’s willing to risk everything for the man he’s fallen in love with in dreams. But being away from the front lines doesn’t mean Sully’s safe. Now they battle enemies with twisted magic where their secrets are a liability.
Can they bring their dreams—and love—to life? Or will the war cost them everything?
Chicago, 1917.
Idealistic, aspiring poet, Elliot Stone can make people feel euphoria or horror with a simple touch. But that's only part of his magical abilities. He can also wake in the dreams of people he cares deeply for.
Stubborn, fiercely independent Warren “Sully” Sullivan is an illusionist with a secret of his own: he feels the emotions of others as visceral sensations. That, and a lifetime of fending for himself, has left him guarded.
On their last night of freedom before shipping off to training—military and magic—Elliot and Sully indulge in an explosive, emotional night together. Elliot assumes it's a one night stand and nothing more, until he awakens in Sully’s nightmare. The urge to rescue Sully is impossible to resist. And when dream-Sully begs him to keep coming back, something Sully would never do while awake, Elliot can’t resist that either.
As real life draws them into battle, their shared dreams become a refuge that only Elliot recalls. So when Elliot has the opportunity to recruit Sully to the secret elite unit of magical soldiers he leads, he’s willing to risk everything for the man he’s fallen in love with in dreams. But being away from the front lines doesn’t mean Sully’s safe. Now they battle enemies with twisted magic where their secrets are a liability.
Can they bring their dreams—and love—to life? Or will the war cost them everything?
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2022
120 people are currently reading
1436 people want to read
About the author
Vanora Lawless
4 books58 followersVanora Lawless is a disaster bi genderfluid Canadian with ADHD and a passion for telling love stories set in magical or niche historical worlds. A graduate of Saint Mary’s University, Vanora has a B.A. in psychology. As a Nova Scotian, loving long walks on the beach is practically a law, so Vanora takes every possible opportunity to explore the best sandy shores. In spare time between crafting new worlds and stories, Vanora can be found poorly practicing guitar or listening to the same 5 albums on repeat. Not gonna lie, it's mostly Hamilton at this point.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
August 19, 2022
4.5/5 stars. I’m glad I gave this book a shot despite my reluctance to try debut books, because it turned out to be an excellent historical adventure/fantasy romance. Both the historical and fantasy aspects of the setting were great: The historical aspects were more than just window-dressing; they felt well-researched and informed the characters’ histories and motivations. The characters’ magical abilities were creative, with well-established benefits and limitations that made it easy to understand how and when the characters could use them. And the action portion of the plot was carefully designed around the characters’ abilities so they never felt superfluous or overpowered for the setting.
Elliot and Sully’s immediate connection felt realistic despite their many differences, and it made sense that the few things they had in common would cause them to find comfort in one another. I loved watching them get to know each other, and it was satisfying to watch them slowly work through their disagreements and learn to trust one another. There was a perfect balance between romance and action in this book, and I felt just as much suspense around the romantic relationship as I did around their spy missions.
I also really liked the cast of side characters, who added a lot to the story and illuminated various hidden aspects of the main characters. I was really invested in them by the climax of the story, which made it that much more thrilling.
My only real quibble is that I wish there had been more time with the main characters after the end of their main mission, because the tension of that mission lasts until very nearly the end of the book. But it seems like the author might have more planned in this world, so hopefully we’ll see more of these characters in the next book.
I highly recommend this to anyone who likes historical or fantasy romance, and am really looking forward to future books from this author.
I received an ARC in exchange for my review.
Elliot and Sully’s immediate connection felt realistic despite their many differences, and it made sense that the few things they had in common would cause them to find comfort in one another. I loved watching them get to know each other, and it was satisfying to watch them slowly work through their disagreements and learn to trust one another. There was a perfect balance between romance and action in this book, and I felt just as much suspense around the romantic relationship as I did around their spy missions.
I also really liked the cast of side characters, who added a lot to the story and illuminated various hidden aspects of the main characters. I was really invested in them by the climax of the story, which made it that much more thrilling.
My only real quibble is that I wish there had been more time with the main characters after the end of their main mission, because the tension of that mission lasts until very nearly the end of the book. But it seems like the author might have more planned in this world, so hopefully we’ll see more of these characters in the next book.
I highly recommend this to anyone who likes historical or fantasy romance, and am really looking forward to future books from this author.
I received an ARC in exchange for my review.
January 2, 2023
DNF @ 52%
This was a highly anticipated read for me because I love WW1 historical MM romances and adding in the magical elements made this premise incredibly unique. Unfortunately, the pacing was way too rushed, the worldbuilding felt sloppy and I didn't like how the author handled many of the plotlines. Since I had quite a few problems with the story, I'll list my issues from smallest to biggest.
Sully's Name
A minor thing that bothered me was that Sully referred to himself as 'Sully' when we were in his POV chapters but his first name is actually Warren and that's what he prefers to be called. It's what Elliot calls him and since that's the name Sully prefers, I found it weird that the author had Sully refer to himself as Sully instead of Warren. It's a bizarre writing choice that I've never come across before.
Historical Depiction Of Women In WW1
The author did a great job in terms of the historical details, to a certain extent. Everything regarding WW1 was done really well and the author portrayed the experiences of being on the front lines accurately, which is very important to me. However, I did find it distracting that the author purposefully changed some societal norms in order to make the story more progressive. Specifically, the author had a female soldier in one of the 'Skilled' (ie superpowered) military units. Not only that, but this soldier happens to be way better than any of the men at physical combat and her superpower (teleportation) is the most useful out of all of them. Essentially, the author portrayed her as an overpowered Mary Sue who is supposed to be seen as a 'strong' female character because she's better at manly stuff than the men. I can't stand this approach to writing female characters in general, but I found the specific portrayal of a female soldier in this story (ie making her be a badass ass-kicking combat soldier) disrespectful. I know the author did this to make the story more progressive, but it bothers me when authors deliberately alter history like this because it ends up trivializing the actual work that women were doing at the time to be accepted.
There were thousands of women working for the US military during WW1 and their contributions were essential but none of them were allowed to serve in armed combat. There is a lot of historical context behind their fight to be allowed to serve in different areas of the military and to be properly recognized and compensated for their duties. For example, a group called the Hello Girls were switchboard operators who were a unit formed in 1917 within the Army (they wore military uniforms and were subject to Army regulations) and they were essential in improving the communication abilities of the US Army on the Western Front. But because the Army only allowed male soldiers, the women were considered civilians and weren't given any military benefits after the war. It wasn't until 1978 (on the 60th anniversary of the war) that US Congress finally gave the surviving members of the unit veteran status and honorable discharges. Complex issues like this are completely shoved aside when an author decides to randomly change history by skipping over half a century of activism in order to tell a revised version of history. While I understand what the author was going for, I personally find this approach disrespectful to past generations and the work they did.
Dream-Walking Plotline
Another thing I didn't like was how the dream-walking plotline was used. When Elliot and Sully are still in the US, Sully is scared about what's waiting in their future and he's also picking up the fears of the soldiers around him so he has vivid nightmares about what the front lines will be like and Elliot helps him by keeping him company in his dreams and changing them to something more pleasant. While this whole idea is fantastic, I didn't like the way it was implemented. Since Sully's dreams are related to fighting on the front lines way before he gets there, the author knew readers would get tired of reading the same thing over and over again so the author changed Sully's nightmares to other things (ex. having him relive his parents' deaths or his aunt/uncle's deaths etc) when he actually gets the front lines, which was a major miss IMO. Why on earth would the author introduce the nightmares related to WW1 trench warfare before Sully even gets to war and then not have them continue when he's there? It made no sense to me.
In addition, the dreams ended up becoming a source of conflict in the story instead of being a nice opportunity for romance development, because Sully isn't able to remember anything about the dreams when he wakes. This created two problems. First - it meant the dream sequences quickly became boring because there was no romance development. Second - it meant there were basically two timelines happening in the story: one with Dream-Sully (who conveniently remembers everything about his and Elliot's dream interactions and has fallen in love with him) and one with Real-Sully (who thinks his main interaction with Elliot has been limited to their one night stand). Trying to keep the two Sullys straight ended up confusing me and this led to frustration. In addition, the author's approach to the Sully-can't-remember-his-dreams thing was full of plot conveniences. Whenever Sully had to remember something from his dreams (like how he should put up shields so he doesn't get overwhelmed to the point of losing consciousness, which is what happened and Elliot helped him realize it during one of their shared dreams), he would have an 'unexplained instinct' about it that let him remember. When it's important for Sully to express his feelings towards Elliot, he has no trouble recalling how deep his feelings for Elliot go and that his dreams are a big part of that. But when it's more beneficial to the plot to have Sully only have a faint recollection of Elliot, then Sully suddenly can't remember any of their dream-life or real-life interactions (beyond their one night stand) and he even refers to Elliot as 'Captain Stone', as if they're complete strangers.
I was really disappointed by how the whole dream-walking plotline was used because I originally hoped it would be used for awesome hurt-comfort situations and that it would play a huge role in the romance development between the MCs. The author clearly had different ideas and that's fine, but I didn't like having the dream-walking be used as a source of drama instead of being a purely positive, sweet experience that enhanced the MCs relationship.
Worldbuilding Sloppiness
A much bigger problem was the sloppiness of the worldbuilding. This book was like the gay WW1 version of X-Men, which I see another reviewer has pointed out too. The author refers to the fantasy elements in this book as magic, but it's not really magic. Instead, 'Skilled' people have specific superpowers. What made things confusing is that people seemed to have a variety of different powers, many of which had nothing to do with each other. For example, Sully can cast 'illusions' (basically make people see what he wants them to see) but he's also an empath (he can feel others emotions). Elliot also has an emotion-related superpower (he can make people feel what he wants them to feel) and he can visit and manipulate other people's dreams. Because both of them have a emotion-related superpower, I kept confusing who could do what. And it made no sense to me that they would have these random powers. For example, why wouldn't Elliot also be an empath if he can manipulate people's emotions? If Sully can manipulate what people see, why can't he manipulate what they feel and hear?
There was also no explanation or any type of limitation provided about the superpowers, so we have no idea if there are thousands of superhumans walking around who possess dozens of superpowers. It makes no sense that society would have progressed in the normal way (ie World War 1 had come about) if the world was filled with superhumans like this. The variety of superpowers also annoyed me because it seemed very random. There are people who can teleport, people with superhuman strength, people who can manipulate the air to move fast etc. It's like the author wrote down lists of superpowers and randomly sprinkled them throughout the story. There seemed to be no thought put to how the powers were assigned, which made the whole thing feel amateur.
In addition, the author's insistence that society doesn't know about Skilled people made no sense. In this world, there are thousands of Skilled people walking around and in most cases (if Elliot and Sully can be used as examples), they have no trouble finding other Skilled people and befriending them. Both Elliot and Sully were very good at using their powers, which indicates that they received training and guidance from their families and other people. And the governments of all countries involved in WW1 know about Skilled people, to the extent where they knew Sully and Elliot's names and specific powers. In addition, these Skilled people are on the battlefield, openly using their powers (there's a German necromancer going around raising the dead and Sully does his illusion casting multiple times around other people). But we're supposed to believe that somehow, society as a whole doesn't know Skilled people exist?! It makes no sense. In addition - it makes no sense that governments have known about Skilled people for ages but they haven't been used for military operations or other things in the past. If any government had access to a group of superhumans, you bet they would figure out how to take advantage of them any way they could. So having the author pushing the idea that Skilled people had been left alone by the government until WW1 started was absurd.
Story Pacing
By far, my biggest problem was the terrible pacing. The story started out okay and things went well throughout Elliot and Sully's training. But once they got to Europe at 33%, the pacing suddenly sped up and the story progressed at a ridiculously fast pace, to the point where I couldn't keep up and there was no time to digest anything. Readers were constantly dropped into the middle of battles or missions and while readers are trying to figure out where/when/what's happening, the author would give a few lines describing what had happened since the last scene, then the focus was back on the battle/mission, which ended within a few sentences and a new situation started immediately after. I'll give two examples of this:
For context, the following is how things start off after a time jump (several months after the MCs training has finished). We start out with Elliot going to sleep in a random house where his team is stationed. He's just finished a mission. There's no info provided about the mission or about where/how Sully is:
Another example:
Both of these sequences of events happened within a few pages, some of them within a few paragraphs. The speed at which the author jumped from topic to topic left my head spinning but it also left me annoyed because there was no time to emotionally connect with anything that was happening. One of my favorite parts of the story was . Unfortunately, having Elliot come to this realization within such a short span of time meant there was zero build up. When Elliot , that should have been a massive, emotional bomb that should have made my jaw drop. But it didn't because Elliot's discovery of Sully's weird sleeping patterns happened so quickly.
Conclusion:
Despite the premise of this story being awesome and the characters being great, I had too many issues with the writing style and the narrative choices in order to see it through to the end.
This was a highly anticipated read for me because I love WW1 historical MM romances and adding in the magical elements made this premise incredibly unique. Unfortunately, the pacing was way too rushed, the worldbuilding felt sloppy and I didn't like how the author handled many of the plotlines. Since I had quite a few problems with the story, I'll list my issues from smallest to biggest.
Sully's Name
A minor thing that bothered me was that Sully referred to himself as 'Sully' when we were in his POV chapters but his first name is actually Warren and that's what he prefers to be called. It's what Elliot calls him and since that's the name Sully prefers, I found it weird that the author had Sully refer to himself as Sully instead of Warren. It's a bizarre writing choice that I've never come across before.
Historical Depiction Of Women In WW1
The author did a great job in terms of the historical details, to a certain extent. Everything regarding WW1 was done really well and the author portrayed the experiences of being on the front lines accurately, which is very important to me. However, I did find it distracting that the author purposefully changed some societal norms in order to make the story more progressive. Specifically, the author had a female soldier in one of the 'Skilled' (ie superpowered) military units. Not only that, but this soldier happens to be way better than any of the men at physical combat and her superpower (teleportation) is the most useful out of all of them. Essentially, the author portrayed her as an overpowered Mary Sue who is supposed to be seen as a 'strong' female character because she's better at manly stuff than the men. I can't stand this approach to writing female characters in general, but I found the specific portrayal of a female soldier in this story (ie making her be a badass ass-kicking combat soldier) disrespectful. I know the author did this to make the story more progressive, but it bothers me when authors deliberately alter history like this because it ends up trivializing the actual work that women were doing at the time to be accepted.
There were thousands of women working for the US military during WW1 and their contributions were essential but none of them were allowed to serve in armed combat. There is a lot of historical context behind their fight to be allowed to serve in different areas of the military and to be properly recognized and compensated for their duties. For example, a group called the Hello Girls were switchboard operators who were a unit formed in 1917 within the Army (they wore military uniforms and were subject to Army regulations) and they were essential in improving the communication abilities of the US Army on the Western Front. But because the Army only allowed male soldiers, the women were considered civilians and weren't given any military benefits after the war. It wasn't until 1978 (on the 60th anniversary of the war) that US Congress finally gave the surviving members of the unit veteran status and honorable discharges. Complex issues like this are completely shoved aside when an author decides to randomly change history by skipping over half a century of activism in order to tell a revised version of history. While I understand what the author was going for, I personally find this approach disrespectful to past generations and the work they did.
Dream-Walking Plotline
Another thing I didn't like was how the dream-walking plotline was used. When Elliot and Sully are still in the US, Sully is scared about what's waiting in their future and he's also picking up the fears of the soldiers around him so he has vivid nightmares about what the front lines will be like and Elliot helps him by keeping him company in his dreams and changing them to something more pleasant. While this whole idea is fantastic, I didn't like the way it was implemented. Since Sully's dreams are related to fighting on the front lines way before he gets there, the author knew readers would get tired of reading the same thing over and over again so the author changed Sully's nightmares to other things (ex. having him relive his parents' deaths or his aunt/uncle's deaths etc) when he actually gets the front lines, which was a major miss IMO. Why on earth would the author introduce the nightmares related to WW1 trench warfare before Sully even gets to war and then not have them continue when he's there? It made no sense to me.
In addition, the dreams ended up becoming a source of conflict in the story instead of being a nice opportunity for romance development, because Sully isn't able to remember anything about the dreams when he wakes. This created two problems. First - it meant the dream sequences quickly became boring because there was no romance development. Second - it meant there were basically two timelines happening in the story: one with Dream-Sully (who conveniently remembers everything about his and Elliot's dream interactions and has fallen in love with him) and one with Real-Sully (who thinks his main interaction with Elliot has been limited to their one night stand). Trying to keep the two Sullys straight ended up confusing me and this led to frustration. In addition, the author's approach to the Sully-can't-remember-his-dreams thing was full of plot conveniences. Whenever Sully had to remember something from his dreams (like how he should put up shields so he doesn't get overwhelmed to the point of losing consciousness, which is what happened and Elliot helped him realize it during one of their shared dreams), he would have an 'unexplained instinct' about it that let him remember. When it's important for Sully to express his feelings towards Elliot, he has no trouble recalling how deep his feelings for Elliot go and that his dreams are a big part of that. But when it's more beneficial to the plot to have Sully only have a faint recollection of Elliot, then Sully suddenly can't remember any of their dream-life or real-life interactions (beyond their one night stand) and he even refers to Elliot as 'Captain Stone', as if they're complete strangers.
I was really disappointed by how the whole dream-walking plotline was used because I originally hoped it would be used for awesome hurt-comfort situations and that it would play a huge role in the romance development between the MCs. The author clearly had different ideas and that's fine, but I didn't like having the dream-walking be used as a source of drama instead of being a purely positive, sweet experience that enhanced the MCs relationship.
Worldbuilding Sloppiness
A much bigger problem was the sloppiness of the worldbuilding. This book was like the gay WW1 version of X-Men, which I see another reviewer has pointed out too. The author refers to the fantasy elements in this book as magic, but it's not really magic. Instead, 'Skilled' people have specific superpowers. What made things confusing is that people seemed to have a variety of different powers, many of which had nothing to do with each other. For example, Sully can cast 'illusions' (basically make people see what he wants them to see) but he's also an empath (he can feel others emotions). Elliot also has an emotion-related superpower (he can make people feel what he wants them to feel) and he can visit and manipulate other people's dreams. Because both of them have a emotion-related superpower, I kept confusing who could do what. And it made no sense to me that they would have these random powers. For example, why wouldn't Elliot also be an empath if he can manipulate people's emotions? If Sully can manipulate what people see, why can't he manipulate what they feel and hear?
There was also no explanation or any type of limitation provided about the superpowers, so we have no idea if there are thousands of superhumans walking around who possess dozens of superpowers. It makes no sense that society would have progressed in the normal way (ie World War 1 had come about) if the world was filled with superhumans like this. The variety of superpowers also annoyed me because it seemed very random. There are people who can teleport, people with superhuman strength, people who can manipulate the air to move fast etc. It's like the author wrote down lists of superpowers and randomly sprinkled them throughout the story. There seemed to be no thought put to how the powers were assigned, which made the whole thing feel amateur.
In addition, the author's insistence that society doesn't know about Skilled people made no sense. In this world, there are thousands of Skilled people walking around and in most cases (if Elliot and Sully can be used as examples), they have no trouble finding other Skilled people and befriending them. Both Elliot and Sully were very good at using their powers, which indicates that they received training and guidance from their families and other people. And the governments of all countries involved in WW1 know about Skilled people, to the extent where they knew Sully and Elliot's names and specific powers. In addition, these Skilled people are on the battlefield, openly using their powers (there's a German necromancer going around raising the dead and Sully does his illusion casting multiple times around other people). But we're supposed to believe that somehow, society as a whole doesn't know Skilled people exist?! It makes no sense. In addition - it makes no sense that governments have known about Skilled people for ages but they haven't been used for military operations or other things in the past. If any government had access to a group of superhumans, you bet they would figure out how to take advantage of them any way they could. So having the author pushing the idea that Skilled people had been left alone by the government until WW1 started was absurd.
Story Pacing
By far, my biggest problem was the terrible pacing. The story started out okay and things went well throughout Elliot and Sully's training. But once they got to Europe at 33%, the pacing suddenly sped up and the story progressed at a ridiculously fast pace, to the point where I couldn't keep up and there was no time to digest anything. Readers were constantly dropped into the middle of battles or missions and while readers are trying to figure out where/when/what's happening, the author would give a few lines describing what had happened since the last scene, then the focus was back on the battle/mission, which ended within a few sentences and a new situation started immediately after. I'll give two examples of this:
For context, the following is how things start off after a time jump (several months after the MCs training has finished). We start out with Elliot going to sleep in a random house where his team is stationed. He's just finished a mission. There's no info provided about the mission or about where/how Sully is:
Another example:
Both of these sequences of events happened within a few pages, some of them within a few paragraphs. The speed at which the author jumped from topic to topic left my head spinning but it also left me annoyed because there was no time to emotionally connect with anything that was happening. One of my favorite parts of the story was . Unfortunately, having Elliot come to this realization within such a short span of time meant there was zero build up. When Elliot , that should have been a massive, emotional bomb that should have made my jaw drop. But it didn't because Elliot's discovery of Sully's weird sleeping patterns happened so quickly.
Conclusion:
Despite the premise of this story being awesome and the characters being great, I had too many issues with the writing style and the narrative choices in order to see it through to the end.
October 27, 2023
2.5 ⭐️
I really wanted to like this, but it just fell flat. The writing was competent, but it didn't move me, nor did it live up to the promise of the premise. Part of this is an unhelpful, undefinable me-thing -- I just didn't gel with the author's style, which never did more than get us from point A to point B -- and part of it is craft: the pacing was out of whack, and the worldbuilding incohesive and incomplete. (On the worldbuilding points in particular, I recommend the excellent reviews of AngelFire and ancientreader.)
But for me, worldbuilding will always be less important than romance -- and here is where Imperfect Illusions fell most short. Other than lust and general fellow feeling, I never really understood what these two saw in each other. They were perfectly likable but not very interesting characters, separately or together, despite the backstories that they (Sully in particular) were larded with.
And the whole "Elliot walking in Sully's dreams without his conscious knowledge and consent" could have been sooooo interesting -- Elliot gets to know, and knowingly falls in love with, Sully while Sully is unaware of Elliot's presence in his dreams/ mind/ life -- but Elliot's confession of his dreamwalking kept getting pre-empted for Romance Reasons. I find this kind of "huge confession about to happen, oops, someone interrupts"-type thing annoying, but allowable, if it happens once. 3 or 4 times is just scream-inducing and feels like unnecessary padding. And when the confrontation finally happens, Sully's reaction was such a missed opportunity. Instead of finally taking the chance to allow these two characters to have a real interaction and hash things out, we get a Romance Reasons Reaction that shuts down any honest, hard reckoning and puts us back in the same holding cycle we were in while waiting for Elliot's confession. All we get is character delay, not character development. And then the movement on Sully's side happens in an, to my mind, unsatisfying way connected to the worldbuilding issues. We are supposed to root for a couple that are barely together (awake) and that go through processes of forgiveness and atonement ENTIRELY SEPARATELY from each other. I just don't buy it.
I know a lot of people really loved this, but unfortunately I'm not among them. My search for "satisfying magic histrom by someone who isn't KJ Charles" looks bound to continue.
I got an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.
I really wanted to like this, but it just fell flat. The writing was competent, but it didn't move me, nor did it live up to the promise of the premise. Part of this is an unhelpful, undefinable me-thing -- I just didn't gel with the author's style, which never did more than get us from point A to point B -- and part of it is craft: the pacing was out of whack, and the worldbuilding incohesive and incomplete. (On the worldbuilding points in particular, I recommend the excellent reviews of AngelFire and ancientreader.)
But for me, worldbuilding will always be less important than romance -- and here is where Imperfect Illusions fell most short. Other than lust and general fellow feeling, I never really understood what these two saw in each other. They were perfectly likable but not very interesting characters, separately or together, despite the backstories that they (Sully in particular) were larded with.
And the whole "Elliot walking in Sully's dreams without his conscious knowledge and consent" could have been sooooo interesting -- Elliot gets to know, and knowingly falls in love with, Sully while Sully is unaware of Elliot's presence in his dreams/ mind/ life -- but Elliot's confession of his dreamwalking kept getting pre-empted for Romance Reasons. I find this kind of "huge confession about to happen, oops, someone interrupts"-type thing annoying, but allowable, if it happens once. 3 or 4 times is just scream-inducing and feels like unnecessary padding. And when the confrontation finally happens, Sully's reaction was such a missed opportunity. Instead of finally taking the chance to allow these two characters to have a real interaction and hash things out, we get a Romance Reasons Reaction that shuts down any honest, hard reckoning and puts us back in the same holding cycle we were in while waiting for Elliot's confession. All we get is character delay, not character development. And then the movement on Sully's side happens in an, to my mind, unsatisfying way connected to the worldbuilding issues. We are supposed to root for a couple that are barely together (awake) and that go through processes of forgiveness and atonement ENTIRELY SEPARATELY from each other. I just don't buy it.
I know a lot of people really loved this, but unfortunately I'm not among them. My search for "satisfying magic histrom by someone who isn't KJ Charles" looks bound to continue.
I got an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.
October 19, 2023
I've given this an A at AAR..
I can’t remember how I stumbled across Vanora Lawless’ Imperfect Illusions, but I’m very glad I did! I was gripped from start to finish by this historical adventure/fantasy romance set amid the horrors of World War One; the stakes are high, the historical and fantasy aspects of the story are really well done, and the romance is nicely developed in an unusual way.
Chicago, 1917. Elliot Stone returns to his comfortable family home one winter morning to find an unexpected guest awaiting him. Suspicion turns to horror when the gentleman – who introduces himself as Major Allen – blackmails him into enlisting in one of the new secret magical units being created by the government to fight in the war in Europe. Elliot’s family has worked hard to keep the magic that flows through their bloodline a secret – but obviously not hard enough, if they’ve come to the attention of the military. Major Allen is distinctly unpleasant and clearly knows Elliot’s other big secret (that he enjoys the company of men as well as women) – and he knows Elliot’s skill is to be able induce euphoria or horror in someone merely by touching them. When Elliot continues to voice his opposition to the Major’s scheme, Allen plays his trump card – not only will he make sure that Elliot’s… proclivities are made public, but he’ll also look to the other members of Elliot’s family with a view of making use of them, instead. Knowing at least one of his siblings has magical abilities, Elliot has to admit defeat.
Warren – Sully – Sullivan works as a private investigator and is the sole support for his cousin, sixteen year old Anne, whose parents died when the ship on which they had travelled to Chicago sank in the harbour. He, too, is forced into enlisting; the government knows all about his talent for creating illusions in the minds of others – and also somehow found men he’d had back-alley encounters with and exhorted confessions out of them. He can’t afford to create any scandal for Anne or his friend who runs the agency – especially because both of them are skilled, and he can’t risk the government’s attention turning to them.
Elliot and Sully are from opposite ends of the social spectrum and by rights, their paths shouldn’t cross. Yet on the night before they’re both due to ship out to begin their training, they decide a last night on the town – with a few drinks, and maybe some convivial company – is in order. Using his illusion skills, Sully disguises his shabby clothes and heads to a fancy lounge-bar, where he notices the blond man with the pretty face straight away – and wants him. A few subtle glances later, and the man casually makes his way over to Sully; the zing of attraction that’s been thrumming through him since he laid eyes on the other man flares into red hot lust, and his other (secret) magical skill – the ability to sense others’ emotions – can feel the man’s reciprocal attraction and excitement. His last night as a free man looks to be shaping up to be a good one.
After a bout of fantastic sex, neither man feels like simply getting up to leave, and they fall into conversation, talking a little about themselves and their magic, and realising that they’re both been forced to enlist – and that they’ll be shipping out to the same place for training before being sent to France. They agree it will be far too dangerous for them to see each other again, given their difference in rank; Elliot will be an officer and assigned to one of the elite special operations units working behind the front lines while Sully will be posted to the front somewhere, working with regular troops while concealing his abilities as far as possible, unless he has to use them to fight skilled German soldiers. So this single night is all they can have.
As the weeks pass, Elliot and his small team of skilled officers form themselves into a cohesive unit and are about to undertake their first mission. Reports have come in telling of mortally wounded German soldiers rising up and continuing to fight, indicating that there could be a German necromancer at work, and Elliot and his unit are tasked with finding out more. Meanwhile, Sully is serving at the front and is running himself ragged using his concealment magic on the battlefield in a hundred different ways, making sure the enemy doesn’t see approaching soldiers, hiding medics and stretcher-bearers as they venture out to help the wounded and so on. Far worse is the overwhelming fear and despair radiating off everyone around him; it’s so bad as to be almost completely debilitating and with the horrors of the death and destruction all around him regularly invading his dreams, Sully is almost dead on his feet from exhaustion.
Like Sully, Elliot has kept one of his talents a secret – in his case, it’s the ability to enter the dreams of others, although he has a very strict policy about not interfering with the dreams of anyone who has not consented to it. But when, one night, he awakens in one of Sully’s dreams to see him in the middle of a battlefield, surrounded by rivers of gore and blood, cradling a corpse in his arms – Elliot’s corpse – Elliot can’t bear to leave Sully in such anguish, and acts to reshape his dream. Elliot knows that the Sully of the dream isn’t the same man as when he’s awake – when he’s dreaming his inhibitions are lowered and his defences are down – and that he’s unlikely to remember the dream in the morning. This is why Elliot has rules – but, as he explains to dreamSully, he couldn’t walk away when he could do something to help. Sully begs him to return whenever his nightmares take hold, and Elliot, even though he knows it’s a truly terrible idea and will likely end in disaster, can’t find it within him to say no.
Imperfect Illusions is a unique story in which the author skilfully grafts the fantasy elements on to a world that is very familiar, and they do a terrific job of evoking the gloom, darkness and uncertainty felt by those in the thick of the fighting, the fear and inevitability of loss and the ultimate futility of it all. The storyline is high-stakes and full of mounting tension as we head towards an exciting, nail-biting finale, and the author strikes a good balance between the plot and the romance, which is intense, complicated and heartfelt. Even though the relationship between Elliot and Sully is formed in an unusual way, their deep emotional connection is no less vivid and real, and I loved reading the ‘getting-to-know-you’ phase of their relationship – which is made all the more poignant because we know what’s likely to happen next.
Elliot and Sully are likeable characters who are both doing the best they can in extraordinary circumstances, forced to fight a war they don’t want to fight and to use the skills they’ve so far been careful to conceal. I liked the way the author presents Elliot’s dilemma over whether he should continue to enter Sully’s dreams or not; on the one hand, doing so helps Sully to rest and means he’s more able to protect himself from all the negative emotions of war he’s continually bombarded with (and in less danger of making mistakes and getting himself killed), but on the other, it’s intrusive and unfair, especially as Elliot remembers everything while Sully remembers almost nothing. It’s an interesting dichotomy, and it’s easy to understand why, when Sully learns the truth, he’s angry and upset and doesn’t want to listen to Elliot’s explanations.
Imperfect Illusions is an incredibly accomplished début novel. The author’s research has clearly been extensive, there’s a well-drawn cast of secondary characters, and the slow-burn romance is extremely well done. I have some very tiny niggles – one being that the finale ends a little abruptly – but there was nothing that took me out of the story or made the reading experience less enjoyable. Imperfect Illusions is a compelling read, and I’m eagerly awaiting the release of the second book in the series, Twisted Tome, in a few weeks.
This review originally appeared at All About Romance.
I can’t remember how I stumbled across Vanora Lawless’ Imperfect Illusions, but I’m very glad I did! I was gripped from start to finish by this historical adventure/fantasy romance set amid the horrors of World War One; the stakes are high, the historical and fantasy aspects of the story are really well done, and the romance is nicely developed in an unusual way.
Chicago, 1917. Elliot Stone returns to his comfortable family home one winter morning to find an unexpected guest awaiting him. Suspicion turns to horror when the gentleman – who introduces himself as Major Allen – blackmails him into enlisting in one of the new secret magical units being created by the government to fight in the war in Europe. Elliot’s family has worked hard to keep the magic that flows through their bloodline a secret – but obviously not hard enough, if they’ve come to the attention of the military. Major Allen is distinctly unpleasant and clearly knows Elliot’s other big secret (that he enjoys the company of men as well as women) – and he knows Elliot’s skill is to be able induce euphoria or horror in someone merely by touching them. When Elliot continues to voice his opposition to the Major’s scheme, Allen plays his trump card – not only will he make sure that Elliot’s… proclivities are made public, but he’ll also look to the other members of Elliot’s family with a view of making use of them, instead. Knowing at least one of his siblings has magical abilities, Elliot has to admit defeat.
Warren – Sully – Sullivan works as a private investigator and is the sole support for his cousin, sixteen year old Anne, whose parents died when the ship on which they had travelled to Chicago sank in the harbour. He, too, is forced into enlisting; the government knows all about his talent for creating illusions in the minds of others – and also somehow found men he’d had back-alley encounters with and exhorted confessions out of them. He can’t afford to create any scandal for Anne or his friend who runs the agency – especially because both of them are skilled, and he can’t risk the government’s attention turning to them.
Elliot and Sully are from opposite ends of the social spectrum and by rights, their paths shouldn’t cross. Yet on the night before they’re both due to ship out to begin their training, they decide a last night on the town – with a few drinks, and maybe some convivial company – is in order. Using his illusion skills, Sully disguises his shabby clothes and heads to a fancy lounge-bar, where he notices the blond man with the pretty face straight away – and wants him. A few subtle glances later, and the man casually makes his way over to Sully; the zing of attraction that’s been thrumming through him since he laid eyes on the other man flares into red hot lust, and his other (secret) magical skill – the ability to sense others’ emotions – can feel the man’s reciprocal attraction and excitement. His last night as a free man looks to be shaping up to be a good one.
After a bout of fantastic sex, neither man feels like simply getting up to leave, and they fall into conversation, talking a little about themselves and their magic, and realising that they’re both been forced to enlist – and that they’ll be shipping out to the same place for training before being sent to France. They agree it will be far too dangerous for them to see each other again, given their difference in rank; Elliot will be an officer and assigned to one of the elite special operations units working behind the front lines while Sully will be posted to the front somewhere, working with regular troops while concealing his abilities as far as possible, unless he has to use them to fight skilled German soldiers. So this single night is all they can have.
As the weeks pass, Elliot and his small team of skilled officers form themselves into a cohesive unit and are about to undertake their first mission. Reports have come in telling of mortally wounded German soldiers rising up and continuing to fight, indicating that there could be a German necromancer at work, and Elliot and his unit are tasked with finding out more. Meanwhile, Sully is serving at the front and is running himself ragged using his concealment magic on the battlefield in a hundred different ways, making sure the enemy doesn’t see approaching soldiers, hiding medics and stretcher-bearers as they venture out to help the wounded and so on. Far worse is the overwhelming fear and despair radiating off everyone around him; it’s so bad as to be almost completely debilitating and with the horrors of the death and destruction all around him regularly invading his dreams, Sully is almost dead on his feet from exhaustion.
Like Sully, Elliot has kept one of his talents a secret – in his case, it’s the ability to enter the dreams of others, although he has a very strict policy about not interfering with the dreams of anyone who has not consented to it. But when, one night, he awakens in one of Sully’s dreams to see him in the middle of a battlefield, surrounded by rivers of gore and blood, cradling a corpse in his arms – Elliot’s corpse – Elliot can’t bear to leave Sully in such anguish, and acts to reshape his dream. Elliot knows that the Sully of the dream isn’t the same man as when he’s awake – when he’s dreaming his inhibitions are lowered and his defences are down – and that he’s unlikely to remember the dream in the morning. This is why Elliot has rules – but, as he explains to dreamSully, he couldn’t walk away when he could do something to help. Sully begs him to return whenever his nightmares take hold, and Elliot, even though he knows it’s a truly terrible idea and will likely end in disaster, can’t find it within him to say no.
Imperfect Illusions is a unique story in which the author skilfully grafts the fantasy elements on to a world that is very familiar, and they do a terrific job of evoking the gloom, darkness and uncertainty felt by those in the thick of the fighting, the fear and inevitability of loss and the ultimate futility of it all. The storyline is high-stakes and full of mounting tension as we head towards an exciting, nail-biting finale, and the author strikes a good balance between the plot and the romance, which is intense, complicated and heartfelt. Even though the relationship between Elliot and Sully is formed in an unusual way, their deep emotional connection is no less vivid and real, and I loved reading the ‘getting-to-know-you’ phase of their relationship – which is made all the more poignant because we know what’s likely to happen next.
Elliot and Sully are likeable characters who are both doing the best they can in extraordinary circumstances, forced to fight a war they don’t want to fight and to use the skills they’ve so far been careful to conceal. I liked the way the author presents Elliot’s dilemma over whether he should continue to enter Sully’s dreams or not; on the one hand, doing so helps Sully to rest and means he’s more able to protect himself from all the negative emotions of war he’s continually bombarded with (and in less danger of making mistakes and getting himself killed), but on the other, it’s intrusive and unfair, especially as Elliot remembers everything while Sully remembers almost nothing. It’s an interesting dichotomy, and it’s easy to understand why, when Sully learns the truth, he’s angry and upset and doesn’t want to listen to Elliot’s explanations.
Imperfect Illusions is an incredibly accomplished début novel. The author’s research has clearly been extensive, there’s a well-drawn cast of secondary characters, and the slow-burn romance is extremely well done. I have some very tiny niggles – one being that the finale ends a little abruptly – but there was nothing that took me out of the story or made the reading experience less enjoyable. Imperfect Illusions is a compelling read, and I’m eagerly awaiting the release of the second book in the series, Twisted Tome, in a few weeks.
This review originally appeared at All About Romance.
September 11, 2022
I was a bit wary about this because debut books can sometimes be quite hard to read. But I’m so glad I tried this one cause it was great.
This is a historical romance set in WW1 with a magical element to it. The magic world was new and tied very well with the story and never over explained. Historical romances set in the 1900s can be hard to read, cause the world is not that different to now but at the same time incredibly conflicting when compared to our modern time.
The author managed to build a world that it’s very known to us while at the same time giving it a fantasy aspect that makes it very unique. The balance between world building and romance was incredibly well done. Very recommended.
This is a historical romance set in WW1 with a magical element to it. The magic world was new and tied very well with the story and never over explained. Historical romances set in the 1900s can be hard to read, cause the world is not that different to now but at the same time incredibly conflicting when compared to our modern time.
The author managed to build a world that it’s very known to us while at the same time giving it a fantasy aspect that makes it very unique. The balance between world building and romance was incredibly well done. Very recommended.
October 4, 2022
Vanora Lawless
Imperfect Illusions (Devastating Magic Book 1)
Book 1 of 1: Devastating Magic
Arc
Release Date October 4, 2022
This is a debut book and a pleaser to read. It’s a beautiful story about dreams and having a night with your last wish. Elliot and Sullys chemistry comes through the pages as you are reading the book.
This story is different than anything I have read, the historical romance set in the 1900s, the night before WW1. The Fantasy element of the book makes it stand out from the others I have encountered this year.
Side note, I really did enjoy the support cast of the book. It helped tie it all together, at least it did for me.
I would definitely say this is a book that you do not want to pass up. It is a wonderful debut by the author. I am so thrilled that I had the opportunity to read it. It is one that you definitely don’t want to give any spoilers away. The two main characters were so sweet and I fell in love with both of them.
I would like to thank the author for the opportunity to read this book. I highly recommend it and give it five stars.
Imperfect Illusions (Devastating Magic Book 1)
Book 1 of 1: Devastating Magic
Arc
Release Date October 4, 2022
This is a debut book and a pleaser to read. It’s a beautiful story about dreams and having a night with your last wish. Elliot and Sullys chemistry comes through the pages as you are reading the book.
This story is different than anything I have read, the historical romance set in the 1900s, the night before WW1. The Fantasy element of the book makes it stand out from the others I have encountered this year.
Side note, I really did enjoy the support cast of the book. It helped tie it all together, at least it did for me.
I would definitely say this is a book that you do not want to pass up. It is a wonderful debut by the author. I am so thrilled that I had the opportunity to read it. It is one that you definitely don’t want to give any spoilers away. The two main characters were so sweet and I fell in love with both of them.
I would like to thank the author for the opportunity to read this book. I highly recommend it and give it five stars.
November 19, 2022
This could have been something really good. Interesting plot, but I feel like it lacked in every aspect. The historical part wasn't extensive, but I understand not wanting to write about the gory details. The magical part wasn't explained well either, and I think some things didn't add up. The romance was okay, but predictable.
I was skimming the last bit.
2.5 stars
I was skimming the last bit.
2.5 stars
December 21, 2023
I've given this a B+ for narration and an A for content at AudioGals
Imperfect Illusions is a paranormal historical romance set mostly in France and Belgium in 1917, featuring two young American men who are blackmailed into enlisting in the army because their special “skills” – they are magic users – make them valuable to the Allied war effort. I read it a few months back and was absolutely bowled over by how good it is; the historical background has obviously been extensively researched, the worldbuilding is superb and the romance is heart-meltingly gorgeous – so when I saw there was an audio version, I had to pick it up to experience the story all over again. Narrator Logan McAllister isn’t someone I’ve listened to before, but he has almost 250 titles to his credit at Audible, many of them romances, so I went into the listen expecting a decent performance at the very least! I’m pleased to report it was more than decent :)
Elliot Stone and Warren Sullivan meet by chance on the night before they’re both due to ship out for basic training. Elliot comes from a large, well-to-do Chicago family; Warren – Sully – works for his living, so by rights they should never have met. But fate – and the unusual circumstances – take a hand when they both decide to have one last night on the town – good food, a few drinks and, perhaps, some company for the evening. Using his magical gift for illusion, Sully hides the shabbiness of his clothes and makes for an upmarket lounge-bar – and very quickly notices the beautiful blond man on the other side of the room. A few subtle glances later, and the man is making his way over, and the pull of attraction that’s been thrumming through Sully ever since he laid eyes on him spills over into full-blown lust. Sully’s other magical talent – one he keeps carefully hidden – is to be able to sense the emotions of others, and judging from the attraction and excitement Sully can feel radiating off the other man, it’s going to be a good night.
After a bout of fantastic sex, neither of them feels ready to get up and leave, so they fall into conversation and discover they’re both headed for the same training camp – and that they’ve both been blackmailed into enlisting, because of their sexual preferences and in order to protect family members who are also skilled. Reluctantly, they realise that even though they’re headed for the same place, there will be no opportunities for them to meet again; Elliot will be an officer and assigned to one of the elite special operations units working behind the front lines while Sully will be posted to the front somewhere, working with regular troops while using his skills to fight skilled German soldiers. Despite the intensity of the connection they feel to each other, this one night is all they can have.
As the weeks pass, Elliot – now promoted to captain – and his small team are getting ready to undertake their first mission. Reports have come in of mortally wounded German soldiers getting up and continuing to fight, indicating that there may be a necromancer at work, and Elliot’s team is tasked with finding out more. Meanwhile, Sully is struggling to deal with all the negative emotions bombarding him at the front, where he’s running himself ragged using his concealment magic on the battlefield to protect troops and medics, the overwhelming fear and despair radiating off everyone around him making it almost impossible for him to function. He can’t sleep because of the images of death and destruction that invade his dreams and he’s almost dead on his feet from exhaustion.
Elliot and Sully saw each other once or twice, in passing, at the training camp, but haven’t crossed paths at all since they were sent to France. So Elliot is surprised to find himself awakening in one of Sully’s dreams – he’s a dreamwalker, but he usually only enters the dreams of people close to him and has strict rules about consent – but when he sees a devastated Sully in the middle of a battlefield surrounded by rivers of gore and blood cradling a dead body – Elliot’s dead body – he can’t bear to leave him in such agony and acts to reshape his dream.
Elliot knows breaking his rules will have repercussions, but he is unable to just walk away when he can do something to help. He knows that the Sully in the dream is different to the real life Sully, knows that in dreams, inhibitions are lowered and defences are down, and that Sully is unlikely to remember anything while he, Elliot, will remember everything. But even as he explains this to Sully in the dream, Sully begs Elliot to return whenever his nightmares take hold and Elliot, knowing it’s a terrible idea but desperate to find a way to keep Sully safe, can’t find it in him to refuse.
I absolutely loved listening to this ‘getting-to-know-you’ phase of Elliot and Sully’s relationship – it’s a really creative way of bringing together two characters who are physically separated, and the emotional connection that develops between them is no less vivid and real for its being formed in a dream – plus, it’s all the more poignant because we, like Elliot, know what is likely to happen when Sully finds out the truth.
Imperfect Illusions is a gripping tale in which the author very skilfully weaves together the fantasy and real-world elements to create a unique and high-stakes story that is quite unlike anything else I’ve read or listened to. Vanora Lawless does a fantastic job of creating an atmosphere of darkness and uncertainty, of conveying the fear and inevitability of loss felt by those in the thick of the fighting, and the slow-burn romance between Elliot and Sully is terrific – they have fantastic chemistry, the steamy scenes are superbly done and their emotional connection is evident in their every interaction.
Logan McAllister delivers a very good performance with strong and appropriate characterisations and clear differentiation, so there is never any confusion as to who is speaking. He makes a nice contrast between Elliot’s smoother, slightly higher pitched tones and Sully’s deeper, more gravelly ones, and really emphasises the strength of the connection the author has created between them in their scenes together, which are expressive and, sometimes, deeply emotional. The narrative is well-paced, and although there aren’t many women in the story, they’re voiced well, especially Elliot’s no-nonsense second-in-command Lt. Bell (Bellona). Mr. McAllister does a decent French accent when required (two of the soldiers in Elliot’s unit are French) and generally does a good job of pronouncing the names and placenames that crop up, although his pronunciation of Passchendaele as “PashonDELL” (it should be “PA-shuhn-dayl”) stuck out like a sore thumb. Apart from that, however, I enjoyed the performance and would definitely listen to Logan McAllister again. I hope that if the rest of the series makes it into audio, he’ll be in the narrator’s chair.
Imperfect Illusions was a real find – one of those books that wasn’t even on my radar until it was, and it’s one of my favourite listens of the year. The author achieves the perfect balance between plot and romance, the action scenes are well-written, the two leads are engaging and complex, and their romance is lovely. It’s an amazingly accomplished début from Vanora Lawless, and having just read book two in the series, I can tell you that this isn’t a fluke, because the second book is every bit as good as the first. If you’re looking for an historical romance that’s different from the norm, I can’t recommend it highly enough.
This review originally appeared at AudioGals .
Imperfect Illusions is a paranormal historical romance set mostly in France and Belgium in 1917, featuring two young American men who are blackmailed into enlisting in the army because their special “skills” – they are magic users – make them valuable to the Allied war effort. I read it a few months back and was absolutely bowled over by how good it is; the historical background has obviously been extensively researched, the worldbuilding is superb and the romance is heart-meltingly gorgeous – so when I saw there was an audio version, I had to pick it up to experience the story all over again. Narrator Logan McAllister isn’t someone I’ve listened to before, but he has almost 250 titles to his credit at Audible, many of them romances, so I went into the listen expecting a decent performance at the very least! I’m pleased to report it was more than decent :)
Elliot Stone and Warren Sullivan meet by chance on the night before they’re both due to ship out for basic training. Elliot comes from a large, well-to-do Chicago family; Warren – Sully – works for his living, so by rights they should never have met. But fate – and the unusual circumstances – take a hand when they both decide to have one last night on the town – good food, a few drinks and, perhaps, some company for the evening. Using his magical gift for illusion, Sully hides the shabbiness of his clothes and makes for an upmarket lounge-bar – and very quickly notices the beautiful blond man on the other side of the room. A few subtle glances later, and the man is making his way over, and the pull of attraction that’s been thrumming through Sully ever since he laid eyes on him spills over into full-blown lust. Sully’s other magical talent – one he keeps carefully hidden – is to be able to sense the emotions of others, and judging from the attraction and excitement Sully can feel radiating off the other man, it’s going to be a good night.
After a bout of fantastic sex, neither of them feels ready to get up and leave, so they fall into conversation and discover they’re both headed for the same training camp – and that they’ve both been blackmailed into enlisting, because of their sexual preferences and in order to protect family members who are also skilled. Reluctantly, they realise that even though they’re headed for the same place, there will be no opportunities for them to meet again; Elliot will be an officer and assigned to one of the elite special operations units working behind the front lines while Sully will be posted to the front somewhere, working with regular troops while using his skills to fight skilled German soldiers. Despite the intensity of the connection they feel to each other, this one night is all they can have.
As the weeks pass, Elliot – now promoted to captain – and his small team are getting ready to undertake their first mission. Reports have come in of mortally wounded German soldiers getting up and continuing to fight, indicating that there may be a necromancer at work, and Elliot’s team is tasked with finding out more. Meanwhile, Sully is struggling to deal with all the negative emotions bombarding him at the front, where he’s running himself ragged using his concealment magic on the battlefield to protect troops and medics, the overwhelming fear and despair radiating off everyone around him making it almost impossible for him to function. He can’t sleep because of the images of death and destruction that invade his dreams and he’s almost dead on his feet from exhaustion.
Elliot and Sully saw each other once or twice, in passing, at the training camp, but haven’t crossed paths at all since they were sent to France. So Elliot is surprised to find himself awakening in one of Sully’s dreams – he’s a dreamwalker, but he usually only enters the dreams of people close to him and has strict rules about consent – but when he sees a devastated Sully in the middle of a battlefield surrounded by rivers of gore and blood cradling a dead body – Elliot’s dead body – he can’t bear to leave him in such agony and acts to reshape his dream.
Elliot knows breaking his rules will have repercussions, but he is unable to just walk away when he can do something to help. He knows that the Sully in the dream is different to the real life Sully, knows that in dreams, inhibitions are lowered and defences are down, and that Sully is unlikely to remember anything while he, Elliot, will remember everything. But even as he explains this to Sully in the dream, Sully begs Elliot to return whenever his nightmares take hold and Elliot, knowing it’s a terrible idea but desperate to find a way to keep Sully safe, can’t find it in him to refuse.
I absolutely loved listening to this ‘getting-to-know-you’ phase of Elliot and Sully’s relationship – it’s a really creative way of bringing together two characters who are physically separated, and the emotional connection that develops between them is no less vivid and real for its being formed in a dream – plus, it’s all the more poignant because we, like Elliot, know what is likely to happen when Sully finds out the truth.
Imperfect Illusions is a gripping tale in which the author very skilfully weaves together the fantasy and real-world elements to create a unique and high-stakes story that is quite unlike anything else I’ve read or listened to. Vanora Lawless does a fantastic job of creating an atmosphere of darkness and uncertainty, of conveying the fear and inevitability of loss felt by those in the thick of the fighting, and the slow-burn romance between Elliot and Sully is terrific – they have fantastic chemistry, the steamy scenes are superbly done and their emotional connection is evident in their every interaction.
Logan McAllister delivers a very good performance with strong and appropriate characterisations and clear differentiation, so there is never any confusion as to who is speaking. He makes a nice contrast between Elliot’s smoother, slightly higher pitched tones and Sully’s deeper, more gravelly ones, and really emphasises the strength of the connection the author has created between them in their scenes together, which are expressive and, sometimes, deeply emotional. The narrative is well-paced, and although there aren’t many women in the story, they’re voiced well, especially Elliot’s no-nonsense second-in-command Lt. Bell (Bellona). Mr. McAllister does a decent French accent when required (two of the soldiers in Elliot’s unit are French) and generally does a good job of pronouncing the names and placenames that crop up, although his pronunciation of Passchendaele as “PashonDELL” (it should be “PA-shuhn-dayl”) stuck out like a sore thumb. Apart from that, however, I enjoyed the performance and would definitely listen to Logan McAllister again. I hope that if the rest of the series makes it into audio, he’ll be in the narrator’s chair.
Imperfect Illusions was a real find – one of those books that wasn’t even on my radar until it was, and it’s one of my favourite listens of the year. The author achieves the perfect balance between plot and romance, the action scenes are well-written, the two leads are engaging and complex, and their romance is lovely. It’s an amazingly accomplished début from Vanora Lawless, and having just read book two in the series, I can tell you that this isn’t a fluke, because the second book is every bit as good as the first. If you’re looking for an historical romance that’s different from the norm, I can’t recommend it highly enough.
This review originally appeared at AudioGals .
July 12, 2024
I've been wanting to read this book for a while now, mostly because I think I saw an author I like read it and recommended it, plus it's WW1 historical fiction/fantasy.
I will say that I did like the book and both Elliot and Warren were flawed and real and adorable both apart and together. But, the reason this is not a 5-star for me is because I felt the pace was a bit weird, like I'm not even sure how to describe it, just that something in the way it was written prevented me from being fully obsessed with it.
I'll probably still read the sequel and finish the series but I'm not in any rush to do i tbh.
I will say that I did like the book and both Elliot and Warren were flawed and real and adorable both apart and together. But, the reason this is not a 5-star for me is because I felt the pace was a bit weird, like I'm not even sure how to describe it, just that something in the way it was written prevented me from being fully obsessed with it.
I'll probably still read the sequel and finish the series but I'm not in any rush to do i tbh.
October 14, 2022
Addictive, savory and steamy historical fantasy romance!
Vanora Lawless's debut is a beautifully crafted story taking place during World War I, in 1917. The main characters have special, magical talents and are essentially blackmailed to join a secret military unit by the US government. In their last night before being shipped off to a training camp, they have an one-night stand which leaves them breathless - and kicks off the story!
The book captures the gloomy, dark atmosphere of WW1, the fear and desperation of losing friends, and the struggles of gay people during this era. There is action and separation and reunion, it's an emotional rollercoaster.
The relationship between Elliott and Sully is intense, complicated and deep, physically and emotionally, and I loved every part of it. The side characters are also well written and an integral part of the story.
The ending left a few minor plotlines unsolved, is there going to be a sequel (either with the same main characters or with different ones)?
Vanora Lawless's debut is a beautifully crafted story taking place during World War I, in 1917. The main characters have special, magical talents and are essentially blackmailed to join a secret military unit by the US government. In their last night before being shipped off to a training camp, they have an one-night stand which leaves them breathless - and kicks off the story!
The book captures the gloomy, dark atmosphere of WW1, the fear and desperation of losing friends, and the struggles of gay people during this era. There is action and separation and reunion, it's an emotional rollercoaster.
The relationship between Elliott and Sully is intense, complicated and deep, physically and emotionally, and I loved every part of it. The side characters are also well written and an integral part of the story.
The ending left a few minor plotlines unsolved, is there going to be a sequel (either with the same main characters or with different ones)?
October 16, 2023
There's something about illustrated covers that just draws me in. I always feel like they get to capture the vibe and characters of a book better than anything done with stock photos. So it makes sense that a book with an illustrated cover and the words "illusions" and "magic" in the title parts would draw me to try out a new author.
For my first book from Vanora Lawless, I'm quite pleased! Elliott and Warren are incredibly deep, compelling characters. Being set in a world war one with magic users, it has all the grit of a war story with enough magic to bring a something new and interesting to the plot. And the way it is narrated has such a nice flow you can sit to read "for a bit" and next thing you know it's been hours and you're close to done with the book. I really love it when that happens.
For my first book from Vanora Lawless, I'm quite pleased! Elliott and Warren are incredibly deep, compelling characters. Being set in a world war one with magic users, it has all the grit of a war story with enough magic to bring a something new and interesting to the plot. And the way it is narrated has such a nice flow you can sit to read "for a bit" and next thing you know it's been hours and you're close to done with the book. I really love it when that happens.
September 23, 2022
This was a bit of a disappointment. I was so, so sure I was going to love this to absolute death, but *sighs*
It's most definitely a me problem though: maybe if I'd read this at a different time I would have enjoyed it more. Because "Imperfect Illusions" totally has all the elements of a fabulous and riveting novel: magic, a highly original world-building, found family vibes, two well-rounded MCs, and a gut-wrenching, and realistic, WWI setting.
I wasn't overly keen on the writing, so maybe that was my issue with this book: I'm not sure why though. I really don't know what went wrong.
On the other hand, I really enjoyed the plot and the side characters were absolutely fantastic and lovable: the found family vibes were truly on point. I also loved seeing all the different combinations of magical skills!
Elliot was, by far, my favourite lead. He was absolutely endearing, and a mix of vulnerable and strong and protective. I wasn't too keen on his relationship with Sully, but mainly because so much of it develops inside of Sully's dreams. I wasn't keen on that aspect of their relationship, and it ended up spoiling my enjoyment of it and the book.
But oh well. "Imperfect Illusions" is the perfect example of "it's me, not you".
I'm not sure where it went wrong or why, but I'm certain lots and lots of people will enjoy this novel so much more than me, so maybe give it a chance if the blurb sounds like something you might like.
Thank you GRR for the ARC. I received it in exchange for an honest review.
It's most definitely a me problem though: maybe if I'd read this at a different time I would have enjoyed it more. Because "Imperfect Illusions" totally has all the elements of a fabulous and riveting novel: magic, a highly original world-building, found family vibes, two well-rounded MCs, and a gut-wrenching, and realistic, WWI setting.
I wasn't overly keen on the writing, so maybe that was my issue with this book: I'm not sure why though. I really don't know what went wrong.
On the other hand, I really enjoyed the plot and the side characters were absolutely fantastic and lovable: the found family vibes were truly on point. I also loved seeing all the different combinations of magical skills!
Elliot was, by far, my favourite lead. He was absolutely endearing, and a mix of vulnerable and strong and protective. I wasn't too keen on his relationship with Sully, but mainly because so much of it develops inside of Sully's dreams. I wasn't keen on that aspect of their relationship, and it ended up spoiling my enjoyment of it and the book.
But oh well. "Imperfect Illusions" is the perfect example of "it's me, not you".
I'm not sure where it went wrong or why, but I'm certain lots and lots of people will enjoy this novel so much more than me, so maybe give it a chance if the blurb sounds like something you might like.
Thank you GRR for the ARC. I received it in exchange for an honest review.
October 7, 2022
3,5/5
"Imperfect Illusions" est un roman assez original mêlant l'historique, car nous sommes en plein première guerre mondiale, avec également une pointe de paranormal.
Elliot et Sully se rencontrent brièvement un soir, et passent une nuit inoubliable, une première et dernière nuit car au lendemain, ces deux jeunes hommes doivent partir à la guerre. Ils vont se retrouver, certes, mais leurs rencontres vont être très atypiques.
Si j'ai eu un peu de mal à rentrer dans le roman, j'ai complètement craqué par la suite pour cette relation si originale, pour les aptitudes surnaturelles des personnages. Ce sont des jeunes hommes très attachants, vraiment. Elliot est un personnages difficile à cerner au départ, mais on en apprend un peu plus au fur et à mesure, il a un réel attachement à Sully, à son bien-être, c'était très tendre.
Sully, la façon dont il capte ce qui l'entoure prend aux tripes en fait.
A côté, on a droit à de nombreux personnages secondaires qui donnent vraiment du relief à l'ensemble.
Difficile d'en parler plus au risque d'en dévoiler trop. Personnellement, j'ai plongé presque les yeux fermés dans ce roman, et je ne le regrette pas ^^ L'auteur a vraiment bien intégré le paranormal à cet univers très sombre et dur, j'ai vraiment aimé cette petite touche de presque "magie" qui permet à nos héros de rester soudés mais surtout de se connaître l'un l'autre.
Hâte de voir ce que l'auteur va nous réserver dans la suite !
"Imperfect Illusions" est un roman assez original mêlant l'historique, car nous sommes en plein première guerre mondiale, avec également une pointe de paranormal.
Elliot et Sully se rencontrent brièvement un soir, et passent une nuit inoubliable, une première et dernière nuit car au lendemain, ces deux jeunes hommes doivent partir à la guerre. Ils vont se retrouver, certes, mais leurs rencontres vont être très atypiques.
Si j'ai eu un peu de mal à rentrer dans le roman, j'ai complètement craqué par la suite pour cette relation si originale, pour les aptitudes surnaturelles des personnages. Ce sont des jeunes hommes très attachants, vraiment. Elliot est un personnages difficile à cerner au départ, mais on en apprend un peu plus au fur et à mesure, il a un réel attachement à Sully, à son bien-être, c'était très tendre.
Sully, la façon dont il capte ce qui l'entoure prend aux tripes en fait.
A côté, on a droit à de nombreux personnages secondaires qui donnent vraiment du relief à l'ensemble.
Difficile d'en parler plus au risque d'en dévoiler trop. Personnellement, j'ai plongé presque les yeux fermés dans ce roman, et je ne le regrette pas ^^ L'auteur a vraiment bien intégré le paranormal à cet univers très sombre et dur, j'ai vraiment aimé cette petite touche de presque "magie" qui permet à nos héros de rester soudés mais surtout de se connaître l'un l'autre.
Hâte de voir ce que l'auteur va nous réserver dans la suite !
October 6, 2022
***Received an eARC of this novel from GRR in exchange for an honest review***
🖤M/M Romance
🤍Historical Romance
🖤Fantasy
🤍Paranormal
🖤Debut Author
First of all, I have never read something this unique and mesmerizing. Though I was a bit not confident about the book as this is the Author's debut book. And I am so glad that I took a chance with this. Secondly, the way the author has built up the fantasy world has just impressed me and I adore her imaginary power.
Elliot Stone and Warren Sullivan both have special magical powers in them. Elliot Stone can not only make you feel things but also can dream walk to someone he is close to. Warren Sullivan is an illusionist, he can deceive people's eyes. There are not many who are born with these supernatural powers hence they are the best-kept secrets.
This was a beautiful romance, imagine going off to sleep knowing who you are meeting in your dreams. This whole notion is so romantic.
This book put back my hopes for romance books.
Kudos to the author for writing something extraordinary and refreshing.
Very much recommended !!
Amazing book Cover 💜
🖤M/M Romance
🤍Historical Romance
🖤Fantasy
🤍Paranormal
🖤Debut Author
First of all, I have never read something this unique and mesmerizing. Though I was a bit not confident about the book as this is the Author's debut book. And I am so glad that I took a chance with this. Secondly, the way the author has built up the fantasy world has just impressed me and I adore her imaginary power.
Elliot Stone and Warren Sullivan both have special magical powers in them. Elliot Stone can not only make you feel things but also can dream walk to someone he is close to. Warren Sullivan is an illusionist, he can deceive people's eyes. There are not many who are born with these supernatural powers hence they are the best-kept secrets.
This was a beautiful romance, imagine going off to sleep knowing who you are meeting in your dreams. This whole notion is so romantic.
This book put back my hopes for romance books.
Kudos to the author for writing something extraordinary and refreshing.
Very much recommended !!
Amazing book Cover 💜
October 7, 2022
"A drafted empath. A dreamwalking poet. A world at war"
As soon as I read the blurb I requested an ARC of this book. I am not someone that usually reads historical romance but I was very intrigued about these two main characters with special abilities drafted to fight a war they don't want and forced to use the abilities they have worked so far to conceal. Elliot and Sully meet one night before they are drawn to the war and have a very passionate encounter but don't think they will be able to met again. However, Elliot is a dreamwalker and he starts walking into Sully's dreams just as the war starts drawing them apart.
This book was slow to start but once it gets started it really has you on a hold where you need to know what's going to happen to these two. The reason why I am giving this book 4 stars instead of 5 is because I felt this book and the premise had a lot of potential but didn't totally deliver on it. We don't get many details on the gifts they have or this world, the secondary characters aren't as well developed and it felt repetitive at the very beginning.
Overall, a fairly good reading experience.
As soon as I read the blurb I requested an ARC of this book. I am not someone that usually reads historical romance but I was very intrigued about these two main characters with special abilities drafted to fight a war they don't want and forced to use the abilities they have worked so far to conceal. Elliot and Sully meet one night before they are drawn to the war and have a very passionate encounter but don't think they will be able to met again. However, Elliot is a dreamwalker and he starts walking into Sully's dreams just as the war starts drawing them apart.
This book was slow to start but once it gets started it really has you on a hold where you need to know what's going to happen to these two. The reason why I am giving this book 4 stars instead of 5 is because I felt this book and the premise had a lot of potential but didn't totally deliver on it. We don't get many details on the gifts they have or this world, the secondary characters aren't as well developed and it felt repetitive at the very beginning.
Overall, a fairly good reading experience.
September 30, 2022
Loved it! Heartfelt romance and supernatural spies set during WWI. Imperfect Illusions gives us two complex, vivid leads, each with their own fascinating magic, and I fell hard for both Elliot and Sully. The way Lawless handles the WWI setting is poignant, especially how Sully the empath grapples with the emotions of war, and I was very soft for the way Elliot is there for him. Add in lush writing and a magical spy plot, and I couldn’t put it down.
CW: discussion of suicide
CW: discussion of suicide
November 13, 2024
I loved the interesting characters and their individual unique types of magic. The historical aspects felt real and added to the overall world building, particularly seeing how the magical people could make it through WWI events using their powers.
There was an overarching magical plot line that didn’t get resolved by the end, though. Does that mean a sequel will finish that plot line or what? From the short blurb at the end regarding the sequel, it certainly doesn’t seem like it.
There was an overarching magical plot line that didn’t get resolved by the end, though. Does that mean a sequel will finish that plot line or what? From the short blurb at the end regarding the sequel, it certainly doesn’t seem like it.
Read
November 21, 2022DNF at 37%.
Since it's a debut, I'm not going to rate it.
The story idea was interesting, but the rest was so lacking. No world building, nothing about the magic, I didn't care about any of the characters. It even started becoming repetitive. I didn't feel any chemistry between the characters (mostly because we don't get to learn anything about them), so the super detailed sex scene was just ugh.
Since it's a debut, I'm not going to rate it.
The story idea was interesting, but the rest was so lacking. No world building, nothing about the magic, I didn't care about any of the characters. It even started becoming repetitive. I didn't feel any chemistry between the characters (mostly because we don't get to learn anything about them), so the super detailed sex scene was just ugh.
May 20, 2025
This was so sweet and I couldn't put it down. Instalove and instalust and then just a ton of pining which I guess is just what I needed. I did have some picky complaints about the plot and writing... but- and this is probably the complete wrong way to go about things but I'm going to anyway- I saw the pic of the author and she looks SO young! So... considering she's like early twenties tops(??) this is perfection.
October 10, 2022
This was a great debut, with an ending just the HFN side of a cliffhanger. It helps to know that that there will be a second book, but I am sad to see it won't be out for more than a year. (But of course, I'd really rather authors take the time to get the story right.)
It took me a while to read it, as the plot ticks up after Sully and Elliot's initial encounter. The romance is maintained through the dreamwalking, but we're drawn in to the wartime alliances and maneuverings. There's a great blend of history and magic, with neither taking over completely, which makes this feel quite special.
Neither Sully or Elliot are perfect, but they are both doing the best they can, pushing themselves past limits they've never had to test. When they are reunited, you can feel how important they are to each other, even though their relationship has developed unusually. I could also understand Sully's resentment at not being privy to everything in the same way, but wartime changes timelines, so it doesn't take long for them to reconcile.
I will absolutely be waiting for part two of this adventure! (I received a copy for review from Gay Romance Reviews; all opinions are my own.)
It took me a while to read it, as the plot ticks up after Sully and Elliot's initial encounter. The romance is maintained through the dreamwalking, but we're drawn in to the wartime alliances and maneuverings. There's a great blend of history and magic, with neither taking over completely, which makes this feel quite special.
Neither Sully or Elliot are perfect, but they are both doing the best they can, pushing themselves past limits they've never had to test. When they are reunited, you can feel how important they are to each other, even though their relationship has developed unusually. I could also understand Sully's resentment at not being privy to everything in the same way, but wartime changes timelines, so it doesn't take long for them to reconcile.
I will absolutely be waiting for part two of this adventure! (I received a copy for review from Gay Romance Reviews; all opinions are my own.)
November 29, 2022
He missed books. In books, people were easy to understand. Their motivations and personalities dictated their actions and reactions. You could always see where they went wrong and how you’d have done it differently. Real people were harder. They didn’t always make sense.
I was not prepared. I got seduced by the blurb and jumped, fast and hard, as if the pulled taut threads barely holding my mental sanity depended on it. And yeah, I was absolutely not prepared for how much I was going to enjoy this book.
Gods, I loved Elliot. But Sully, stole my heart. There is something about Sully's confrontational bravado stemming from an underlying vulnerability and deep rooted need to not allow anyone suspect of it, lest they consider him weak, that really strikes a chord in the deepest parts of my soul.
I hate to be repetitive, but for a third time, I was REALLY not prepared. And here I am, now trying to figure out how the heck I am supposed to wait until book 2 drops, pretending I am not heavily invested and borderline obsessed with Elliot and Sully's story. Fall 2023, please come fast!!
I was not prepared. I got seduced by the blurb and jumped, fast and hard, as if the pulled taut threads barely holding my mental sanity depended on it. And yeah, I was absolutely not prepared for how much I was going to enjoy this book.
Gods, I loved Elliot. But Sully, stole my heart. There is something about Sully's confrontational bravado stemming from an underlying vulnerability and deep rooted need to not allow anyone suspect of it, lest they consider him weak, that really strikes a chord in the deepest parts of my soul.
I hate to be repetitive, but for a third time, I was REALLY not prepared. And here I am, now trying to figure out how the heck I am supposed to wait until book 2 drops, pretending I am not heavily invested and borderline obsessed with Elliot and Sully's story. Fall 2023, please come fast!!
April 2, 2023
I mean, we've got two gay men in their mid-twenties who were blackmailed into enlisting for the First World War because of their magic, so not only are we witnessing these two going through THE SHIT because it's WORLD WAR ONE but also building a strong connection and a love story that's unfolding slowly, but surely, right in front of our eyes.
Add some very hawt sex scenes and you've got a recipe for a 5 star urban fantasy romance novel.
Strongly, strongly recommended!
Okay, I'm back after a few days and I'm just going to do a listicle about everything I loved, and didn't love, about Imperfect Illusions!
Loved:
. The setting, which I'm shocked that I'm saying as I've never read a book set during the First World War, let alone having the two main characters fighting in it.
It was fresh and unique, at least for me, and for that I very much enjoyed it, even if it was a tad traumatic to read about firsthand.
. The amount of research the author must've made while writing this book... Just bravo.
. Both Sully and Elliot really felt like fully formed characters to me, which is a very nice touch as they're both in their mid-twenties and enlisting in the war.
Why they're enlisting in the first place? Because they're being blackmailed by the army for being gay to join, because of their magical abilities.
Like that was absolutely disgusting and I truly hated it, idk what else to say.
Anyhow, I enjoyed their characters at the beginning and then throughout the book as they both matured and evolved as people, which makes sense because that's what being in the middle of a war does to you.
. I found the magical aspect of the story to be a nice touch that added a little something extra to what otherwise would've been a WWI romance novel.
The magic system was interesting and while it wasn't exactly explained or explored, like at all, I did end up liking it, especially because of how unique some of their powers were, like Elliot's dreamwalking and Sully's illusions making.
. The Germans in this book, in particular the necromancer... Damn, shit was scary.
. The sex scenes in this book... Phew, they were both hot and tastefully done at the same time, which is a difficult combination to make work.
. The very slow romance and relationship development between the two was... Something.
Like, I get that actual Sully didn't really know that his dream version was getting to know Elliot and spending time with him, so it was like we were getting a plot development but not really because it wasn't actual, real life Sully that Elliot was spending time with.
. I liked the supporting cast of characters, as they added an extra element of home to a story that really needed something of the sort in the middle of WWI.
Now for the things I didn't love, which are very few:
. I wasn't a fan of Sully's reaction when Elliot shared the dreamwalking thing with him.
I get it, you're vulnerable and not really yourself when you're sleeping and dreaming, but the fact that Elliot was helping him with his nightmares and with his sleep was so touching, I didn't love that he really blew up at him and didn't let him explain.
. I feel like it ended way too neatly, especially for the first book in a series? Like I wanted some kind of cliffhanger to get me excited about the prospect of reading the sequel, but maybe that's just me.
Overall, this book really surprised me as I didn't really have high expectations when it came to it as I've never seen it in the book world before, but having read it now, I do strongly recommend it!
Add some very hawt sex scenes and you've got a recipe for a 5 star urban fantasy romance novel.
Strongly, strongly recommended!
Okay, I'm back after a few days and I'm just going to do a listicle about everything I loved, and didn't love, about Imperfect Illusions!
Loved:
. The setting, which I'm shocked that I'm saying as I've never read a book set during the First World War, let alone having the two main characters fighting in it.
It was fresh and unique, at least for me, and for that I very much enjoyed it, even if it was a tad traumatic to read about firsthand.
. The amount of research the author must've made while writing this book... Just bravo.
. Both Sully and Elliot really felt like fully formed characters to me, which is a very nice touch as they're both in their mid-twenties and enlisting in the war.
Why they're enlisting in the first place? Because they're being blackmailed by the army for being gay to join, because of their magical abilities.
Like that was absolutely disgusting and I truly hated it, idk what else to say.
Anyhow, I enjoyed their characters at the beginning and then throughout the book as they both matured and evolved as people, which makes sense because that's what being in the middle of a war does to you.
. I found the magical aspect of the story to be a nice touch that added a little something extra to what otherwise would've been a WWI romance novel.
The magic system was interesting and while it wasn't exactly explained or explored, like at all, I did end up liking it, especially because of how unique some of their powers were, like Elliot's dreamwalking and Sully's illusions making.
. The Germans in this book, in particular the necromancer... Damn, shit was scary.
. The sex scenes in this book... Phew, they were both hot and tastefully done at the same time, which is a difficult combination to make work.
. The very slow romance and relationship development between the two was... Something.
Like, I get that actual Sully didn't really know that his dream version was getting to know Elliot and spending time with him, so it was like we were getting a plot development but not really because it wasn't actual, real life Sully that Elliot was spending time with.
. I liked the supporting cast of characters, as they added an extra element of home to a story that really needed something of the sort in the middle of WWI.
Now for the things I didn't love, which are very few:
. I wasn't a fan of Sully's reaction when Elliot shared the dreamwalking thing with him.
I get it, you're vulnerable and not really yourself when you're sleeping and dreaming, but the fact that Elliot was helping him with his nightmares and with his sleep was so touching, I didn't love that he really blew up at him and didn't let him explain.
. I feel like it ended way too neatly, especially for the first book in a series? Like I wanted some kind of cliffhanger to get me excited about the prospect of reading the sequel, but maybe that's just me.
Overall, this book really surprised me as I didn't really have high expectations when it came to it as I've never seen it in the book world before, but having read it now, I do strongly recommend it!
Read
May 30, 2023DNF @40%
I can't get into it at all.
I can't get into it at all.
October 19, 2022
ALL-ENCOMPASSING BLACK STRETCHED out in every direction. Labored breaths heaved all around Elliot. There was a moment of confusion when he couldn't tell whose dream he was in. Then the shelling started. Explosions burst around him, lighting up the moonless night in white lightning flashes. Guns fired deafening shots. Bullets tore up the earth.
The first of a series, Imperfect Illusions romanced me, seduced me, and dragged me from my pit back into the world of what good books can be. From devastatingly vivid writing, to gorgeously crafted humans - not just characters - whose challenges and irrevocable love stole pieces of my heart, this book was pure, intimate chemistry and explosive plot that somehow balanced teeter totter and never left me wanting.
Seriously… I am wowed. It’s been a few days since I finished it; I've never stopped thinking about it and have just started a slower, reveling re-read because I want to live in this world a while longer. I cannot *wait* for the next in the series.
This is one of the few times a blurb wins over my usual preferences, since I don’t gravitate towards historical romance, but magic? A dreamwalker? An empath? I was hooked. And rewarded for it.
Emotions lurched off the page, each chapter swallowing me in deeper, electric verbiage bringing a world to life in my mind.
Skillful writing is important to me, and Imperfect Illusions has it in spades, down to the history that’s speckled, come to life, and so accurate, a former history teacher claimed how en pointe it is.
And the characters! My gosh, I didn’t fall, I plummeted, for Warren Sullivan and Elliot Stone, or Sully and Elliot as they’re more casually known. They aren't constructs, they're the type of characters you hear holding conversations with the author between chapters. The gentle-hearted, flaxed-haired poet Elliot with a heart of gold who's stronger than he thinks he is, and the tragedy-toughened, emotionally scarred, endlessly selfless, courageous Sully. Both together and apart they're people with hearts and with chemistry; and altogether, they culminate in two characters who fit together and whose ardent want propel the stubborn, longing little shites into each other's arms.
And when they do meet, it’s not just sparks, it’s flames, ungovernable and passionate, just this side of desperate, achingly streaked with possessiveness when they finally get to touch - and leaving me flushed and lip-bitten, even with just a reread of my highlights when I'm searching for a quote.
Somehow, the side cast were just as caringly constructed as my beloved Sully and Elliot, and I found myself falling for them too. Bellona, especially, I unwillingly came to adore. She wasn't your average underdeveloped, throwaway tough girl - you know the type - the ones I've come to expect from nearly all media. No, Bell had a life and a family and a history, all of which shaped her into who she is. It's incredibly rare I find a female character that’s legitimately real, but the more snippets I had of Bellona, the more I loved her, a novel experience Lawless made feel effortless.
In all honesty, I could go on about this book for an unbelievable amount of time. I'm... extremely satisfied and desperate for the sequel, to say the least. From fiery start to heart-rending HFN ending, this is the first book in a new favorite series for me. A new 5* to the limited selection of books that meets my standards. Imperfect Illusions is a freaking gem in any genre, a magical, plotty, amorous, thrilling, crushing, melting emotional rollercoaster that’ll leave you gasping for more. I can’t say enough about it, and I can’t recommend it more. If you like this type of romance, you can’t miss this book.
The first of a series, Imperfect Illusions romanced me, seduced me, and dragged me from my pit back into the world of what good books can be. From devastatingly vivid writing, to gorgeously crafted humans - not just characters - whose challenges and irrevocable love stole pieces of my heart, this book was pure, intimate chemistry and explosive plot that somehow balanced teeter totter and never left me wanting.
Seriously… I am wowed. It’s been a few days since I finished it; I've never stopped thinking about it and have just started a slower, reveling re-read because I want to live in this world a while longer. I cannot *wait* for the next in the series.
This is one of the few times a blurb wins over my usual preferences, since I don’t gravitate towards historical romance, but magic? A dreamwalker? An empath? I was hooked. And rewarded for it.
Emotions lurched off the page, each chapter swallowing me in deeper, electric verbiage bringing a world to life in my mind.
Skillful writing is important to me, and Imperfect Illusions has it in spades, down to the history that’s speckled, come to life, and so accurate, a former history teacher claimed how en pointe it is.
And the characters! My gosh, I didn’t fall, I plummeted, for Warren Sullivan and Elliot Stone, or Sully and Elliot as they’re more casually known. They aren't constructs, they're the type of characters you hear holding conversations with the author between chapters. The gentle-hearted, flaxed-haired poet Elliot with a heart of gold who's stronger than he thinks he is, and the tragedy-toughened, emotionally scarred, endlessly selfless, courageous Sully. Both together and apart they're people with hearts and with chemistry; and altogether, they culminate in two characters who fit together and whose ardent want propel the stubborn, longing little shites into each other's arms.
And when they do meet, it’s not just sparks, it’s flames, ungovernable and passionate, just this side of desperate, achingly streaked with possessiveness when they finally get to touch - and leaving me flushed and lip-bitten, even with just a reread of my highlights when I'm searching for a quote.
Somehow, the side cast were just as caringly constructed as my beloved Sully and Elliot, and I found myself falling for them too. Bellona, especially, I unwillingly came to adore. She wasn't your average underdeveloped, throwaway tough girl - you know the type - the ones I've come to expect from nearly all media. No, Bell had a life and a family and a history, all of which shaped her into who she is. It's incredibly rare I find a female character that’s legitimately real, but the more snippets I had of Bellona, the more I loved her, a novel experience Lawless made feel effortless.
In all honesty, I could go on about this book for an unbelievable amount of time. I'm... extremely satisfied and desperate for the sequel, to say the least. From fiery start to heart-rending HFN ending, this is the first book in a new favorite series for me. A new 5* to the limited selection of books that meets my standards. Imperfect Illusions is a freaking gem in any genre, a magical, plotty, amorous, thrilling, crushing, melting emotional rollercoaster that’ll leave you gasping for more. I can’t say enough about it, and I can’t recommend it more. If you like this type of romance, you can’t miss this book.
October 5, 2022
“The Empath is often said to have such a great degree of empathy that they can literally feel what others feel, and thus intuitively know many of the yearnings, sensitivities, tastes and even thought patterns of the people they're around.” ~ Aletheia Luna, Old Souls: The Sages and Mystics of Our World
Sully Sullivan, of 'Imperfect Illusions' by Vanessa Lawless, hid his “gifts” from the world for his entire life until the military discovered them and they drafted him. Sully's gift is his ability to shield the troops from the enemy. Before he ships out for Europe, he meets an extraordinary man, Elliot Stone, with whom he spends a night of unbridled passion, expecting they will never see each other again. But fate has different ideas.
Elliot was blackmailed into joining the military because they knew about his proclivities. Since he is from a well-to-do family, Elliot enters service as an officer. Elliot's gift is manipulating emotions in people to his advantage, a skill that could come in handy in war. The military stations Elliot and Sully at the exact same location for basic training. Communication is difficult because they are of different ranks, and it would be suspicious.
Sully is having a terrible time adjusting to military life. The powers-that-be don't care about what the men with extraordinary abilities do to help with the war effort. They run them ragged, overtaxing them unmercifully until they are exhausted and ineffective. The gift that Sully hides makes it even worse for him; he is an Empath, someone who can feel what others feel. One can imagine how devastating that would be in wartime.
Elliot tries to get Sully out of his mind, but thoughts of him keep creeping in. One night, Elliot appears in one of Sully's nightmares. Another of his abilities that he has kept secret is that he is a dream walker who can enter other people's dreams and "visit" with them. It's against Elliot's rules to do so without the other person's explicit permission, but Sully is so distressed that Elliot ignores them. He explains what is happening, although he realizes that Sully will not remember it when he wakes up.
Over the next several months, Elliot meets Sully in his dreams, soothing his fears and developing a relationship they didn't get a chance to have in their waking moments. The thing is, Elliot remembers their time together, Sully does not. As far as Sully is concerned, he feels the same way he did when they met. Elliot knows he should tell him, but it never seems to be the right time. When Sully inadvertently discovers the truth, he feels betrayed and manipulated. Elliot realizes what a colossal mistake keeping it from him has been. He wonders if there is any way he can repair the rift between them.
Vanessa has created a unique story combining historical and metaphysical elements. The relationship between Elliot and Sully was an intricate dance between reality and unreality, both hampered and enhanced by their gifts. The comfort Elliot provided Sully with his dream walking was a double-edged sword. Sully's empathy caused him to distrust his own feelings since he often had to separate them from those around him, making it hard to trust anyone else. Thanks, Vanessa, for your amazing portrayal of Elliot and Sully and the challenges they faced.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
Sully Sullivan, of 'Imperfect Illusions' by Vanessa Lawless, hid his “gifts” from the world for his entire life until the military discovered them and they drafted him. Sully's gift is his ability to shield the troops from the enemy. Before he ships out for Europe, he meets an extraordinary man, Elliot Stone, with whom he spends a night of unbridled passion, expecting they will never see each other again. But fate has different ideas.
Elliot was blackmailed into joining the military because they knew about his proclivities. Since he is from a well-to-do family, Elliot enters service as an officer. Elliot's gift is manipulating emotions in people to his advantage, a skill that could come in handy in war. The military stations Elliot and Sully at the exact same location for basic training. Communication is difficult because they are of different ranks, and it would be suspicious.
Sully is having a terrible time adjusting to military life. The powers-that-be don't care about what the men with extraordinary abilities do to help with the war effort. They run them ragged, overtaxing them unmercifully until they are exhausted and ineffective. The gift that Sully hides makes it even worse for him; he is an Empath, someone who can feel what others feel. One can imagine how devastating that would be in wartime.
Elliot tries to get Sully out of his mind, but thoughts of him keep creeping in. One night, Elliot appears in one of Sully's nightmares. Another of his abilities that he has kept secret is that he is a dream walker who can enter other people's dreams and "visit" with them. It's against Elliot's rules to do so without the other person's explicit permission, but Sully is so distressed that Elliot ignores them. He explains what is happening, although he realizes that Sully will not remember it when he wakes up.
Over the next several months, Elliot meets Sully in his dreams, soothing his fears and developing a relationship they didn't get a chance to have in their waking moments. The thing is, Elliot remembers their time together, Sully does not. As far as Sully is concerned, he feels the same way he did when they met. Elliot knows he should tell him, but it never seems to be the right time. When Sully inadvertently discovers the truth, he feels betrayed and manipulated. Elliot realizes what a colossal mistake keeping it from him has been. He wonders if there is any way he can repair the rift between them.
Vanessa has created a unique story combining historical and metaphysical elements. The relationship between Elliot and Sully was an intricate dance between reality and unreality, both hampered and enhanced by their gifts. The comfort Elliot provided Sully with his dream walking was a double-edged sword. Sully's empathy caused him to distrust his own feelings since he often had to separate them from those around him, making it hard to trust anyone else. Thanks, Vanessa, for your amazing portrayal of Elliot and Sully and the challenges they faced.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
October 8, 2022
4.5 out of 5 stars. Quite the debut novel, I was pleased to find that "Imperfect Illusions" was a thrill ride of a book with some great characters in Elliot and Sully. I was a bit leery of the idea of grafting a world of magic onto World War I, quite a tragic period, for an alternate history of sorts but found myself getting caught up in the story. More importantly, Lawless has managed to create a compelling novel with ambition, particularly through the character of Sully, who being an empath finds it hard to cope with the emotions inherent in the horrors of war.
The idea of the various gifts that the characters possess was an interesting one, particularly how the governments use them in war and how the character's gifts complement one another. A good part of the story is devoted to a magical boot camp of sorts as the characters train to use their abilities as weapons. But the talents particularly shine in Elliot's covert ops unit as they attempt to uncover the secrets of a magical German plot.
It seemed to take a while for the plot to get going but it was somewhat understandable as the author was establishing this world of magic and how the characters interacted. As they went to train, one could see the relationships begin to form. And Elliot's courtship of sorts of Sully in dreams was quite inspired. By the time the characters finally come together in Elliot's unit, the plot propels itself along quickly and the tension continues to build toward a showdown with some truly evil characters. The side characters really contribute a lot to the story, particularly Elliot's friend Bellona, who lives up to her nickname quite well. And Elliot's name I'm guessing was probably a homage to T.S. Eliot, writer of "The Wasteland". Indeed, several facets of the book appear to be inspired by several poets of the "lost generation" including Sassoon, Owen, and Auden.
I had a few quibbles with the book, including some of the prose at the beginning being a bit florid for my taste but as the book went on it seemed that it actually worked better. There were also a number of times that the American characters seemed to be a bit too British, including the slang they spoke. And finally, while there's a fair amount of angst in the book (how could it not considering the time period and subject matter?) it seemed that there was perhaps just a bit too much angst piled upon the character of Sully, particularly with his backstory.
Still, I'm willing to overlook these quibbles as I found this somewhat odd and ambitious book to be as compelling as it is. As it stands now, I wouldn't be surprised if it makes my personal list of top ten books of the year, and would definitely recommend it to readers looking for something a bit more thought provoking with an interesting riff on history.
The idea of the various gifts that the characters possess was an interesting one, particularly how the governments use them in war and how the character's gifts complement one another. A good part of the story is devoted to a magical boot camp of sorts as the characters train to use their abilities as weapons. But the talents particularly shine in Elliot's covert ops unit as they attempt to uncover the secrets of a magical German plot.
It seemed to take a while for the plot to get going but it was somewhat understandable as the author was establishing this world of magic and how the characters interacted. As they went to train, one could see the relationships begin to form. And Elliot's courtship of sorts of Sully in dreams was quite inspired. By the time the characters finally come together in Elliot's unit, the plot propels itself along quickly and the tension continues to build toward a showdown with some truly evil characters. The side characters really contribute a lot to the story, particularly Elliot's friend Bellona, who lives up to her nickname quite well. And Elliot's name I'm guessing was probably a homage to T.S. Eliot, writer of "The Wasteland". Indeed, several facets of the book appear to be inspired by several poets of the "lost generation" including Sassoon, Owen, and Auden.
I had a few quibbles with the book, including some of the prose at the beginning being a bit florid for my taste but as the book went on it seemed that it actually worked better. There were also a number of times that the American characters seemed to be a bit too British, including the slang they spoke. And finally, while there's a fair amount of angst in the book (how could it not considering the time period and subject matter?) it seemed that there was perhaps just a bit too much angst piled upon the character of Sully, particularly with his backstory.
Still, I'm willing to overlook these quibbles as I found this somewhat odd and ambitious book to be as compelling as it is. As it stands now, I wouldn't be surprised if it makes my personal list of top ten books of the year, and would definitely recommend it to readers looking for something a bit more thought provoking with an interesting riff on history.
October 5, 2022
I have been in a huge reading slump before starting this book so I was afraid my inability to enjoy anything I pick up might ruin it for me. But I shouldn't have worried, turns out the Vanora Lawless debut is exactly what I needed to have fun reading again. Yay! I basically inhaled this book in a sitting. I will be on the lookout for future releases for sure.
I have not read many books set in this period (1917), so I was happy to start something new (for me), with an added bonus of a bit of magic. And the cover! The cover is what initially grabbed my attention, what a tender image.
Elliot and Sully are both dragged into the war against their wishes, recruited into a special program for *skilled* soldiers. Bisexual and gay, they are both confident in their sexuality, and before going to training camp, they hookup with each other.
What I loved is the refreshing take on the whole "random hookup before obligation starts" trope. The very night they meet, they discuss how they are both headed for the same place, so they know they are going to see each other again. There's no oh-it's-you-what-are-you-doing-here awkwardness scene later in the training camp(which I love, one of my top tropes for sure, but it's still nice to see this handled differently).
Even though the story is set during war and follows the two soldiers, there is little focus on the war effort. Sure, there is talk of the war, they both go on different assignments, their lives are organized around training and fighting, but whatever happens, we never see the big picture, when they succeed in their assignments or they fail there are no consequences on the grand scale. And though I liked the focus on the relationship, I would have loved to see the world they exist in is not some kind of bubble detached from reality.
I liked how even though the book is set in the 1910's, there is little on-page homophobia, and the people around Elliot and Sully are very accepting and supportive, even though the only fleshed-out side character was Bellona. I hope we get to see more of the other members of the crew in the future books.
A small gripe I have is little exploration of the magic. I absolutely adore seeing how magic influences the society and how it changes the world at large. Here we only see small glimpses of how it can be used in warfare.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I have not read many books set in this period (1917), so I was happy to start something new (for me), with an added bonus of a bit of magic. And the cover! The cover is what initially grabbed my attention, what a tender image.
Elliot and Sully are both dragged into the war against their wishes, recruited into a special program for *skilled* soldiers. Bisexual and gay, they are both confident in their sexuality, and before going to training camp, they hookup with each other.
What I loved is the refreshing take on the whole "random hookup before obligation starts" trope. The very night they meet, they discuss how they are both headed for the same place, so they know they are going to see each other again. There's no oh-it's-you-what-are-you-doing-here awkwardness scene later in the training camp(which I love, one of my top tropes for sure, but it's still nice to see this handled differently).
Even though the story is set during war and follows the two soldiers, there is little focus on the war effort. Sure, there is talk of the war, they both go on different assignments, their lives are organized around training and fighting, but whatever happens, we never see the big picture, when they succeed in their assignments or they fail there are no consequences on the grand scale. And though I liked the focus on the relationship, I would have loved to see the world they exist in is not some kind of bubble detached from reality.
I liked how even though the book is set in the 1910's, there is little on-page homophobia, and the people around Elliot and Sully are very accepting and supportive, even though the only fleshed-out side character was Bellona. I hope we get to see more of the other members of the crew in the future books.
A small gripe I have is little exploration of the magic. I absolutely adore seeing how magic influences the society and how it changes the world at large. Here we only see small glimpses of how it can be used in warfare.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 20, 2023
Imperfect Illusions was dare I say, absolute perfection!
Vanora Lawless brilliantly blended the world of historical fiction and magical realism and tossed in a dash of romance (ok fine a lot more than a dash)to create one of the best books I’ve read this year!
I think one of the reasons this book was so successful (aside from the beautiful prose) was that the magic wasn’t all sparkles and wands and whispering spells! It all felt so plausible. And having a plausible magic system in the setting of WW1 is kind of terrifying. Imagine fighting an enemy who had the power to raise the dead or step into your dreams or cast an illusion to fool your senses! It would be absolutely catastrophic!
The two main characters, Elliot and Sully won me over instantly. Both “skilled” individuals aka those with magical abilities, they are forced into fighting in order to keep the powers that be from revealing their other secret, that they both enjoy the company of men. From the minute they meet on their last night of normality something clicks. Their chemistry is magical on its own and I couldn’t help dread where the story would take them. I rooted for them with my entire being! I’m still rooting for them!
Throughout the book we are introduced to other skilled soldiers and Lawless did such a fantastic job of rounding each character out and making you care. Which in a story that takes place during a war, is a dangerous thing to do!
Imperfect Illusions is an absolute must read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction or subtle magical realism. Hell it’s a must read even if you just enjoy romance because (and here’s where all my carefully thought out words go to die) whoooooooooeeeeee the romance was 🔥. The tension, pining, steam and whole forbidden love thing, good lord be still my damn heart!
READ IT!
Vanora Lawless brilliantly blended the world of historical fiction and magical realism and tossed in a dash of romance (ok fine a lot more than a dash)to create one of the best books I’ve read this year!
I think one of the reasons this book was so successful (aside from the beautiful prose) was that the magic wasn’t all sparkles and wands and whispering spells! It all felt so plausible. And having a plausible magic system in the setting of WW1 is kind of terrifying. Imagine fighting an enemy who had the power to raise the dead or step into your dreams or cast an illusion to fool your senses! It would be absolutely catastrophic!
The two main characters, Elliot and Sully won me over instantly. Both “skilled” individuals aka those with magical abilities, they are forced into fighting in order to keep the powers that be from revealing their other secret, that they both enjoy the company of men. From the minute they meet on their last night of normality something clicks. Their chemistry is magical on its own and I couldn’t help dread where the story would take them. I rooted for them with my entire being! I’m still rooting for them!
Throughout the book we are introduced to other skilled soldiers and Lawless did such a fantastic job of rounding each character out and making you care. Which in a story that takes place during a war, is a dangerous thing to do!
Imperfect Illusions is an absolute must read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction or subtle magical realism. Hell it’s a must read even if you just enjoy romance because (and here’s where all my carefully thought out words go to die) whoooooooooeeeeee the romance was 🔥. The tension, pining, steam and whole forbidden love thing, good lord be still my damn heart!
READ IT!
October 7, 2022
In the year 1917, the world is at war and the military is looking at those with gifts. Elliot Stone can produce terror or euphoria with a single touch, but he can also dream walk. Warren “Sully” Sullivan has the ability to produce illusions as well as sense emotions. On the night before they are due to ship out, both men decide to let off some steam and meet each other in a bar. Thinking it was an amazing one-night stand, they turned out to be wrong when they find themselves in the same training camp. Elliot also finds himself in Sully’s nightmares. He helps him and dream Sully begs him to come back; something cautious and closed off awake Sully would never do. Elliot lives for the dreams and when he gets the chance, recruits Sully for his unit of magic soldiers. But the danger does not end. It only gets worse.
It is so sad to imagine what men had to do during those years if they desired another man. They had to be constantly on guard because if caught, it was a court martial offense. In spite of this, men cannot resist being who they are, if given a chance. Elliot wanted Sully with all his heart, but Sully grew up in a tough environment and did not trust. This battle was up hill as the two found themselves depending on each other during missions. Your heart will go out to them and other men like them for having to be careful about who they love. Imperfect Illusion is excellently written with wonderful characters, both Sully and Elliot and the others we meet. The plot is very well thought and quite terrifying in many ways. I look forward to more from this author.
It is so sad to imagine what men had to do during those years if they desired another man. They had to be constantly on guard because if caught, it was a court martial offense. In spite of this, men cannot resist being who they are, if given a chance. Elliot wanted Sully with all his heart, but Sully grew up in a tough environment and did not trust. This battle was up hill as the two found themselves depending on each other during missions. Your heart will go out to them and other men like them for having to be careful about who they love. Imperfect Illusion is excellently written with wonderful characters, both Sully and Elliot and the others we meet. The plot is very well thought and quite terrifying in many ways. I look forward to more from this author.
January 2, 2023
I’ll start off by saying that I’m usually not a historical romance reader but something about the description and the cover (love illustrated covers!) said to give it a chance. I’m glad I did-this is an interesting historical romance with a magical feel to it and can’t wait to read the follow up.
Warren and Elliot are blackmailed into entering the war based on their magical talents being discovered as well as their sexuality. In order to prevent the government from going after their respective families and friends, they both decide to enter the draft in vastly different capacities. After their brief time together during their last night before the draft, they never expect to see each other again and this sets up such an interesting story between the war trauma Warren faces, the spy and intrigue Elliot deals with and the romance between the two of them. I really thought this story was unique in its own way and glad I took a chance to read it. Both MCs are well developed and the secondary characters are also very interesting and good additions to the story.
Very curious as to where the author takes the story from the ending of this book and looking forward to reading more from them in the future. I received an early copy of this book from GRR and this is my honest and fair review.
Warren and Elliot are blackmailed into entering the war based on their magical talents being discovered as well as their sexuality. In order to prevent the government from going after their respective families and friends, they both decide to enter the draft in vastly different capacities. After their brief time together during their last night before the draft, they never expect to see each other again and this sets up such an interesting story between the war trauma Warren faces, the spy and intrigue Elliot deals with and the romance between the two of them. I really thought this story was unique in its own way and glad I took a chance to read it. Both MCs are well developed and the secondary characters are also very interesting and good additions to the story.
Very curious as to where the author takes the story from the ending of this book and looking forward to reading more from them in the future. I received an early copy of this book from GRR and this is my honest and fair review.
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