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Torus Intercession #4
The Fix Is In
How can a man who doesn’t believe in things that go bump in the night possibly protect a man who does?
It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.
But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.
Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.
Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.
It’s safe to say that Shaw James is a pragmatist who has no patience for anything but the facts. He is good at assessing threats and focusing on a clear objective when he goes out on a job for Torus Intercession. But he hasn’t had to be a detective before, it’s all brand new, so why his boss chose him to figure out who may, or may not, be trying to kill Benjamin Grace is beyond him. Protecting a paranormal investigator from whoever—or whatever—may be trying to kill him is completely out of Shaw’s wheelhouse, and how is he supposed to help find an attacker when the guy he’s sent to protect maintains that the threat is ghostly in origin? It’s insane, and Shaw does not do insane. Benjamin Grace is going to be a problem.
But Benji is nothing at all like Shaw imagined he’d be, and the fixer is spellbound from their first meeting. Benji is kind and can laugh at himself, doesn’t take things too seriously, and, more than anything, he wants to help everyone. The man is inarguably Shaw’s polar opposite, and he brings out every protective instinct in Shaw. Best of all, though, is that Benji seems every bit as enchanted by the man sent to protect him.
Together, Benji and Shaw must work to figure out what’s happening in the small town of Rune, Oregon, and it quickly proves more difficult than it should be to keep Benji alive. When it goes from difficult to seemingly impossible, Shaw packs Benji up and takes him back home to Chicago where the most frightening thing is Shaw’s own big, loud, loving, and overly-invested-in-his-love-life family who can’t seem to resist meddling in his affairs.
Or not. Turns out the scariest thing might just be Benji, the guy who seems perfect for Shaw.
Audible Audio
First published December 29, 2021
171 people are currently reading
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About the author
Mary Calmes
125 books5,016 followersMary Calmes believes in romance, happily ever afters, and the faith it takes for her characters to get there. She bleeds coffee, thinks chocolate should be its own food group, and currently lives in Kentucky with a six-pound furry ninja that protects her from baby birds, spiders and the neighbor’s dogs. To stay up to date on her ponderings and pandemonium (as well as the adventures of the ninja) follow her on Twitter @MaryCalmes, connect with her on Facebook, and subscribe to her Mary’s Mob newsletter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
December 31, 2021
Honest, maybe unpopular opinion 😋:
There is nothing wrong when an author writes very predictable characters, with almost predictable storylines almost all the time.
In this case, Mary Calmes and her "everybody-loves-me-I-am-the-best-human-in-this-world" main character, who falls in love with the "sorta-misguided-but-you-guessed-it-everyone-also-loves-me" other main character.
It's comforting because when things change around you, and moments feel uncertain, you are, at least, assured of the fact that Mary Calmes' work is safe from the constancy of change. And amidst the "too-many-secondary-characters-that-it's-sometimes-difficult-to-catch-up" and the "wait-is-he-having-a-three-minute-inner-monologue-while-staring-directly-at-someone?", there is a precious love (mostly, instalove, I'm talking within 48 hours) story that gives you all the warm fuzzies. I'm here for all of it!
5 stars for the comfort her books provide 🥰
There is nothing wrong when an author writes very predictable characters, with almost predictable storylines almost all the time.
In this case, Mary Calmes and her "everybody-loves-me-I-am-the-best-human-in-this-world" main character, who falls in love with the "sorta-misguided-but-you-guessed-it-everyone-also-loves-me" other main character.
It's comforting because when things change around you, and moments feel uncertain, you are, at least, assured of the fact that Mary Calmes' work is safe from the constancy of change. And amidst the "too-many-secondary-characters-that-it's-sometimes-difficult-to-catch-up" and the "wait-is-he-having-a-three-minute-inner-monologue-while-staring-directly-at-someone?", there is a precious love (mostly, instalove, I'm talking within 48 hours) story that gives you all the warm fuzzies. I'm here for all of it!
5 stars for the comfort her books provide 🥰
January 27, 2025
“I could imagine myself at home instead of on this whack-a-doodle assignment.” - Shaw James
A down-to-earth realist of a man, who is also a paranormal investigator, and a dyed in the wool believer in the paranormal, are the two guys destined to get together in this fourth book in the "Torus Intercession" series.
You would think that since Shaw James is the "seventh son of a seventh son", he should have been more of a believer in the possibility of the supernatural based on just that, blended with his Scottish ancestry that should have only added even more to the possibility. But Shaw had grown up in a family that believed "absolutely none of that nonsense". Benji Grace, on the other hand, truly believes to the depths of his soul, in the possibility of spirits, ghosts, and demonic intervention. Shaw loves his steaks and Benji is a die-hard vegetarian. Shaw is a very large man and Benji is small. The two men couldn't have been more opposite if they tried.
Shaw and the other men that work at Torus Intersessions are absolutely convinced that, Jared Coulter, their boss, seems to pick and assign them their jobs somehow, so that each man gets the job they absolutely DID NOT...never in a million years... want. Jared appears to be not only a good boss but also a matchmaker disguised as a "fixer". It's worked so far since each of the men in the last three books have ended up with the "love of their life" after being assigned to that particular case.
This time Jared has Shaw heading to Rune, Oregon, a little coastal town, to protect Benji, the paranormal investigator, who seems to be the target of someone wanting him either injured or killed. Either will do. Shaw sums his feelings up fairly well when he comments... “I was so out of my depth with him. Talking to him, being around him, everything was so easy. It made no sense.” I knew that Shaw was a "goner" long before he did. Figured that he might as well give in and prepare to kiss his single life goodbye.
There is some mystery & suspense in the story, and it is very well done, but the true delight comes from the love connection between Shaw and Benji. Benji is convinced it’s because they’ve known each other in a previous life, while Shaw is just trying to figure out why he’s so comfortable with this man right from the start, since that is NOT his normal reaction to a client.... EVER.
I definitely could have had more interaction with Shaw’s huge, delightful, and wacky family. There was so much happiness and hilarity among them. I absolutely loved his six brothers. Actually... I enjoyed every moment of this book and look forward to the next one. Thanks to this talented author for bringing us such wonderful guys thus far in this series...hope you have many more Torus books in your head, Ms. Calmes, that can go on paper. Alas, probably not.
A down-to-earth realist of a man, who is also a paranormal investigator, and a dyed in the wool believer in the paranormal, are the two guys destined to get together in this fourth book in the "Torus Intercession" series.
You would think that since Shaw James is the "seventh son of a seventh son", he should have been more of a believer in the possibility of the supernatural based on just that, blended with his Scottish ancestry that should have only added even more to the possibility. But Shaw had grown up in a family that believed "absolutely none of that nonsense". Benji Grace, on the other hand, truly believes to the depths of his soul, in the possibility of spirits, ghosts, and demonic intervention. Shaw loves his steaks and Benji is a die-hard vegetarian. Shaw is a very large man and Benji is small. The two men couldn't have been more opposite if they tried.
Shaw and the other men that work at Torus Intersessions are absolutely convinced that, Jared Coulter, their boss, seems to pick and assign them their jobs somehow, so that each man gets the job they absolutely DID NOT...never in a million years... want. Jared appears to be not only a good boss but also a matchmaker disguised as a "fixer". It's worked so far since each of the men in the last three books have ended up with the "love of their life" after being assigned to that particular case.
This time Jared has Shaw heading to Rune, Oregon, a little coastal town, to protect Benji, the paranormal investigator, who seems to be the target of someone wanting him either injured or killed. Either will do. Shaw sums his feelings up fairly well when he comments... “I was so out of my depth with him. Talking to him, being around him, everything was so easy. It made no sense.” I knew that Shaw was a "goner" long before he did. Figured that he might as well give in and prepare to kiss his single life goodbye.
There is some mystery & suspense in the story, and it is very well done, but the true delight comes from the love connection between Shaw and Benji. Benji is convinced it’s because they’ve known each other in a previous life, while Shaw is just trying to figure out why he’s so comfortable with this man right from the start, since that is NOT his normal reaction to a client.... EVER.
I definitely could have had more interaction with Shaw’s huge, delightful, and wacky family. There was so much happiness and hilarity among them. I absolutely loved his six brothers. Actually... I enjoyed every moment of this book and look forward to the next one. Thanks to this talented author for bringing us such wonderful guys thus far in this series...hope you have many more Torus books in your head, Ms. Calmes, that can go on paper. Alas, probably not.
July 17, 2023
I’m a Mary Stan, but this was a bit much even for her. 🤷🏽♀️
December 31, 2021
3.5
So the last book I'm reading in 2021 is The Fix Is In. It's for Calmes's standards strangely straight-forward and tame but her characters are showing still the charming craziness that I come to expect.
What decided to round the rating down was the mystery resolution. That went down with Shaw and Benji leaving for Chicago. I surely get their reason for doing so but it didn't sit well with me to leave the scene and then the final resolution came so out of the left field (after Owen supposedly checked all people) and was so unbelievable there was no way to round it up. Didn't matter that I enjoyed the -too short- family scenes.
So the last book I'm reading in 2021 is The Fix Is In. It's for Calmes's standards strangely straight-forward and tame but her characters are showing still the charming craziness that I come to expect.
What decided to round the rating down was the mystery resolution. That went down with Shaw and Benji leaving for Chicago. I surely get their reason for doing so but it didn't sit well with me to leave the scene and then the final resolution came so out of the left field (after Owen supposedly checked all people) and was so unbelievable there was no way to round it up. Didn't matter that I enjoyed the -too short- family scenes.
May 21, 2022
I love this series. Great characters. I want more.
October 16, 2024
Everything I wanted!
This series is so fun. It’s got action and a bit of mystery but focuses mostly on the romance, which verges on instalove but I have no complaints. This one had size difference and protectiveness and lots of swoony moments. I loved it!
This series is so fun. It’s got action and a bit of mystery but focuses mostly on the romance, which verges on instalove but I have no complaints. This one had size difference and protectiveness and lots of swoony moments. I loved it!
April 1, 2024
So good. I didn't see that ending. At all
January 8, 2022
TORUS 4
Shaw and Benji are a cute couple, I especially liked that Benji is over 40, but I'll admit the insta love required a lot of suspension of disbelief. My favorite parts were Shaw with the Torus crew, and Shaw and Benji with Shaw's family. I enjoy the series and I'm looking forward to more adventures.
Shaw and Benji are a cute couple, I especially liked that Benji is over 40, but I'll admit the insta love required a lot of suspension of disbelief. My favorite parts were Shaw with the Torus crew, and Shaw and Benji with Shaw's family. I enjoy the series and I'm looking forward to more adventures.
did-not-finish
August 15, 2025DNF at 25%. This Insta situation isn't working for me. It's obvious that we're supposed to think that they've fallen for each other but they don't work together. There's no reason for a connection. It's just weird!
February 18, 2022
Just as good as the rest of this series! Can't wait for the rest of the team to meet their significant other ^^
January 1, 2022
Oh man, this just did it for me. I loved it. It is everything that I love about Mary and I could not put it down.
I wasn't sure about Torus at first, but now, four books in, I'm all about them and can't wait for more of their stories.
This is the first of the stories where we ended up back in Chicago and I like that it did. I would hate for Jared to lose all his team!
I loved the touch of paranormal too. Nice touch.
Yeah! Such a great end of the year read.
I wasn't sure about Torus at first, but now, four books in, I'm all about them and can't wait for more of their stories.
This is the first of the stories where we ended up back in Chicago and I like that it did. I would hate for Jared to lose all his team!
I loved the touch of paranormal too. Nice touch.
Yeah! Such a great end of the year read.
December 30, 2021
As much as I adore Mary Calmes books, this one was just meh for me. I missed the trademarks that make her books so special. Shaw and Benji seemed to drift rapidly into a relationship based on nothing really. It was fine but not one of the compulsively rereadable books elsewhere in her backlist.
June 17, 2022
A very enjoyable book 4 in the Torus Intercession world of bodyguards. In fact, this was so enjoyable, I will keep reading if the author keeps the series going.
In this installment, Shaw is the bodyguard, Benji is the protectee. He's a psychiatrist but runs a little paranormal investigation business in a small, damp town in Oregon. He's found that his desire to help people is better suited to ridding them of ghosts than to sitting in an office listening to their stories, for which his solutions are more passive than active. I really liked Benji. Though 42, he looked to be mid twenties, had a slim build and a sweet personality. Shaw was his opposite in build and a loner by personality but he too liked to fix people, hence his job as a fixer with Torus.
Together, their chemistry was perfect but the two danced around each other for a few days with Shaw insisting he was on the job and not going to jump right into bed. What I appreciated is that they didn't end up in a bedroom until 80% into the story. And yes, when they did it was hot, but it wasn't the focus of the book. The mystery of a young man's disappearance and the mystery of who was trying to hurt Benji took center stage. And I very much appreciated that.
In this installment, Shaw is the bodyguard, Benji is the protectee. He's a psychiatrist but runs a little paranormal investigation business in a small, damp town in Oregon. He's found that his desire to help people is better suited to ridding them of ghosts than to sitting in an office listening to their stories, for which his solutions are more passive than active. I really liked Benji. Though 42, he looked to be mid twenties, had a slim build and a sweet personality. Shaw was his opposite in build and a loner by personality but he too liked to fix people, hence his job as a fixer with Torus.
Together, their chemistry was perfect but the two danced around each other for a few days with Shaw insisting he was on the job and not going to jump right into bed. What I appreciated is that they didn't end up in a bedroom until 80% into the story. And yes, when they did it was hot, but it wasn't the focus of the book. The mystery of a young man's disappearance and the mystery of who was trying to hurt Benji took center stage. And I very much appreciated that.
January 2, 2022
What do you even say anymore? Mary is- and always will be- Mary and I've just accepted that. Two things though, Marshals are ongoing?! And, I cannot wait for Rais' gay for you moment with Nash! I think Mary's gonna drag this out by doing Cooper's book first and then Nash and finally Jared but these books are so darn comforting that I don't even mind the heartbreaking wait.
January 2, 2022
Mi trope favorito es el romance sin plot, con la pareja casi pasándose de cursi y fin 😂💜
January 26, 2022
✮4 Stars✮
January 18, 2022
4.7 stars
June 22, 2022
Two and a half stars rounded up to three. Mary Calmes is one of my go to authors. Her books just resonate with me. In fact, I have loved the other books in this series. I’ve given each of the first three books four stars. Somehow this one just felt a little off.
I should have loved Shaw. He’s the huge butch man that I’m always attracted to, and Beni is just a little sweetie. I just didn’t feel their attraction. I also wasn’t inspired by the plot. Benji’s ghost hunting business didn’t work, and the person attacking him seemed obvious.
I should have loved Shaw. He’s the huge butch man that I’m always attracted to, and Beni is just a little sweetie. I just didn’t feel their attraction. I also wasn’t inspired by the plot. Benji’s ghost hunting business didn’t work, and the person attacking him seemed obvious.
June 4, 2024
Bellissima e divertente storia di acchiappa fantasmi, paranormale, marjuana, anfetamine, colpi di scena, attentati alla vita...😅
Shaw James, fixer della Torus Intercession, oltre che fare la guardia del corpo deve scoprire chi cerca di uccidere Benjamin Grace, un investigatore del paranormale.
La situazione è molto difficile, ma la scintilla tra i due uomini è scoccata!
💖💖💖💖💖💋
Shaw James, fixer della Torus Intercession, oltre che fare la guardia del corpo deve scoprire chi cerca di uccidere Benjamin Grace, un investigatore del paranormale.
La situazione è molto difficile, ma la scintilla tra i due uomini è scoccata!
💖💖💖💖💖💋
December 15, 2025
4.5 stars
October 28, 2024
Syzygy, opposites making it work…
Syzygy, opposites make it work, is what we find with Shaw and Benji !
* Shaw, 6’5”, 260, a Marine for 18 years, retired and working for Tori’s Intercession, must pop protect Benji from threats.
* Benjamin, a nice, happy guy, who likes to help people, is a Paranormal Activiyy Specialist, who has been threatened and shot at, and it’s not from a ghost !
Local law won’t protect him, so Jared sends Shaw. He questions the folks all around, to learn the stories. When Shaw sees Benji being attacked and bullied, it’s 3-1, so he steps in.
Benji thinks he doesn’t need a bodyguard, but he likes Shaw right away. Shaw is drawn to Benji also. The anticipation is super.
A lot goes on with gunshots, stalking, weird incidents, and explosion, and more. Shaw is more convinced it’s serious each attack. The two flirt, but Shaw is leaving when the mystery is solved, but who knows?
Shaw decides to take Benji to Chicago, to meet his family, and be close to more help from work. Their hot sex is wonderful and we get the super sizzle we’ve been waiting for. With a great wrap up, we are happy.
ENJOY !
====
Syzygy, opposites make it work, is what we find with Shaw and Benji !
* Shaw, 6’5”, 260, a Marine for 18 years, retired and working for Tori’s Intercession, must pop protect Benji from threats.
* Benjamin, a nice, happy guy, who likes to help people, is a Paranormal Activiyy Specialist, who has been threatened and shot at, and it’s not from a ghost !
Local law won’t protect him, so Jared sends Shaw. He questions the folks all around, to learn the stories. When Shaw sees Benji being attacked and bullied, it’s 3-1, so he steps in.
Benji thinks he doesn’t need a bodyguard, but he likes Shaw right away. Shaw is drawn to Benji also. The anticipation is super.
A lot goes on with gunshots, stalking, weird incidents, and explosion, and more. Shaw is more convinced it’s serious each attack. The two flirt, but Shaw is leaving when the mystery is solved, but who knows?
Shaw decides to take Benji to Chicago, to meet his family, and be close to more help from work. Their hot sex is wonderful and we get the super sizzle we’ve been waiting for. With a great wrap up, we are happy.
ENJOY !
====
January 23, 2022
3 1/2 stars
While The Fix Is In isn’t my favourite read from this author, I really liked the main couple Shaw & Benji. Their relationship moves super fast, but they were very sweet together. Shaw is all about finding rational explanations for events ( which he does very successfully ). Shaw is so cynical, yet he shows this cynicism so nicely.
Meanwhile Benji heads first towards a more paranormal explanation to help explain all of the events that are occurring around him. While Benji maybe a paranormal investigator, he really doesn’t have much luck finding paranormal activity considering how quickly Shaw was able to find explanations for some of the investigations they are called out on.
I also LOVED Shaw’s family - he’s the youngest in a big, loving family with parents & siblings happy to interfere with his life.
While The Fix Is In isn’t my favourite read from this author, I really liked the main couple Shaw & Benji. Their relationship moves super fast, but they were very sweet together. Shaw is all about finding rational explanations for events ( which he does very successfully ). Shaw is so cynical, yet he shows this cynicism so nicely.
Meanwhile Benji heads first towards a more paranormal explanation to help explain all of the events that are occurring around him. While Benji maybe a paranormal investigator, he really doesn’t have much luck finding paranormal activity considering how quickly Shaw was able to find explanations for some of the investigations they are called out on.
I also LOVED Shaw’s family - he’s the youngest in a big, loving family with parents & siblings happy to interfere with his life.
January 9, 2022
I'm actually still skimming through this one but I have to say I've become completely disenchanted with Mary's stories because not even her smooth writing couldn't keep my attention here.
From the moment Shaw reached Rune and the whole thing with Delly and her parents happened I checked out of the story and started skimming just to reach the point where the story happens... well around 30% some plot started happening but really what keeps me skimming is how the whole thing of Benji's will turn around, especially with how many times Shaw has said he and his family are pragmatists.
Anyways I think here is where I'll step back from MC and wish her good luck and fortune with her future releases (although I might make a liar of myself and give more of her future releases a whirl).
From the moment Shaw reached Rune and the whole thing with Delly and her parents happened I checked out of the story and started skimming just to reach the point where the story happens... well around 30% some plot started happening but really what keeps me skimming is how the whole thing of Benji's will turn around, especially with how many times Shaw has said he and his family are pragmatists.
Anyways I think here is where I'll step back from MC and wish her good luck and fortune with her future releases (although I might make a liar of myself and give more of her future releases a whirl).
August 31, 2022
4.5 stars
Loved this. Easy to read and follow. I liked that the MCs stepped around each other but there wasn't a heap of resistance to being together. One is highly practical and down to earth; the other is artistic and a bit of dreamer, despite being a psychiatrist. Their adventures in Rune, Oregon I loved the dichotomy of opposites throughout.
Narrated by Tristan James. Perfect.
Loved this. Easy to read and follow. I liked that the MCs stepped around each other but there wasn't a heap of resistance to being together. One is highly practical and down to earth; the other is artistic and a bit of dreamer, despite being a psychiatrist. Their adventures in Rune, Oregon I loved the dichotomy of opposites throughout.
Narrated by Tristan James. Perfect.
January 2, 2022
Love the Series, Shaw James is a terrific character
Rating: 3.5🌈
The Fix Is In is the fourth book in Mary Calmes’ Torus Investigations series and it’s probably my least favorite of the group to date.
Surprisingly because this one sort of breaks a number of patterns set out in all the previous novels and it includes a circle of friends and support characters that I really got into.
Shaw James, seventh son of a seventh Scottish son and Torus fixer, has been handed a new case from his boss’ idea of helping people who can’t normally afford their expensive services by doing pro bono work on a selective basis.
His new assignment involves rainy Oregon, and a paranormal investigator that someone seems to feel might be in danger.
The character of Shaw James is splendid . He’s not what I term a typical Calmes golden boy but I do love the character traits she gave him and the personality as well as family history that makes Shaw so interesting and attractive. He’s terrific and incredibly likable immediately.
The small town he arrives at feels realistically sodden and uncomfortable (I’d leave). And the towns citizens are what I’d expect of some of the Pacific Northwest small townships…quirky, interesting, a patchwork of humanity. Calmes really does a excellent job here in getting a feel for life as in this area and it’s people.
Even the investigations into the potential “ghostly scares” that the other main character, Benjamin Grace and tiny crew, are inquiring about, are done with equal amounts of respect, seriousness, and a smidge of humor.
So my issue? Sigh. It’s that for the majority of the story, I felt that Benjamin Grace is or was an absolute dunderhead. A twit of the biggest proportions! Honestly, there were so many times I just wanted to smack him myself. The man was as clueless as can be. A kindergartner would have glommed onto the facts around him, seen the lightbulb going off over his head, and not been a total nit about things!
He withholds important information from everyone all the time!
Outside of Monty Python, when did idiocy become so attractive?
Good thing everyone and everything is so good that I worked overtime to ignore Benny there. He’s not even one of the typical “golden boys” but a cousin. Many, many …… many times removed.
Trust me, Benjamin is a character I feel just didn’t work.
Calmes does break a pattern here with her formula for the series which makes me think she’s setting up her next novel in the series and it’s couple.
Needed to get them out and away.
I look forward to that one.
I’ve enjoyed this series and if you’re a Mary Calmes fan, I know you have too. I’ve listed the series below in case you’ve missed any. Check them out.
Torus Intercession series:
No Quick Fix #1
In A Fix #2
Fix It Up #3
The Fix Is In #4
Rating: 3.5🌈
The Fix Is In is the fourth book in Mary Calmes’ Torus Investigations series and it’s probably my least favorite of the group to date.
Surprisingly because this one sort of breaks a number of patterns set out in all the previous novels and it includes a circle of friends and support characters that I really got into.
Shaw James, seventh son of a seventh Scottish son and Torus fixer, has been handed a new case from his boss’ idea of helping people who can’t normally afford their expensive services by doing pro bono work on a selective basis.
His new assignment involves rainy Oregon, and a paranormal investigator that someone seems to feel might be in danger.
The character of Shaw James is splendid . He’s not what I term a typical Calmes golden boy but I do love the character traits she gave him and the personality as well as family history that makes Shaw so interesting and attractive. He’s terrific and incredibly likable immediately.
The small town he arrives at feels realistically sodden and uncomfortable (I’d leave). And the towns citizens are what I’d expect of some of the Pacific Northwest small townships…quirky, interesting, a patchwork of humanity. Calmes really does a excellent job here in getting a feel for life as in this area and it’s people.
Even the investigations into the potential “ghostly scares” that the other main character, Benjamin Grace and tiny crew, are inquiring about, are done with equal amounts of respect, seriousness, and a smidge of humor.
So my issue? Sigh. It’s that for the majority of the story, I felt that Benjamin Grace is or was an absolute dunderhead. A twit of the biggest proportions! Honestly, there were so many times I just wanted to smack him myself. The man was as clueless as can be. A kindergartner would have glommed onto the facts around him, seen the lightbulb going off over his head, and not been a total nit about things!
He withholds important information from everyone all the time!
Outside of Monty Python, when did idiocy become so attractive?
Good thing everyone and everything is so good that I worked overtime to ignore Benny there. He’s not even one of the typical “golden boys” but a cousin. Many, many …… many times removed.
Trust me, Benjamin is a character I feel just didn’t work.
Calmes does break a pattern here with her formula for the series which makes me think she’s setting up her next novel in the series and it’s couple.
Needed to get them out and away.
I look forward to that one.
I’ve enjoyed this series and if you’re a Mary Calmes fan, I know you have too. I’ve listed the series below in case you’ve missed any. Check them out.
Torus Intercession series:
No Quick Fix #1
In A Fix #2
Fix It Up #3
The Fix Is In #4
February 3, 2022
Reading Benji caused a distracting mental echo that took me a little while to pinpoint (Josue from MC’s Marshals #3, not an issue as both characters are extremely adorable). A worthwhile addition to the Fixers series (I’ll probably reread it in a couple of days), and I think the best case I’ve seen in some time of the cover matching the character description. This book ended with some significant changes at Torus which I expect may increase the scope for additional stories.
January 5, 2022
4.5 stars - This isn't my usual style of writing a review, but it seems easier for this one.
What I liked about this story:
• Shaw's handling of each incident that's presented as paranormal but turns out to have a very practical explanation. He's so respectful when presenting alternate solutions.
• Benji. Ok, well, he's adorable, a klutz (something I can relate to), strong, patient, sexy, generous, and has a sense of humor.
• Scenes where one ends up yelling at the other (and it's equal opportunity who's doing which part) and the response basically comes down to why are you yelling? I hear you.
• The mystery
• Insta-love (done right), soul mates, fated mates if you will - some of my favorite moments are with Shaw just pausing to do a systems check (is this really happening? why yes it is, and I'm okay with that) and Benji being there to support and ease him along.
• I appreciated the time-line reminders occasionally because I would forget that it had only been so long with all that had happened.
• The secondary characters and their interactions with the main characters, especially Sian.
I'm looking forward to the next story in this series, or really anything from this author.
What I liked about this story:
• Shaw's handling of each incident that's presented as paranormal but turns out to have a very practical explanation. He's so respectful when presenting alternate solutions.
• Benji. Ok, well, he's adorable, a klutz (something I can relate to), strong, patient, sexy, generous, and has a sense of humor.
• Scenes where one ends up yelling at the other (and it's equal opportunity who's doing which part) and the response basically comes down to why are you yelling? I hear you.
• The mystery
• Insta-love (done right), soul mates, fated mates if you will - some of my favorite moments are with Shaw just pausing to do a systems check (is this really happening? why yes it is, and I'm okay with that) and Benji being there to support and ease him along.
• I appreciated the time-line reminders occasionally because I would forget that it had only been so long with all that had happened.
• The secondary characters and their interactions with the main characters, especially Sian.
I'm looking forward to the next story in this series, or really anything from this author.
September 15, 2022
This story feels scattered and rushed. Like the author brainstormed a laundry list of possible antagonists, then decided to include them all because more is better.
In the rush to squeeze all that crazy plot and a major case of insta-love into 250 pages, the book fails to resolve lots of issues - are ghosts real? is the paranormal investigator just crazy? did they have a past life together?
I generally like the characters, I generally enjoy formulaic bodyguard stories, but wish the book concentrated more on the characters, rather than creating a rollercoaster plot. As it is, the characters are somewhat inconsistent and erratic, the plot is busy, and the timeframe is compressed.
Despite the good points, I wouldn’t recommend the book. There are plenty of bodyguard and/or ghost stories out there that are more complete than this one.
In the rush to squeeze all that crazy plot and a major case of insta-love into 250 pages, the book fails to resolve lots of issues - are ghosts real? is the paranormal investigator just crazy? did they have a past life together?
I generally like the characters, I generally enjoy formulaic bodyguard stories, but wish the book concentrated more on the characters, rather than creating a rollercoaster plot. As it is, the characters are somewhat inconsistent and erratic, the plot is busy, and the timeframe is compressed.
Despite the good points, I wouldn’t recommend the book. There are plenty of bodyguard and/or ghost stories out there that are more complete than this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2022
I'm calling it, another DNF, flatlined. I just can't seem to get behind the author's books anymore. Used to be a go to favorite, now I struggle to get through the book. I've pushed and pushed to get to this one and made it about halfway through with these characters but I just can't. Soooo freaking annoying. Oblivious Mc who is 'amazing' and seems to be able to figure everything out and everyone out easily but doesn't seem to know how awesome he apparently is. And the love interest is a big puddle of goo who just melts all over the guy. So done.
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