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Review: Ravensong by TJ Klune

Ravensong

by TJ Klune
Series: Green Creek #2
Pub: July 31, 2018
Genre(s): fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, lgbt/queer, m/m romance, shapeshifters/werewolves, adult fiction
4.5 stars



The Bennett family has a secret: They're not just a family, they're a pack. Ravensong is Gordo Livingstone's story.

Gordo Livingstone never forgot the lessons carved into his skin. Hardened by the betrayal of a pack that left him behind, he sought solace in the garage in his tiny mountain town, vowing never again to involve himself in the affairs of wolves.

It should have been enough.

It was, until the wolves came back, and with them, Mark Bennett. And when his town is caught in the jaws of a beast, Gordo is summoned back into the life that left him.

“Gordo, you must rise. For your pack. For us. I must ask you to become the witch to the wolves.”

Now, a year later, Gordo has once again found himself the witch of the Bennett pack. Green Creek has settled after the death of Richard Collins, and Gordo constantly struggles to ignore Mark and the song that howls between them.

But time is running out. Something is coming. And this time, it’s coming from within.


The Green Creek Series is for adult readers.

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Wolfsong, the first book in the Green Creek series, was an unforgettable reading experience. Because of that, I went into Ravensong with such high expectations, but most of all I was just happy to be returning to the Bennett pack (packpackpack). It felt like coming home (homehomehome). #IYKYK

 

Gordo was still a child when his father began adding the tattooed runes to his arms and teaching him what it meant to be the witch for a powerful werewolf pack. His mother told him things, too – you can’t trust a wolf, they don’t love you, they need you, they use you. But the Bennett pack was like family – especially Mark. While he may have once been strange and annoying, shadowing Gordo everywhere he went, they became friends – with the promise of more.

 

“I’m making sure you’re safe.”

I took a step back. “From what?”

He shrugged, looking more awkward than I’d ever seen him. “From… like. You know. Bad guys. And stuff.”

 

Tragedy struck, leaving Gordo without both mother and father, but the Bennett’s were there. Taking him in, providing home and family, love and support. But even that did not last. The Bennett’s left Green Creek, and Gordo. There were promises that they would come back for him, that he was loved, that he was still theirs. But all Gordo knew was that he was being left, he wasn’t enough, and he was being betrayed by the one person he never thought was capable of such a thing.

 

“They don’t trust me. And since they don’t trust me, you are leaving me here. You chose them over me.”

“No, Gordo. Never that. I would never –“

“Then stay here.”

 

Over the years, Gordo’s hurt and feelings of betrayal turned to anger. It was easier to be angry than deal with the pain of abandonment. And when the Bennett pack finally returned to Green Creek, he kept his distance, his anger creating a wall between them. When circumstances pulled him back into the Bennett pack, he had to question what he knew of the past and how it had shaped his life. And when danger encroached the bounds of Green Creek, Gordo was tested in ways he could never have imagined.

 

Ravensong delved deep into Gordo’s past and covered the years during the pack’s absence, especially his complicated relationship with Mark Bennett. Gordo, a man who begged to be chosen, wanted (“Right now. Here. Choose me. Mark, I’m asking you, for once in your life, to choose me.”) and Mark, a man who had to make an impossible choice that had lasting consequences. Gordo and Mark were characters who both made great sacrifices for those they loved and those sacrifices changed them. But despite time and distance and anger and hurt, their bond was always there.

 

I thought of a boy with eyes of ice telling me that he loved me, that he didn’t want to leave again but he had to, his Alpha was demanding it, and he would come back for me, Gordo, you have to believe I’ll come back for you. You are my mate, I love you, I love you, I love you.

 

As compelling as the plot was (intrigue, adventure, betrayal, suspense), it was the characters that kept me turning the pages. This cast of characters embodied the spirit of family and friendship and loyalty, even when tested under the most extreme circumstances. When war was brought to their doorstep, all differences were set aside and they came together as a united front.

 

“You are not alone, Gordo. And I promise you that you never will be.”

 

It is impossible for me not to compare Ravensong and Wolfsong. And while Gordo’s stranglehold on his anger over the years sometimes made me yearn for the sweetness and softness of Joe and Ox (from Wolfsong), I understood it came from a place of hurt. And let’s not forget that Gordo was also a total badass (“You done f*cked up. You would do well to start running now. Because the last time someone came for our pack, he ended up getting his head torn off.”). All in all, Ravensong delivered an incredible tale of family in all its forms, the lengths some will go to to protect them, and a love that can overcome it all. I will return to the Bennett family again and again. 4.5 stars

Art credit: unknown

Have you read Ravensong?

Review: Wolfsong by TJ Klune

 

Wolfsong

by TJ Klune
Series: Green Creek #1
Pub: June 20, 2016
Genre(s): fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, lgbt/queer, m/m romance, shapeshifters/werewolves, adult fiction
5 stars



The Bennett family has a secret: They're not just a family, they're a pack. Wolfsong is Ox Matheson's story.

Oxnard Matheson was twelve when his father taught him that Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then his father left.

Ox was sixteen when the energetic Bennett family moved in next door, harboring a secret that would change him forever. The Bennetts are shapeshifters. They can transform into wolves at will. Drawn to their magic, loyalty, and enduring friendships, Ox feels a gulf between this extraordinary new world and the quiet life he’s known, but he finds an ally in Joe, the youngest Bennett boy.

Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town and tore a hole in his heart. Violence flared, tragedy split the pack, and Joe left town, leaving Ox behind. Three years later, the boy is back. Except now he’s a man – charming, handsome, but haunted – and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.

The beloved fantasy romance sensation by New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, about love, loyalty, betrayal, and family.

The Green Creek Series is for adult readers.

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Wolfsong languished on my Kindle for years before I finally read it. Big mistake. Because by page three I knew I had just been introduced to a special snowflake of a character (and I mean that in the very best way) that would be unforgettable.


Ox was only twelve when his father left, leaving him and his mother to fend for themselves. When he started working at the nearby garage, he found friendship among the other mechanics, and a steady and supportive figure in Gordo, the owner of the garage. But it wasn’t until he met the Bennett family that he found true acceptance and a feeling of belonging. Ox was sixteen when he met Joe Bennett on the dirt road that led to his small house. And that’s when everything changed.

 

“Mom! Mom. You have to smell him! It’s like… I don’t even know what it’s like! You gotta smell him and then tell me why it’s all candy canes and pinecones and epic and awesome.” – Joe Bennett

 

As the years passed, Ox was drawn more and more into the lives of the Bennett family. Or rather, as he came to learn, the Bennett pack. Because his new-found friends could shift into wolves and their pack was strong, with deep ties to the town of Green Creek and the land around them. Despite their strength, the pack was devastated by loss when they were betrayed by a friend and former pack member. Then Joe was gone, overwhelmed with grief, but hell bent on vengeance. In Joe’s absence, Ox becomes more than he ever thought possible, his ties with the Bennett pack strengthened in ways that defy logic and reason. Joe returns to find much has changes, himself included. Ox and Joe must find their way back to one another – and face an enemy from the past that threatens them all.

 

“Am I part of your pack?”

He said, “What do you think pack means?”

“Family,” I said promptly.

Thomas smiled. “Yes, Ox. You are part of my pack.”

 

There wasn’t a single thing that I did not love about Wolfsong. I loved Ox, who was so precious and so pure, and made my heart hurt every time he was misunderstood and simply not seen. But he also filled my heart with joy for the sweet soul that he was. Then there was Joe, whose joyful exuberance as a child was tempered by loss, but his unwavering love for Ox never diminished. The Bennett family were so loving and devoted – Thomas and Elizabeth, Carter and Kelly, and Mark – and I wished I could be invited to Sunday dinner (“because it’s tradition”). There was Gordo and the guys at the garage – Rico and Chris and Tanner – who provided so much comic relief and had me giggling at their banter.

 

“I’m a witch,” he said.

And I said, “You’re a wizard, Harry,” because I thought there was a very real chance I was caught in a dream.

 

The relationships in Wolfsong captured my heart. The friendships, the family, the love… each felt so genuine and so multi-layered and complex. Klune has a gift at creating such special characters and weaving their bonds together to create a sense of family, whether that be biological or chosen. The entire book had a strong underlying theme of family and loyalty, and I loved the way Klune portrayed that in every interaction and conversation. Wolfsong was also a love story and oh what a love story! From the early bonds of friendship, to the slow awakening of more, to the pining – the evolution of Ox and Joe’s relationship had epic love story written all over it.

 

“I knew the day I met you that I would do anything for you. I would do anything to make you happy because no one had ever smelled like you did. It was candy canes and pinecones. It was epic and awesome. And it was home. You smelled like my home, Ox.”

 

Wolfsong was filled with heart aching sweetness, heartbreaking sadness, and laughter. With its truly unforgettable characters, Wolfsong delivered an extraordinary story that became an instant favorite. 5 stars

Art credit: unknown

Have you read Wolfsong?

Review: I'm Your Guy by Sarina Bowen #NewRelease



TOMMASO

The furniture district is my personal hell. I don’t know my ass from an ottoman. But when a hot designer comes to my rescue, I realize my problems are bigger than the house I’m trying to furnish.

A scorching kiss over fabric samples makes me question all my choices. But is it too late to change my entire life to get more of them?


CARTER

I need this gig, but my cocky new client leaves out a couple crucial details:

He doesn’t mention that he's a famous hockey player. And he doesn’t own up to the way he’s always trying to undress me with his dark, broody eyes.

The man throws out more mixed signals than a broken traffic light. I've never been more sexually frustrated in my entire life. I need to back away before I do something stupid, like lose my heart.

Oops. Too late.

RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 10, 2023


Sarina Bowen has once again woven her magic and delivered something special with I’m Your Guy. Carter and Tommaso were instantly likable and I was pulling for their happy ending from the first chapter. Maybe Sarina sprinkles her words with fairy dust or something, because I don’t think she has it in her to create a character that I don’t fall a little in love with.


Carter is down on his luck. An interior designer whose business has gone belly up, his boyfriend has walked out leaving him to deal with the financial fall-out, and he was just evicted from his apartment. He needs a new client like yesterday or else he might be returning to his small hometown in Montana to lick his wounds and regroup.


Enter Tommaso – a professional hockey player with neither the time nor the inclination to furnish his new condo. Their meet-cute not only saves Carter from a parking ticket, but sets into motion a relationship that exceeds the bounds of designer and client in the most wonderful way.


Both Carter and Tommaso were dealing with issues that had their personal lives in turmoil. With Tommaso, Carter found someone who was truly in his corner, and championed his ideas and goals. And for the first time in his life, Tommaso could be his true self when he was with Carter. Down came his walls and he slowly began to envision a more authentic life.


The narration, once again teaming Teddy Hamilton and Jacob Morgan, was absolute perfection. Audiobook lovers will recognize Hamilton and Morgan as the voices from Bowen’s fan favorites Him and Us (as well as The Best Men). Both narrators are so talented and made the listening experience totally immersive and thoroughly enjoyable.


There was so much to love in I’m Your Guy: the banter between Carter and Tommaso, the camaraderie among Tommaso’s teammates, Carter’s friends, Tommaso’s sweetness and caretaking underneath his gruff exterior. It all combined in a way that made me laugh and made my heart melt in equal measure. 4.25★


Note: I was provided an ALC (Advance Listening Copy) in exchange for an honest review. This does not impact my opinion of the book or the content of this review.