Release Review: Broken Things: Barbara Elsborg
Broken Things
(Lost and Found #4)
Barbara Elsborg
(Lost and Found #4)
Barbara Elsborg
An ancient book of faerie magic. A renegade who will stop at nothing to possess it. And the two boys who stand in his way.
When fifteen-year-old Tar, part vampire, part something else, helps his father break into a remote house, he doesn’t care about the book his father is looking for. What he does care about is the little locked-up faery kid. Merrick is alone, vulnerable and deaf.
The break in goes wrong, but Tar refuses to leave the eight-year-old even though it means facing his father’s fury. Events spiral from bad, to worse, to out of control: the book disappears, and Tar and Merrick are wrenched apart.
The boys grow into men, one living in the light and one in darkness, yet neither has forgotten the other. As powerful forces rise, the search for the missing book gains momentum, and Tar and Merrick’s paths collide once more.
Merrick is the key to the missing book and Tar is faced with a near impossible task: to keep the man he cares for safe, and do everything he can to stop the book and its secrets from falling into the wrong hands. And maybe, just maybe, save the world as we know it.
This is a story of two young men that were put in a situation that was so intense that it forced a bond, but then they were split apart. Now in the present, their past may be coming back to haunt them. And despite time and distance as they reconnect that bond seems to still be there. But there’s also more to it now that they are adults. As they try to solve the mystery of what really happened in the past and tie it to nefarious activities in the present they find themselves back in a situation of trying to keep each other safe again. But they are up against a whole host of supernaturals and faery magic.
I have been most fascinated by Tar since the beginning of this series. He is this guarded, isolated, grumpy, loner and is in charge of Paranormal Resolutions. He has trust and control issues and he doesn’t let himself get close to people. And now we are given a window to his past and finally figure out why. Merrick has been the only person to pierce his armor in his entire life and he tends to challenge him to do things that are uncharacteristic for him. Tar has this protective and possessive instinct about Merrick and as their emotional and physical connections deepen, that increases as well. Merrick seems to be the one person that can see under Tar's dark and tough façade to his heart and potential. And he brings some sass, humor, light, and positivity into his life. Their strong connection seems to provide the missing pieces to the other's broken parts. But being together also seems to make them even more of a target. Unlocking the past might give them the answers for a way to secure a safer present and maybe even a happier future.
This is full of mystery, suspense, danger, and secrets. There’s a whole cast of supes (many of whom we have seen couple up in previous books) and several antagonists. There’s is a lot going on from the past to the present and layers of mysteries to solve. It will require teamwork, a bit of faith, trust, and maybe a little pixie dust to manage the situation and all of its moving parts, and figure out where things stand at the end. I loved the thundercloud/sunshine aspect of Tar and Merrick's relationship. And along the way, there are opportunities for growth and change for each of them as they face the demons from their pasts and their own issues in order to find their purpose and passions. I loved that the author surprised me with how it all ended up.
A few scenes in this story appeared in a book that is no longer in publication.
In addition, although it is not an Omegaverse story, the possibility of a male shifter getting pregnant is part of the plot. No on-page detail is given.
Seven years ago
Fifteen-year-old Raffety freaks out the moment he arrives at summer camp. Something isn’t right about the place, parents, kids and the counsellors. The only good thing is Jonah—and their first kiss.
Trouble is Jonah’s middle name. He can’t just ignore that Raffety clearly doesn’t belong at the camp, and risks everything to help him escape, even their budding friendship.
Jonah’s actions have damaging repercussions for both boys. Raffety returns to a very different world than the one he left, one where his mum is terrified of strangers who insist they’re pack. As for Jonah, his father decrees he’s gone too far. His memories of Raffety are wiped and Jonah’s exiled to Faerieland.
Present Day
Breaking cover for his mum’s funeral lands Raffety back in the claws of a pack that never stopped searching for him. The alpha is claiming Raffety’s an omega, and prime breeding material. Erm, no way. Raffety would rather eat his own eyeballs. He needs to figure out a way to escape—and quick.
Indentured to Paranormal Resolutions for his sins, which are many, Jonah’s ordered to extract a mark from the clutches of a pack of werewolves. The mission fills him with dread: the wolves know he stole their gold and if they catch him, they’ll eat his guts, with or without ketchup―gulp! But defying his boss isn’t an option. Not if Jonah wants to live.
Is it chance that Jonah and Raffety end up in the same trap, or is it more? Could fate be giving them both a helping hand, or have they just landed in the worst trouble of their lives?
What If?
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Buy Amazon or KU
Buy Amazon or KU
When 16-year-old Crispin stumbles across Kennedy’s Emporium, he’s transported into a magical world of the impossible. Unicorns, snow globes where the snow never stops falling, bubbles that never pop, paper fireworks that explode and refill, and most magical of all—Garrett Kennedy, youngest son of the owner, who makes Crispin’s heart leap in new and exciting ways. Crispin promises he’ll never forget Garrett, but when he loses Garrett’s gift of a jewelled bee, he also loses his memories of the time he spent with him.
Eight years later, the bee is returned to Crispin, along with memories of Garrett and his amazing world. But how can any of what Crispin now recalls be possible?
And yet…
What if it wasn’t a dream?
What if Kennedy’s Emporium exists?
What if magic is real?
What if Garrett’s been waiting, wondering why Crispin never came back?
And what if Crispin takes a chance on the best thing that’s ever happened to him, assuming he can find Kennedy’s Emporium again?
Inbetweeners
An angel and a demon walk into a bar… It should be the start of a joke except Emmett and Phoenix loathe each other the moment they meet. Reluctant and mismatched partners they may be, but they’ve been given a job to do on Earth: persuade the newly dead to move on to the next world.
A friendly word here, a nudge there, all the dead should need is a push in the right direction—but unknown dark forces are working against the pair, and the mission takes a dangerous turn.
From hate at first sight, to toleration, to something more… The clock is ticking. Time is running out and soon Emmett and Phoenix will be torn apart and returned to the worlds they came from. Though neither is willing to go back without a fight…
…. Because being dead has never felt more alive.
Book 3 in the Lost and Found series but all books are standalone reads.
Barbara Elsborg
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Barbara Elsborg lives in Kent in the South of England. She always wanted to be a spy, but having confessed to everyone without them even resorting to torture, she decided it was not for her. Volcanology scorched her feet. A morbid fear of sharks put paid to marine biology. So instead, she spent several years successfully selling cyanide.
After dragging up two rotten, ungrateful children and frustrating her sexy, devoted, wonderful husband (who can now stop twisting her arm) she finally has time to conduct an affair with an electrifying plugged-in male, her laptop.
Her books feature quirky heroines and bad boys, and she hopes they are as much fun to read as they were to write.
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