Reviewed by Pamela-Mae
TITLE: Queen of Bats, Four of Skulls
SERIES: Scare This
AUTHOR: D.C. Williams
PUBLISHER: MLR Press
LENGTH: 16,000 words
BLURB:
Tom and Jackson are keeping a secret… they can do magic. Sort of.
Tom Cooper and Jackson Manning are hereditary magic users. Really. Mostly they think of themselves as party planners. House sitting for their grandmothers over Halloween will test their patience, but spending their least favourite holiday in the ramshackle old house brings them into contact with Dave, the handsome handyman who is keeping secrets of his own.
When dark forces threaten Dave on the spookiest night of the year, can Tom and Jackson save him in time?
REVIEW:
I found this title really intriguing and found it relates to the hand of cards Jackson holds at the start of the story. Tom and Jackson have more than one secret. Not only are they magic users, they’re also second cousins, and lovers. They’re spending their least favourite time of the year, Halloween, in their grandmothers’ home.
Although lovers since their teens, their relationship remains casual and open. Neither man is able to move on, although both feel as if something is missing. Despite which, they know they love one another.
I engaged with the boys quickly. I loved the way they spent a lot of time shadowing the delectable handyman, Dave, afraid he will see the real magic in the house, and doing all they can to prevent it. Very soon the boys find what was missing from their relationship. Dave is a gentle, loving, and willing young man who finds both Jackson and Tom hot.
They also discover just what secret Dave is keeping which blends in nicely with the story, and the boys don’t hesitate to come to Dave’s rescue when he’s threatened.
All in all it’s funny, quirky, with a dash of danger, but the bedroom scenes are left more to the imagination. A nice read, with an added kick of mild kink.
RATING: 
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