Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Whirlwind
SERIES: Daydream, Colorado #3
AUTHOR: A.M. Rose
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 299 Pages
RELEASE DATE: August 25, 2021
BLURB:
Opposites attract, right?
Felix had always been a relaxed, go with the flow, make no plans and see what happens kind of guy. He lived, he laughed, he spoke to ghosts. Pretty standard if you asked him. To the rest of the population? Not so much.
But once a spirit calls him to Daydream, he gets caught up in a race to find out what happened to him. The quest for answers throws him right in front of Daydream’s uptight librarian, and while riling him up is a lot of fun, the secrets unraveling in Daydream might be much more sinister than Felix expected.
Nicholas had always had a perfectly quiet, perfectly organized, and perfectly mapped out life. He got up, he worked, he spent the day ignoring the lies told around him. Anyone who envied his gift was welcome to take it. Any volunteers? He didn’t think so.
When a random guy breezes into town with ridiculous claims about mysterious ghosts, Nick knows he’s telling the truth. When he finds out that the stranger might hold the key to unlocking the chest of mysteries plaguing Daydream, and Nick’s heart, he’s forced to confront a truth of his own.
Tangled together they’ll try to navigate ghosts, mysteries, and feelings neither of them were prepared for.
**This book is the third in a series. It contains magical settings, cozy mystery vibes, a grumpy character falling for a sunshine one, and a whole lot of fun characters you’ve met in previous books. While it can be read as a standalone it’s best enjoyed with the other titles in the series.
REVIEW:
Whirlwind is the whimsical third installment (plus prequel) in the Daydream, Colorado series. It combines a sweet love story with a magical mystery. If you’re new to the series, Daydream is a charming (pun intended) little burg where everyone has magical abilities. It’s not on any map and non-magicals don’t know of its existence. Each book features a newcomer or returning resident and an existing townsperson whose special gift is the focus of the story. In this book, a new aspect of the paranormal is introduced with Felix, a clairvoyant who sees and talks to ghosts. He’s the first clairvoyant in nearly a century to grace the sidewalks of Daydream.
Felix is a nomad, traveling to help one spirit after another wherever they may be. He feels a “tug” pulling him to a new destination where a ghost needs his assistance. He relies heavily on his strong intuition which is always correct. Felix is spontaneous and carefree, and never plans ahead. He ends up in Daydream after his instincts lead his car to the small town, but it’s days before he discovers why he was drawn there.
Felix is immediately mesmerized by cute librarian, Nick, and directs every ounce of his flirtatious nature toward him. They are opposites in personality: Felix boisterous and impulsive, Nick reserved and orderly to a fault. Felix puts the full-court press on Nick to try and win him over, but mostly just annoys him. It’s a slow burn to get there but eventually Felix wears him down and Nick’s annoyance is all pretend. The UST builds up and by the time they hop into bed, they’re ravenous for each other.
Whirlwind has more of a mystery element when Felix, Nick, and head witch, Malachai, realize that Felix’s not quite normal ghost, West, is somehow connected to odd occurrences in the town, including Mason’s glances in Blindspot, and Tate’s arrival and Darian’s forest dying off in Heartwood. The town must come together to solve the mystery and stop the evildoer.
The authors have several strengths in their storytelling that have been consistent throughout the series: imaginative plot development incorporating the enchanting magical elements; wonderful world building; and standout characterization. The leading men and the side characters are all some combination of intriguing, sweet, sexy, and quirky, and all are highly memorable. Each is utilized in subsequent novels to create an ever-increasing cast interwoven into the narrative. Sage, Ben, Drew, Mason, Darian, Tate, Dylan, and Jamie all appear in varying degrees. Malachai, his partner and inn owner, Hawthorne, and Nick’s roommate and witch trainee, Emmerson – and their outré personalities – play pivotal roles. Like all of their predecessors, Felix and Nick are unique and wholly lovable.
I need to give a shout-out to another creative, illustrated cover, this time depicting the interior of Nick’s library with floor to ceiling bookshelves, dual spiral staircases, and levitating books.
Each installment of the Daydream, Colorado series begins at the town’s magical population sign which changes with the arrival of each new resident. It began at 3,047 and with the additions of Ben, Drew, Tate, and now Felix, the population has reached 3,051. I’m not sure if any future books are in the works, but I would love to see the sign roll over again. There’s certainly the groundwork for at least a short story featuring Emmerson and West (please!) This book can standalone but I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t want to read the entire series from the beginning in the prequel, Daydream. (It and the short story, Mischief, are available on Prolific Works.) If you’re in the mood for something cute and different, give this charmer a try.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
[…] In Whirlwind, an ostracized mage was found to be the source of two years worth of anomalies in the town. The mage wanted revenge and used West, a ghost, to achieve it. Emmerson is a witch in training, the apprentice to Daydream’s head witch, Malachi. Emmerson knows West from when he made him a charm that unknowingly kept West from dying altogether. It magically tied them together, which is where Spectral picks up, a month after Whirlwind ended. […]