Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: I Kid You Not
SERIES: Magical Mates, Book Three
AUTHOR: Macy Blake
NARRATOR: Michael Dean
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 7 hours and 33 minutes
RELEASE DATE: January 31, 2023
BLURB:
Zachary Perry is willing to do whatever it takes to win the heart of his mysterious, gruff, and oh-so-gorgeous forest ranger neighbor, even if it means transforming his very bookish, nerdy self into someone (gulp!) outdoorsy so he can fit into Roan’s world.
But when Roan saves him from a seduction plan gone awry, Zachary quickly learns that a fondness for woodland fun is the very least of their differences, for Roan is no mere forest ranger, he’s a forest guardian – a magical creature duty-bound to guard both the land and an entire population of supernatural creatures Zachary never knew existed.
Meanwhile, Zachary… well. He’s very, very human. And that’s something he cannot change, no matter how powerful and intense the connection between them may be.
When something dark and dangerous looms deep in the forest, threatening a pack of children, Zachary insists on leaving the safety of his home and fighting alongside the man he loves.
But when the danger is past, will he be able to find his place in the supernatural world he’s discovered, and to trust that Roan wants him exactly as he is?
REVIEW:
I Kid You Not is the third book in Macy Blake’s Magical Mates series. In all three books, All Kidding Aside, Stop Kidding Around, and I Kid You Not, a couple unexpectedly finds they are true mates through funny, sexy, sweet, and at times suspenseful, storylines set in and around Alpha Nick Smith’s compound of shifters – with children and adults of all types – griffins, wolves, bears, otters, even a red panda (Gus Gus 😍). Blake infuses each book with a magical quality as people fall in love and form families in this special magical world. She also leverages Michael Dean’s immense vocal talent on the audiobooks for the stories in this universe. I kid you not, Dean makes all the difference, especially for a story like this one which isn’t as fulsome to the series as the others.
While these books are technically standalones, I recommend you read the previous Magical Mates stories first, especially book two, Stop Kidding Around, as events overlap. The Chosen One series is also helpful background although not strictly necessary to read first. Your best bet is to follow Blake’s recommended reading order on her website for the comprehensive experience of events that play out in her The Chosen One universe.
We met Roan, the guardian of the forest surrounding Nick’s compound, and Zachary Perry, his nerdy, slightly neurotic, OCD-ish mate, in Stop Kidding Around. The events that play out there, play out here from Roan and Zachary’s viewpoints. The counterpoint of the two is intriguing and effective. However, I Kid You Not has more to it than that.
The book can roughly be divided into two parts – before Roan and Zachary meet Nick and pack, and after they meet Nick and pack. The first part focuses on Roan and Zachary existing as neighbors, mutually pining for each other unbeknownst to the other, and then falling in love. We learn about Roan and his role as guardian of the forest, and Zachary and his adorable, hysterical, complete lack of filter. He thinks it; he says it – even thoughts of the most personal variety.
Zachary’s portrayal felt a bit over the top at times, though, and his freneticism actually interferes with the organic development of his relationship with Roan. These two were already attracted to each other before they actually meet in the forest, and they identify as mates and come together rapidly. As such, there’s not much time to develop chemistry between them, and I didn’t feel any natural or instant chemistry either. I did like both of them, though, and liked them together. Blake is very good at creating colorful, endearing characters that we want to know and come to love. However, Blake handicaps herself a bit here, because coming into this story, we know almost nothing about Roan and Zachary except for the brief, somewhat confusing appearance of them in Stop Kidding Around. I think that lack of background coupled with an instalove/mates story made it difficult to connect with them on a deeper level.
The first half of I Kid You Not (before Nick and pack) really reads and feels like a book unconnected to this extensive Chosen One universe. If you’ve read all of the Chosen One stories, and there are many of them, it’s disconcerting to start a new series installment and not see any of the multitude of characters from the other books until the second half. As such, the story moved slowly, and I didn’t feel particularly engaged with it. When the second half rolls around – basically from the overlapping events with Nick’s pack and then what follows – I breathed a sigh of relief because now it feels like we’re in a Chosen One universe story. Then we end up on the other extreme with appearances from a large portion of the characters from previous books, and of course, plenty of time spent with Nick and his pack. I loved this part of the book – the found family, couples from previous books, all interacting with each other and welcoming Roan and Zachary into the fold.
I enjoyed the second half of the book much more than the first. What’s missing here is the tie from the first part to the second. This story doesn’t have as much action in it as the others either. It’s more about introducing two new characters into an existing world.
Blake crafts this story with her witty writing and exceptional worldbuilding, and while the storyline is definitely creative, it definitely falls short of the unique, engaging stories that Blake gave us before. That being said, the book is still quite enjoyable, just not particularly absorbing in my opinion. Michael Dean helps with that engagement, though, to a significant degree. As I’ve remarked on his vocal performances throughout Blake’s Chosen One universe, Dean has much to sink his teeth into with the myriad races, clans, and personalities, all of whom he distinguishes well and consistently. He does this while throwing himself into the storyline and capturing the intent and emotions of the characters. His infusion of life into Roan and Zachary’s story makes it feel more connected to the greater fictional universe, even in the first half that I felt lagged on text alone.
There is another book coming in the Magical Mates series, With Kid Gloves, set to release later this year. We don’t know anything about it yet or who will be featured, but I am curious to see if Roan and Zachary’s story is a bridge to yet another expansion of this excellent, colorful universe. I’m sure Blake will have Dean back at the mic, ensuring her readers’ continued engagement with this fantastic, fantastical world.
RATING: 
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