Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: Stone Skin

SERIES: The Gargoyles of Arrington

AUTHOR: Jenn Burke

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: Approximately 239 Pages

RELEASE DATE: February 28, 2023

BLURB:

Can he break his curse before time runs out?

Despite being cursed to sleep as a gargoyle for a hundred years, and awake for only twenty-five, Rian O’Reilly is an optimist. He knows he can find a way to break the curse through the tattooed runes he’s spent years mastering. No need to wait for this true love crap. But he hasn’t found the right combination of magic and his time is almost up. Rian isn’t ready to lose everyone and everything. Again.

Professor Logan Davis knows about loss. In the past year, he’s lost his mother, his twin, his werewolf pack, and he’s on the verge of losing his mind. So when he’s invited to Arrington to learn about a legend he’s never heard of, he jumps at the chance for a working vacation. He doesn’t expect to find a handsome gargoyle who needs his help to break a centuries-old curse—and he certainly doesn’t expect his grief to finally overwhelm him.

As Rian comforts Logan, he starts to wonder if there might be something to this true love crap after all. He’d give anything to help this gentle giant of a man, but Logan needs time to heal…and time is the one thing Rian doesn’t have.

STONE SKIN is a male/male paranormal romance featuring a magical tattoo artist gargoyle who doesn’t want to go, a werewolf professor who needs time to rediscover himself beneath his grief, and a budding love that might be the answer to everything…if only it has time to bloom.

REVIEW:

Taking longer and longer naps, Rian knew time was running out for him. In two years, probably less, he’ll turn to stone again. He’d tried magically infused tattoos, but he’d not found a cure. There must be another way to combat the curse other than true love. He seeks the help of Logan, an expert in legends. Yet the man is on the verge of a breakdown. Despite the attraction, there can’t be enough time to heal and realize love – can there?

Oh damn! I love these books. Each one is an assault on the emotions and a fabulous read. Stone Skin is the second of The Gargoyles of Arrington series. Book one opened a new world to me, and Stone Skin solidified it. So far, each book can be read independently, but reading the series gives one a more in-depth experience.

The tale is told in the first person, present tense, from the viewpoints of Rian and Logan. Worldbuilding is taken down to the color of jumpers, which I didn’t mind as it gave me a sense of the person’s personality. While there is the odd technical blip – I didn’t care because I was so engrossed in the story.

Rian had never experienced love, so he wasn’t sure he’d recognize it over the need to help Logan. With tragedy in his past, Logan had shut his emotions off, and when they surfaced, he didn’t trust them. Love couldn’t be rushed, yet time was a precarious thing. Especially since a witch and a mountain lion pride were out to kill Rian and his brothers.

Oh my. The extended cast was as varied in their intentions as their capabilities and loyalty. Nevertheless, the character list was small enough not to be overwhelmed – perfect.

I thought about giving this 4.5 or 4.75 hearts, but nope, it had to be a 5. And why? Because it was thought-provoking, mushy in places, sexy as hell, full of testosterone and brotherly love. Next to allies, there’s betrayal and help where they least expect it. By the end, I was a blubbering mess for all of the above.

RATING:

BUY LINK: 

Amazon