Reviewed by: Sue Eaton

TITLE: Fated Mates Charity Anthology

AUTHOR: Jennifer Cody, Grae Bryan, HL Day, Lisa Oliver, Meghan Maslow

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 100K words

RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2023

BLURB:

Fated Mates is a Paranormal Romance Charity Anthology from some of your
favorite MM authors!

It features new, exclusive stories from Kiki Clark, Mia Monroe, Louisa Masters, Kelly Fox, Sheena Jolie, Jennifer Cody, Nikole Knight, Vinni George, Chloe Archer, Meghan Maslow, Lee Colgin, Kelex, H.L Day, Grae Bryan, AJ Sherwood, Michele Notaro, Lisa Oliver, Ariana Nash, Michelle
Frost, and JP Sayle.

All royalties will be donated to the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund and the ACLU’s Drag Defense Fund.

REVIEW:

I loved this anthology, this segment had 5 novellas, from some of my favourite authors and they didn’t disappoint, in fact, they left me wanting more.  If you love paranormal fated mates, then this is a must-read anthology.  They might be shorter novellas, but they still pack a punch with great storylines and intriguing characters.

The Crow’s Kings Mate by Jennifer Cody

Amos, is an introverted, geeky college student, who has a soft spot for a bunch of crows that he has been feeding and who now follows him around every day.  He hasn’t made any friends at college, and he views the crows as friends, he tells them his woes and about his day.  The only other person he interacts with is his roommate but that is superficial and not often.  He has a major crush on his professor, so much so, he barely managed in his class, and he hasn’t picked his class this year as it was too embarrassing to be in the same room as him.

A perfect recipe, once Amos finds out that not all the crows following him are natural crows, some of them are shifters and his sexy, hot professor is their King.  A sweet romance with a surprise of what the professor gets up to at the club.

Fate’s Treasure by Grae Bryan

Mal has itchy feet, something seems to have drawn him across the country to live in a cabin in the woods, but once he is there, he can’t seem to muster the enthusiasm to unpack all his boxes.  Going on a walk in the woods with his dog, Bacon, he ponders his choices and why he ended up here.  He comes across a mansion, set in a secluded glen, where the mysterious, handsome Alistair lives.  Alistair appears to be a debonair, rich man living a solitary life, but not all is what it seems.  Mal discovers Alistair’s secret, and his life will never be the same again.

Deader Than Dead by H.L. Day

This novella was an interesting take on Necromancy, where it is a recognised and sought after profession, and you can pay to get your loved ones to return from the dead for a short period of time.  Poor John faces a heartbreaking scenario.  It was a terrible job, for dodgy, violent criminals, in a squalid area of town.  Instead of turning around, John felt compelled to go in, then his world crumbled around him.  The dead body on the bed was his fated mate and he couldn’t bring him back.  This was a fast paced, action-packed novella.  With twists and turns and when you feel that life has dealt you a cruel blow, sometimes Fate sends an unexpected gift.  A combination of fated mates and a mystery, with our heroes defying the odds and trying to protect a dangerous artifact.

Words Not Necessary by Lisa Oliver

I was excited to read this prequel to the Magic Users of Greenford Trilogy, which I love.  Neo is an anchor but due to a childhood attack he is unable to speak, therefore no-one wants him to be an anchor.  But he can’t get any other work in case a higher magic user wants him as an anchor.  So, he along with his younger sister are in dire straits, squatting in a ramshackle shack and starving.  Then along comes Rocky, his anchor has left with their mate, and he is on the trail of a murderous vampire.  He can’t use his magic without an anchor, and he is getting desperate.  A wonderful heartwarming tale, of Neo overcoming adversity, gaining a voice, and showing Rocky his quick intelligence which has Rocky looking again at all the evidence he has been following.  Things are not what they seem on the surface.  It was lovely to get this insight into Neo and Rocky’s relationship and see where this series started.

As The Raven Flies by Meghan Maslow

A welcome return to Charm City Chronicles with this novella starting after the first two books in this series.  A fated mates’ tale which starts with miscommunication and misunderstanding Abe isn’t impressed and doesn’t believe in fated mates, raven shifters don’t have them, he protests maybe too much.  Michael acts like he is superior, a wolf shifter, whose family expects him to mate a woman and give the pack pups.  Not the most auspicious start for fated mates.  As both Abe and Michael spend lots of time together, as Kennedy’s bodyguards and as the threats on her life ramp up the tension between the two intensifies.  Rescuing teenagers on a snowy street turns into a tense car chase across the city.  When Michael stops at nothing to protect Abe and the kids, Abe’s attitude to Michael starts to thaw and fate gets an opportunity to ensure they get their happy ending.  A brilliant rendition of the fated mates trope, that I enjoyed.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

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