Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Midnight On The Midway
SERIES: Carnival of Mysteries
AUTHOR: Morgan Brice
PUBLISHER: Darkwind Press
LENGTH: 221 Pages
RELEASE DATE: September 18, 2024
BLURB:
Drake Carlson is an agent for the Federal Bureau of Supernatural Investigation. He’s psychic and gets visions of alternate realities. Drake is tracking magical Mafiosi involved in paranormal crime. On a rare night out, he goes to an arcade and ends up in a Skee-Ball competition with Garrett Thompson, a cute veterinarian, and they really hit it off. More arcade dates and a visit to the Carnival of Mysteries lead to hot nights and a growing connection, and Drake begins to think he and Garrett could forge a forever relationship.
Then a mobster with a sick dog kidnaps Garrett, and a vampire henchman puts Garrett under his thrall. Drake is going to need all the help he can get—from the carnival, his own psychic mojo, and some paranormally skilled friends to catch the mobster, rescue Garrett—and, of course, save the dog—on the way to his happily-ever-after.
Midnight on the Midway is a fast-paced MM paranormal romance filled with supernatural suspense, found family, a brave veterinarian, vengeful vampires, sarcastic ghosts, midway magic, a fearless fed, hurt/comfort angst, love-conquers-all tension, and a very happy ending!
Part of the multi-author, shared-world Carnival of Mysteries series. Can be read as a stand-alone.
REVIEW:
In need of a distraction FSBI Psychic – Drake Carlson (same as FBI with the addition of Supernatural) visits the local arcade. There, he met Garrett, and they hit it off over a range of games, ending the night exchanging numbers and a fumble in the car. One night of entertainment led to more. However, Garrett has caught the attention of someone less law-abiding, which could have catastrophic consequences.
I liked the story. I liked the characters, and some elements were superb. But the overall ensemble didn’t quite gel for me, and the emotional rollercoaster I was hoping for didn’t happen.
The story is told in the third person with alternating chapters from the viewpoints of Drake and Garrett. I appreciated that the many internal thoughts of the characters were highlighted in italics. Also, I enjoyed the workplace banter, and the ghostly aspect of the investigation was inspired.
Drake is an unsettled Fed, wondering if this latest posting is where he will find the potential for something more permanent. However, with the demise of a criminal kingpin, the crime community is vying for control, and Drake has plenty on his plate. Garrett has spent his life building up his veterinary practice and is ready for a relationship. He is a lovely man with an exceptional talent for understanding animals. Shout out here for Brian.
I get people embracing their inner child, and many people, of varying ages, play the slots in a pub – hell, Vegas is built on it, and there’s always a good reason to go to a carnival. However, the tale feels like it is in two halves. The first half is pretty much two men in their thirties acting like horny teenagers with a driving license hanging at the local arcade. They even fantasize over what could be, and to an extent, both men run the course of their potential relationship before they even get to the second date. The second part of the story was much more to my tastes. The investigation took off, Garrett was involved, adrenaline kicked in, and there was another reason for the carnival of mysteries to be involved instead of just being a place to visit.
The story is very sexually orientated, and while individual components were superb, the overall balance didn’t quite hit the mark.
RATING: 
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