Best Beast (Enchanted Occasions 3) by E.J. Russell at Reality Optional Press - AUDIO
Genre | Gay / Urban Fantasy / Alternate Reality / Elves/Fairies/Sidhe / Magic / Warriors/Soldiers / Interspecies / Romance |
Reviewed by | Barb on 13-May-2022 |
Genre | Gay / Urban Fantasy / Alternate Reality / Elves/Fairies/Sidhe / Magic / Warriors/Soldiers / Interspecies / Romance |
Reviewed by | Barb on 13-May-2022 |
Being invisible makes it really hard to get laid.
When half-human Kai Schiffer steps into the Interstices—the post-creation gaps between realms—his supernatural half kicks in and he literally disappears unless…well, don’t ask.
But in a stroke (heh) of good fortune, Kai finally has a chance to show his face (and other parts, stars willing) to his long-time crush Jovan Kos—Interstitial Law Enforcement agent, wolf warrior, occasional berserker, and best man at their mutual best friends’ Imbolc wedding.
Jovan, who’s half in love with Kai already, is grateful his best man duties are light enough that he can focus all his attention on Kai. After all, with Enchanted Occasions Event Planning handling the Olesson-Pakulski wedding, what could possibly go wrong?
Another extraordinary, imaginative tale from the very fertile mind of EJ Russell, my go-to “otherworldly” author. Kai is a half-human who presents as invisible on this side of the veil that separates our world from his. He has a major crush on Jovan, a law enforcement agent, wolfen-warrior, and “best beast” at their mutual best friend’s wedding. What Kai doesn’t know is that Jovan is also crushing on him, but like Kai, he believes the crush can go no further than that and friendship will be their only future path.
As stated in the blurb: What could go wrong with a wedding planned by Enchanted Occasions Event Planning? Well, as I listened to this story, I learned that plenty could go wrong—and did! There were mishaps with the bride and the groom, misunderstandings, magical happenings, and a very spiteful and undermining bridesmaid.
Throughout the two days of this story, both Kai and Jovan needed to intervene to try to make the wedding happen, and while doing so, the two friends spent a lot of time together. Listening to them realize the truth of their friendship and attraction to each other gave me the “warm fuzzies” I was hoping for. (No pun intended toward Jovan’s hairy self.)
EJ Russell most definitely took the time to inform readers about the universe and its characters as the story advanced. So, although I haven’t read other stories in the series and I would have liked to know more about this world before listening, I got the big picture through the author’s well-thought-out descriptions and explanations.
This audio version was performed by Kirt Graves, one of my favorite narrators. Unfortunately, I was not always able to hear a clear distinction in the main characters’ voices here, so I could not determine who was speaking without paying close attention to the content of what was said. Some of the secondary characters also sounded quite similar, and there were so many crowd scenes that I often had to stop to try to sort out which character was speaking.
But on the whole, I enjoyed ‘Best Beast’ and my introduction to this world. There’s a sweet friends-to-lovers romance with humor and magic, a bridesmaid I loved to hate, a groom whose heart was laid bare in more ways than one, and a very happy ending for both the bride and groom and for Kai and Jovan. I recommend this for those who’d enjoy being witness to a paranormal romance blooming amidst wedding chaos in a new and interesting universe.
DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This audio book was provided by the publisher via GRR for the purpose of a review.
Format | ebook |
Length | Novella, 4 hours and 22 minutes |
Heat Level | |
Publication Date | 15-January-2021 |
Price | $13.08 audio book |
Buy Link | https://www.amazon.com/Best-Beast-Enchanted-Occasions-Story/dp/B09ZJ8BKG1 |
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