His Consort

I was and am so torn with this book. I love Mary’s books. I love this one too, but a few things really did not sit well with me. I loved that it was vampyrs. I liked that there was a back history given. I find it interesting. I know some people don’t, but to me if there is no back history, it takes away from the book.

Jason was working a job in the boonies. It felt a little weird because there were people everywhere, which seemed odd partially because there were no cars, but he kept his head down and worked until one night he heard screams and hurried to save whoever it was. Coming upon a scene that really freaked him out, he did what he could to save what looked like a young man tied to a cross and being beaten and bled. Thankfully some other help arrived but it put Jason into a world he would never forget. And made him quickly make up his mind that it was definitely time to move.

This is where I started having a problem. Of course, Jason is oblivious to what was really going on around him before he left. But then again, who wants to admit there are other beings around. I can’t blame him for finally deciding it was time to move on and forward in his life. What bothered me is what comes next. In New Orleans, he’s in a place where he knows NO ONE. But out of the blue, Ode comes up to him….ON THE STREET… and within a like an hour or so they were business partners and such. And I love Ode. I really do. She’s a smartass, no nonsense type person. But an hour after meeting? And on the street no less. Yeah..no. And the business was just all hunky dory. That didn’t sit right either. And as much as liked Ode, she was a bit overbearing especially when Jason got hurt. It wasn’t like it was his fault. But I do know some people are just asinine when stressed and worried, so I tried to move past that.

Varic and Jason had never met but after saving some of Varic’s people, Varic definitely wanted to meet Jason. Not having seen each other before, they were attracted to each other at a get together. Overwhelming so. Varic knew he couldn’t live without Jason after that. Something called to him. And he knew Jason was his. This part gets a little tricky for me too. I love the fated mates. Love at first sight. But what bothered me is, as they were getting to know each other, Jason often asked for space. Even shoved Varic away. I love the chemistry between them but sometimes it saddened me that Jason was disrespected. Yes, as a prince and the ‘alpha dog’, he’s used to getting what he wants, and he does admit that and that he makes mistakes. So that was good. .

The redeeming thing for me as far as Varic, is he took care of Jason. If it was a sexual thing, a biting thing, most often both together, he made sure Jason got what he needed in return. He took care of Jason’s pleasure. He also made sure, once they were officially ‘bonded’, no one harmed Jason. If they tried, the outcome was not a pretty picture. As how it should be. But i also loved that Jason accepted that. He accepted every single part of Varic. Good, bad, and ugly. The way unconditional love is. When you are ‘fated mates’, most times the mating part gets in the way of the getting to know each other. So it can be awkward. But they both realized they needed to talk. They needed more than just the mate bond. They needed the connection to that lasts a lifetime.

I don’t want it to sound like in nitpicking. I hope it doesn’t come across that way. Overall, I loved the book. It was packed with action, chemistry, plots and more. And if you love Mary’s books, I’m sure you will love this one. Maybe I’m just having an off day lol because I still loved it. Give it a go. See what you think.

Reviewed by Erin for Diverse Reader

So what do you do when one of your all-time favorite authors writes a new book that's about a subject that's not on your go-to list of favorites? Well if that author is none other than the ever fabulous Mary Calmes you read the book anyway! I'll be honest, vampire books are not my usual thing, but when I found out Mary was going to be writing one, I knew I was going to read it. And boy am I glad I did! His Consort is every single thing I love about a Mary Calmes book with the added spiciness of blood, a teeny bit of violence, and the New Orleans setting was perfect for the vibe of the story.

Mary is the QUEEN of single, first person POV and I fell in love with Jason right away. He's an ex-Special Forces soldier and has moved to New Orleans for a new start. It doesn't take long for him to start noticing the unusual things around him. The unusual things are, of course, vampyrs. I really enjoyed the way Mary gave us the back story and the world building she did to set the scene. Yes, it was a lot of information but in her usual way, it flowed seamlessly and really helped immerse me into the world and the story. Jason is adorable and in typical Mary fashion, finds himself in the midst of trouble without even knowing how he got there. The thing about a Calmes book is you know what you're going to get without even reading the first page. It doesn't make her books ordinary though, and even though there is insta-love and a huge cast of secondary characters with lots of humor and sexy times and sharp, fast paced dialogue, each book of hers is just so much fun. His Consort is no different. Yeah, once Jason figures out what's going on around him and that vampyrs are among his daily life, it doesn't take him long to become a central figure. Enter the vampyr prince, Varic. These two had chemistry like whoa and with the added element of blood and being a mate and the paranormal, it was even more intense.

This is a fun book. There was lots of action, lovable characters who I want more of *hint Mary ... Hadrian and Tiago please and thank you!* , and a swoony romance that was to die for. I am so glad Mary tried something new and I can only hope this is the first book of a series because I know I'm not alone in wanting more of this world.

Mary, this must be a series....well done, again.

What a fun book! In true Calmes style, our character is too trusting of the world and therefore gets himself into dire trouble almost from page one. The difference being Jason has the military training to back up most of his impulsive actions. I read Calmes’ books for the witty dialogue and topsy-turvy pacing, and this book did not disappoint. If you enjoyed “Chevalier,” you will enjoy a much longer version of that short story, only instead of gargoyles, it’s the vampyr. I’m hopeful that with all the worldbuilding Calmes did in “His Consort,” there are plans for many sequels.

I love a good paranormal romance, especially vampires. I was intrigued by this story by Mary Calmes. For the most part, I enjoyed the characters. Triago and Hadrian were my favorites and I really hope they get a book. There seemed to be a lot of storylines, characters and plot points in this book. And, I’m a bit disappointed that it seemed many of them were unresolved by the end. In fact, the end felt more like a beginning. I’m assuming this is going to be a series and this book was the setup.

40% of this book was world-building… The romantic leads, Jason and Varic, don’t even meet until about 40% in. This is a paranormal, fated mates storyline, so the romance heats up quickly thereafter, but it took a while to get there. I liked them together, their banter and chemistry are fantastic. It just took a while to get there…

As part of the world-building, there was A LOT of information about vampyrs. This is “masked” as Jason being intellectually curious, but his constant questions and research really don’t make sense because it happens well before he meets his vampyr mate, so he has no reasonable expectation to be immersed in the vampyr world.

All in all, this is a good read and I’m hoping for more.

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***