#Romantasy #BroodingMMC #Dragons #Champians #Assassin
Two unlikely allies search for the secrets of their pasts while on the run within the Alien world of Harmony in the thrilling new novel by New York Times bestselling author Jayne Castle.
Leona Griffin is at the height of her career as a para-archeologist thanks to a recent Underworld discovery. Her high profile attracts the attention of an organization of elite, secretive collectors. They want her to authenticate the artifacts that aspiring members submit as evidence to join their group. The ceremony takes place at a glittering reception where Leona is shocked to discover that one of the relics is a powerful Old-World object known as Pandora’s Box. But she’s not the only one interested in that artifact.
Oliver Rancourt, a man with a unique talent—they say you never see him coming—is also there. Leona knows she must not underestimate him. Attempting to make a discreet exit, she stumbles over the body of a waiter wearing the emblem of a dangerous cult. Before she can alert authorities, a police raid sends the reception into chaos. To avoid being arrested, Leona slips away with Oliver—a risky decision that gets her fired.
Now forced to work together, Leona and Oliver pursue an investigation that leads them to the town of Lost Creek where the locals are obsessed with a chilling legend involving a long-dead cult leader and illicit paranormal experiments. But Leona knows the real danger may be the irresistible attraction between herself and Oliver.
Book 1 of a duology available November 11, 2025
#Review
I dare you to read the first chapter and not continue! When I first received this book, I opened it to just read a little bit. That didn’t happen. I dug right into this book and never looked back!
My curiosity about Valtar was intense. The first chapter captivated me, but then the second chapter intrigued me. I had to understand Valtar’s back story.
I enjoyed Rosie. Her name gives away some of her personality. She has had a difficult life but she sees the good in people and tries to do the right thing. She’s confident in her ability to figure out how do get out of the newest mess she has found herself. Her reaction to Valtar is romantic and cute. Not willing to admit that she cares for him, she tries to be opened minded about the other champions. There is little doubt where her heart is. I loved that. The character development for Rosie is interesting. Her personality is not where things happen. Mostly it’s her dragon that does the developing.
Valtar kept surprising me. From that second chapter I kept thinking how he would react but no, he went a different way. There is dual POV but Valtar only has a handful of chapters to most of the story being from Rosie. As a result, I was always trying to figure out what that brooding, looming character was up to. The pain in his heart has been buried but Rosie keeps poking at that heart. It takes a long time for him to work through that pain and find a path forward. There is a great deal of character development for him. I was almost proud of him. Of course the ending had me questioning everything.
The only reason that I didn’t give this book 5 stars is the times I was able to put it down. While the plot was brisk and dramatic, it also followed a path that was laid out from the beginning. It wasn’t until the last third that the track was upset and I had no idea where things were going. The book needed a little more of that throughout the whole book. The beginning drew me in and the end was very satisfying. The middle needed a little more.
Well written with interesting characters and a good plot, don’t miss this romantasy.
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