Ben’s “Gay” Breakdown | “Imaginary Lover” is Nothing But Real Fun!
A man wakes to find himself way off the side of a highway, and he has no idea who he is. He does see that he’s only 5 miles away from the nearest town so he heads over there in the hopes of regaining his memory. Shortly after arriving, he starts dreaming about some terrible struggle he may, or may not, have been in. He’s also having dreams of another man who he believes is of great importance to him. In a last act of desperation, he boards a bus for a nearby town to consult with a psychic. What he starts to learn about himself, as well as the town’s residents, will change his life forever.
“Imaginary Lover” is part of the Beyond The Realm multi-book series where different authors write their own take of the same concept, that of a dream-like romantic lover. This book is number 8 in the series and is written by creatively amazing and highly detailed author Morgan Brice.
Morgan has already written a myriad of books dealing with the paranormal for the LGBTQ audience. As Gail Z. Martin she continues to write stories in the same universe, but minus the LGBTQ element. Morgan’s previous works, as well as those under the name of Gail Z. Martin, make up a marvelous tapestry that creates one of the most amazing worlds I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Whether it is dealing with mysterious monsters, haunted houses, or cursed objects, the details that make up these stories are so rich that as a reader I could not help but be pulled into this world of vampires, ghosts, and voodoo magic. This is always beautifully balanced with equally interesting characters that come off so realistically that I find myself wishing I could travel to their respective places of business and just chat them up! “Imaginary Lover” is no different, and with this story, she not only builds on already established world-elements from past books, but she also expands and builds on it with shifters (“Imaginary Lover” sort of serves as a loose pseudo-sequel to Huntsman: Fox Hollow Zodiac Novel 1). As it turns out, the majority of the townspeople here our hero has sought out for help is made up of shifters of one kind or another, as well as practitioners of the arcane arts. This book was filled with Easter Eggs as characters from other book series are mentioned. She gives us paranormal art experts, mediums, and even a vampire. This book had it all.
However, just because the world in which “Imaginary Lover” takes place can feel real, it is in her characters that a reader can also find themselves lost in. We ride alongside our amnesia-stricken hero as he tries to discover who he is, and then we start to feel the anguish when he learns the truth about the man who is his soulmate. Brice has also given us a wonderful set of characters who are helping our hero, and the way she writes their characters almost makes me want to pack up and relocate to that beautiful paranormal town. These are the characteristics that make Morgan Brice books so enjoyable to read. She is an artisan when it comes to writing compelling stories with equally fascinating people. Her way of bringing characters to life is equaled by the rich detail of the world her stories take place.
I must add that this book contains some extremely steamy same-sex love scenes and should only be read by those who are 18 and over.
For delivering another perfect story with characters and places to love, I give “Imaginary Lover” 5 out of 5 Spells!!!
#AD
