A gay high-society wedding. A stolen book of spells. A love-threatening lie.
Can a witch avoid a murder rap without revealing the supernatural truth?
Cosmo Saville guiltily hides a paranormal secret from his soon-to-be husband. And if he can’t undo a powerful love spell, uncertainty threatens his nuptial magic. But when he’s arrested for allegedly killing a longtime rival, he could spend … killing a longtime rival, he could spend his honeymoon behind bars…
Police Commissioner John Joseph Galbraith never believed in love until Cosmo came along. Falling head over heels for the elegant antiques dealer is an enchantment he never wants to break. So when all fingers point to Cosmo’s guilt, John struggles to believe what his heart is telling him.
As Cosmo searches for the real killer among the arcane aristocracy, John warns him to leave it to the police. But with an unseen enemy threatening to expose Cosmo’s true nature, the couple’s blissful future could shatter like a broken charm.
Can Cosmo find the lost grimoire, clear his name and keep John’s love alive, or will black magic “rune” their wedding bells?
Mainly by Moonlight is the first book in the sexy Bedknobs and Broomsticks romantic gay mystery series. If you like spell-binding suspense, steamy star-crossed fun, and a dash of paranormal, then you’ll love Josh Lanyon’s charming tale.
Buy Mainly by Moonlight to fall under love’s spell today!
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What a premise! Oh, my bleeping goodness! At NO point in the narrative did I know what would happen! It wasn’t too long into the audiobook that I was staring at my speakers in awe! I was thoroughly captivated within the first minute! The main characters in the story are ALREADY in love and engaged! Now that’s new to me! It’s obvious I’m drawn to ‘the meet and fall in love’ type of romances, but Josh Lanyon had something altogether new to offer readers in ‘Mainly by Moonlight: Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Book 1’. We have Cosmo Saville who is engaged to out and proud Police Commissioner John Joseph Galbraith. A high society wedding is planned and Cosmo Saville finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time–he agrees to meet a business rival offering to sell him a rare book and discover he’s been murdered. That Cosmo is suspected of murdering the man was one of the ONLY thing I could predict in the entire book! I knew there would be a happily ever after or just a happy for now, but didn’t have ANY idea what shape that would take! And Cosmo is indeed a suspicious character–as would be the case of any person hiding the fact that they are an authentic witch. The writer gives us a resolution for a major conflict in the book but leaves other contentions for the next book(s). With awesome sub-plots, impeccable character development, as well as an unpredictable story arc, this is an incredible first book of the series. If this is an example of this author’s writing chops, it is no wonder her books are so frequently recommended! Well met, Josh Lanyon! Very well met, indeed!
My favorite genre will always be urban fantasy because I am physically stuck in the real world, but my head is wandering around in the one where I can magic the cookie jar on to the coffee table without moving. Josh Lanyon and Kale Williams shared that magic world with me for a few hours.
Cosmo is a quirky soul who seems to need a bit of focus, and John seems to need a bit of…fun his life. The two are an improbable pair that have a few challenges ahead of them. I liked the idea of starting with the main characters as a couple, and watching them work through their incompatibility.
The witch world was an interesting place to meander through. I always enjoy the visuals that Josh Lanyon can create with a bit of poetry. The mystery was more of a puzzle than a full fledged murder mystery, and I think that matched the characters and setting very well.
The resolution felt like the beginning. So yeah, I started on the next book immediately.
I think I’m in love with Josh Lanyon. Well, I’m in love with her work at least.
And Mainly by Moonlight is frankly awesome.
Cosmo Saville is a witch. He’s also about to get married to a non witch who’s completely unaware of the existence of magic. But when Cosmo happens to stumble upon a dead body, he becomes the prime suspect of murder. Which is very inconvenient. Not only because of the need to keep the magic community a secret, but also because Cosmo’s intended is no other than the Police Commissioner himself, John Galbraith. So Cosmo needs to find the real killer while also keeping a low profile so as not to scare away his soon-to-be husband.
The main character pair consists of a younger, outgoing and positive guy (Cosmo) and an older, grumpier one (John). And I really love that dynamic.
Cosmo is not exactly flamboyant but definitely eccentric, and unapologetically himself. He’s simply a fabulous character and instantly lovable. Then there’s the buttoned-up John who has a military background and quite rigid morals and ideas. And despite John being hardened by his time in the service, and being capable of cruelty, I was so bloody invested in Cosmo’s and John’s happiness one would think they were real people.
This story is not meant to read as a stand-alone. This is the start of a series (and yes, I’ve already finished the second installment I Buried a Witch) and the plot isn’t even close to being resolved by the end of book one. There’s a HFN ending (thankfully), but there’s no point in starting in on it if you don’t want to commit to the sequels.
And even though there’s an underlying plot involving murder and secret societies, the main attraction is without a doubt the relationship between Cosmo and John – which has a rocky start for sure. So it’s a love story with a bit of mystery on the side, in a contemporary yet magical world. And those are definitely the proportions I prefer.
I really, really, really recommend this book. And this series. Unfortunately, the third installment wont be out until next year. But I’m sure it will be worth the wait.
https://reflectionsofaswedishgirl.blog.se/mainly-by-moonlight-bedknobs-and-broomsticks-1-by-josh-lanyon/
It, and the sequel, are a total nonsensical mess, but clearly I’m interested enough to keep reading
It was an interesting story but I just couldn’t get into it enough to buy the next book in the serious.
Basically adorable and can’t wait for the next one.
Love Josh Lanyon! I’ve reread so many of her books again and again, and each time I find something new to appreciate about them. The relationships are compelling, and the mysteries are always engaging. I’m looking forward to continuing this (new to me) series.
I can’t wait to read the next one.
Mainly by Moonlight, the first in Lanyon’s new Bedknobs and Broomsticks series, falls right in the middle for me. I loved the idea of a witchcraft based mystery suspense and the pairing of a by-the-book police commissioner with an antiques dealer who is also a witch seemed like a great start. However, there were quite a few components that left me questioning things and others I wasn’t keen on. That said, the story was interesting and I found myself pretty invested in the outcome…I’m just not quite sure if it was enough to pull me back for a second book.
As with any paranormal/ fantasy based plot, world-building is essential, and while Mainly by Moonlight had some background provided by Cosmo, it was a little vague at crucial points and I often felt I was just along for the ride versus actively engaged with the story and characters. My bigger hang-up was the romance. While I’m not a huge fan of insta-love, I can work with it if the characters and story is set up to support a hard and fast love story. It felt just the opposite in Mainly by Moonlight. I couldn’t figure out Cosmo and John’s relationship, even after the love spell revelation. They simply didn’t make sense as a couple and there was never any pervasive chemistry or palpable connection that made me feel otherwise…that is until the very last few pages, which is precisely when I discovered maybe I could like John. John’s character as a whole was my other major struggle. Lanyon’s writing never ceases to surprise me, so perhaps it’s all in her plans but I really didn’t care for John. For the bulk of the book he came off as gruff, cold, and dismissive of Cosmo, with even his declarations of love and physical attraction leaving me wanting. That said, there were inklings that he could be better, especially toward the end, I just don’t know if it’s enough to turn the corner.
So what is it that kept me reader and maybe inclined to come back for more? The storyline and mystery is different and captured my attention from the outset. Lanyon’s mysteries are always full of good twists, which is what I live for and there’s plenty of red herrings to keep me guessing in Mainly by Moonlight. Additionally, I love the idea of Cosmo coming to terms with his magic and maybe embracing it. In the end Mainly by Moonlight was a mixed bag for me, with a lot of little niggles, some big questionable elements, and a good dose of things I enjoyed. I just can’t say that even with the mystery left unsolved and clearly much more to come for Cosmo and John, I am chomping at the bit for the second book.
*Received ebook via Netgalley. The author had no influence over this review*