Despite the rumors about Port Lewis, Michael Gates doesn’t expect the house he rents with his sister on Foxglove Lane to be haunted. An eerie meeting with Victor Lewellyn, the resident witch-turned-demon who is bound to the property by dark magic, changes his mind.Michael isn’t looking to start a relationship with anyone, let alone someone like Victor, but the intense attraction between them … them can’t be ignored. As he dives into the world of magical drug rings, demons, witches, and necromancers, Michael also grapples with the complicated past he left behind in Arizona.
A relationship might not be what he wants, but it sparks something in him he didn’t realize he needs—the chance to heal.
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Brooklyn Ray writes compelling paranormal romance, and this is no exception. It’s a wonderful addition to the Port Lewis Witches series, and GO READ IT.
BTW, you don’t have to read Darkling or Undertow to enjoy this. It’s another entry-point into the series. There’s some characters from the other books who wander in, but it’s focused on Michael and Victor, so you won’t be lost.
There are parts that are harsh and brutal. Michael has been through A LOT. (CW for past abuse.) But it’s also so tender and sweet. Victor might be a demon, but he’s compassionate and loving for all that he is full of sharp edges and darkness. He also gives Michael what he wants–which is exactly what he needs to heal and grow. This is erotic romance, so yes, there’s a lot of sex, but it’s the way the characters come together and grow.
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Unbroken
Port Lewis Witches, Book 2.5
by Brooklyn Ray
237 Pages
POV: 3rd person, one character
Content Warning: drug use, blood play, mentions of a past abusive relationship, mentions of historical self-harm and date-rape, D/s elements
This is a great addition to an already brilliant series. A perfect continuation of 5* storytelling. I don’t know how Brooklyn Ray manages it, but I’m always sucked in whole-heartedly to Port Lewis Witches stories, no matter who the characters are or what they get up to.
Here, we have characters who are entirely new to the series – Michael and Victor, as well as the minor characters of Michael’s sister Janice, their roommate Corey, and Victor’s familiar Elizabeth. Michael is new to Port Lewis, moving into a rented house that he soon discovers is haunted by Victor Lewellyn. Once a witch, a deal with a demon and an accident made him into something more. Something Michael finds irresistible.
The chemistry between these two is off-the-charts, from page one. Playful, teasing, palpably hot; these two are instantly attracted, hands on, and hot and heavy between the sheets very early on. Neither is aware of where it will lead. And that’s the best part. Seeing these two – Michael, who thinks little of himself and who wears a mask to hide his softer layers; and Victor, who has been alone for so long – gradually come to realise what they mean together, getting to know each other, and slowly drifting towards the inevitable, is beautiful. Despite Michael’s guarded approach to life and his resistance to relationships, there are some seriously tender and beautiful moments between this pair. Amongst all the hot and heavy breathing and blood play.
There is an element of D/s in Michael and Victor’s relationship, as it progresses. Michael has a need for pain and blood, cutting and punishment, at times; he also drops into a subspace a few times, and Victor has to warn him about sub drop. There’s even nicely explored aftercare, which I love seeing. Victor always made sure to take care of Michael, even if he wouldn’t take care of himself. Whether that meant giving him the pain he wanted, cutting him, or being tender, he was finely tuned to Michael’s needs and it only made their relationship, and their growing feelings for one another, all the more poignant.
I loved that we got little cameo appearances by two of the circle from the main stories: Liam (unnamed in the story, acting as a Lyft driver) and Christy. We also get to see a little bit more of Thalia and Vassa, both of whom appeared in previous stories. It kept the link between the stories alive, made the plot weave nicely through that of the previous (and potentially future) stories, while also giving us a snippet of Port Lewis from a different POV.
Michael didn’t even know or believe that magic existed before arriving in Port Lewis, though he’s heard the rumours. Seeing him begin to discover the reality of Port Lewis and all that it has to offer, is one of the really clever parts of the plot. The storytelling allows this story to be read almost entirely as a standalone. If you hadn’t read a Port Lewis story before, then you could pick this up and fall in love with the world and the characters, without spoiling any of the previous two stories. But I guarantee that you’d want to go back and start at the beginning, once you had a taste. Port Lewis is that good.
All in all, I felt like this was a little more gothic romance than the other stories, which I loved. It was just a hint of atmosphere and a sliver of darkness that gave the feeling, but it perfectly suited the characters and the story they had to tell. This one was much hotter than the other stories, with some casual drug use, but that too fits the characters, with Michael using both to vent his feelings or hide from them. He’s a little bit reckless with himself, and one of the best pasts of the story is seeing him unravel for Victor, allowing himself to be free and trust in someone else.
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Favourite Quotes
“He looked like a painting, rich and haunted, a canvas that turned beauty into a monstrous thing.”