I love a good pun, so of course Acsquidentally in Love, book one in the Sucker for Love Mysteries, by K.L. Hiers, immediately caught my eye. Add in some mystery, magic, tentacles, and Lovecraftian older gods, and you have a gripping story that keeps twisting and turning until the end.
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Acsquidentally In Love (Book 1, Sucker for Love Mysteries)
🥭🥭🥭🥭
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
(you can find my rating and spice system here)
POV & Tense: Single POV, third limited, past tense
Genre: Paranormal Romance, MM Romance
Tropes/Themes: Murder Mystery, Paranormal Investigations, Revenge, Lovecraftian Older Gods (with tentacles), Old vs New Religion, Ancient Artifacts, Magic, Reluctant Ally to Lovers, Banter
Synopsis:
Sloane Beaumont spends his days working as a private investigator, and in his spare time, he keeps trying to solve a 20-year-old cold case—his parents’ murder. It doesn’t allow for much of a social life. One night, he meets the gorgeous Lochlain Fields at a party, and the two hit it off. Hours later, the older god Azaethoth the Lesser appears wearing Lochlain’s body and asking Sloane to solve his murder. And then things get weird…
Acsquidentally In Love by K.L. Hiers (Sucker for Love Mysteries Book 1)
Sloane knew that helping Loch track down the killer was making him an accessory to a premeditated murder, but what could he do? How could he possibly refuse a god?
My Review:
First up, I am in love with the concept of this book. The story is so intriguing. I adore the Lovecraftian imagery, the characters, and the whole idea of old versus new religion.
Characters
I enjoyed both Sloane and Azaethoth/Loch immensely. Sloane is guarded at the start and has an “all work and no play” attitude. It feels like he’s depressed too, which is understandable given that no one believes his parents were murdered.
Loch/Azaethoth the Lesser is a trickster and a thief and brings much-needed mischief into Sloane’s life. Loch’s feelings for Sloane are immediate, but it feels very natural. He’s an immortal being and has met lots of people during his long life, and he sees something special in Sloane. Their love is sweet as it progresses, and the spicy scenes are smoking.
Old Versus New Religion
I found all aspects of the old and new religions in this world fascinating. Sloane’s parents were Sages and followed the old ways, worshipping the older gods—celestial beings born from the stars—who have long since fallen asleep. But they are a minority. Most of the world has forgotten about the older gods in favor of the Lucian Lord of Light. Sloane is somewhat atheist since the older gods allowed his parents to be murdered and have never answered his prayers, but he celebrates the Sagittarian holidays out of respect for his beloved parents. While he may be a registered witch (as is required under Lucian law), he views the Lucian division of witchcraft talents to be too simplistic and believes the Sages have it correct, with a wider distribution of talent categories.
Rituals, Artifacts, and Magic
I LOVED the rituals and artifacts strewn throughout the book. It’s a soft magic system, which gives us a glimpse into the possibilities of a much larger picture. Sloane’s magical ability is starlight, which is rare and spectacular, and I enjoyed seeing him put it to use. Despite the police declaring Sloane’s parents’ murder as a ‘magic ritual gone wrong,’ there are so many little details that don’t add up and come to light throughout the story.
The tentacle stiffened and curled into his hand, and Sloane’s headache was suddenly gone. He wanted to cry, overwhelmed with warmth and joyous sensation. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever experienced, realizing he truly was touching something holy and absolutely divine.
Final Thoughts
All in all, this is a fun read, and I can’t wait to continue with the series. This is a complete series now with nine novels total and an illustrated world-building book detailing the magic system and Sagittarian religion. I’ve purchased the first six books but haven’t had a chance to dive in yet (but I can’t wait to read them). It looks like the odd-numbered books are about Sloane and Loch, and the even-numbered books follow other characters.
The Sucker for Love Mysteries (completed series) by K.L. Hiers
Author Stalking (but not in a creepy way):
K.L. Hiers is the author of many MM paranormal and mafia romance novels.
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Banner Image Credit: Constellation
~~If you like spicy books with tentacles, check out my SPICY TENTACLE REC LIST~~
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