The author has tried on the world building, but Mage of Inconvenience has too much happening on the page with too little explanation. And that warm sense of wonder makes their relationship something to champion. There is a measure of opposites attract between Julian and West, but more than that, each of them finds the other rather spectacular. West is more aloof, but this works for his character and the past he’s trying to out run. Julian likes to be ridiculous, but the guilt he carries for the unintentional creation of a devastating spell makes him well rounded and believable. Its main characters, especially Julian, are simply too fun not to like and they work together well, especially during their rather awkward courtship. Mage of Inconvenience is, in many ways, charming and sweet. They must accept that fate has brought them together or risk being trapped in a spiral of growing violence. And there’s a bond between West and Julian that goes deeper than any contract. Julian’s greedy cousins are stalking him. Their simple engagement of convenience quickly goes off the rails.

And when West comes looking for help, Julian sees a solution to both their problems. To inherit his mother’s library and the spell needed to undo his greatest mistake, Julian has to marry. But Julian’s mother’s death forces him to reassess his choices and find a way to go forward. Julian is one of the best mages in the world, but he flaunts convention and wants nothing to do with pesky things like rules. Which brings West into contact with irrepressible mage, Julian Colquhoun. He finds an abandoned cabin, but it needs serious mage work to make sure its protections are safe. After rejecting leadership of his home pack, West has been looking for a place to hide, a place that’s safe. This complex, ethereal love story will keep readers on their toes.West Irving is a wolf on the run. Concrete details of time and place are glossed over to give the tale a mythic feel as Foye’s strange, evocative prose builds atmosphere. Briar tracks down the reclusive Quinn, a shadowy figure with pointed teeth and webbed hands and feet who was “born with salt in his heart.” He initially refuses to cooperate with Briar, but eventually icy exteriors give way to renewed tenderness between the couple, and Quinn reveals that he has a treasure that Dupont wants, though he won’t say what it is.

He visits the local witch for guidance, and she tells him he will only find Dupont with the help of Quinn Lawrence, Briar’s literally monstrous first love. Bounty Hunter Briar Augustin’s pursuit of killer Dupont leads him to return to his hometown of Lastings after 10 years away. Foye ( Mage of Inconvenience) reunites former lovers amid the search for a killer in the eerie, opaque paranormal romance that kicks off the Love Has Claws series.

Mage of Inconvenience by Parker Foye