Genre: Paranormal, Contemporary, Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Maryann
Get It On Amazon
About The Book
Sandy Bottom Bay, Florida – Come for the Haunts, Stay for the Beaches!
Drew Drummond might call himself a psychic tarot reader, but he doesn’t believe in the supernatural. The business was left to him by his grandmother, and seemed the best way to rise above the chronic criminal behavior of the Drummond family.
Despite his efforts, few of the townspeople consider him a good romantic match. Being gay only makes finding love more difficult. When Cliff Garcia, Drew’s teenaged crush, moves back to town and joins the police force, Drew doesn’t think he has a chance. After all, the skeptical cop considers Drew’s profession on par with professional con men, and Cliff had spent his entire school career feuding with Drew’s volatile brothers.
Despite the obstacles, Drew and Cliff begin a fiery relationship. Just when Drew starts to believe they might have a chance, he suffers a head injury and begins having visions of the future. If Drew tells Cliff the truth, he’ll lose the man he’s falling for, but keeping his new ability a secret is no longer an option. If he can’t convince Cliff he’s for real, a murderer will walk free.
The Review
Sandy Bottom Bay is the second most haunted town in Florida. Two hundred years ago, a horrific massacre occurred, and from there the towns folk created the Haunt Fest. It draws people from near and far, curiosity seekers and those that crave the supernatural.
Northcliff Somerset Garcia, better known as Cliff because he hates the name his mother gave him, is returning home after eight long years. Helen Somerset is the matriarch of Sandy Bottom Bay, and has always been deeply involved with the supernatural.
Cliff left immediately after high school. He couldn’t deal with her involvement with the supernatural, and as a gay man, he needed space to be himself. He moved to Los Angeles, worked hard, and eventually became an officer in the LAPD. But homophobia was a problem there, and he never totally came out.
The job, a cheating boyfriend, and the heartbreaking death of his best friend Peter pushed him past his breaking point. When a positiom opened up at the SBBPD, he took it. Cliff been in town for three days, and he hasn’t faced his mother yet. He hopes to protect her from the town, and from her obsession with the supernatural that he just doesn’t believe in.
Drew Drummond is the youngest of three, including twin brothers Rob and Wyatt. His family has a bad reputation with the law – Rob and Wyatt have multiple misdemeanors, and their crimes cause issues for Drew.
Their grandmother Marina always knew that Drew was different. She took him under her wing and taught him much of what she knew. Her intuition and years of experience gave her the ability to read people and provide insightful predictions, but Drew never considered her a psychic or a scammer. She taught Drew how to read tarot cards, and now he tries to make it fun and give his customers some hope from his readings. He runs his little shop under the name of Malachi the Mystic.
Needing groceries, Cliff stops at the store and sees a handsome redhead leaving. All Cliff knows is that he needs to find this mesmerizing man. He has more than enough chaos to deal with: his ex Brett Cavanaugh from the tv show Phantoms; his mother’s admirer, Mayor William Morales; and a death at his mother’s estate, where Rob Drummond apparently found the body. All Cliff knows for sure, he needs to meet the stunning young man, Drew Drummond.
What secrets is Drew hiding When Cliff finds out, can he handle them?
Burn brings out the chaos in the supernatural town of Sandy Bottom Bay. There are ghosts, tarot card readings, psychic abilities, and murder. Cliff and Drew don’t see eye to eye on the supernatural, which leads to jealousy, misunderstandings, anger, humor, romance and love (with some very steamy moments).
This crazy supernatural tale is packed with interesting characters who live in and visit Sandy Bottom Bay: Kyle Grainger – Drew’s best friend, who conducts ghost walks and teaches dance and ballet; Wyatt and Rob Drummond, always in trouble; Officer Scott Hunter, new partner to Cliff and former school friend; and Gary Walker chief of police;
There’s also Eddie Price, fake (or real?) medium, who is always trying to discredit Drew; Mayor William Morales, former high school principal; Brett Cavanaugh, the cheating ex-boyfriend; and Kristie Ellis, producer of Phantoms.
There is an audio version available if you prefer, narrated by Darcy Stark. I love to listen and read along with the audio. Stark does a good job with the vocal tones, but at times there’s little distinction. Regardless, I found the narration entertaining.
I highly recommend North on Drummond (nice little play of words with the title too). It’s really a fun read, with all the chaos and introductions of the characters. I can’t wait to read the next book, West on Drummond.
The Reviewer
Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California. Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018. My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen. New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read.
I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors.
My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012. She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series. Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book!
As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb piques my interest I will read the book.
My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing. I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.
I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews. One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group. Joining her site was such an eye opener. I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended.
But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams.