Built to Last by Julie Ann Walker Review, Excerpt and Giveaway

Built to Last
(Black Knights Inc #12)
Julie Ann Walker
Release: June 26, 2018
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ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

Masterful, mysterious, and completely ruthless, Jamin “Angel” Agassi joined the Black Knights Inc. after a mission-gone-wrong forced him to undergo extensive plastic surgery and change his name. He's going to bring down the world's worst crime syndicate, and hopefully keep Sonya Butler, a love from his past, from discovering who he really is...

When a dark-eyed stranger gets caught up in Sonya’s latest mission, she starts to question all her hard-won instincts. Something about Angel tells her he's more than he seems, and sometimes, when she least expects it, he reminds her of a man she used to know. As the bullets fly, she realizes that in love and war nothing is ever what it seems...

Review:

Built to Last is the series finale for Black Knights Inc. so it had a lot of expectations to live up to. And it did not disappoint! The chemistry between Angel and Sonya is scorching and it's such an interesting twist on a second chance romance. I liked finally getting to know the enigmatic Angel. And I found Sonya quite entertaining with her cursing in foreign languages. I wished she were a little more cop-like in some situations, especially given her job at Interpol, but she explains her skill set well.

Ace and Rusty's relationship finally gets addressed as well. Though I might have liked to see them get their own book, it was a satisfying end. We also got to see some of the characters that haven't been around much in recent books, mostly Ghost and Rock. There's also some Boss and Becky, who are always fun. The rest of the team gets at least a mention since not only this their last book, it's also their last mission before the team disbands. (Though I'm seeing some spin off possibilities.)

I haven't always loved the villain POVs in this series, but the Spider was well done. I actually would have liked more of him since we've been building up to him over the last few books. But I did love the action scenes, though they're not as flashy as some of the other books have been.

I thoroughly enjoyed Built to Last. I feel like it's a satisfying end to the series, though I'd certainly be happy to spend more time in the Black Knights world.

    1/2

4 1/2  stars

My reviews of other books in this series:
Wild Ride (Black Knights Inc #9)
Fuel For Fire (Black Knights Inc #10)
Hot Pursuit (Black Knights Inc #11)

Excerpt

 “I am going to hug you now, Sonya.”

Breath shuddered from her lungs. “What? Why?” That wasn’t what she’d expected him to say, especially not after the way he’d been eyeballing her lips.

And, yes, it hadn’t escaped her notice that his words were incredibly similar to the ones Mark had spoken that rainy night while they’d been crowded into that dark Parisian doorway. How could two men be so different and yet so much alike?

“Because you need it.”

And then…oh, and then he stepped forward and wrapped his big arms around her. It was like being hit with a live wire. A current blasted through her, burning her from the inside out. As if that wasn’t bad enough, some sorry sucker chose that moment to pull the rug out from under her feet, and she was falling, flailing, head pinwheeling.

She balled one hand into a fist so tight her knuckles cracked. The other squeezed her water glass so hard she was surprised it didn’t shatter.

“Relax,” he instructed.

“Why are you always telling me to do that?” She tried not to turn her head into his neck and snort in his spicy aftershave like an addict with a tempting line of cocaine. Memories of Mark tried to intrude, memories of how he’d eschewed cologne and aftershave in preference for lilac soap, but she shoved them away.

“You are strung as tight as piano wire. It cannot be healthy.”

Wow. Great. The almighty Prince of Shadows was lecturing her on her health. All while hugging her. How bizarre was her life right now?

Then it registered. He was hugging her.

It wasn’t one of those half-hearted hugs either. It was a full-on hip-to-hip, chest-to-chest hug, arms tight and big, wide hand splayed against the middle of her back. Angel might be all aloof and untouchable, but when it came to a hug, the man committed completely.

Sonya's heart threatened to pop like a balloon. A hiccup of anguish slipped from her throat. She couldn’t help herself; she melted against him. Soaked up his odd affection and let it fill all the cracks in her armor that had developed over the last six months.

She hadn’t realized it, but Angel was right. She needed a hug. Needed it almost as much as her next breath. Needed to feel human connection to remind herself she wasn’t alone in this.

“Shh,” he whispered, soothing a hand down her hair as she fought tears.

The hug went on for a few more dreamy, melting minutes. Then she realized how self-indulgent she was being. How…weak.

Pulling back, she whispered, “Thank you. That’s enough.”

His brow pinched as he stepped away, breaking the connection of their bodies. She shivered as the room’s cool air rushed in to replace his body heat.

The pity she saw in his eyes had her grumbling, “When you look at me like that, I want to go crawl into bed and throw the covers over my head.”

“How do I look at you?” he asked.

“Like I’m pathetic. Like I’m a thing to feel sorry for. Like I’m a disappointment to you. But that’s crazy because you don’t even know me.” Her insides, which a minute ago had been so soft and gooey, were now crawling with tension.

“Is that the only way I look at you?” He canted his head. It caused the moonlight to silver the short ends of his black hair. His laser-like focus made her feel like there were two red sniper dots on her face.

Those sniper dots moved down as he let his eyes travel past her mouth and shoulders, over her breasts, down to her hips, and finally back up again. He didn’t try to hide the heat in his eyes. He let her see it for what it was.

Heaven help her, he wanted her like she wanted him. The difference between them was that he wasn’t trying to hide it.

“No.” She swallowed. “It’s not the only way you look at me. There’s that too.” She pointed to his face.

“Damn right there is.” His gravel-road voice had gone guttural, and she wondered what he’d sounded like before the vocal cord scouring. Had his voice been deep and smooth? Rich and resonant? It saddened her that she would never know. “And now I am going to kiss you, Sonya.”

Her thighs quivered as heat coalesced between them. She should have told Angel to keep his gorgeous mouth to himself. She should have told him she had a headache…or head lice. But instead she heard herself ask, “Why?”

“Because you want me to.”

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Review: Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews

Iron and Magic
(The Iron Covenant #1)
Ilona Andrews
Release: June 26, 2018
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No day is ordinary in a world where Technology and Magic compete for supremacy…But no matter which force is winning, in the apocalypse, a sword will always work.

Hugh d’Ambray, Preceptor of the Iron Dogs, Warlord of the Builder of Towers, served only one man. Now his immortal, nearly omnipotent master has cast him aside. Hugh is a shadow of the warrior he was, but when he learns that the Iron Dogs, soldiers who would follow him anywhere, are being hunted down and murdered, he must make a choice: to fade away or to be the leader he was born to be. Hugh knows he must carve a new place for himself and his people, but they have no money, no shelter, and no food, and the necromancers are coming. Fast.

Elara Harper is a creature who should not exist. Her enemies call her Abomination; her people call her White Lady. Tasked with their protection, she's trapped between the magical heavyweights about to collide and plunge the state of Kentucky into a war that humans have no power to stop. Desperate to shield her people and their simple way of life, she would accept help from the devil himself—and Hugh d’Ambray might qualify.

Hugh needs a base, Elara needs soldiers. Both are infamous for betraying their allies, so how can they create a believable alliance to meet the challenge of their enemies?

As the prophet says: “It is better to marry than to burn.”

Hugh and Elara may do both.

Review:
Oh! My giddy aunt! They did it. They actually did it. The writing duo of Ilona Andrews made me like Hugh d'Ambray. I... I didn't think that was possible even when they announced that they were for real writing this book and it wasn't another April Fools joke. Iron and Magic was everything I wanted it to be and more!

Reading this book made me realize three things: 1. There is a damn good reason why Ilona Andrews is one my favorite auto-buy authors, 2. I need the rest of this trilogy in my hands ASAP because I need more Hugh and Elara and their people, and 3. I am not ready for the Kate Daniels series to end. And preparing/setting things up for the end is one thing this book does.

I loved learning more about Hugh. I hated him in the Kate Daniels series but this book shows us that Roland's Warlord is human and has a heart under his brash exterior. He's starting to regret some of the things he's done but he accepts that those things are on his head even though he was just following orders. He is still first and foremost a Warlord and always will be. It's a part of him. And even though we get to see new sides of him, he's still kind of an asshole but I like that about him. The back and forth between him and Elara was amazing!

Speaking of Elara, that woman is bloody fascinating! She's powerful but she has a soft-heart and only does the things she does to protect herself and her people. I loved that she was willing to go head to head with Hugh frequently and didn't let him walk all over her. Elara can hold her own against one of the deadliest men in the Kate Daniels World and it is damn impressive. I want to know more about her past and her magic and why her people call her the White Lady. I'm going to be honest and admit that I ship her and Hugh hard. Their antagonistic relationship is everything! They were practically made for each other so thank heavens this marriage brought them together!

As fascinating as Elara was, I'm even more fascinated by her people. The range and variety of magic users we saw in this book has me wanting to know more. Also, I really want to know what happened that caused them to be known as The Departed. I want to know so badly! I'm equally as fascinated with Hugh's Iron Dogs. They have just as much variety in their ranks as Elara's people and I want to know more about the individuals. I found myself loving every one his Centurions and the Iron Dogs we were introduced to in this story. Their backstories are probably just as interesting as Hugh and Elara's. Let's just assume I want to know about everybody including Hugh's horse.

The plot was as action-packed and fast-paced as we've come to expect from Ilona Andrews. In my opinion, this is one of the best Ilona Andrews books I've ever read. It was amazing! Hugh. Elara. The Iron Dogs. The Departed. I loved everything about it! I can't wait to see where the story goes from here. I need book two in my hands ASAP!

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

    

  5 / 5 Stars

Release Day Review: Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse

Trail of Lightning
(The Sixth World #1)
Rebecca Roanhorse
Release: June 26, 2018
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While most of the world has drowned beneath the sudden rising waters of a climate apocalypse, Dinétah (formerly the Navajo reservation) has been reborn. The gods and heroes of legend walk the land, but so do monsters.

Maggie Hoskie is a Dinétah monster hunter, a supernaturally gifted killer. When a small town needs help finding a missing girl, Maggie is their last—and best—hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much larger and more terrifying than anything she could imagine.

Maggie reluctantly enlists the aid of Kai Arviso, an unconventional medicine man, and together they travel to the rez to unravel clues from ancient legends, trade favors with tricksters, and battle dark witchcraft in a patchwork world of deteriorating technology.

As Maggie discovers the truth behind the disappearances, she will have to confront her past—if she wants to survive.

Welcome to the Sixth World.

Review:
When I first heard about Trail of Lightning, I was immediately sold on the fact that it's a post-apocalyptic urban fantasy that revolves around Native American culture and history and was written by a Native American author. For that reason alone, I'm glad I read it. It's a really good story! Roanhorse deftly weaves Navajo mythology into a Mad Max meets American Gods world with a dash of Buffy and the result was refreshingly unique and exciting.

There were things I loved about it and some things I didn’t. Thankfully, the things that irked me weren't a big enough issue to ruin my enjoyment of the story even though one part made me madder than hell. I sat down and read the whole thing in one sitting which says a lot about the writing. Also, can we just appreciate the cover art for this book for a second? It is seriously epic!

Let's talked about the things I loved first. As always, I was enthralled with the worldbuilding! The mythology and the post-apocalyptic setting were amazing! Everything about the worldbuilding and the magic system are deeply tied to the Navajo culture. Clan members sometimes develop powers that are unique to their clan and theirs alone. And I really loved how the author integrated current politics as well as climate change into how the apocalypse happened. The earth flooding because of our negligence was a nice touch.

I did have to stop a few times at the beginning while reading to look up things about Navajo mythology so I wasn't lost. It was fascinating but distracted from the story a bit as it was assumed that the reader has a basic knowledge of Navajo history and culture. I read an ARC so I don't know if this was added to the final version but I kind of needed an appendix for terms and a who's who for the gods and heroes.

The characters that inhabit this world are strange and vibrant. From mercenaries to medicine men to gods that now walk the earth, there's a little of something for every one. The main character, Maggie, is kind of the Navajo version of Kate Daniels only she's a bit more emotionally walled off than Kate was at the beginning. I couldn't help but like her though. She's not good with people and kind of enjoys killing to a certain level. Her clan power and upbringing have played a big part in making her that way. She’s a monster hunter cursed (or gifted depending on who you ask) with supernatural speed and the ability to kill. Most of the book revolved around her struggling to control her power and keep its blood lust from consuming her.

I loved a lot of the other characters in the story like Kai, Tah, and Clive but I really enjoyed seeing Coyote show up. The trickster god is one of my favorite characters in urban fantasy because no two authors will ever write him alike because the stories and the interpretations about him vary so much from culture to culture. Roanhorse’s version of his character really fascinated me though and I can't directly pin down why.

As for the things I didn't like, it's been hard to pinpoint what exactly irked me about it. This book is definitely a road trip story that feels episodic. The characters are always running into trouble and only get to react to it instead of preparing for things. It was entertaining to read but the big climax felt abrupt and was wrapped up way too quickly for my liking. Honestly, I'm not exactly sure how we got to the big showdown. It kind of just popped out of nowhere after one of the events and didn't have a smooth build up to it.

There's a twist at the end that was rather ingenious but made me so angry and I think that's where a lot of my ire with this book lies. I'm not going to say what it was but if you've read the book you know the twist I'm talking about. It does say a lot about Roanhorse's writing that I'm upset about what happened but I can see why she did it.

Overall, I really liked Trail of Lightning. It caught my attention and I was hooked before I knew what happened. I’m super intrigued to see where this story goes. I'll definitely be reading the next book when it comes out next year.

ARC provide by the publisher via Edelweiss.

  

  4 / 5 Stars

#BeattheBacklist Review: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
(Wayfarers #1)
Becky Chambers
Release: August 18, 2015
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Follow a motley crew on an exciting journey through space—and one adventurous young explorer who discovers the meaning of family in the far reaches of the universe—in this light-hearted debut space opera from a rising sci-fi star.

Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain.

Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe.

Review:
THIS BOOK! THIS BOOK, GUYS! I can't proclaim my love for it enough. It's an amazingly diverse, slice-of-life science fiction book about found family, friendship, and figuring out what you stand for. It is tied with The Martian as my favorite sci-fi book of all time which is some high praise coming from me.

This story focuses on the personal conflicts and relationships of the crew while having the larger narrative literally span the galaxy with the journey they make to build a space tunnel between a new species in the galactic alliance and the core planets. Life on the Wayfarer isn't all rainbows and sunshine but the narrative keeps this kind of positive and life-affirming tone throughout the book which is quite impressive when you think about it.  

The story has kind of a light overarching plot and is more like a mini series with each chapter focusing on one little story or setting. I loved it so much that that didn't bother me one bit. Each chapter usually focuses on one or two characters and always comes to satisfying conclusion while adding bits and pieces to the overall narrative. There's very little drama between the characters and I found it immensely enjoyable to read about a found family who are supportive and there for each other.

The characters are what made this book for me. I adored the whole crew including standoffish Ohan and Corbin, the socially awkward asshole scientist. I could read dozens of books about this crew! Kizzy and Jenks (as well as Ashby and Sissix) are friendship goals! Lovey is a sweetheart! Dr. Chef is like the hug six-handed uncle that I want to make me tea and be mothered by! I want to be best friends with Rosemary! I even want to see Corbin cultivating his algae! Also, I need to be best friends with Sissix. Someone just teleport me to the Wayfarer and let me be best friends with all of them!

What I loved the most about this book besides the character is that there's diversity. Like real true diversity among both the humans and among the alien species. The worldbuilding is absolutely fantastic! The aliens are actually alien with quirks and habits and unique needs and not just some kind of pseudo-humans with blue skin or tentacles. Becky Chambers is seriously a master at developing the known universe in this book both physically and culturally. I loved every odd custom, every strange alien appearance, and every idea, thought, and practice that humans considered weird and abnormal/culturally different about each species. There are mishaps and adventures galore and I loved every minute of it!

If you haven't read this book, you need to go fix that now! It's written by a queer woman and stars openly queer characters which makes it a fantastic book to read during Pride Month. Seriously, go get the ebook or borrow it from the library or a friend. You won't regret it. I promise!

Audiobook Note: The audiobook of this book is excellent! I highly recommend it if audiobooks are your thing!

    

  5 / 5 Stars

Manga Reviews: A Strange and Mystifying Story, Vols. 1-3

A Strange and Mystifying Story, Vol. 1

(A Strange and Mystifying Story #1)

Tsuta Suzuki

Release: November 14, 2017

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Akio Yamane’s bloodline is cursed! Will his hot guardian deity break the curse…or merely his heart in the process?

Akio Yamane falls terminally ill, presumably from his family’s curse. Remembering his grandfather’s final words about their family protector, he follows the old man's instructions out of desperation and accidentally summons a god who promises to cure him—albeit in a rather odd and intimate manner!

Akio Yamane’s bloodline is cursed! Or at least that’s what his relatives would have people think. Now feverish and delusional from a terminal illness, Akio accidentally summons his family’s guardian deity. Little did he know this sinfully hot god would appear naked, sporting ears and a tail. Wait until Akio finds out the unconventional and rather intimate manner his protector plans on using to cure him!

Review:

I picked this manga up because I found the premise intriguing and was sold by the synopsis! A cursed bloodline and a hot guardian deity? Yes, please! Unfortunately, I didn't like the execution as much. I was much more taken with the side characters than I was the main two. I've definitely read worse yaoi first volumes and this one ends on a good enough note that I'm interested enough to read the next volume to see where the story goes.

About a third of this volume is actually two short stories not associated with the main story. They were okay but I wish there was more of the main story.

  

  3 / 5 Stars

A Strange and Mystifying Story, Vol. 2

(A Strange and Mystifying Story #2)

Tsuta Suzuki

Release: February 13, 2018

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Akio Yamane’s bloodline is cursed! Will his hot guardian deity break the curse…or merely his heart in the process?

Akio Yamane falls terminally ill, presumably from his family’s curse. Remembering his grandfather’s final words about their family protector, he looks to where his grandfather pointed and finds a tooth. Upon holding it, he accidentally summons a god who promises to cure him, albeit in a rather odd and intimate manner!

Now that Akio Yamane’s guardian deity has cured him of his illness caused by a family curse, it’s time for him to come to terms with this new furry roommate he’s named Setsu. Although their relationship got off to a rocky start, is it possible what he’s feeling now are the first stirrings of love?

Review:
It was better than the first volume and I liked getting more of Setsu's backstory. The stories of Setsu's past were nice but they also made the story feel like it was all over the place and we didn't see much progression in each character's story arc and in the romance. 

In fact, the bulk of the book is a flashback telling how Akio's family line became cursed which was interesting. The timeline is a bit everywhere and was hard to follow. Overall, it still was interesting but also kind of meh. I'll probably give the series one more volume before I decide to give up on this one.

  

  3 / 5 Stars

A Strange and Mystifying Story, Vol. 3

(A Strange and Mystifying Story #3)

Tsuta Suzuki

Release: May 8, 2018

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Akio Yamane’s bloodline is cursed! Will his hot guardian deity break the curse…or merely his heart in the process?

Akio Yamane falls terminally ill, presumably from his family’s curse. Acting on his grandfather's final words, he accidentally summons a god who promises to cure him, albeit in a rather odd and intimate manner! Thurs begins the story of certain cursed families' strange and mystifying relationships with supernatural protectors.

Tsumugi Shirota is your typical high school student. He’s handsome, kind, and for some strange reason, surprisingly adept at household chores. On his sixteenth birthday, a rather unusual but special guest comes to meet him—Master Kurayori, the guardian deity of the Shirota household. Imagine Tsumugi’s surprise when he finds out this deity is also his fiancé!

Review:

This volume was better than the first two for me. I think it was because it focuses on the relationship between my favorite two side characters, Keiichiro the museum director and Hatoki Tetsu. While I enjoyed learning more about them, this volume also kind of drove me crazy because everything is progressing so slowly!

I was also kind of surprised by how PG this volume was as well. Most Yaoi isn't this far into a series. The story is more focused on the growing affection between the characters than the physical interactions. And as much as I appreciate that, I really would like things to move a bit faster between all the couples involved.

The rest of this volume introduces two new characters and their story and I'm intrigued to find out more about them and see how their story shakes out. I thought I would be giving up this series with this volume but it surprised me and renewed my interest in continuing on. I hope we get more of Keiichiro and Tetsu as well as Tsumugi and Master Kurayori in the next volume.

ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss.

   1/2

  3.5 / 5 Stars

Our Favorite Fathers and Father Figures

In honor of Father's Day being this last Sunday and thanks to the inspirational prompt from the Top 5 Wednesday group, we're talking about our favorite literary fathers and father figures today. It wasn't easy to make this list because it seems that literature loves the absentee parents and deadbeat/evil father tropes a little too much. Although, they do love their found family/father figures trope. After much consideration, here are our top ten favorite literary dads and substitute fathers.

Isaac Grant from The Illuminae Files

Isaac Grant is hands down my favorite father in YA. While he is Kady's father, by the third book, he has become a kind of father figure to the whole group. He was a great character on his own but I love how he seemed to unofficially adopt the rest of the cast and look out for them the same way he looks out for Kady. He doesn’t hesitate to take on the responsibility, and his interactions with the teenagers were so much fun to read! Isaac Grant is the gold standard for future fathers in YA.

Adam Hauptman from The Mercy Thompson Series

The Mercy Thompson Series has a lot of great fathers and father figures with Zee and Bran but my favorite father in this series is hands down, Adam Hauptman. Adam is the Columbia Basin Alpha and he is fiercely protective of his pack, his territory, Mercy, and most of all his daughter, Jessie. He's doing the single dad thing and he's doing a spectacular job of it. Jessie knows she's loved and safe and important to her father. Adam wins at the dad thing even if he can be overprotective at times.

Walker Lauren from The Psy-Changeling Series

The Psy-Changeling series has a lot of great fathers and father figures in it but hands down my favorite is Walker Lauren. Walker has fiercely loved his family despite having to be Silent most of his life. He is the patriarch of the Lauren family and does everything he can to take care of his daughter, his Arrow brother, and his deceased sister's kids. He even fakes his and his family's deaths and goes into hiding in order to protect them. His quiet love and support for his family is everything. You can't help but love him for it.

Arthur Weasley from The Harry Potter Series

Arthur is another of the YA father greats. He's this soft man who loves his wife and kids as well as Muggle culture. What I love about him is that he didn't even think twice about including Harry in his family as just another son. He was there from Christmas presents to a ticket to the Quidditch cup to cheering Harry on in the Triwizard Tournament. He was always there for Harry, Hermione, and his family and taught them to fight for what they believe to be right. He has the dad thing totally down.

Hans Hubermann from The Book Thief

Hans may not be Liesel’s biological dad, but he’s an amazing father figure for her. He taught her how to read, introduce her to books, and taught her about kindness. More than that, he taught Liesel about love, compassion, and standing up for your own principles. He cared so deeply for Liesel and treated her like she was his own daughter. He is one of my favorite literary fathers for that alone.

Jack Spier from Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Simon's dad doesn't always get it right but he tries and he owns up to the mistakes he makes. The thing he always gets right is his fierce love and support for Simon. I love Simon's whole family but I have a soft spot for his dad. I just love him so much.

Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird

I loved Atticus from the moment I first read To Kill a Mockingbird and the way he treated Scout like an adult. He always took her seriously and taught her important life lessons without being overly strict. I loved how he allowed his children to be curious and to be thoughtful instead of telling them what was right and what was wrong.

Colm Fahey from Crooked Kingdom

Colm is one of my dear sweet summer children. He was such a great father to Jesper and only wants the best for him. Unfortunately, he has no idea what he's getting himself into when he gets involved with the gang in Crooked Kingdom. But you have to respect him for not letting himself drown and being an asset while protecting his son and his friends.

Jonathan Wadsworth from Stalking Jack the Ripper

Audrey Rose's uncle, Jonathan, was more of a father to her in his clinical and absent-minded way than her own father. He encouraged her to pursue forensic medicine despite it not being a lady like field of study and even taught her everything he knew personally. I don’t want to say anymore in case you haven’t read the book, but know that he was just a great father figure to her.

Lon Butler from The Arcadia Bell Series
It's not too often we see single fathers as the love interest in UF/PNR books and it's a shame! Not only is Lon Butler an awesome character in the Arcadia Bell books but he also has sole custody of his teenage son, Jupe. It’s clear how great a father Lon is because Jupe is confident, friendly, and goofy and he has no problem butting into his father’s love life. There’s no doubt about how much Lon loves his son and how protective he is of him. I'm not done with the series yet but I'm loving watching Lon and Jupe find a new normal with Cady in their life.

Who are your favorite literary fathers and father figures?