Smoke and Mirrors by Pelaam

Smoke and Mirrors by Pelaam
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

Two may be company, but four is pure magic.

Leo thinks he’s scored the scoop of a journalist’s lifetime when he secures an all-expenses paid trip to write in-depth articles on the magic act Three of Wands.

However, American billionaire and recluse, Paul, who commissioned the articles, isn’t all he seems, and soon Leo is plunged into a situation where things are not what they appear to be.

Leo falls in love with all three men of Three of Wands—Lucien, Xanto and Ahad—and they are equally keen to take him as their fourth.

When evil strikes Leo and Xanto, will even the combined powers of Lucien, Ahad and their familiar, Salem, be enough to save them?

When Leo sets out to interview the renown magic group Three of Wands, he thinks it’s going to be his big journalistic break. After all, who’d fly him all the way from New Zealand to the US if they didn’t think he could handle the job? However, he’s about to discover that the Three of Wands have more than his career in mind – like possibly the rest of his life? But when danger strikes, it’ll take all four of them working together to make it out alive.

Of all four, Leo was by far my favorite character. His attachment to his grandmother was sweet, and I enjoyed how he approached everything he was faced with. Even when he was nervous or afraid, he put himself out there, ready to face it head on. The way the Three of Wands took to him was fun as well, each welcoming him almost immediately into their group. Each magician is different from the other and their wildly varying personalities make their little group a joy. Leo fits right in, too.

However, there were a lot of things going on for such a short novella. At times, it made it hard for me to follow and keep track of who was doing what. There was also the issue of the tentacles. Which simply isn’t my thing, even if it did add an air of exoticness to the story.

Overall, Smoke and Mirrors was fast paced and exciting. The moments between the boys were smoking hot as well, making you eager for the next time they have a minute to be alone. Also, the addition of the mythological aspects was intriguing. I’d love to read more about where the four of them are now and what they’re doing with the magic show and, of course, each other.