Release Blitz + Review: "Dash & the Moonglow Mystic" by Pru Warren

I'm pleased to participate in the release blitz celebrating "Dash & the Moonglow Mystic" by Pru Warren, book #2 of the Ampersand series. The male protagonist of this book was introduced in the previous book of the series, but it works well as a standalone.

FBI Special Agent Dash Ashwood and his new partner, Rose, are undercover at a dude ranch in Wyoming as part of a Secret Service task force investigating a suspected counterfeiting operation. As part of their cover, they'll be participating in the events of the ranch's annual Prophecy Week, run by a group of suspected con artists masquerading as psychics. Dash is uncomfortable with the idea of scams being run all around him, but he and Rose have been instructed to ignore the "psychics" and focus on their mission unless they see a crime happening in front of them. Unfortunately, it's tough to prevent entanglements with the psychics completely, especially when one of them, the beautiful silver-haired Evadne Nym, catches Dash's eye before he and Rose have even managed to check in. Evie, nicknamed the Moonglow Mystic, is equally drawn to Dash, and sparks fly whenever they're together. Romance should be the last thing on Dash's mind, however; he and Rose are pretending to be a married couple as part of their cover, he needs to concentrate on the investigation, and no matter what his instincts say, he's not sure he can trust Evie.

The connection between Dash and Evadne was special from the start, and not just because of her abilities. Unlike the rest of the "psychics" participating in Prophecy Week, Evie's abilities were real, though she'd been forced to hide them for most of her life to try and blend in. She had to move from place to place and job to job frequently, sometimes leaving in the middle of the night to get out of uncomfortable situations, leaving her broke, desperate, and virtually friendless aside from Phoebus Apollon (aka Artie), the charismatic leader of Prophecy Week. There were parts of Evie's backstory that legitimately broke my heart, and even though she seemed delicate at times, there was a core of strength to her that allowed her to survive what would have been unsurvivable for many people. I loved how sweet and gentle Dash was with Evie, letting her set the pace in their relationship and never pushing her to go faster. As Evie said on several occasions, Dash really was an honorable man, and exactly what she needed after everything she'd been through earlier in her life.

 

In addition to the emotional parts of the story related to Evie's background, there was a ton of humor in this story, much of it related to the ongoing counterfeiting investigation as well as the quirky, endearing secondary characters. I particularly enjoyed the "psychics," whose theatrics frequently made me laugh. My favorite was Phoebus Apollon (all of the outlandish outfits!), though Miss Celeste the "voodooienne" was a close second. Her scheme to torture a couple of the ranch hands with a made-up zombie named George had me laughing out loud more than once.

Overall, "Dash & the Moonglow Mystic" was a fantastic sophomore effort from Ms. Warren. It gave me all the feels and I absolutely loved it. I highly recommend this book for all fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy, and look forward to picking up the next book in the series. (Thankfully, it's only a few weeks away!)

 

*Review copy provided by the author via Elle Woods PR. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

About "Dash & the Moonglow Mystic"

For fans of Jennifer Crusie and Janet Evanovich, a classic fish-on-a-horse out of water tale of romance, laughter, and adventure. Ace FBI agent Dash Ashwood is sent to track down counterfeiters at a luxury dude ranch. Expecting only crime, he finds he must also deal with a dizzying array of con artists boldly masquerading as psychics, one seriously stubborn horse, and the most fascinating woman he’s ever thought about arresting.

Evadne Nym reluctantly becomes the Moonglow Mystic not to commune with the celestial spheres but just to pay her bills. But Evie has hidden skills, and a powerful interest in Dash. Is she really a psychic? Will she help him solve the case, or will he put her behind bars? Will they risk everything to fall in love?

Dash & the Moonglow Mystic is the sexy follow-up to Cyn & the Peanut Butter Cup. Treat yourself to a twisty, comedic romantic adventure. Because life is too short to be serious!