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The Faire Folk #2
Faire Protector
Max's soul has become a virtual slave to the magical Renaissance Faire, and he can't leave the grounds. He's very, very attracted to the Faire's brewmaster, but Shepherd wants nothing to do with him. Shepherd thinks Max is the reason his cousin got back into drugs, and Max has a bad history—dealing, a prison term, and last but not least, a little four-year stint as the personal assassin of a drug kingpin. For once, Max didn't do it, but Shepherd isn't about to believe him.
When Max's old boss becomes a threat, the Faire that had been his prison becomes his protection. Max hides out at the brewery. As he deals with Shepherd's bad attitude, the physical and mental side effects of having his soul imprisoned, and guilt over the people he's killed, he finds himself falling for the sexiest man to ever hate him. But the only way he can keep Shepherd is if he can find some sort of magical redemption for his past.
When Max's old boss becomes a threat, the Faire that had been his prison becomes his protection. Max hides out at the brewery. As he deals with Shepherd's bad attitude, the physical and mental side effects of having his soul imprisoned, and guilt over the people he's killed, he finds himself falling for the sexiest man to ever hate him. But the only way he can keep Shepherd is if he can find some sort of magical redemption for his past.
263 pages, ebook
First published June 30, 2014
About the author
Madeleine Ribbon
17 books56 followersMadeleine Ribbon lives on the outskirts of Baltimore, Maryland, but was born and raised in Iowa. She still gets claustrophobic in forests and prefers to see her tornados coming. Madeleine strives to perfect the art of procrastination and is a huge nerd. When she isn't writing, she spends much of her time playing video games, brewing beer and mead, and trying not to blow up the kitchen while trying new recipes.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 29, 2022
I liked it. Max is a more compelling main character than Devin, and his story arch felt a lot more fleshed out. I had a hard time with Shepherd though. The swings from love to hate felt way too sudden and way too severe, and that made liking him as a romantic interest harder.
July 12, 2018
“Words of wisdom; battle scars; finding hope; watching stars; warm embraces; sweat and tears. A beating heart conquers fears. Look how much that I have grown. I'm not afraid. I'm not alone.” ~ Sierra Collins
Max, from 'Faire Protector' by Madeline Allen, is in a very precarious position. He's separated from his soul which is encased in an amulet worn by Jorvik, the Faire's mage. This is done to protect the Faire and his foster brother, Devin, from his role as assassin for a drug lord. It's been almost a year since Max was bound and the closer his release comes, the more apprehension he feels. Max deeply regrets his past, but doesn't expect to be forgiven. Further complicating matters, his boss is still looking for him in order to murder him for failing in his mission to hunt down and kill Devin. Whether Max has paid his penance and deserves absolution is up to the Faire to decide.
Max knows that being bound to the Faire is changing him, but isn't sure whether it's permanent. He lives in fear of going back to the way he was beforehand. He's ashamed of his past and he never wants to kill again. Max is growing to love the quietness and tranquility of the Glen. He especially loves exploring the numerous caves in the area. After years of running, Max enjoys the feeling of being able to stay safely in one place. If not for the restrictions the Faire puts on him which keeps him prisoner, Max would be content to stay there indefinitely. He is not only dismayed by the many rules Joryk issues; but each command also causes him intense physical pain. When his soul was imprisoned, no one knew this would happen. After doing more research, they become alarmingly aware of how nearly impossible it's going to be to successfully return Max's soul to his body.
Shepard, the Faire's brewmaster, is the one bright spot in Max's life. After an extremely rocky start and several setbacks, they fall in love, but even then, things do not run smoothly, except in bed. They make love frequently, with so much passion and fervor that almost everyone in the Faire can hear them. Max wants to be a better man, if only to be more deserving of Shepherd's devotion; but before they can truly be together, Max has other obstacles to overcome, all of which could lead to his demise. Max and Shepherd want to deepen their relationship, but with so much weighing on Max's soul being released and the every present threat of his ex-boss looming over them, it's almost impossible to think about a future.
Madeline has created an excellent sequel full of excitement, angst, and desire. Her lyrical descriptions of the Glen presents it as such a fantastic place, that anyone would want to live there. Even with the brutality, danger, and suspense, Madeline manages to insinuate a passionate romance; part of Max's reward for putting his old life behind him. There are lots of life lessons in the tale as well—do not judge people, the importance of friends, and having to pay for your misdeeds—while also promoting the idea that everyone can be forgiven if they honestly repent and change their behavior. I recommend this book to those who enjoy a complex, imaginative paranormal read with the Faire as a character and protector of its residents. Thank you, Madeline, for the intense, thoughtful, and entertaining story.
NOTE: This book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Max, from 'Faire Protector' by Madeline Allen, is in a very precarious position. He's separated from his soul which is encased in an amulet worn by Jorvik, the Faire's mage. This is done to protect the Faire and his foster brother, Devin, from his role as assassin for a drug lord. It's been almost a year since Max was bound and the closer his release comes, the more apprehension he feels. Max deeply regrets his past, but doesn't expect to be forgiven. Further complicating matters, his boss is still looking for him in order to murder him for failing in his mission to hunt down and kill Devin. Whether Max has paid his penance and deserves absolution is up to the Faire to decide.
Max knows that being bound to the Faire is changing him, but isn't sure whether it's permanent. He lives in fear of going back to the way he was beforehand. He's ashamed of his past and he never wants to kill again. Max is growing to love the quietness and tranquility of the Glen. He especially loves exploring the numerous caves in the area. After years of running, Max enjoys the feeling of being able to stay safely in one place. If not for the restrictions the Faire puts on him which keeps him prisoner, Max would be content to stay there indefinitely. He is not only dismayed by the many rules Joryk issues; but each command also causes him intense physical pain. When his soul was imprisoned, no one knew this would happen. After doing more research, they become alarmingly aware of how nearly impossible it's going to be to successfully return Max's soul to his body.
Shepard, the Faire's brewmaster, is the one bright spot in Max's life. After an extremely rocky start and several setbacks, they fall in love, but even then, things do not run smoothly, except in bed. They make love frequently, with so much passion and fervor that almost everyone in the Faire can hear them. Max wants to be a better man, if only to be more deserving of Shepherd's devotion; but before they can truly be together, Max has other obstacles to overcome, all of which could lead to his demise. Max and Shepherd want to deepen their relationship, but with so much weighing on Max's soul being released and the every present threat of his ex-boss looming over them, it's almost impossible to think about a future.
Madeline has created an excellent sequel full of excitement, angst, and desire. Her lyrical descriptions of the Glen presents it as such a fantastic place, that anyone would want to live there. Even with the brutality, danger, and suspense, Madeline manages to insinuate a passionate romance; part of Max's reward for putting his old life behind him. There are lots of life lessons in the tale as well—do not judge people, the importance of friends, and having to pay for your misdeeds—while also promoting the idea that everyone can be forgiven if they honestly repent and change their behavior. I recommend this book to those who enjoy a complex, imaginative paranormal read with the Faire as a character and protector of its residents. Thank you, Madeline, for the intense, thoughtful, and entertaining story.
NOTE: This book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
September 12, 2018
It says something about a book when I had a serious problem with one aspect of it and yet I loved it so much anyway, I'm putting it on my M/M favorites shelf. Basically there was a great plot, lots of action, melodrama, angst, and OMG-he's-gonna-die moments including one of the best omg-he's-gonna-die (OMGHGD) scenes ever complete with a hospital scene and a bedside vigil. Wonderful.
With one exception, the characters were likeable and interesting, and varied (although far more of this was shown with these characters in the first book). I particularly liked that one of the MCs never warmed up to one character everyone else loved because the man did something to him in the past he couldn't forgive.
The one exception--which is the major problem I have with the book--is that for the first quarter to one third of the book, one of the MCs, Shepard, is a complete ass and an idiot. He's not just mean, he's cruel such as making Max use cold water in a bucket to wash off. He blames him for cousin's slide back down even though everyone tells him he's off base. He continues this pattern of thought for a while despite the complete lack of evidence. Even if Max were supplying the drugs, Perry is an adult and is responsible for his own actions. But this goes away as you know it will, and he's wonderful and sweet and amazing and yet remains true to himself, no black and white thinking here.
There were so many cool things, too, like the way Max describes why he prefers to bottom makes sense and works for me. It's been hard for me to understand why you'd only want tdo one or the other if you had the choice. It was also very well done having Mac have to work for his orgasm in one sex after Shepard finished even though they were both having a good time. That was realistic.
This was amazing. Lots of those OMGHGD moments. The crazy stuff was done well, and even though I suspected some stuff, I didn't figure it out the answers until they happened. Truly wonderful.
p.s. Yet another book with one of my pet peeves: It's "another think coming" not "thing."
With one exception, the characters were likeable and interesting, and varied (although far more of this was shown with these characters in the first book). I particularly liked that one of the MCs never warmed up to one character everyone else loved because the man did something to him in the past he couldn't forgive.
The one exception--which is the major problem I have with the book--is that for the first quarter to one third of the book, one of the MCs, Shepard, is a complete ass and an idiot. He's not just mean, he's cruel such as making Max use cold water in a bucket to wash off. He blames him for cousin's slide back down even though everyone tells him he's off base. He continues this pattern of thought for a while despite the complete lack of evidence. Even if Max were supplying the drugs, Perry is an adult and is responsible for his own actions. But this goes away as you know it will, and he's wonderful and sweet and amazing and yet remains true to himself, no black and white thinking here.
There were so many cool things, too, like the way Max describes why he prefers to bottom makes sense and works for me. It's been hard for me to understand why you'd only want tdo one or the other if you had the choice. It was also very well done having Mac have to work for his orgasm in one sex after Shepard finished even though they were both having a good time. That was realistic.
This was amazing. Lots of those OMGHGD moments. The crazy stuff was done well, and even though I suspected some stuff, I didn't figure it out the answers until they happened. Truly wonderful.
p.s. Yet another book with one of my pet peeves: It's "another think coming" not "thing."
August 1, 2022
I enjoy this series so far.
It's a quick read and I like that it doesn't revolve around the relationship between Max and Shepard. Although the whole mob boss/killer aspect did get convoluted at times - even with my belief slightly suspended because of the magic of the faire.
I will continue to read the series to see where the characters go from here.
It's a quick read and I like that it doesn't revolve around the relationship between Max and Shepard. Although the whole mob boss/killer aspect did get convoluted at times - even with my belief slightly suspended because of the magic of the faire.
I will continue to read the series to see where the characters go from here.
January 9, 2024
I am torn on how to write this review. I really liked Max, one of the main characters. His storyline was much more fleshed out than Devin’s in book one. As a reader, you could see and understand his choices. But Sheperd, MC #2, I could not connect with him at all. The over the top hate and venom towards Max just didn’t make sense even with some explanations later. And then it suddenly turned to love over night. I did love the soul stone part of the book. I wish the author had did more into that part. The magic part. And I would have loved to see more of the Faire and its magic. All in all, it was a decent read and I am looking forward to the next one.
April 20, 2020
Brilliant series
I can't wait to read more, I didn't think I'd like this one after what Max did, but wow I fell in love with him in the end. The world Madeleine has created almost makes me wish it was real, I almost feel like I'm there someone's. If you like a bit of magic, then this series is for you.
I can't wait to read more, I didn't think I'd like this one after what Max did, but wow I fell in love with him in the end. The world Madeleine has created almost makes me wish it was real, I almost feel like I'm there someone's. If you like a bit of magic, then this series is for you.
Want to read
March 24, 2020🎁 The complete Faire Folk Series (5 book series) is FREE on Amazon today (3/24/2020)! 🎁
June 13, 2020
Darker than expected . Shepherd was an idiot; I didn’t get the attraction. Overall liked it more than the first book but disliked all the fluff and Shepherd.
September 2, 2014
3.5/5 Hearts (stars)
Max brought evil, hatred and danger to the Faire for which he is being punished by losing his soul. Locked away in an amulet worn around the neck of the Fae Joryk, his soul remains there until his penance is served. What Max nor the Fae realize is that there is a thread binding his soul to him and Joryk, forcing him to obey even the most miniscule of requests. Furthermore, it’s unclear if Max will even survive once the amulet is destroyed. His soul should revert back to his body, but that scenario is looking less likely with each passing day.
Max was not a nice person in the human world, his reputation precedes him, and makes it difficult for his attraction to the sexy brewmaster, Shepard, to actually go anywhere. Shepard doesn’t trust the human, can’t stand the sight of him, and is livid when Joryk sends Max to work for helping with the brews. Watching Max every day, listening to him and seeing firsthand how much Max wants to change makes it harder to hate him though. When the strain of the amulet becomes clearer and more draining on Max, Shepard is there to care for him, and the attraction they share becomes too strong to overlook.
An uneasy partnership is born of a mutual adoration, sex in the strangest of places and Shepards need to take care of the fragile young man. But Max has more than just the possible deadly effects of the amulet to contend with. The demons of his past are literally haunting him, and his old boss won’t give up on finding him, even if it means taking down the Faire and the people Max has grown so found of in the process.
This was an intense read and not necessarily due to the content, more like the ever looming threats that kept me on the edge of my seat. Between Max hearing voices that is actually his minds way of dealing with his inner demons, the possibility of his death when the amulet is destroyed, and the mob boss constantly lurking around the Faire trying to find a way inside to get to Max... my head was spinning.
My hang up with the story was that there was so much going on at times I was confused, especially toward the end in the caves. And the complete 180 that Shepard did pretty much in a blink threw me as well. But overall it was a very intriguing read that kept me guessing right up until the very end.
If you are a fan of Fae, hard luck cases getting a second chance and the possibility of a happy ever after, then this is a story for you.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Max brought evil, hatred and danger to the Faire for which he is being punished by losing his soul. Locked away in an amulet worn around the neck of the Fae Joryk, his soul remains there until his penance is served. What Max nor the Fae realize is that there is a thread binding his soul to him and Joryk, forcing him to obey even the most miniscule of requests. Furthermore, it’s unclear if Max will even survive once the amulet is destroyed. His soul should revert back to his body, but that scenario is looking less likely with each passing day.
Max was not a nice person in the human world, his reputation precedes him, and makes it difficult for his attraction to the sexy brewmaster, Shepard, to actually go anywhere. Shepard doesn’t trust the human, can’t stand the sight of him, and is livid when Joryk sends Max to work for helping with the brews. Watching Max every day, listening to him and seeing firsthand how much Max wants to change makes it harder to hate him though. When the strain of the amulet becomes clearer and more draining on Max, Shepard is there to care for him, and the attraction they share becomes too strong to overlook.
An uneasy partnership is born of a mutual adoration, sex in the strangest of places and Shepards need to take care of the fragile young man. But Max has more than just the possible deadly effects of the amulet to contend with. The demons of his past are literally haunting him, and his old boss won’t give up on finding him, even if it means taking down the Faire and the people Max has grown so found of in the process.
This was an intense read and not necessarily due to the content, more like the ever looming threats that kept me on the edge of my seat. Between Max hearing voices that is actually his minds way of dealing with his inner demons, the possibility of his death when the amulet is destroyed, and the mob boss constantly lurking around the Faire trying to find a way inside to get to Max... my head was spinning.
My hang up with the story was that there was so much going on at times I was confused, especially toward the end in the caves. And the complete 180 that Shepard did pretty much in a blink threw me as well. But overall it was a very intriguing read that kept me guessing right up until the very end.
If you are a fan of Fae, hard luck cases getting a second chance and the possibility of a happy ever after, then this is a story for you.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
April 1, 2017
Review written for Love Bytes Reviews.
Oh man, words cannot express the love I have for this series! While I thought the first book was unique, and I loved the concept, this second book has now replaced the first as my favorite so far. Max is a great character; he’s done horrible things in his past, and he makes no excuses for it, but he has been trying (in his own way) to be a better person. Max is, in a nutshell, tortured throughout the story, in many different ways, and there were times where I just hurt for him so badly that I couldn’t read fast enough to get to his happy ending. (I stayed up later than I should’ve just to finish this because I couldn’t leave the story without knowing how it all worked out.)
Shepherd and Max’s ‘relationship’ gets off to a bad start right away and I mean, really bad. In Max’s defense, however, it wasn’t actually his fault. Despite the overwhelming hostility and crappy circumstances he finds himself in, Max is still determined to do his best and prove Shepherd wrong about him. Through worsening issues surrounding the events of the previous story, and an unforeseen complication involving his imprisonment, Max still manages to persevere and shows just how strong an individual he really is. The way he and Shepherd eventually come together was a little bit of a surprise but the turn the relationship takes later was completely unexpected. While there was a lot of lust pinging around between the two men, I was almost as shocked as Max to realize they were developing something more.
There is definitely more angst and drama surrounding Max’s story but that’s what made it so great. This story was just SO damn good! While it was overall a story full of magic and the repercussions of using it, it was also one of redemption and how even those who don’t think they deserve it can find love and happiness. It was so well put together that I felt as though I was struggling along with Max at times and while I didn’t think I would like him at first, Max has definitely made my top ten list of protagonists. I seriously can’t wait to read the next book and I highly recommend this series to anyone that enjoys a little magic in their lives.
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2016/07/1...
Oh man, words cannot express the love I have for this series! While I thought the first book was unique, and I loved the concept, this second book has now replaced the first as my favorite so far. Max is a great character; he’s done horrible things in his past, and he makes no excuses for it, but he has been trying (in his own way) to be a better person. Max is, in a nutshell, tortured throughout the story, in many different ways, and there were times where I just hurt for him so badly that I couldn’t read fast enough to get to his happy ending. (I stayed up later than I should’ve just to finish this because I couldn’t leave the story without knowing how it all worked out.)
Shepherd and Max’s ‘relationship’ gets off to a bad start right away and I mean, really bad. In Max’s defense, however, it wasn’t actually his fault. Despite the overwhelming hostility and crappy circumstances he finds himself in, Max is still determined to do his best and prove Shepherd wrong about him. Through worsening issues surrounding the events of the previous story, and an unforeseen complication involving his imprisonment, Max still manages to persevere and shows just how strong an individual he really is. The way he and Shepherd eventually come together was a little bit of a surprise but the turn the relationship takes later was completely unexpected. While there was a lot of lust pinging around between the two men, I was almost as shocked as Max to realize they were developing something more.
There is definitely more angst and drama surrounding Max’s story but that’s what made it so great. This story was just SO damn good! While it was overall a story full of magic and the repercussions of using it, it was also one of redemption and how even those who don’t think they deserve it can find love and happiness. It was so well put together that I felt as though I was struggling along with Max at times and while I didn’t think I would like him at first, Max has definitely made my top ten list of protagonists. I seriously can’t wait to read the next book and I highly recommend this series to anyone that enjoys a little magic in their lives.
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2016/07/1...
July 31, 2015
This one was heavier than the first, which wasn't a surprise given Max's circumstances and the soulstone and all. But even given that, this was still wonderfully fun to read.
We get to know more about the Faire and several of its residents, which was wonderful.
And the lovely antagonism at the start of Max's and Shepherd's relationship was some of the best I've read. Delightful!
Some Favorite Quotes:
"You're weird, old man."
"Of course I am. Everyone here is. That's how we know we belong with the Faire."
and Max found himself staring up at the sexiest man to ever hate him.
"As fucked-up as the whole situation was, it brought me where I needed to be."
We get to know more about the Faire and several of its residents, which was wonderful.
And the lovely antagonism at the start of Max's and Shepherd's relationship was some of the best I've read. Delightful!
Some Favorite Quotes:
"You're weird, old man."
"Of course I am. Everyone here is. That's how we know we belong with the Faire."
and Max found himself staring up at the sexiest man to ever hate him.
"As fucked-up as the whole situation was, it brought me where I needed to be."
December 17, 2014
Faire Protector is thrilling and sexy!
Madeleine Ribbon really understands how to write a good romance novel. The plot is tight and keeps you wanting to turn the page and the sex scenes are hot. This was a great sequel to Faire Fugitive.
Madeleine Ribbon really understands how to write a good romance novel. The plot is tight and keeps you wanting to turn the page and the sex scenes are hot. This was a great sequel to Faire Fugitive.
June 23, 2015
I love book one, and I love book two. I'm looking forward to book 3, 4, 5, 6,.....
July 13, 2020
I'm glad we got to see a good side to Max, I really thought there was more to him. Ugh I feel so bad for him and just hope he gets all the best in life after this. He needs time to relax.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews