Emrys Andrews lives in the quaint New England town of Salem, Massachusetts. In school he was never part of the popular “in” crowd, but he always had good friends and was generally known as a fun-loving, nice-guy geek. A label that followed him into adulthood. He just has one little problem. A secret he’s managed to keep from his friends and the world in general. You see, he’s descended from a long, esteemed line of honest-to-goodness, magick-wielding witches. Which wouldn’t be so bad, except, while the rest of his family members totally rock the witch power, Emrys…doesn’t. Any time he tries to do magick, anything that can go wrong, usually does. He’s left a trail of magickal disaster in his wake all his life, so now, for everyone’s safety, he tries to avoid his powers at all costs.

David Jennings is everything Emrys is not-gorgeous, sexy, popular, athletic, and a perfectly normal non-magick person. Despite the fact Emrys is sure David’s out of his league, and possibly straight, all it takes is one look into David’s soulful blue eyes and Emrys is a goner. He keeps his crush quiet for years, however, because his magick is usually at its worst when he’s emotional or when his adrenaline is pumping, and around David, he can’t control either.

When an unexpected encounter finally throws them together, Emrys discovers he’s not the only one who’s been fantasizing from afar. David’s been harboring feelings for Emrys for years, too. Unfortunately, David’s family also has secrets. The kind that can get anyone who knows too much…very much dead. With David’s life on the line and his past doing its best to tear them apart and keep them that way, and magick the only apparent solution, Emrys has to get control of his power once and for all if he wants to save the man who’s always been his destiny. But the tricky part is, he can’t do it without David’s help…

Familiar, by M. L. Rhodes

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

This is one where I’m going to say that my rating applies to me specifically, but may not apply to everyone. I’ll explain why below.

This isn’t a particularly complicated story, but it’s a case where the beauty is in the telling. Looking back, a large portion of the story is spent on a single night, but it’s a very eventful and consequential night for both Emrys and David. There’s a bit of insta-love, and the concept of finding one’s soul mate is involved. I’m kind of a sucker for that trope, so I’ll allow it.

Emrys and David are so incredibly sweet together. Emrys suffers from low self-esteem and is very unsure of himself. In spite of this he is a sweet and caring man, willing to help others (points to the author for mostly showing, not telling this). David balances Emrys well. Despite his difficult family life he has confidence in who he is and what he wants. The banter between these two is what sold this book to me, and melted my heart. It reminded me very much of how my late husband and I used to talk. This made me smile so much.

If I had any complaint about the book it’s that the ending seemed a bit rushed, given all of the buildup of the events throughout the book. It followed logically from the rest of the story, though, so it worked for me overall. The ending is gloriously sweet and left me in happy tears.

I liked this one a lot! Recommended.