Title: Gardens & Ghosts
Author: Maz Maddox
Series: RELIC #5
Pages: 344
Like most people who have read this series from the beginning, I have been eager to read Montana’s story, especially after Henry was introduced and it seemed there was something there. Well Montana’s book was worth the wait and I loved his and Henry’s story.
Montana and Henry head to Chicago to find a life changing shifter fossil that is being traded on the black market. This is Henry’s first mission and he is determined to not only succeed but also to woo Montana now that they are all alone. Henry is a sweetheart and I loved him so much. Henry’s many attempts to woo Montana were amusing and so sweet. But while Henry was a sweetie, he was a badass when he needed to be. He was surprisingly capable and had no problem taking down bad guys when necessary.
“I wanted that bull for myself. He would be such a good partner, and I would be such a good provider. I could bring him deer. So many deer. He could rest, he could be safe, and I would guard our little nest so he could eat in peace. Oh my God, I wanted to build a nest for him so bad. I started eyeing sticks. I needed color. Rocks! Colorful rocks! Blue. I needed blue. SO MUCH BLUE to match his eyes.”
We also see Henry still struggling with his human emotions and shifting. He has a few amusing moments of almost shifting and one actual shift in a very public place. I like that we still see Henry learning control and causing chaos because it has only been a year since he awakened. Also I really love that Baha is the one teaching him about humanity and he is a ruthless teacher.
Montana is our grumpy T-rex who is still grieving the loss of his husband. He is struggling with his feelings for Henry which causes some hurt feelings. I expected this though because we have seen throughout this series that Montana is still grieving heavily about Reaper so I knew this wasn’t going to be a smooth relationship. While Montana and Henry’s relationship may have a few rocky points we do see that Montana realizes how Henry makes him feel and eventually chases after that. We also see them discussing grief therapy in the epilogue which I think is wonderful and healthy for their relationship.
“I’ve waited sixty-five million years for you to hold me.”…“We can stay like this for as long as you want.
Overall, this was a wonderful romance between Henry and Montana and a great ending for this series. I am going to miss this series but I really like how this ended, especially since all the couples have true HEAs now.
CW: death of spouse, grief, gun violence, death, injuries and blood
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Previous books and reviews for the series:
Red-Haired Ash Reads 