Earth & Water by JL Gribble

This is the author’s first attempt at romance and I thought it was a good one. The characters are well-thought out and well-written, though I wanted to shake them a few times with the denial and way they went about getting together, or not getting together in this case.

Kane and Toria are on their first assignment as mercenaries, and they run into Archer as part of the case. Archer and Kane are attracted right away, but their circumstances have them denying what they want. The connection between them can be seen right away, but these two rather be idiots than admit they like one another. It leads to frustration but also a satisfying HEA once they figure things out.

Book overview

A life with no room for distraction

Earth mage Kane Nalamas may be on his first official contract as a mercenary, but his years of experience and training don’t prepare him for immediate betrayal. Within days, he loses both his client and his freedom.

A prison of his own creation

Water mage Archer Sophin would not wish his half-life as a human magical battery on anyone. Especially not the sweet mercenary who has no idea he’s stumbled upon one of the greatest secrets in the magical world: magic is dying.

An unlikely partnership

Kane will take any help he can get from the intriguing water mage, even if he’s not sure whether Archer’s role is villain or fellow victim. Drawn further together by an unexpected voyage, what begins as a temporary arrangement turns into the potential for so much more.

To live free in a world that craves their power, the elemental mages will have to use earth and water in ways never seen before. And for a chance to build a future together, they’ll have to escape the chains of their past.

Earth and Water is an M/M paranormal romance featuring a broody pansexual water mage, a stubborn gay earth mage, forced proximity, meddling best friends, and magic as an accidental aphrodisiac. It is set in the same universe as the author’s Steel Empires series but can be read as a standalone novel with a happily ever after and no cliffhanger.

Earth and Water: MM Paranormal Romance https://a.co/d/gWPm23a