KCBR Blog

The Muse by Jewel E. Ann is LIVE.  Check out my spoiler-free review and get ready to one-click your new favorite book from Jewel. 

Flynn Morley has spent his life getting by with as little as possible. No girlfriend. No real home. No money to speak of. Raised in the system, he learned early not to trust people who seemed to have everything. So when he takes a job as a “muse” for a wealthy Minneapolis couple, it feels like crossing a line he never thought he would.

Then he meets June.

June is a bike tour guide with a quick smile, a calm confidence, and a way of making Flynn feel seen without being judged. Their connection is immediate and playful, built on shared humor, quiet moments, and a mutual longing for a simple life.

As Flynn adjusts to his bizarre new job, he starts encountering something he never planned for: kindness without strings attached. It challenges everything he believes about money, power, and who gets to be comfortable in the world. And falling for June only complicates things, especially when it turns out she’s carrying secrets of her own.

When June’s past surfaces, Flynn has to decide what scares him more: becoming someone he’s always sworn he’d never be or letting her see his darkest secrets. If he can’t let go of his fears, he might lose the one person who finally feels like home.

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited. https://a.co/d/0edEnp72

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Amazon Audiobook: https://bit.ly/48JaNrF

Narrated by: Tim Paige & Charlotte North

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4aE7PG1

Spoiler-free review of The Muse

The Muse by Jewel E. Ann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Muse by Jewel E. Ann is the second book in the Chain of Lakes series, and I loved this one. The second I realized how this story connected to A Place Without You, I got ridiculously excited. That's one of my favorite Jewel books, and while I'm not about to spoil anything, let's just say I may have celebrated the discovery with a gummy bear or two. If you know, you know. And if you don't? No worries. This is still a standalone.

Flynn has a troubled past and is trying to figure out who he wants to be while making peace with some of the mistakes he's made along the way. Through an unusual and unexpected turn of events, he lands a job as a muse.

June (Zoya) is a Minneapolis bike tour guide who's trying to figure out her own life. She's quirky, lovable, and the kind of heroine you can't help but like. These two couldn't be more different, but the chemistry is there from the start. They're both carrying some pretty heavy baggage, and watching them navigate their pasts while trying to build a future kept me invested from the first page to the last.

Jewel has a way of wrapping big emotions inside stories filled with humor and charm, and The Muse was no exception. One minute, I was smiling at the banter, and the next, Jewel was dragging me straight into the emotional deep end. Watching these two fight their way toward a hard-earned happily-ever-after was such a rewarding journey. Their connection felt real, messy, and imperfect. The Muse gave me the humor, heart, and emotional punches I've come to expect from Jewel. Another gem from JEA. One-click worthy.

Once upon a time there lived an ambitious boy determined to become a man before his time.

And there lived a woman, one who believed herself past the point of redemption. Her scars mild in comparison to the secrets she holds.

Intent on his quest, Tyler enlists the only person who can help him—his best friend’s volatile aunt, Delphine. A woman twelve years his senior, and one he can’t seem to stop fantasizing about.

Delphine’s only goal is to shape him into the Raven soldier he needs to be. But the forbidden connection between them grows.

It’s the forging of their bond that will irrevocably change them both.

And for Tyler, it’s the loss of that love that will birth the warrior within.

But then, nothing has ever been fair in love and war . . .

Severed Heart by Kate Stewart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Severed Heart by Kate Stewart packed an emotional sucker punch in the feels.   Kate, what did you do to my heart?! I was hooked from page one and completely wrecked by the end of this book. Tyler's story is raw, gritty, and overflowing with heart and heat. Getting inside his head and heart was priceless.  Luckily,  I had a box of tissues on standby because this book broke me at times. The second installment in the Ravenhood Legacy Series again proves why Kate Stewart is an auto-buy author. It's no surprise this series is headed to the big screen! Check out Kate's movie news on Deadline's website. Thank you so much for such an incredible book.  I can't wait to read Birds of a Feather (The Ravenhood Legacy #3) when it releases in December. Chef's kiss!

This book is absolute perfection! I was so lucky to read an advance copy of Sex, Not Love by Vi Keeland.  This book is everything. Check out my spoiler-free review below.