Jackson Holt makes a decent living as a private investigator in New Orleans, home of one of the largest underground supernatural populations in the United States. He and his partners have never met a case they couldn’t crack…until a local bar owner asks him to do a little digging on her newest hire.
New Orleans is the fourth destination in as many months for Mackenzie Brooks, a woman on the run from a deranged stalker. After all, any man who shows up on her doorstep claiming to be her destined lover has more than a few screws loose. But crazy doesn’t explain why he always finds her no matter how far she runs.
When her well-meaning boss puts a PI on her case, Mackenzie comes face to face with the incredible truth: magic is real, and whatever spell has kept her hidden and separate from the paranormal world is rapidly deteriorating.
With time running out, she has no choice but to trust Jackson as he struggles to uncover the truth of her past-and her destiny.

Crux by Moira Rogers (#1 Southern Arcana Series)
Available in both print and ebook
Paranormal Romance
Samhain
Review by Mandi

Mackenzie Brooks is scared. She has been running from her ex-boyfriend, Marcus through five states, and no matter how many times she dumps her car or hides out, his people always seem to track her down. She has ended up in New Orleans, and has taken employment at the local bar, in desperate need of money. While working, she craves normalcy and desperately just wants to fit in. However, she is so scared of the men chasing her and their crazy ideas about magic and other unbelievable things that she can not allow herself to let her guard down. She does her best to be a flirty, carefree bartender but she is not fooling the patrons especially her boss Nick. Although she is on edge, she can’t help but notice the hunky guy that hangs out, Jackson Holt.

Worried she is in trouble, Nick sends Jackson, a private investigator, to follow Mackenize home one night. Mackenzie, who is used to being followed and totally on edge, realizes Jackson is following her and has to make a decision right there whether she is going to fight and flee, or fight to stay. Making the very hard decision that Nick probably wouldn’t try to hurt her, she decides to trust these people. She ends up moving into the apartment above the bar.

Nick, Jackson, and his partner Alec all know something is a little off with Mackenzie, and it is not just her fear. They have a feeling she is a shapeshifter, but not a wolf like Nick and Alec, nor a wizard like Jackson and they are stumped. Jackson decides there is something special about Mackenzie is he is not going to let her run off. When Marcus’ men track her down again, Jackson uses his magic to fend them off. Now Mackenzie must believe magic and supernatural beings exist and trust those around her to keep her safe.

The writing team of Moira Rogers, aka Bree and Donna, really impressed me with Crux. It is one of those books where you sit down and are immediately at ease with the pages. They have a really great smooth, witty writing style and some of the most engaging characters I have read.

Jackson describes himself as a “charming bastard,” and that sums him up well. He very alpha in his protectiveness but over all a really nice guy. He is not cocky, or arrogant, just a man you definitely would want to take home to your mother. He is also built, tall and as Mackenzie tells him, “unfairly sexy.”

I loved Mackenize too. At the beginning of the book she is terrified and on the run, but once she trusts Jackson and the events happening to her and around her, the true Mackenize opens up and she embraces life and is carefree. What I truly love about this heroine is when she is in trouble, she accepts help. She listens when they tell her what to do – she knows they know more about this magic then she does. She never puts herself in a TSTL (too stupid to live) situation, which I often find heroines who just discover magic fall into.

The love scenes, while not abundant in quantity, make up for in in quality. My favorite part is the amount of talking during the scenes. These two never stop the chatter, and it really is a turn on during these scenes.

My absolute favorite part of the book are the supporting characters. We get introduced to so many, yet as the reader you will definitely come to know all of them, and quite well. There is Alec (ladies I’ve already claimed him so move along) who is Jackson’s partner and very quiet, very alpha, very mysterious (he will be the hero in book three, Deadloc). Kat, the secretary who is more of a computer whiz and like a kid sister to Jackson and Alec.

There is also Nick, who owns the bar and her father just happens to be head alpha wolf, although she wants nothing to do with the politics that status brings her family. Nick becomes a great friend to Mackenize, making sure the boys keep themselves in line. Nick is the heroine in the next book, Crossroads, which I am starting very soon!

I absolutely recommend Crux and I am very eager to try more from Moira Rogers.

Rating: 4/5

Recent Reviews:
Fiction Vixen – 4/5
Book Binge – 4/5
Pearl’s World of Romance – 8/10
Kindle Vixen – 4/5
Goodreads

Moira Rogers’ Website