Dauntless Summer - Paperback

by Emmaline Strange (Author)

Summer is a time of plenty, a time of excess. As the God of Summer, Cosmo has those in spades: Plenty of fear and an excess of guilt.

Abandoned by a cruel and absent father, judged and despised by his siblings, Cosmo has actually felt safer in the cursed centuries since his brother's tragic death, telling himself he's happy without his family, mingling with the mortals in his care and enjoying all the joys of summertime. He performs his duties to shepherd the season, drinks and smokes and warms his bed with anyone willing.

This time though, when he wakes, he comes face to face with his past. Literally. His brother is there. Auro, God of Spring, who he hasn't seen in four hundred years. And he's obviously lost his mind. He's telling Cosmo there's a way to break their curse, to be free of it-for the four of them to be together again. Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. But there's an icy cold shadow looming over Cosmo, and the curse is the only thing protecting him.

***

Guarding a spoiled princeling was supposed to be easy. Leofric never meant to be swept up in this insane world of gods and curses, and he's just about had it with the lot of them: the unruly Prince Alexios, his demigod paramour, and all the pitfalls of life at court. He misses his old life. His real life. His family. But then, the prince makes him an offer: complete one quest and His Highness will pay Leofric enough gold that he can retire in safety with his family.

There's only one problem. His companion. Cosmo, God of Summer, is over the top, over sexed, and frankly overwhelming. He takes nothing seriously. Not his brothers, not their quest, not his sacred duty to care for the earth. Everything about him is loud: his voice, his flame-bright hair, his indecent garb, the pounds of jewelry he wears. And his freckles. Freckles all over his stupid, smirking face. His chest. His arms. Everywhere. Everywhere.

For some reason, Leofric really can't stop staring at those freckles. It doesn't help that Cosmo seems determined to get under his skin. Leofric just wants to complete the quest and go home, but Cosmo is like a maelstrom, pulling him inexorably toward the center of everything Leofric's trying to escape.

Can Leofric find safety there, in the eye of the summer storm, or will he be blown apart-and his family with him?

DAUNTLESS SUMMER is the steamy, sweaty, slow-burn second book in the Harmony of Seasons queer sword-and-sandal fantasy romance quartet.