Rating: 4.5 stars
Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel

Daniel Macavoy was abused and enslaved by those he should have been able to trust. Surprisingly, his salvation came from the family he was always taught was the enemy — the Salvatores. Angel made Daniel his apprentice and has taught Daniel so much about his magic, and Isaac has become Daniel’s best friend and closest confidant. Together with their partners, the Salvatore brothers have given Daniel a true family and a place to belong for the first time.

Daniel has now moved into the Salvatore mansion, trusted to care for the ancestral home. It gives Daniel a chance to spend more time with Rory Brennan, an immortal member of High Court Sidhe. Rory has lived thousands of years alongside his twin brother, Cian. The men were inseparable until Rory nearly died, spending hundreds of years in stasis, while Cian committed unspeakable crimes trying to find a way to bring Rory back to life. Though Cian is now imprisoned for his crimes, the bond the twins have allows him to travel mentally (and at times physically) to be by Rory’s side.

As Rory and Daniel spend more time together, it gives them a chance to act on the long-standing attraction that has been building between them. But even as the men settle into a growing relationship, a series of attacks against the Salvatore home and family members suggest a new threat. No one knows if the incidents are related, and if so, what the attackers are after. While the Salvatore clan is strong, they are also a target, and danger seems to be around every corner. But the group is powerful and deeply committed to one another, and they are ready to take on whatever trouble comes their way.

Love Springs Eternal is the fifth book in S.J. Himes amazing Beacon Hill Sorcerer series. While this story features a new couple in Rory and Daniel, the series has an overarching storyline and overlapping characters, so you are going to want to read these in order. That said, if you are new to this series, run, don’t walk, to pick up The Necromancer’s Dance and get started, because this is one of the best urban fantasy series I have read.

Those of us who have been following along with the series know that things have been brewing with Rory and Daniel for a while now, though nothing has been official yet. Here we get to see these guys turn their obvious attraction into something more and oh, are they so sweet and lovely. These are two gentle men who are so caring and kind and you can’t help but want them to find love together. Yet while Daniel and Rory are both so sweet and endearing, they are also strong, powerful, and fiercely protective over those they love. The men are such a wonderful match and I so enjoyed watching them find their happiness together. Things move smoothly for the men getting together, as the conflict is externally focused. So they pretty much fall into their relationship with no hurdles, which I think works well given their past history. So this is just a chance to really enjoy their romance, which is a nice combination of sweetness and heat. I really just love them together.

The real conflict here comes with whoever is behind these attacks. There are a lot of little things that ultimately coalesce to show what is really going on, but it takes some time to see the full picture. There are some exciting moments here and some great scenes with a lot of magic and power. We also get to learn a lot more about the fae and their magic and history, which adds to the series lore that has been mostly the vampires and sorcerers. And wow, did I gasp at the end, because while the main story plot ties up here, the series plot opens up in a fascinating way that has me clamoring for the next book.

One of my favorite aspects of this series, and one that is really highlighted here, is the sense of family and found family. I absolutely love the way that things continue to develop with Daniel and the Salvatores. I don’t want to get into too much detail as it is so lovely to see how things play out, but I enjoy the way they have embraced them as part of their family. Daniel really struggles with his past, and his biological family are awful, and knowing that the Salvatores, as well as their mates, truly love and care for Daniel really means so much to him. This book is going to give you all kinds of feels where Daniel is concerned and I just loved it. I also really liked the dynamic with Rory and Cian, and learning more about their bond. They have a fascinating connection, and while this is definitely Rory and Daniel’s story, Cian will always be intrinsically connected to his brother. I enjoyed Cian’s easy acceptance of Daniel in his brother’s life, knowing how important he is to Rory. The twins are fiercely protective of one another and such an interesting balance of strengths and personalities.

As I said, this story really opens up the series arc in an intriguing way and I am so excited with the direction things are going. Himes has created a really fabulous urban fantasy series here and one I feel like any fans of the genre should be reading.