Rating: 4 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novella
A Date to Impress Him is a companion novella in The Magi Account series. It is meant to be read between books 2 and 3 and cannot be read as a standalone. As such, there may be mild spoilers in this review for the series.
Cosmo Ono-Nai is determined to take his mate out on a date. Cos is thrilled that Mads, as well as Jude and Logan, have moved into the pack house, but with all the pack members, as well as the children they’ve taken in, there’s a lot of chaos. Cos loves everyone he’s claimed as his, but he craves some one-on-one time with Mads.
Things don’t go according to plan, however, when they are called back home quickly. Mads is showing his big heart more and more, which pleases Cos to no end. And Cos would absolutely rather be there for members of his pack, as would Mads, then have a night out. But that still doesn’t stop Cos from trying. When they are interrupted again with another emergency, Cos is frustrated with the world at large. With the way shifters and Magi are treated. With the way he needs to constantly go to bat for his people. He’ll do it, for however long it takes and as many times as it takes, but he just wants things to be better.
And it’ll take some out of the box thinking to have a night with Mads that they both deserve.
The companion novellas to this series offer more slice-of-life snippets, rather than advancing the meta plot in the main books, and in a lot of ways, it’s nice to see. However, considering the world these characters live in, there is always a focus on just how disrespected and mistreated anyone who isn’t human is. This novella includes some more information about the kids that the Ono-Nai pride took in at the end of the previous book. There are also scenes that highlight the interpersonal relationships between members of the pack and possible futures for them.
But this book is mostly focused on Mads and Cos and their relationship. Part of that is how they interact as co-leaders of the pride. While it’s never said explicitly, it’s clear that as Cos’s mate, Mads has a higher role. Mads opens up more and more, and shows just how much he trusts Cos and the pride. But that’s not easy for the magi, and especially not with everything he’s been through. I liked seeing this growth in him, as he deserves to feel safe and protected.
Overall, there were some nice scenes here, and I do like getting these extra stories from Cos’ POV, as that’s where see the most growth from him as well. I did feel the pacing was a bit off here, though, and the way it fits into the overall plot. Some of Cosmo’s realizations and reactions are what we’ve seen from him before. At times, he seems too good to be true; other times his jealousy rages, though he keeps it in check and doesn’t let it show. I was hoping for more growth at this point in that regard.
If you’re reading along, then you definitely don’t want to miss this novella. It minimally advances the plot, but gives more insight to the relationship side of things.
