The Muffin Man: A Modern MM Fairytale Magic Emporium
LGBT Fantasy Romance Fairytale
Tin Box Press
February 4, 2021
216
Morli is a prince on a mission—but he’d rather be baking.
Baxter is a lonely production artist stuck in a pandemic lockdown.
They are literally universes apart. But with a little help from a magic shop, a raven, and a dead great-aunt who was possibly a witch, Morli and Baxter are joined together on a cross-worlds adventure. Battling killer brambles in order to rescue an enchanted princess seems simple compared to their real challenges: discovering their strengths and creating a future together.
The Muffin Man is part of the Magic Emporium Series. Each book stands alone, but each one features an appearance by Marden’s Magic Emporium, a shop that can appear anywhere, but only once and only when someone is in dire need. This book contains reluctant heroes, sentient sourdough starter, lots of carbs, and a guaranteed HEA.
Reviewed by Melissa Brus
Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
This book is part of a collection that has a mysterious magic shop in common. Each book is written as a separate world and can be read individually and in any order. In this story, Fielding combines a couple of fairy tales and nursery rhymes to create her own magical world, including a character that shows a remarkable resemblance to a discarded zucchini muffin. Combining these mystical elements, along with Baxter, who is facing today’s pandemic lockdown works incredibly well.
Morli and Baxter are both isolated and looking for something different. Their path to each other is anything but simple, but the best part of the story is when they combine forces and use their strengths. It is fun to watch them take on magic and family with baking skills and their ability to turn modern marketing into life saving moments.
The romance was not as strong as the other elements in this story for me. I was rooting for our pair, but I was not swept up by their love story. The other elements: the world building, the adventure, and the overall narrative kept me intrigued and gave the book its 4 stars. This is a fun book to read and was a great modern retelling of some favorite fairy tales.