The inn chimed, announcing visitors. I groaned softly and opened my eyes, abandoning the Dushegub containment unit in mid-renovation. The tangle of Gertrude Hunt’s branches cradling my body hummed with energy. I had cocooned myself to speed things up.
We had managed to convince the Seven Star Dominion that 48 hours was an unrealistic timeline. I used the Assembly as a shield and told them that we needed to file necessary permits, which was only a half-lie. Being a Republican Empire with a developed bureaucracy, the Dominion agreed that the need for proper procedure had to be followed. It bought us five days to prepare. Today was day three. Tomorrow the Sovereign’s chancellor would be stopping by to inspect the premises, so we could make adjustments.
I had spent the last three days working from the moment I opened my eyes to the moment I passed out in our bed. I ate little, slept less, and this evening I had reached a kind of weird, depersonalized state, where I was still sort of me, but mostly I was Gertrude Hunt, frantically shaping rooms out of nothing.
The effort of calling up a vid screen to see who was outside was beyond me. I needed a few seconds.
A wall parted, and Sean emerged. He looked haggard. The lines of his scars were more pronounced, and his eyes were red. Even the werewolf genes couldn’t compensate for the sheer amount of work we had done in the last 72 hours.
“It’s Brian,” he said.
Brian Rodriguez ran the largest regional inn located in Dallas. He knew my parents before they and their inn disappeared without a trace, and we had helped each other in the past. Like my parents, he also sat on the Innkeeper Assembly. Innkeepers were notoriously reluctant to leave their inns unless it was absolutely necessary. Why was he here in person?
Sean waved a screen into existence. On it, Mr. Rodriguez got out of a blue Toyota 4Runner. He was in his fifties, a man of average height with bronze skin, dark hair sprinkled with grey, and a short beard.
My brain very slowly made the connection. Mr. Rodriguez <- Assembly <- Requests.
“They are denying us the Dushegub permit.” I pushed the branches wrapping me. They parted, lowering me to the floor. “He’s come to tell us in person.”
The passenger door popped open, and Tony stepped out. Tony was Mr. Rodriguez 2.0, but about twenty-some years younger, three inches taller and without the beard. He was the nicest guy. He was also an ad-hal, the Assembly’s secret enforcers.
Innkeepers wielded near absolute power within our inns, but outside of them, our capacity was very limited. The ad-hal had no such problems. Their power came from within them. They weren’t tethered to any inn, and they only showed up when a problem went from a disaster to a full-blown catastrophe. Some innkeepers went decades without encountering an ad-hal. We knew our regional ad-hal by name and fed him dinner on regular basis. Except this time, he wasn’t coming over to fanboy over Orro’s cooking.
Sean bared his teeth. It was a short instinctive gesture, one of those mannerisms that he used to successfully hide before his cosmic adventures. Now he did it and barely noticed.
“He brought an ad-hal to suppress us in case we balk,” Sean said. His tone said he wasn’t inclined to be suppressed.
An ad-hal, even one as powerful as Tony, would have a rough time fighting two innkeepers on their inn’s grounds. “That’s a losing battle, and both of them know it.”
Sean growled under his breath. His opinion of the Assembly wasn’t high.
Each Innkeeper was an island onto themselves. We had great autonomy, and since all the members of the Assembly were prominent innkeepers themselves, they jealously guarded that independence. That also meant that assistance was in short supply. We were expected to solve our own issues. However, the Assembly did have the power to block certain guests and entire species from visiting Earth. Technically, they could veto our entire event and there wasn’t much we could do about it.
“Let’s hear what they have to say,” I told him.
We met them at the door.
Mr. Rodriguez gave me a hug and shook Sean’s hand. “Sorry to drop on you unannounced.”
“You’re always welcome,” Sean told him.
Tony gave us a shy wave. “Hello.”
In his everyday human shape, Tony looked perfectly harmless. He had an easy smile and an even temper, and if you walked into a room full of people and tried to pick out the one capable of paralyzing his targets and taking them to a planet with a dying sun where they would suffer a century of solitary torment, he would be the absolute last pick.
Neither of the Rodriguezes looked tense. Maybe this wasn’t that kind of visit. Or maybe they were just absolutely sure that we would go along with what the Assembly decided.
“Please follow me,” I said. “Sorry about the renovations.”
I led them through the front room past the silent, empty kitchen, into the hallway just under the portrait of my parents. The hallway’s door slid open, and we stepped into another world.
A cavernous chamber lay in front of us, 100 yards long and 60 yards wide. I had expanded the main ballroom until my bones hurt. It was somewhat bare now, since we hadn’t settled on the appropriate finishes.
Mr. Rodriguez raised his eyebrows.
We kept walking. On our right, a wide arched entrance led to the new kitchen. Statistics said that an average restaurant kitchen in the US ran around 1,000 sq. ft., but those restaurants didn’t have to accommodate the dietary needs of over a dozen species. Orro’s new kitchen was a 4,000 sq. ft. monster. Half of it was taken up by the culinary equipment, stoves, ranges, and stainless-steel prep tables, and the other half held another 8 long tables specifically for plating. Each of those tables came equipped with a custom-build storage unit sprouting from the ceiling, which contained dinnerware, sauces, syringes, and a variety of mysterious culinary tools.
Orro’s new assistants flittered between the prep tables, furiously chopping and blending something. Orro was trying to finalize the menu.
“An upgrade.” Tony whistled.
“We had to,” I said.
The two sous’ chefs ignored us. One was a juvenile Quillonian, who looked like a smaller version of Orro, and the other was an Auroch, a five-foot tall, russet-furred being with delicate appendages and a vaguely antelope face and four horns crowning her head. Like Quillonians, Aurochs had a ridiculous number of tastebuds. They had evolved as herbivores and had to distinguish between toxic and non-toxic plants by taste.
“Where did you get them?” Tony asked.
“Orro went to see his mentor,” Sean said. “Apparently, he called to some fancy culinary academy, which promptly fell over themselves to participate.”
“I bet,” Mr. Rodriguez said. “That is one hell of a guest list. Any new chef would want that on their resume. I’m surprised they didn’t have a fight.”
“Oh, they did,” Sean said. “Once they realized there were only two open spots, there was a spectacular brawl. Those two are the winners.”
The Auroch looked like she couldn’t hurt a fly. Looks could be very deceiving.
Chef Adri also sent a plating specialist from his personal restaurant, a Vaskebiorn, who, contrary to the innkeeper nickname for their species, didn’t look like a raccoon except for her hands. She looked like an odd, yet devastatingly adorable hybrid of a fox, squirrel, and monkey with short golden fur, and her dexterity was off the charts. Her name was Droplet, and she and Orro had already clashed twice. He tried to bully her by raising his quills, and she smacked him on the nose with a pastry bag.
We passed the kitchen and came to one of the dining areas. Sean and I had built three in total, one enough to house everyone and the two smaller spaces. We called this one the Terrace. On three sides, tall walls, patterned with delicate mosaic with pale cream, grey, and white, supported a high ceiling that offered chandeliers of soft glass shaped like alien flowers. The fourth wall opened onto a terrace that overlooked an alien sea, an endless shallow ocean with water the color of deep orange honey under a purple sky.
“Kolinda?” Mr. Rodriguez said, studying the jagged blue grey mountains in the distance thrusting from the water like the fins of some massive beast. “An interesting choice.”
“It’s a reminder,” Sean said. “We can throw them into that sea at any time.”
Tony sighed. He caught the meaning as well. Not that throwing either of them into Kolinda’s treacherous waters would accomplish anything.
“Please, sit down.”
I picked the nearest table, and we took our seats. The chair molded to my body as it accepted the weight. Taking a nap would be so nice right now.
The nearest wall split, and the inn deposited a platter of small colorful snacks and four glasses and a pitcher of iced tea onto the table. Orro would never let a visitor go hungry.
Tony grinned and helped himself to a tiny emerald-green doughnut.
“Are you here to tell us to cease and desist?” I asked.
Mr. Rodriguez heaved a deep parental sigh. “No.”
Oh good.
“If Wilmos wasn’t a factor, would you still hold this event?” Mr. Rodriguez asked.
“No,” Sean and I said at the same time.
“Good,” Mr. Rodriguez said.
We had told them about Wilmos and the corrupted ad-hal. I showed Mr. Rodriguez the security footage when I filed for the permits.
“We’re not trying to make a name for ourselves,” I said. “No sane innkeeper would want to host this.”
“You don’t know how right you are,” Mr. Rodriguez said. “The Assembly is very uncomfortable with this entire thing.”
“It’s not ambition,” Sean said. “It’s necessity.” He looked at Tony. “Can you survive on Karron?”
Tony paused his chewing and thought about it. “Possibly.”
“There is your answer,” Sean said. “If they are so uncomfortable, they can send some ad-hal to Karron to figure out why corrupted versions of them are running around kidnapping people.”
“You know we can’t do that,” Mr. Rodriguez said. “Our sphere of influence is limited to Earth.”
The Treaty that guaranteed Earth’s special status was very specific. You could go on a killing spree through the inns, but if you managed to escape Earth before the ad-hal caught up with you, they wouldn’t pursue you. Individual innkeepers could take action as individuals, but the Assembly as a whole would not, and the ad-hal were their representatives. If you ever came back to Earth, however, your fate would be sealed.
“This entire thing has the Arbitrators’ fingerprints all over it,” Mr. Rodriguez said. “Is an Arbitrator involved?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Is it George Camarine?”
“Yes,” I said again.
“That man is a menace.” Mr. Rodriguez shook his head. “Are you two sure you have to do this? No other inn on Earth would be willing to host this mess. Especially considering your permanent guest.”
“We are sure,” Sean said.
“The Dominion knows about Caldenia,” I told them. “They don’t see an issue.”
“Your permits are approved in their entirety,” Mr. Rodriguez said.
“Nobody wants to offend the Dominion,” Sean said.
Tony nodded. “You got it.”
“We are raising your rating to 3.5 stars,” Mr. Rodriguez continued.
I laughed. I couldn’t help myself. It had to be nerves.
Sean glanced at me.
“They are too embarrassed to let the Sovereign stay at a 2.5 star inn,” Tony told him.
“We hosted a Drifan Liege during a Treaty stay and they did not raise our rating,” I managed between the giggles.
“Yes, but the two of you also allowed a guest and a staff member to make a giant scene at a taping of a TV show and nearly exposed the fact that your chef is a seven-foot-tall alien covered in quills,” Mr. Rodriguez said. “The Assembly takes everything into account.”
I laughed harder.
“The Assembly has two conditions,” Mr. Rodriguez said. “If you stop giggling for a moment, I will explain them to you. First, Tony will stay here in his official capacity to back you up.”
Tony grinned, raised his arm, and flexed.
“And second, if the Sovereign comes to any harm during this event, your inn is forfeit.”
All the laughter went out of me at once.
Mr. Rodriguez leaned forward. “Think about this very carefully. There is no room for negotiation. Every innkeeper loses a guest once in a while, no matter how good they are or how many precautions they take. You cannot lose this one. The two of you don’t even know if Wilmos is still alive.”
I straightened in my chair. Around me the inn creaked, reacting to the change in my mood. The room leaned in slightly, as the entirety of Gertrude Hunt waited like a dog sighting an intruder and waiting for command.
Tony stopped chewing.
“This is not about Wilmos,” I said, each word resonating with magic. “The inn is our domain. If we cannot keep our guests safe, we do not deserve it.”
Mr. Rodriguez smiled. “And that’s exactly the answer I expected.”
Love this series
Hurrah!
Wow, I’ve never been so early. I feel like a queen today!
More!
Happy dance & “Squeeeeeeeeeeeee”!
Raining buckets today- this is the brightest spot in a miserable rainy day.
+1
Wow!
Way to raise the stakes!
Fifth!?
Nope! Comments seem to increase by the seconds!
7th ain’t bad.
Thank you…….
Wow, another fantastic addition. How long till next Friday?
Let me count- 7 days
168 hours
1440 minutes….
Right this moment, next Friday feels too far away…… what we need is a time machine to jump to next Friday & peek at the next chapter…….
BDH staging its own rendition of Rent 🤣
“One thousand four hundred forty is too many minutes; one hundred sixty eight hours is too much to bear” 🎶🎶
This made my whole day.. Well the chapter 1st but this a very close second
*squees loudly in my mind to keep from letting the rest of the office know I’m sneaking a HA break at my desk*
Yay! This is AWESOME!
I was obsessively refreshing the screen every few minutes because I actually remembered it was Friday and I wanted to be first, gosh darn it. Then what happens, a coworker comes in and needs my help so I go help him and a new episode is released. Argghh!! I’m kinda pissed at that coworker right now.
You’re not alone in the stalking, Tink. I was doing that too. 🙂
Me too! 😬
Thank you House Andrews! 😊
I was haunting the blog all morning and was interrupted by my phone at just the wrong time.
BTW why do “Haunting” and “Ghosting” mean to opposite things?
@Sherri… super question. I hadn’t thought about it. What a delicious contradiction!
Thank you!
Wonderful as always. Thank you.
+1!
I really needed this today. Thank you so much. TGIF!
wow! Tony is a welcome addition. It should get veeerrry interesting! Love it.
With the reputation Gertrude Hunt is building they could be awarded (?) their own resident ad-hal.
“The ad-hal had no such problems. Their power came from within them. They weren’t tethered to any inn, and they only showed up when a problem went from a disaster to a full-blown catastrophe.”
From the text above 🙂 , emphasis mine.
That was sooooooooo good! I love seeing all of this unfold. I am dying to know who the Dominion is what beef Caldenia has with them. It can’t be Cal Pa because he already has a family. And we get to see more of Tony, which will make this very interesting. Thank you so much House Andrews!
Poor Tony….the boyo’s gonna leave Gertrude Hunt weighing about 25 pounds more than his robes are made to cover. That magic of his is gonna get quite the workout.
Yesssssssss
so many great layers to this but the kitchen developments and drama are my favorite. i wish a few Orro snacks could come my way.
the fact that the Sovereign doesn’t have a problem with Caldenia but she will have a problem with him is intriguing.
George the Menance. hehehe
I want an emerald donut so badly! 😋
Me too! I’ll bet Orro could whip up a delicious vegan one without any bother. Need Orro cooking classes!
This is gearing up to be a great adventure. Thank you, HA
One of my favorite things about Orro is that he won’t serve anyone anything that can harm their soul. Sigh. He’s so poetic and romantic talking about food.
I’m waiting for the confusion between dolphin the fish mahi-mahi, and dolphin the mammal.
I don’t think it’s that the Sovereign doesn’t have a problem with her. Just that his problem with her wouldn’t be an active concern during this event. Those are very different things.
Love it!!!
The best part of Friday!
The best part of Friday! Thank you!
Better and better and better, every week.
Thank you a new chapter and after 3 months my oven is being fixed. It’s a good day.
The plot thickens!
Like Orro’s sauces!
😂
Wow. Another heavy chapter.
Go Tony
Thanks IA
This would be an amazing animated TV series. I love these books. Thank you!!
I was just thinking it would be a spectacular anime!
The stakes are raised!
The picture of the post is very lovely. Thank you for this snippet. Tony is going to get more of Orro’s food. That should make him happy.
3.5 stars! Oh wow. Now…on to the galaxy bachelor show!
Anyone smaking Orro on the nose with a pastry bag is very brave. I laughed so hard at the visualization of that. I’m sorry Dina and Sean are exhausted, but reading the kitchen is a cook’s delight. 😀
+1 I was amazed that anyone would bop Orro on he nose in his own kitchen! What a wonderful chapter. 😍
Orro…stupid autocorrect
Fixed it. 😉 He need never know.
An ad Hal for a bouncer. That’s perfect!
I hope we can get a POV of the culinary academy brawl…maybe a cross between Chopped and Master Chef!
I like Droplet already!
Was I the only one who jumped immediately to “true love”?
Or Iron Chef (the original from Japan). Those shows got pretty crazy sometimes.
We named our cross-eyed Simese mixed white cat Quizon after that Japanese cooking show.
Quizon died last year, he was 21.
We miss him.
I warmed up two mini cinnamon rolls, poured a cup of coffee, and had them while I read this. It was all just sooooo good, food, coffee, fabulous, fabulous story.
I am now entirely blissed out and the stress has simply fallen off of me like taking off a heavy coat.
Thank you so much for this. For every week. It is such a gift.
Should have thrown some green frosting on them and called them emerald donuts.
Geez, I had a cup of green tea and three fat free Fig Newtons.
I like yours better.
Wine and cookies? The benefit to having to wait til I get home Friday night.
Made my Friday!
I actually have tears in my eyes and I don’t even know how or why. Thank you. I love this book so far. I live for Fridays.
You are probably a little stressed. Sometime when you hold yourself tight and then your relax and let the grip on you emotions loosen up, you end up crying. 🙂 I am so glad this was a relaxing moment for you.
Thank you! Have a great weekend!
Emerald doughnut, I wonder what it tastes like 🤔, it could be apple, or matcha, no no no it’s emerald green ohhh now I’m going to have to ponder what it tastes like.
Thanks you House Andrews
I thought maybe lime? And in my mind the inside is flaky with coconut. You can tell I wish I were at the Tropics hehe
It might be tinged with green food coloring. Unless Orro found something that would make his doughnut dough green without food coloring.
It could be just the icing is emerald. Or it’s some wonderful alien flavour that is green.
All I know is I just want it in my tummy!
It may not be something found on Earth. Orro has been grocery shopping in Baha-char
I’m thinking of the lovely green of roasted seaweed. The nori on rolled sushi in Kanagawa is a cherished memory.
Thank you!
Including Tony here will presumably show us an ad-hal comfortable with their powers. Which gives us a great blueprint for Maud to grow into (oh yes, I am mixing my metaphors. I had insomnia due to a migraine, meaning a) I have no brain to fix it and b) this chapter is especially welcome).
Lovely!
This is shaping up to be such an amazing story. I look forward to Fridays, and check the blog all the time in anticipation! I can’t tell you what scene I’ve enjoyed the most, I love them all.
I admire Sean and Dina’s self-control. I had to take a moment after I read the Assembly’s conditions. I don’t think I could have gotten through that conversation without punching someone or at least threatening to put them on Caldenia’s weekly menu.
I am not asking for anything or even making suggestions re novellas or anything else, but I predict that there is no way Ilona is going to leave Henry Jiang lying around in the dust. We will see him again.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!
Also saving some extra love for Droplet!!
“He tried to bully her by raising his quills, and she smacked him on the nose with a pastry bag.”
You know, lately I’ve been so busy with life and work stuff and other stressors that I don’t even remember its friday innkeeper time. I check the blog and it’s like surprise! chapter!
always such a nice break
Oh so very very good. Thank you.
My brain was in Catalina mode… It took me a second to switch gears… “Oh, right, Friday, new Innkeeper chapter, not a snippet.”
I’ve had a LONG week and little sleep… Thanks for the chapter.
Show of hands: who wants to see episodes of the Thunderdome-style cooking competition show? And what would it be called? I had waaaaay too much fun imagining that.
+1
That part of it reminded me of a television interview/ appearance by a Pastry Chef who used to work in one of Wolfgang Puck’s kitchens describing how he’d learned to at least speak with civility after she’d rounded toward him still holding the lit caramelization torch.
Amazing…So enjoying this book! Can’t wait until the full version comes up for sale.
It’s so much fun getting these little bites of Innkeeper at the end of each week!
I love that Tony the Teddy Bear isn’t even serious about his position until he is. Also, the star ratinf and giggling. Ha!
Thinking to the future. It will be interesting to see if the kitchen and the helpers stay. Dina seems to collect people. George is indeed a menace. One wonders what his fellow arbitrators think. I am so glad that Dina has Sean. Also 3.5 stars. I have to snicker at the assembly. Shaping up to be an amazing story.
Love the new kitchen and the staffing. Can’t say I’m surprised about the rest. Already looking forward to next Friday.
I will pre-order this as soon as I see it’s available.
Today is amazing day. New job and new chapter and I don’t know which I’m more excited about 🙂
Congratulations on finding both! 🎉
Wonderful as ever
I remember now why I don’t usually read serials, when I get a book I end up sitting to ungodly hours reading the whole thing as I can’t wait. This is killing me, I need more!!!
+1
I love this series so much. I’m so excited for this book!
The innkeeper series is quite a treat.
I wonder if Maude and Arland will be included as additional “bodies” …
Orro needed bonus staff …I would think that Maude & Arland (& possibly a squad of Vampire knights) will be included to provide as more “hands” granted Dina & Sean as Innkeepers wouldn’t require them … with the notable exception of Maude … who is somewhat of a “mcguffin” … warrior?, innkeeper?, ad Hal?, trusted sister….
Regardless I look forward to the show of how House Andrews weaves this into yet ANOTHER entertaining story.
Thanks for your efforts and take care!
OMG!!!! Thank you very much!
I am still digesting last week’s characters. This week is basking time. The kitchen seems well in hand with Orro , a feisty co-chef and two assistants. What a mess hall. I’m surprised Tony’s sister isn’t there learning first hand, instead of being lectured by Mr. Rodriguez.
this.is.major. I was wondering how GH would handle so many guests. I should not have had a scintilla of doubt.
This book is going to be epic! Love all of this.
oh damn! $h*t got real!
Ya… Dina is kicking ass!!!
,I am so impatient to find the connection between Caldenia and the sovereign 😊
Love that you share these little jewels every week.
Go shopping or read this chapter in the parking lot before going shopping….
Who am I kidding????
(Proceeds to read)
YES! Done that – been there!
Ditto on the cooking brawl!
This is my reward for going to vote in the early TX primary where I had no clue who half the people were.
Holy cow! All I can think is I have a whole nother week to wait! EEEE!!!I LOVE Droplet! I bet Orro will NEVER be lonely Again!! 🙂
I was fine drinking my afternoon cuppa til I read this:
“He tried to bully her by raising his quills, and she smacked him on the nose with a pastry bag.”
Burnt my nose laughing.
Excellent!
Oh my but this is so much fun! Plus kitchen smackdowns! Awesome!!!
Totally fabulous😍 after a totally rubbish week this was like a hug in written form. I love this book so much already!
Also apologies for possibly using the term “mcguffin” incorrectly …based off of a web search it is defined in writing as something other than my usage of the term…
Our family has used the term as a catch-all for an unknown/jack of all/macgyver/multi purpose … X (X being anything from a person to a tool or whatever)
Where “according to the web” in writing (which is your world) a macguffin is
“In fiction, a MacGuffin is an object, device, or event that is necessary to the plot and the motivation of the characters, but insignificant, unimportant, or irrelevant in itself.”
“Proper” usages were never my strongest suit …while I recognize a value of proper …as a baseline … I tend towards a fluid flexible common parlance usage of things … sorry if my “unproper” usage triggers anyone here … It’s completely my fault for being unable to mentally retrieve the “proper” term.
Overly Sarcastic Productions has a good video talking about the McGuffin trope, and how it differs from Chekov’s gun. She noted that the Infinity stones for the most part were plot coupon McGuffins (a collection of items that produce an effect).
I’ll look into that video sounds fun … at the very least I will learn about Chekov’s gun.
The above 2nd post was made after my first post referred to Dina’s sister Maud as a macguffin … and while it might even be an accurate usage (not sure) … I personally was using it as a reference to how Maud is a Swiss Army knife character – part warrior, part innkeeper, part Ad Hal, + completely trusted + Arland + red shirt Vampire warriors if redshirts are needed to carry something.
IIRC when the driffan poultry assassin clan was forcing the “extended” void field usage … it was Maud that held the void field while Dina rested & during her incapacitated period … granted Sean can probably do that now (time/practice/inn acceptance … are unknowns(to us)) the Ad Hal Tony??? Can probably do it too …
Regardless … so many unknowns … I am CERTAIN that House Andrews has it well in hand. I doubt me referencing Maud was something that Gordon or Ilona hadn’t already considered and made a decision on with regards to the arc of this story.
Maud could be a Mary Sue trope(good at everything) or she could be a magnificent bastard trope (usually a villain trope but Red of OSP also classified Batman as this trope). She isn’t a CMHB which is more of a comic relief character with hidden depths.
Wow, that was such a long, juicy update! Loved everything, thank you 🙂
This was so good- thank you! This chapter made me laugh out loud several times.
I would have loved to see the spectacular brawl that the culinary students engaged in and I would’ve also loved to see Orro get bopped on the nose like a juvenile sphinx (though I love Orro).
Also, yay, 3.5 stars! But hopefully the sovereign doesn’t get harmed in any way… hope he doesn’t stub his toe or get a paper cut. 🙂
I love Dina!!❤️❤️❤️❤️ I think it is a girl crush! I love Sean too! But today, I am all about Dina!!
Thank you! Have been eager for the next installment
So happy and so grateful for House Andrews!!
Wow, was not expecting it so early, thank you !!!
💕💕🌸
A great end to my very long week. Thank you!
Off to nap before I have to cook dinner…man I wish I had an Orro to cook for me
Oh gosh… I think the Dominion is going to be “Letere Olivione” 2.0, right? The new guy in Caldenia’s former position? But who could out-Caldenia Caldenia? How could she be outmaneuvered?
You know how they talked about superior genetics in the last chapter? What if the Sovereign is Caldenia’s KID? lololol
In this chapter, we see the Dominion knows about Caldenia, and doesn’t mind her presence. I guess it would make sense that he (or she, or they) would want their mom to see them get “married” or whatever approximation is going on here? Hm.
So that is my BDH-infused wild guess.
That is my guess too. I think it’s her son
My first thought: Caldenia’s former partner / spouse or ex significant other? 2nd thought, “her kid, maybe?” 3rd: the being who displaced her
That’s what I was thinking after reading last week’s installment. And I think Caldenia probably has a suspicion about it, although she may have more than one offspring and wants the one who is now ruler to be a surprise.
Isn’t Orro’s mentor Chef Adri?
Yes 😊, that’s why he’s helping Orro out with assistants.
This event sounds like it is going to be EPIC! Thank you so much sharing these with us.
Well, that just cranked up the stakes. I’m buckled in for the ride. Whoo!
No wonder both Dina and Sean are worn out, just the kitchen and dining area sounds like huge creative input. Looking forward to what Orro and his team will produce, Emerald Donuts, mmmhhh. So the players gather and the plot thickens, and now Gertrude Hunt has been issued a challenge by the assembly, ha!
I love that Gertrude Hunt got another star! I also love Droplet standing up to Orro and smacking him on the nose! Loving this book 💞💞💞.
Who else loved the culinary academy drama and the brawl? I wish we get a POV on these and also a sneek peek onto the lives of the space chickens. I love them!!! Im mostly curious about the brawl than the bachelor😂😂 how Orro’s kitchen drama will develop and will the 2 sous chef will stay? EXCITING!!! Love fridays
Holy shit! That was so satisfying to read. I heart Dina and Sean so much.
Thank you! What a great chapter. I am enjoying this story so much!
The line “she smacked him on the nose with a pastry bag” made me giggle! In fact, I’m still giggling!
Aaaaah!
(Take that as a veeery satisfied sigh after a delicious meal! 😋)
Thank you!
Great – Thnaky you
Another installment in a story that improves every release. Thank you for continuing with Dina, Sean, and Gertrude Hunt.
Dina in the hizzouse letting the Assembly know who the boss is!
You go, lady.
I am not imagining it. Every Innkeeper book is better than the last. It makes Fridays the best day ever in the week.
Thank you again.
Whew! The tension mounts!!
Wow!! Better every week. I love this series so much but this book seems epic!!
Thanks so much for the treat.
and the tension builds! This was lovely, thanks!!
If we cannot keep our guests safe, we do not deserve it = this is the way 😂 happy happy dance!! Thanks for the new chapter!
Thank you so much – Fridays are the best days!
I do have a question which may just be totally irrelevant, so please forgive. But it’s not a problem for Chef Anri or the Academy to support or help Orro since he lost his Red Cleaver designation?
The reputation boost from their students being involved with the event is something to fight over, as the text explains 🙂
As for chef Adri, we know how much he loves and appreciates Orro, I wouldn’t like to be the one standing in the way of him helping his favourite pupil 😅
“Chef Adri nodded. “He is my brightest pupil.” I led the elder Quillonian into the hall. In the center of the banquet floor, Orro held a platter of rolls, looking for a spot on the far table. He turned and saw us. His hands shook. Chef Adri smiled. Orro dropped the platter onto the table and fell to his knees. Chef Adri rushed to him and picked him up. “None of that.” “Master…” “Today there are two masters here. I have come to learn from you, my former pupil. Share with me what you have discovered. I cannot wait to taste your food.””
Andrews, Ilona. Sweep with Me (Innkeeper Chronicles Book 5). NYLA publishing, 2020. Kindle edition, page 115
What a fabulous Friday: got to read the RUBY FEVER scene (even being deleted doesn’t detract from how it dropped me straight into Catalina’s conference room) and then got a bit of bookish whiplash jetting over to the Inn for a wonderful chapter of shenanigan preparation. Orro must be in heaven with all his new toys and spaces!
That chapter took me from laughing at Droplet hitting Orro on the nose with a pasty bag to the tension of danger to Dina, Sean with the loss of the inn.
I do believe I’ve been on slower helter skelter rides.
It takes a supremely skilled and talented author to be able to give me chills with such regularity.
We are a bunch of lucky folks. **happy sigh**
I love that Dina is naturally a kind, easy going person BUT also a bada$$.
Bad@$$ Bear from the Carebears, with her sister Kick@$$ Bear.
Since Sean said she was a Carebear.
Lovely. Thank you.
I’m kind of disappointed that they can’t manipulate time inside the inn….you know…so Dina can sleep and then throw everything together in 5 seconds….. LOVE where you are going in this story so far. It’s great to see how the Inn and Dina get upgrades in each new book….. what other upgrades are to come…one can only guess 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thank you so much!!! Love the story!
Quite the chapter!
It’s getting better and better. I’ll be biting my nails by the time the last chapter is out. Thank you 😊
Come on next Saturday. I want the whole book now.
Love the writing ❣️❣️❣️. Thank you
I keep forgetting it’s Friday. Just remembered and this was so good. Can’t wait for next week. I always liked Tony.
I hope you know just how important Fridays have become in the cosmic balance of my continued mental health. Just saying.
+1
This story is awesome. But I am with Sean and Orro. I don’t like the Assembly.
“Yes, but the two of you also allowed a guest and a staff member make a giant scene at a taping of a TV show and nearly exposed the fact that your chef is a seven-foot-tall alien covered in quills,” Mr. Rodriguez said. “The Assembly takes everything into account.”
I had forgotten about Oreo’s and Sean’s excursion to watch the taping of a cooking show.
It’s in Sweep with Me for anyone who wants to remind themselves and giggle 🙂
I just do this when I read that part 🤦♀️🥸
Droplet!
I hope all this Dominion business means we finally get more of Caldenia’s backstory, she’s such a delightfully devious side character.
+100.
Settles in, with popcorn. This is gonna be goooood!!!
::contented sigh::
so good.
Wow, another great ending.
Thank you!
Ooh! A baby Orro and an antelope and a raccoon that bops! I will wait to read the rest of this! Ccccchhhhiiiiii!
Ccccchhhhiiiiiii!
Today was great. I love the new book. I think Sean is turning out to be a super Innkeeper.
Very nice. I just love all these characters and how naturally they flow in and out of the story.
Love it, Love it, L O V E I T.
Is anyone wondering where the new branch that GH is growing will end up? What if it grows straight to the planet Wilco’s is on?
Or is the new branch the focus of the next book?
Thank you so much for this instalment. HA is the best.
Lol I’m thinking a bell tone soon and GH and Dina’s attention shift. New door to new market in a new location setup by three races maybe, has been completed?
Link to the vampire planet that Maud and Helen are on is my guess. Can’t recall name of it right now. Inn misses them…
That would be great! Auntie visits without interstellar travel!
TGIF!
So many treats in this chapter! I love the bopping on the nose. Can’t you just see a look of shocked confusion on Orro’s face?! And George. Ah, George. Making a name for ourself, are we? 😆
Ooooooooh ❤️
Not to be too off topic, I am having much fun reading these chapters. This one is certainly raising the stakes on this game!
But I just want to comment on kindness. Even after stating that they would not be writing/commenting as much on the blog so that much needed self-care occurs, writing gets completed, family gets loved. Ilona took time for a very kind comment to Aman S.
It just shows the depth of the heart in HA. I firmly believe we need to be kind to each other and ourselves. I still find it hard not to be a bit cynical and occasionally sarcastic and, yes, probably a little too often, bitchy. I have seen myself and others take the easy road and ignored a stranger, a friend or co-worker. It is a lack I know I have and try to change. (yes I bought a T-shirt that says ‘always be kind’ to wear during some of the times I know my temper will be short/tested).
But here, within minutes, if you check the time stamps, Ilona is kind. Probably to a perfect stranger. HA blogged frequently during this plague for the last 2 years to help all of us be a bit happier. This shows a depth of heart and empathy, and kindness that makes reading HA books a joy. By being so sincere in both actions and writing we are drawn to the work produced.
Thank you for being kind, creative, writing and sharing with us.
+1
+1
Yes.
She responded to a post I wrote concerning a beloved house pet who’s time had come for that final ride/visit to the Vet.
I am a complete stranger to Ilona.
But, she took that time out of her busy schedule to post that response.
It’s been a couple of years ago but I remember…
+1
Thank you, Ilona Andrews for the snippet. Interesting. “ Poor” George is getting a “reputation”. 🤣. Looking forward to next snippet.
I just finished getting my bedridden mom ready for bed after a long day of caring for her (terminal cancer with a few short weeks to live) and exhausted, I went to HA blog to check for any new updates and saw Innkeeper. All days blur now and I forgot it was Friday. Thank you so much for giving us this gift. This series transports you to another place for a few minutes and, in these times, there is nothing more valuable to me. My heartfelt thanks.
Sending you good wishes, Raffy
Thank you ❤️
Raffy – holding you in my thoughts as you usher your mother to the portal. While it a blessing to be there for them near the end, it is also important to take time for ourselves and enjoy respites that refresh and refuel us.
Been there, done that. I won’t say it gets better, because it really doesn’t, but there is a release when it happens. Don’t worry if you can’t cry right away. It took me two months and a Mike and the Mechanics song before I could cry for my mom. Fortunately I was stopped at a road delay when that happened.
Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you. I have been down a similar path with my mother and husband. Don’t feel badly if you need to reach out for help. It makes other people feel good to help you, and you need to take time to care for yourself.
I am so sorry, Raffy. I have been exactly where you are and I am so sorry.
Thank you and the BDH for the kind words. This is truly a remarkable community of readers. I took a snapshot of replies so I can pull it out when I am having a bad day. Truly grateful 😇❤️
Now I’m holding my breath between Saturday’s because this already feels chock full of suspense. Thank you both for this.
The BOMB!!!!!! Love it….
Every. Single. Chapter. Is such a wonder, a joy, and a world unto itself.
Oooooo he tried tried. And she bared her teeth. Lol. Love it 🥰
I think GH loves Sean.
I literally teared up at the end at Dina’s response. Thank you Ilona and Gordon for creating such rich and beautifully realised characters and worlds. Innkeeper is such a welcome respite.
Lovely! Thank you.
This is my Friday treatand it always makes my week.
Thank you. Much appreciated and enjoyed. 2nd the comment above about appreciating the kindness that Ilona and Gordon show so often.
What a great adventure this next Innkeeper is becoming!!
📚💖📚💖📚💖
Thank you HA!!
Woooooiwwwweee!
Yay!
My brain is mush, so I keep forgetting about new chapter Fridays so it keeps being a pleasant surprise every week.
The bad assery zingers make me want to stand up and cheer. Well done, Authorlords. Thank you. Dominion!
I’m loving this story!
Thank you love it…bopped nose and stars all.
Why do I think the assembly is very scared of these Innkeepers? Barely alive Inn to the place where very dangerous folks party, or get peace (do mean both forms of that word) Why, do I picture, GH, if this works, is the place cooks go to at times for their resume? Hmmm, is a secret, special restaurant a possibility in GH? Sorry suddenly got a idea of a line in the ally, on a different planet.
Regardless thank you both loving this. Sorry my mind wonders.
Just made my Friday. Was about to go go sleep and perused good ol Facebook before shut eye. After reading this I’m wide awake. 🤣
Thank you!!! It’s been a week and I forgot its Friday. Best surprise! Lol.
So the Dominion won’t take out Caldenia, so the concern is that Caldenia will wipe out the Dominion despite it costing her her sanctuary at an Inn.
I wonder if Caldenia will just make sure she is the selected mate.
Emerald green donut… glazed or frosted that color? Granny Smith apple flavor or mint or something unearthly? (Apple donuts are not very apple flavored. I need to try making them with soft apple jelly and boiled cider.)
+1
I was wondering if Caldenia is the batchelors Mother? Or sister or Aunt and that’s why the Dominion is okay with her? Because she’s family?
Thanks, I was hung on every word.
What an imagination y’all have, it’s golden!!!!
I’m hoping the New doorway GH is working on exits into Helen’s new home.
Just wanted to pop in and let everyone know that Graphic Audio is having a 55% off everything sale right now. Sorry if this isn’t the place for this, but it’s so good and I’m swimming in everything Innkeeper right and I wanted to share.😅
Thanks!
What folklore does a Yurok come from? Does it have any relationship to the Yurok Native American Tribe? https://www.yuroktribe.org/
Thank you so much for signalling this 🙂
So did Sean get innkeeper powers through osmosis?? He seems pretty competent there, unless I missed a short story.
Yes, you appear to have missed Sweep with Me 🙂, where Sean is linked with Gertrude Hunt and already an Innkeeper https://ilona-andrews.com/innkeeper-chronicles-books/#withme
“Gertrude Hunt, my inn, accepted Sean because it sensed that he loved me. When he spoke to the inn, it obeyed, and it tried to make him comfortable without being asked. Sometime in the last couple of weeks, between fighting off a clan of alien assassins and nursing me back to health after the death of a seedling inn turned me catatonic, Sean had become an innkeeper.”
“Innkeeper powers” are the bond they have with their Inn 🙂
I had read that, but it remained buried in my head. Thanks!!
Once more, any chance Maud’s book will get put on CD or Graphic Audio??
Double Thanks!!
Enjoy the use of old characters in this story, the introduction of new and the further development of the main characters.
Feel sorry for the female werewolf who blundered about and got left in shame at the Sphinx.
Wondering how Gorvar is doing and if he be able to go on the rescue mission.
Really enjoying the storyline even if rough. Looking forward to enjoying the final version many, many times on audio later.
Nom! Thank you for the respite from stress. I enjoyed the chuckles at the mental images your prose evoked.
Crazy theory time:
1.) The Sovereign is Caldenia’s ex-fiancee whom she betrayed and he is the one who placed a price on her head, vengeance for a broken heart.
2.) The Sovereign is her younger brother, who replaced her as head of state when she was forced to hide in the Inn. She despises him because, um reasons, and will try to manipulate the spouse selection.
3.) The Sovereign is the man with the gaudy palace that offended her eyes and his tacky presence will give her a migraine.
I’m personally voting on the sovereign being her child.
Me too. Imagine spousal selection with Mom off sides looking on and maybe meddling lol…
Fantastic update!
I have a question! Do inns not exist anywhere else apart from earth? I mean, yes earth is a unique 12 point warp. But does this mean that places with a 4 or 6 or 8 or 10 point warp don’t have any inns to host traveller guests?
Why are the Assembly only responsible for the Earth treaty and nothing else? Who do they answer to?
The Assembly are only responsible for Earth, because they are an organisation whose members consist of Earth Innkeepers 🙂. They issue ratings, set policies and approve new Innkeepers.
We do not know of Inns existing anywhere else in the Universe as of now.
Ooooh! They’re a regulatory body made up of earth’s innkeepers. Correct. For some reason I completely forgot that and thought them to be a galactic power. They’re quite useless, aren’t they? The way Dina fears their wrath, I’d forgotten they’re like glorified form of the committee that decides to award Michelin star to restaurants.
As this chapter explains, they can take the Inn away from her and Ad-Hals are their enforcers 🙂 .
As explained in previous books, if an Inn’s rating drops enough, no guests will trust it and seek it out. Without guests, an Inn will eventually go dormant.
The fear is extremely valid.
Ah, yes. You’re right.
Hello! The Yurok are a Native American tribe of the Klamath River, in California.
Thank you so much for your stories.
Hi Yvonne,
Thank you so much for letting us know about this 🙂
Love it ! As always. Thank you❤
Sorry I’m extremely chatty today. I have two separate thoughts and I think I won’t make two separate comments for them.
Firstly, I don’t really blame Brian for being cautious about George considering a guest was murdered at an inn because of George’s machinations. So him warning her was also a reminder for her to not be manipulated by anyone and letting another being affect the sanctity of her inn. Even if he ended up threatening the existence of her inn for it. Its a good warning to Dina because she wont suffer for a fool again.
Secondly, what if the corrupted ad-hal’s are basically muscle for hire and not the super villains? Because of course ad-hals are super powerful beings and if they can be controlled when corrupted then why not?
And Dina’s parents! There is something special about Dina’s father which is why he was removed from Earth inn and all maybe because as powerful as he is inside of an inn, he’s also capable of being imprisoned only in a being as powerful as inns.
Maybe someone is trying to rule the galaxy and the way to do it is to control the 12 point warp – the earth inns. Dina has a gift of connecting with the inn and making every guests stay memorable. And maybe that’s where the inns power comes from.
Sorry my brain just ascended and went to a different plane. Maybe none of this is true and I’m way off but I loved theorising.
Thank you for reading such a long post.
Don’t forget it wasn’t just Dina’s Parents that disappeared, but their entire Inn as well! Maybe if you want to kidnap an Innkeeper, the best way to do it is to transplant their Inn – after all, they might be all-powerful on the Inn grounds, so rather than trying to get them out of the grounds, move the grounds elsewhere?
Maybe the Inn moved itself to escape something terrible and to protect it’s keepers. We know the Inns are connected to other worlds. Maybe they can go there if they have a powerful reason to do so
Hypothesis: If this is the last book of the series, I would guess that Dina’s parents and their inn is in the same planet where Wilmos was taken. This would also be an ideal place to hide them since Arbitrators (including all others) cannot go there unless invited/permitted, limited entryways and killer atmospheric environment.
Also the inn started branching out after Meg and Helen left. Wouldn’t it be nice that it branched to their new home? Now that is wishful thinking!
It is not the last book of the series, it has never been announced as the last book.
Please BDH wait for official word on these things!
I actually would love if the new branch opens up to Maud’s planet. Simply because Helen is a natural innkeeper because she’s a baby and I wouldn’t want her to lose that part of herself.
About this book being the last, seems quite unlikely because as Mod R said, there was no such announcement from the authors. Moreover, the parents thing is still too much of a mystery for the series to end so abruptly.
It would feel like a choppy end to a sub-sub plot that’s been building for 4.5 books. And IA are too good as authors to do that.
I have faith in them. We will get a spectacular explanation of everything which will blow our minds. This is why we love authorlords.
OMG YES! That would be so cool!
This is exactly what I was thinking. If you want to imprison an innkeeper, the best way to do it would be to take the whole lot – guests and all – and transplant it somewhere else.
But then what happens to the guests? Do they leave? Do they stay indefinitely?
Does the inn survive without guests?
Too many questions. Not enough answers.
Thank you for a brilliant post. I had meant to try to stalk the twitter account yesterday to see if I could get a comment in the top 10- just for fun then forgot with all of the Eunice drama around home. Lots of lovely street trees some well over 100-150yrs gone near by.
This was a welcome pop up in the notification
Love the modifications to GH.
Love droplets name esp givenher description and my take on that as she doesn’t drop stuff- plus pastry bag in the nose yay.
And I love the line at the end.
From position 211 and something? 🙂
I loooooooooooove this book !!
I can’t wait for the next part
Oh Wow!
I love love love this !!!!!
Innkeeper are my absolute favourite … ever !!! ( although Kinsmen and Kate Daniels are sooo close behind.
Thank you very much indeed ( lots more thank yous xxxx )
I love you both !
Everytime I see the notification that there’s a new installment, it feels like opening a Christmas present. Thank you so much.
I love a good alien, and yours are fabulous. I would dearly love to see a portrait gallery of the inn’s guests past and present. That fancy chicken has my heart.
Thank you! This is just getting better and better, as always.
‘Any harm’ is worryingly broad though … eeek
This is so fascinating. Thank you for wring this for us. I will preorder as soon as it is available
Am I the only one who doesn’t like Mr. Rodriguez? I’m just getting a ‘condescending parent’ vibe from his behavior towards Dina. It’s probably just me but that’s the first thing that comes to my mind when he is even mentioned.
No, I think he’s like a kind uncle figure. That’s *my* vibe, anyway.
Are there any other kind of parents? Asking for a friend. 😉
I think he’s a very good example of an innkeeper because he’s socially awkward unless he treats you like his own child whom he think he treats with a lot of patience because he has so much to teach them.
Innkeepers have long lives. Maybe they just grow into cantankerous old gizzards. ((Shrug))
So the big question is what is the Dominion’s relationship to Caldenis. Betting the risk is she will try and kill him. But did he depose her or just hurt her emotionally? Is he a relative/son. Or former lover?
I want it to be the son just for the sheer drama of it. 😀
OH!! ……This is going to be SOOO GOOD!!!
Getting very exciting now! Thrilling!
I can hardly wait for the next installment.
I love this series!
I love this story so much. Thank you!
I’m looking forward to more about Orro’s assistants and my secret crush Tony. 😂
I already love Droplet. I’m so looking forward to this story.
Stakes raised!! Thank you very much!! Wow!!!
Love Droplet and the pastry bag. Priceless!
I wouldn’t consider Maud dropping by the Inn as much as Helen. If Helen thought her aunt needed her help she would find a way to get there. She looks so cute and helpless. Some being would make a big mistake.
Chills at the last part 🙂
You never fail to amaze me or keep me sitting on the edge of my seat and as always I can’t wait for more. Thank you thank you thank you
So fun!
I’m having an increasingly hard time picking my favourite among your series & the books within them.
The best part is you don’t have to pick, you can have them all 🙂
I am loving this story! You are so amazingly creative
Wonderful new glimpse:) I don’t understand Dina saying, “This is not about Wilmos” at the end. Was the Inn talking through her?
No, it was Dina 🙂. She was responding to Mr Rodriguez’ warning about letting their high status guest, the Sovereign, coming to harm.
Whilst Dina and Sean agreed to the spouse selection event in order to rescue Wilmos, once that event is going forward it’s about their skill as Innkeepers and the reputation of Gertrude Hunt, as is every guest stay and event they host.
I hope this helps 🙂
Thank you so much – again
You bring humor, happiness and joy 😙😙
I really love this scene … but I also REALLY have a bad feeling about this 😂
What can go possibly go wrong, right? Let’s just forget Murphy ever existed ;D
Don’t forget Murphy Law is already in effect.
What happened to W, find him, and hopefully save him.
Followed faithfully to..he was taken…Murphy then kicks in the door…hurt wolf creature, have a homicidal and suicidal Batchelor party, redo the whole inn for over 300 guest, and don’t they have 4 hurt guests under the inn already, I think their main guest may have an issue with new one coming who can’t even stubbed his toe without them losing said inn, oh the Inn is branching too…just saying think it’s already in effect
Amazing and wonderful. I don’t know where or how you found the time and energy but Thank you. Very much
Can you imagine the magical mojo/infusion that our Inn will get from the 300 guests?!
Wooooooowwwww. 0.0
Wow, that was good. That chapter right there sums up why I love these authors and this series so much. It gives me everything I love about your storytelling. In one short chapter I was transported into the Innkeeper world, feeling it and even getting chills at the end.
Thank you!
Raccoon hands 🤣🤣 what an epic chapter and new character. I love Droplet already – thanks so much.
I work as a manager for a huge multinational hotel chain. This weekend was absolutely hell. The US is feeling it oats and darn near everyone one within a 4 state radius came to enjoy the good weather and a place without masks.
I literally teared up reading this. Thank you so much for the escape. Even if it was just 10 minutes for the read and reread. (Hey! Gotta read it twice. The first time doesn’t count because I’m too darn excited 😆 !)
How is the corrupting influence getting the ad-hals? Are the Ad’hal’s proper targets or what they can get hold of?
The Ad-hal will not chase people once they leave earth, is it when off world shopping? or worse on Earth? Are other Innkeepers encountering them? Are the Assembly not sharing the news that bla bla bla has gone missing, keep an eye out for bla bla bla, they never came home from getting Baha-char cake.
How are they being corrupted and controlled? Or reporting in? Do they need to or are they being let loose. I wonder if Gertrude Hunt is being targeted due to it’s weakened status.
I’m late again, but happy to report that I’ve spent the whole time laughing while reading thie latest chapter.
I am so grateful for your imaginative stories..
Is Gertrude Hunt expected to survive having the Innkeeper taken away? Innkeeper losing the Inn == Inn losing the Innkeeper
I have to tell you. I’m a middle age woman who’s been a voracious reader since my teens. Its not often I’m captivated by an author or a series. This series is absolutely entgralling! It’s so original, I never have any idea what’s going to happen next! It’s romsntic. It’s funny! You have enamored me on every level! Thank you for your imagination, imagery, sense of humor, and the strength to make it through the writing process sanity intact.
YAY! We get to know Tony better. That’s great news! I LOVE THIS BOOK. I know we’re only at chapter 6 and I’m going to sound like Caldenia but: a huge disastrous event hosting multiple species, new staff, an ad-hal, and Caldenia with some sort of issue, not to mention the high stakes with the Inn at jeapordy. SO MUCH FUN!
It just keeps getting better and better. I can’t wait for more. The world building is excellent. This series can go on forever. I am happy to see the additional staff and hope they stay. Maybe they will want to continue training with Orro. I wonder if they will have more help to deal with so many guests or to prevent trouble. I know Sean and Dina are powerful but it wouldn’t hurt for the guests to see security personnel. Maybe the werewolves or Seans parents.
I am so looking forward to this. The inn etcetera is such a fun idea.
I can so relate to not being able to control myself when I overtried.
This is such a great read. I love the Ilona and Gordon do this for us.