Hex on the Beach

Hex on the Beach by Gina LaManna
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m on a mission to read all of these intertwined stories from this author. While I have gotten a glimpse of this world through the side quests of other series, it is nice to fill in the blanks here.

Lily is a workaholic at a marketing job when magic ends up disrupting her career ladder climbing goals. One truly terrible presentation ends up with her fired and at her local bar, the only place where she gets to be creative in the form of mixology. It’s here that her long lost aunts find her and drag her (mostly) to the isle. It’s a magically hidden oasis filled with all manner of magic user. It turns out that her mom was the previous “mixologist” and now it is Lily’s turn to fill this role.

I really enjoyed getting to know everyone, learn about the magical quirks of this world, and see a budding relationship start between X and Lily. There is a mystery and some pretty high stakes, but overall this was a relaxing paranormal read with a little hint of slow burn romance to come.

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Crown of War and Shadow

Crown of War and Shadow by J.R. Ward
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I usually have a rule about not reading books with the same title structure as ACOTAR, but made an exception here because of the author. I’ve read about a thousand BDB books and have only been let down once on a spinoff. I rolled the dice and though this deviates from my typical focus (contemporary paranormal romance) it had enough mystery, sizzle, and interesting world-building to rope me in for more.

Sorrel is an outcast - she treats women with herbs and her own brand of life-saving magic, but is shunned by the same people who have benefited from said magic. She was taken in by a tavern owner, but it is a tenuous relationship at best. She only has one true friend in town and she is also an outcast of sorts. When the town’s hatred of magic comes to a head one night, it is the most unlikely of companions that ends up partnering up with her to help her escape. Sure, she promises to pay him in a manner of speaking, but they are still on a very treacherous adventure together.

“Merc” as she calls him because he won’t share his real name, has some incorrect assumptions about her from the start but they truly build a relationship through their various trials. It all leads to a rather shocking reveal and then follows up with an even more shocking reveal. I was caught off guard by both, and that says a lot. I won’t spoil anything, but this book ends on a sort-of cliffhanger, in that we are fresh off yet another reveal and who knows where this will take everyone in the next book.

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Dark Alpha’s Lover

Dark Alpha's Lover by Donna Grant
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have read a lot of Donna Grant books, but have managed to miss a few along the way. I have read ahead, so I know how a few of the larger storylines end up playing out, but it was still nice to fill in some gaps in my Reaper backstory knowledge.

The stars of this book are Cat & Fintan. Cat is a halfling (half fae, half human) from a very powerful line of magic users. She, however, is the “dud” of the bunch. Her entire life she’s watched her family wield magic like it was nothing while she never presented any signs of being magical at all. When some big fae stuff happened in books previous to this one, her entire family was killed except her and her grandfather. She protects him but has accepted the fact that she may join her family or be ignored due to her lack of skills.

Fintan is a Reaper, and like all of his kind, he has a bit of emotional baggage around betrayal. He is obsessed with Cat upon first seeing her, but obviously ignores his feelings until they grow to unmanageable proportions. He takes up watch at first, curious why fae are so interested in her, but soon discovers she may have caught the big bad’s attention. Things take a few twists and turns, showing that Cat is both stronger and more powerful than anyone imagined (except, annoyingly, the big bad). I liked this one, showing Cat as less a damsel in distress and more of a power to be reckoned with. We still go through the standards misunderstanding, martyr motions, but it gets tied up nicely at the end.

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Stone-Cold Fox

Stone-Cold Fox by Hailey Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was way too short for a character who has been so important in the other books! Mai is someone I’ve always wanted to learn more about and see get her HEA. They hint at her testing mates all the time and trying to date goblins because of Labyrinth (which plays a big role in this book) but never get any answers.

This is hopefully the start of a series that uncovers Mai’s “destiny.” It starts at a convention, focused on Mai’s nerdy side, but quickly turns into a kidnapping gone wrong with Ryuu. She and Ryuu have a past that only he can remember, thanks to her father. There is a lot of betrayal, new character introductions, and a swoon-worthy ending jammed into what is an entirely too short book. I hope we get book #2 at some point to build on this storyline - I want to see where this Romeo & Juliet story ends up!

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The Vampire Lestat

The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

OK, this is a re-read that we did via audiobook and is, I think the first time that I am circling back to this book. Admittedly, the driver was to “prepare” for the next season of the TV show and refresh my memory. I think I read this book originally in high school, maybe? I’ve got to say, while I remembered the broad strokes of this book, so much happened in the series to the point I read it that I definitely did not recall “this” Lestat at all.

I’m leaving my rating at 4 stars from my original because, yes, this is a good book, but woah I’m not sure current day Carrie would have loved it as much without the film of nostalgia layered on top of it. To start, it takes a while (after the intro) to get to vampires. We spend a lot of time in the past with Lestat as a human. Was this more enjoyable to me the first time because I had only known him from the Interview with the Vampire portrayal? Who can say. I’m very conflicted about not enjoying this bit more.

I won’t do the whole summary of the book thing I usually do, but will say that there is a very short portion at the start in “current day” and then another small portion at the end in the same time period, but the majority of the book takes place before Interview’s events and there is a ton of history. History of all the characters, backstories building out for everyone. The through line here is - Lestat ruins everything. I found it amusing that every single establishment that he stumbles upon he leaves in ruin. Knowing where things meander along the way, it’s astonishing that he “lucks” into so much power and love without even really trying. Are there “Dresden” level of damage taken? Sure, Lestat gets hurt emotionally and physically on his journey, but ultimately he is living up to his spoiled brat image that is how I remember him.

I gotta say that these books feel harder upon re-read. I’m not sure I would have continued without a high schooler’s drive to dive into vampire lore further, or with the TV show making me think back fondly on this series.

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Old Dog, New Tricks

Old Dog, New Tricks by Hailey Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book closes out this series with high stakes, deepening lore, and a heroine who finally steps fully into her own.

Following Thierry as she confronts old wounds, dangerous enemies, and the weight of her legacy, this installment leans hard into emotional payoff and dark magic. The tone is intense and often unsettling, but it’s also rich with character growth and long-awaited answers, making it a compelling (if slightly maddening) stopping point for the series.

We learn *A LOT* in this book. Thierry comes into her power in a way that feels earned, gets meaningful time with her father that genuinely landed for me, and pulls off some surprisingly clever maneuvers to contain the big bad. There’s also long-overdue resolution with Rook that adds emotional closure - even if it also highlights how much more story there could be. That said, the body-horror-adjacent moments (there’s a fair amount of flesh flaying) made me cringe, and while Shaw does appear, he’s conveniently kidnapped for most of the book - A+ decision, still don’t like him. My biggest frustration is that this is where the main series stops - Thierry does get her happy ending, but it feels like it’s only just beginning.

This is dark, emotionally dense, and packed with revelations, even if the ending feels more like a handoff than a true goodbye. I’d absolutely recommend continuing on to the connected spinoffs if you want more resolution and time in this world - they help smooth out that abrupt sense of “wait, that’s it?” Perfect for fans of gritty urban fantasy, complicated family dynamics, and heroines who grow into their power the hard way. Definitely worth the read, just don’t stop here.

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Muscles & Monsters

Muscles & Monsters by Ashley Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book mixes paranormal romance with cozy small‑business vibes in a way that feels both familiar and refreshingly different.

The story centers on an unlikely pairing - a fully shifted shifter hero (yes, very much with a snout) and a vanilla human heroine - whose lives collide through neighboring passions rather than destiny: his gym and her bakery. It’s a playful, steamy romance that leans hard into its monster premise while grounding the story in everyday insecurities, ambition, and community.

What surprised me was the wonderful role reversal. The gym owner may be all muscles, but he’s surprisingly insecure beneath the fur, while the bakery owner is completely at home in her own skin - confident, capable, and unapologetically herself. I’m a total sucker for a bakery romance, and this one delivers: plenty of flirting, great chemistry, and mouthwatering descriptions of baked goods that made me crave pastries while reading. Add in the novelty of shifters who are truly shifted (fair warning if that’s not your thing), and the romance felt fresh without losing that cozy, feel‑good charm.

Overall, this was a fun, flirty, and unexpectedly sweet read that earned a solid four stars from me. Perfect for readers who enjoy paranormal romance with a cozy twist, strong heroines, and a hero who’s more vulnerable than he looks.

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