Casket Case

Casket Case by Lauren Evans
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book made me sad. There were some shining moments of romance, the typical “I’m over him” time, small town friends and family, but I finished the book just very sad.

I guess I should have known this was coming from the description but maybe I thought there would be more quirky goodness or lightheartedness to break up the truly dark depression scenes. Nora lost her parents and has given up her career to run her family’s local casket business. She is still firmly entrenched in her depression when she meets Garrett, who just so happens to work for Death. It was very much like that show Dead Like Me, where he gets dispatched to help people not die alone. He hides this from Nora, but pursues her pretty intently.

The truth ends up coming out, because, hello, it’s a very small town where everyone knows everything about each other, but when it does, Nora goes back into a tailspin of depression. If you’re following along, that means you will need to trudge through two separate phases where we are in this with her. It was tough. Eventually we trudge to a happy ending, but then we cap it off with a truly heartbreaking ending. The writing was good, but you need to be mentally prepared to go through all this with Nora.

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Dirty Lying Wolves

Dirty Lying Wolves by Sabrina Blackburry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While I’m sure I read the other books in this world, it’s been so long that I can assure you starting here is just fine. That being said, this book has a very slow build at the start, but once things start going down, it is pure chaos until the end.

June has a relatively normal life until she tries to save a woman writhing on the ground in a local part. This one action ends up getting her bitten by a werewolf and thrown into a really weird roadtrip with her new “pack.” Dom, the second to the bitey leader who is indisposed for quite some time, is on a mission to bring his pack or sort-of-rogues back to their original pack’s land. Said pack has been led by a bad guy for a while so now that they are fresh off their win in previous books, they decide to push their luck here. June got to represent us, asking all the basic questions, learning how the change happens, how the pack is organized, and eventually detectiving out why everyone tiptoes around the badness in their previous pack history.

This book has some really great characters introduced outside the slow sizzle romance of Dom and June. I would eagerly check-in on a lot of these folks after the conclusion of this story. The pack has obviously gone through a lot, but when the dust settles (or when the truth is revealed) people do the right thing in a crazy battle. I really ended up liking all the characters and got swept away in the HEA by the end. I hope we get to see more from this world.

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Tempting the Black Wolf

Tempting the Black Wolf by N.J. Walters
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am so terribly sad to see this series come to a conclusion but it is a very satisfying one. I’d recommend starting at book 1 if you are peeking ahead. They all build on one another, giving us a great world.

Onyx knows she is one of the fated mates (or traps?) for the one wolf named Dagen because she has been raised in the big bad’s lair. She never knew a normal life, but has taken her time on the run to hone her skills, maybe even enough to take part in the final battle. She’s also been fighting the pull to Dagen as they dance around one another in the search for ways to break this spell/curse/destiny. It was fun to see characters that we have met separately engage directly with one another. As the “fixer” for the other wolves, we also got to see behind that curtain in this book, too.

Dagen isn’t without his own hangups, having hidden but stayed connected to his fellow lone wolves in a way that helps them all for this final showdown. He obviously doesn’t trust easily, so when Onyx’s secrets come out, it tilts his world in a way he can’t manage through. Lucky for them, the draw they feel overrides most misgivings. It’s always great when a series manages to move the pieces around in the previous books to have a great, satisfying conclusion, and this series does just that. As someone who reads a lot of paranormal romance, this had new elements and kept me guessing about who or how many would get out alive. Oh, and there is a healthy amount of sizzle, which never hurts.

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Winter Lost

Winter Lost by Patricia Briggs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This deep into the Mercy Thompson world, if you don’t know what to expect, just turn around. These books firmly build on one another in both good and bad ways, so there is lore you need to know and baggage you need to be aware of before diving in this late.

Mercy is still very much “broken” from the events in the previous book. She tries to hide it from others but is kind of terrible at it. Also, there’s a big bad vampire out to kill Mercy & Adam, but not in this book, so moving along. This book is about Mercy’s family (sort-of) and how Adam and Mercy need to stop the end of the world. It seems like that’s an almost regular occurrence, but this time it happens during winter, involves family, and forces Mercy’s injury to become a big thing.

As a road trip-type book, we don’t get a ton of time with our favorite supporting cast, but it was nice to see Mercy and Adam be with new folks, doing their thing and just being plain awesome. Would it all be more awesome if Mercy could stop hiding things from Adam? Sure. Will that ever truly happen? Probably not. This story had a lot of really interesting elements of Norse mythology that I enjoyed and it’s never a bad time with this gang. There was sadness, love, joy, action/adventure, and everything you’d expect from Mercy’s crew. The storytelling jumps around a bit, but you get used to it by the end. It probably says something that I wasn’t willing to leave this world after this book concluded and dove into the short story anthology that follows.

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Hot Hex Boyfriend

Hot Hex Boyfriend by Carly Bloom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was sweet and adorable, complete with animals and Halloween vibes.

Delia was raised in a family of weirdos. They all believe that they are witches who are under a hex preventing them from successfully practicing magic. Delia’s mom manages to pull off a normal career as a realtor, but the rest of the family is determined to double-down on the witch stuff. Even Delia has had an endless string of failed businesses prior to her current interior design gig. As the member of the family who has been deemed the “blue witch,” it is expected that she break the hex using what she refers to as a soup recipe.

It’s in the days leading up to the expiry of her hex-breaking window that Delia meets Max. Max is a real witch but certainly can’t tell anyone that. He has been assigned to make sure that Delia does not break the very real hex that his family placed on them. As a witch who values logic over love, he is determined not to fall for the hexed witch who could cast love spells if given the power. Of course these two fall for one another in the most adorable way. It was heart-meltingly cute and, yes, there were oodles of challenges in their way. That’s what makes the ending of this book so very satisfying. What a great read!

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Hate Hex

Hate Hex by Gina LaManna
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow, this book was so much fun! It had it all - romance, magic, vampires, action, and sizzle!

Trixie is a witch who has decided not to practice. Bad news for her - if she doesn’t start to vent her powers somehow, she’s going to explode/die/somethingbad. She’s got a very mediocre job as a supernatural Uber driver but luckily has a great roommate to split the utility costs of her apartment that her family owns outright. Things start to veer into bad and weird territory when she has a very off-putting encounter with her building owner in the alley behind said building. It gets worse when she somehow gets nominated for a very prestigious supernatural position. This comes with a whole bunch of campaigning and politics that she is eager to ignore.

Dom, the guy who owns her building, is a vampire and he is also head-over-heels for Trixie. His name gets drawn for the same position and their worlds collide even further. Don’t worry, he does his best to mess things up at every turn, but it was fantastic (fang-tastic?) fun to watch. This paranormal romance had the best banter, silliness, but still pulled off a serious edge. If this is my introduction to this world, I absolutely can’t wait to spend more time in it! While we get happy endings for Dom and Trixie, I’d keep coming back to watch more folks find happiness.

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Last Sacrifice (re-read)

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Original review: One thing I will say for Richelle Mead, she knows how to satisfy readers with an end to a series. I felt the same way about the Succubus series. While I am still on team Adrian, she found a way to make me appreciate Dimitri again too. I would probably just throw myself right into Bloodlines if the book wasn't overpriced. Maybe later I will miss Adrian enough to buy it, but for now, I am happy to leave the series where it is.

Updated review: Maybe it’s because I know where Adrian ends up, maybe it’s because many years have passed, but this book is less satisfying to me now on re-read. Is it a surprise where Lissa ends up? No. And that’s not just upon re-read. What was still shocking to me is how Rose ends up burning up her time-killer relationship with Adrian to hop back with Dimitri. Are they meant to be together? Yeah, sure, but… jeez. Rose has definitely left a wake of destruction in her path here.

What else? I get that we had to tie up a bunch of loose ends but somehow this roadtrip book ended up feeling rushed and a bit thrown together. All the endings for folks felt less satisfying than they did the first time around. The saving grace here is that we get the spinoff to set things more right than here. I highly recommend hitting those!

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Bond of Passion

Bond of Passion by Larissa Ione
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is yet another story in the 1001 Dark Nights anthology. I’ve been popping in and out of these when they align with series I am familiar with and how could I resist another Demonica book?

This book picks up with Tavin’s story (and backstory) in fun and smutty ways. Tavin, while working as a slave assassin, was tasked with hunting down an evil demon. At least, all the other members of this particular race are super duper evil. This one, however, is somehow nice and… sweet. He ends up falling for her instead of completing his mission. I mean, he does eventually do it, but it ends up leaving him pretty messed up and atoning for his sins at Underworld General. It obviously messes up the love of his life even more because he never actually told her he was an assassin.

Deja is the reincarnated version of Tavin’s lady love. It’s a long story, but all the dead demons ended up getting freed due to world ending stuffs. Deja, however, ended up in the body of a much less evil demon. It is never explained to her, so she just dons a disguise and enters her vengeance era. Somewhere along the way she ends up in a life she loves, so things get less clear for her when she finally meets Tavin again. Sparks fly (kind of literally) and the best planned vengeance ends up as a HEA. I really had fun with this one.

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Potions and Proposals

Potions and Proposals by Kate Callaghan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a cute romance that starts out with rivals and ends in HEA. I kept waiting for some horrible reveal or unexpected twist, but this book delivers solid romance throughout.


Lucy and Benedict have been rivals since forever. They went to school in this small town where most residents are magical but they still mix with regular humans. That being said, they still managed to play magical pranks on one another all through their formative years. This let to a big buildup of resentment and probably a lot of misunderstandings. Lucy is in line for becoming essentially queen witch but all that goes up in smoke when a prank ends up smearing the town’s name in a bad way. Now she somehow she and Benedict need to accept an arranged marriage and co-lead. I know - it kind of forces the rivals to lovers to new speedy places.

These two (as expected) have had feelings for one another for a long time and now they just have an excuse to explore those feelings, especially when Lucy’s family ends up accidentally swapping their powers. These two have good chemistry and we get good payoff in the end, leading to a satisfying autumn themed romance read. There are enough fun paranormal introductions to build a world worth more books, but this one was pretty expected.

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Bond of Destiny

Bond of Destiny by Larissa Ione
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

OK, it’s been a minute since I read a Demonica novel so I will admit to not remembering *anything* about the characters in this book. It is closely linked to the horsemen of the apocalypse but also has guest stars from UG. Dribs and drabs came back to me along with way, but I think if you have a general handle on paranormal romance, you can dive in here with no backstory.

Stacey is on her way back in a terrible snowstorm when she wrecks near her friend’s house. Said house is being taken care of by Tracker, a werewolf with a slave bond to her friend (long story). When he spots her, half-dead and headed through miles of snow, he jumps into action and revives her. These two apparently had a bit of a crush on one another which makes it less creepy when Stacey wakes up in his bed without clothes. While I admit to not enjoying the whole “slave” angle here, it was a good sizzle and payoff, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing how it will end up.

Surprise - it ends happily because all these stories do. It even gives little glimpses of where their future could be headed in this new life together. All in all these books are quick and fun without the needed commitment of the entire series, so I’ll keep gobbling them up.

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Spell Bond: More Tales From the Old World

Spell Bond: More Tales From the Old World by Melissa F. Olson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book dead last in the series. Was that the right choice? Who knows, but it worked for me. Maybe you could read it before old world war so you get that as your closing book and it works better. Either way, as a completionist this was on my list.

I’m not going to individually review all the stories but there is a good mix. There’s a romantic one, a family one, and all the feelings in between (including COVID times anxiety for those of you who may be triggered by that). You get to see “behind the scenes” for some things, resolve some unresolved things, and ultimately come out with a more complete picture of all the characters we’ve come to know and love. I don’t think it’s necessary, exactly, but was a fun way for me to wrap up the series completely (for now).

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Old World War

Old World War by Melissa F. Olson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love this world so much. All of the characters are so well developed at this point that even with a big break in reading the series, it was like coming home again.

This book (shocker) revolves around the brewing of an old world war. An attack is made on nulls in general and Scarlett in specific. This obviously upsets their world and sets off a chain that ends with a big gathering of sorts. Let’s call it a trial, but it’s almost like a convention/reunion/something better. Scarlett really gets beat up in this one, so that’s a little tough to read but she is a fighter and that also doesn’t stop her from running her wonderful mouth. The banter is strong with this one, and made more so by Lex teaming up with Simon.

Lex is obviously involved in null attacks because of her niece. She springs into action while simultaneously beating herself up for not somehow predicting this particular scenario. Turns out that some big bads from such installments like “killing Scarlett’s baby daddy” or “messing up Eli” come calling in the form of even worse daddy issues in the vampire community. The vampires are justifiably angry and decide to try out their new judgement system by trying these bad guys. To be fair to all involved, there’s not only a supernatural bad guy but also a human bad guy, complete with tactical training to rival Lex’s. This felt like more even odds, which also made me sit on the edge of my seat for most of this book. The battles are great, the banter is great, and we even get some much needed resolution in a few different areas. Overall, this book was a wonderful read and gave some nice closure to this series.

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Spirit Bound (Re-Read)

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My original review: This might be my least favorite of this series. It was full of angst and unresolved plot lines.

Knowing where we go and how things end up for all these characters, I think I appreciate this book more. I love getting to see Adrian in a different light and having a view to his future. That maybe made it better to get over the way that Rose treats him, especially after all the mayhem that happens in this book. How to summarize? I guess the description tells that Rose is trying to cure Dimitri under the guise of doing good for the world. It’s reckless and selfish and of course her BFF is on board. If that ends up getting everyone to a better place (except Adrian) then I’m all for it, but it is like watching a train wreck happen in slow bursts.

There are an insane series of events that have to take place for the ending of this book to resolve and while we get there, it requires a lot of leaps of faith. So many people also have to die for Rose to get closer to a HEA, which is something she will have to live with I guess. This is certainly a filler book because we needed these actions to take place before true change can happen, but it feels like this book ends at a random stop, with all the characters dangling. If I had read this in real time I would have been very angry to have such a cliffhanger.

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Bloodlust Bites

Bloodlust Bites by Luanne Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a continuation of the previous one, so I’d recommend you start there if you somehow ended up on this book review. This is a world where vampires, shifters, and witches are a regular occurrence and there is a little sizzle thrown into this book making it even better than the last.

Charley is still working on getting control of her powers here. Having just narrowly survived the last big bad, turns out they are still looking for the vampire who is murdering town members and stirring up conflict in a town here supernaturals are “normal.” Crimson, the town, has been terrorized by this killer and it seems to be getting closer to Charley, even framing her bartender. Surprise visits in the form of a lone wolf and the ever growing mystery of the vampire love interest for Charley all end up popping up in good and bad ways in this book.

It’s clear that Charley is still trying to figure out her path in life and while we get some resolution in her world, there’s oodles of growth still to come I’m sure. I am both confused and enamored with the witch support system she has as well as her misfit employees. For someone who tries to do so much good for the town, even jeopardizing her own safety, she somehow manages to fly under the radar for the most part. I hope the next book puts her in more of a position of power that she truly deserves.

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Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact

Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact by Liz Wiseman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book as part of a professional associate book club and I’m glad I did. It’s been a while since I read “for work” and it’s always good to keep an open mind to developing skills.

This book is jam packed with advice and I admit that it was at times overwhelming. Where do I start? Can I do all of this? Luckily the author does have some associated materials and key steps to take related to where to start. I don’t think you can really summarize the “plot” like I do for other reviews, but the storytelling aspects of this book helped keep me engaged throughout. I was truly invested in the case studies along the way, giving insight into the different industries this can apply to. If you’re looking for a relatively easy read that you can grab a few good professional development nuggets from, this book delivers.

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Blood Promise (Re-Read)

Blood Promise by Richelle Mead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Original review: This book was really not what I was expecting-in a good way! I thought this would be a mopey and depressing book, but it was really good! Nice cliffhanger that I kind of saw coming. I am still on team Adrian.

Re-read review:
I completely forgot how great this book was. Going into it, I had the same expectation as first time around. We know that Rose has to grieve and go through all the emotions while she hunts down Dimitri but the unexpected part of this book is really about Rose’s growth. She gets to be on her own for the first time in her life and truly gets to make life-changing decisions for her future. While she was intent on hunting down Dimitri, her journey had very little planning involved. In typical Rose fashion, things end up working out, though. Another bright spot in this book? We get to meet Sydney. Having read the other books in this world, I appreciate this even more.

So while it takes a while to get there, this book is truly about Rose’s hunt for Dimitri. Another storyline is what happens at school while Rose is away. Lucky for us, Rose’s power gives us special insight into the happenings there. I loved this way of storytelling and it’s a great part of this series. It’s been so long since I read this book the first time, I was on the edge of my seat as it all played out. While this book does end with a cliffhanger of sorts, it also ends in a very satisfying way. After the journey Rose is on, getting there also manages to not feel as rushed as the previous books.

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Bewicched

Bewicched by Seana Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As an avid reader of the Sam Quinn series, I knew I would circle back to this one at some point, having met Arwyn in that story. We join Arwyn in her own element here. She’s a touch psychic, but can also see vision of the future and/or the current time (the rules appear to be evolving). Having avoided her family obligations and followed her guts for this long, when a lone werewolf shows up on her door and no alarm bells ring, she goes with that too.

I really liked the Arwyn/Declan show here. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and while there are twists and turns, it was immensely satisfying that this book didn’t take the typical path of a paranormal romance. There are a few parallel stories going on in this book. There is the family drama, where Arwyn needs to manage the expectations they have of her, while still managing not to lose her mind through overuse of her gift. There’s the ask that a police detective has of her, to help track a child murderer down. There’s some mystery around who her dad is. Lastly there is an evil sorcerer afoot, which luckily means we get to see a very familiar demon show up.

Overall, this was a wonderful introduction to the very complex world that Arwyn lives in. She is immensely gifted and has wonderful support (including some awesome sea life), but she struggles to trust. It was really great watching that reluctant trust build between her and Declan and I absolutely cannot wait to see where their relationship goes.

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Easy Bake Coven

Easy Bake Coven by Liz Schulte
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really like the cover and title, which left me wondering why I haven’t read this series before. I love a good paranormal romance and this looked like something I’d be into. I dove in without even reading the description, which might have been a mistake on my part. All the reviews will tell you that this is not about a coven or witches, but big bad elf politics.

Selene is a witch, so that much is true. She owns her own yoga studio, has a tight knit group of friends that are also in her coven (they have powers, too), and has some family drama. Oh, and she’s also in a relationship at the start with what seems to be the perfect guy. All of that blows up when Cheney shows up in her yoga studio to harass her. He really started at a defecit for me, and it took a while to get behind his story.

Turns out, Selene’s life has been a lie. She’s a changeling and things only get stranger from there. There’s powers, drama, politics, and rigorous training that all needs to come back to her in order for her to support this stranger/forgotten person in a big maybe war. It just seemed like the drama and complications for poor Selene just never let up. She took it in stride for the most part, but this book definitely doesn’t end in any sort of solid resolution here. I am not sure I would call it a cliffhanger, but we don’t end this book with all the answers or even in a “happy” place. I’m not sure I’ll continue, even though I’m that type of reader. Something about the character dynamic gave me the creeps, but that could just be my take.

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Born Magic: The Diary of Scarlett Bernard

Born Magic: The Diary of Scarlett Bernard by Melissa F. Olson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

OK, I took a bit of a long break between the previous book and this one, but knew I would circle back eventually. I ended up picking this up in audiobook format which I found really entertaining. I did scroll to a few other reviews to she how folks who powered through the whole series found it, and I guess I’m in the minority?

Diving right back in to Scarlett’s life was relatively easy. I completely forgot just about everything about this world, but the diary format of this made it easy to weave in summary info for folks like me. Scarlett’s narrative voice is great and very relatable. While I can’t relate to the whole new mom vibe, she just seems… authentic. Her and Jesse trying to navigate living together (with vampires), figuring out their careers, next steps, family drama, etc. was really entertaining. When I found the book winding down I was so sad to see it wrap up for good. I loved being in their world.

So, other than baby stuff, is there a big storyline? I guess it’s a series of mysteries that, of course, end up all being tied together in a supernatural way. If I had come straight into this book from the previous one, maybe I would have been dying to see where everything ended up, but for me this was almost starting fresh and that was nice. I think I am going to need to look up other books by this author!

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Dragon Born

Dragon Born by Donna Grant
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After so many books, I wasn’t sure we’d ever get to see Henry’s story fully told, but here we are!

Henry is a human in a world full of magic. He doesn’t fault them for it, but he also doesn’t feel completely part of their universe. When he meets Melisse, a bit of magic is created in the form of some unexplainable bond between the two of them. She does her best to push him away and he does the same, leaving them both unhappy. Now that Henry can sense a dangerous Druid in Zora, where he knows Melisse is, there’s nothing that will stop him from going rogue and diving into trouble.

Melisse has also been a bit of a loaner, what with being dubbed the most dangerous weapon and kept locked up for ages. She doesn’t fit the title of King, but also doesn’t really seem to be a “normal” dragon either. Through a determination to save a small child and prove her worth to the dragons of Zora, Melisse ends up wandering into a magical area and getting rapidly captured in a labyrinth-like setting. There is, as always, more in the works than you think, so it’s not a simple thing to get in and out, saving the many captured dragons. Henry and Melisse must get over their misunderstandings and hesitations to work together and save each other.

This book was a lot of fun to read, even with all the dangerous twists and turns. Henry really deserves his own tale and this was a very satisfying ending for him and Melisse. It was also great to see all the recurring characters crop up in fun ways, adding their own special abilities to the fight.

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Deadly Little Secret

Deadly Little Secret by Sierra Dean
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

OK, first off - this book ends in a bit of a cliffhanger, but I hope that can be expected if you know the next book is the last of the series. We have to build to something big!

This book picks up where the previous on left off. Secret is now a werewolf and is unfortunately stuck with Lucas as a third in her counseling sessions. Having two husbands is complicated. Also complicated, navigating the politics of a bunch of rogue wolves threatening you on the way home. Said rogues end up stirring up some history that Secret was not privy to before now. On top of this, Secret ends up on a wild goose chase for the council to find her friend.

Both these things end up coming out a head right around when Secret is going to make her first full moon shift with the pack, so I give her a pass for the very emotional way all of the parallel stories went down. While the outcome of that council endeavor ended up screwing up what could maybe/hopefully be her happy ending, good on her for standing up for herself. Also, I am really rooting for werewolf divorce (from Lucas). Fingers crossed we get that in the next book, too!

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A Wicked Secret

A Wicked Secret by Sierra Dean
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

These books are so fun and comfortable. Will Secret make terrible decisions that put her in grave danger? Yes. Will her love life be trouble? Yes. Throw in a wild paranormal adventure and you’ve got a formula I love.

Secret and Desmond are still trying to work out the “new normal” of Secret, the ex-vampire ex-werewolf now human, mated up with the New York king of werewolves. Secret is still partnered up with Harry, a demon, and running down the “bad” demons despite her human status. Desmond is still leading the werewolves even though Lucas, the previous werewolf king and Secret’s ex-ish-husband has returned from the dead. Their life is complicated.

Lucas manages to complicate their life even more when he gets captured in another country and another werewolf king’s territory. What should be a “simple” ransom exchange ends up escalating rather quickly into a hunt through the jungle with Secret, Desmond, Harry, and their assigned local liaison running for their lives on the full moon. So much happens that it doesn’t even make it possible to give high level points, but when they leave the jungle (as we all expected, right?) there are some changes that we will address in the next book. I still really enjoy this series, even after the ending/re-starting business, which is more than I can say for other series I have barreled through.

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Soulmates, Doorways, and Other Unruly Magic

Soulmates, Doorways, and Other Unruly Magic by Meghan Ciana Doidge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As the completionist that I am, I picked up this short bonus story to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the first book. This book gives you a flavor of the chaos in Jade’s life and maybe even a “normal” day in the life? What it does not do is give you a huge story with resolution. A happy diversion, just like for the characters.

We join Jade, Kandy, and Kett as they sit around “bored” and waiting for the next crisis. Jade is boredom baking, Kandy is fastidiously ignoring her pregnant state, and Kett is being stoic. As weird as it would be for anyone else, for these three a magical doorway showing up in the middle of the bakery is not too strange. It is, however, an easy diversion. They silently agree to choose danger over boredom and away they go!

There’s a bunch of twists and turns that truly put our main characters in peril, but since this is just a teaser, not too much of major significance occurs. There’s a little bit more understanding among the three, the start of something big, and maybe a new appreciation for boredom by the end.

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The Accidental Sereph

The Accidental Sereph by Maci Aurora
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Who doesn’t love a quick PNR read that checks all the boxes? I could gobble up a handful of these and still be ready to read more.

This, assuming it’s the first of the “Curran Hollow Fated Mates” series, introduces us to the brothers Black, a group of Serephs who protect a very specific territory from demons. Because they have the power to hide what they do, they basically just look like bad boy bikers who start fights for no reason. It would probably lead to a very solitary existence except for the promise of finding your fated mate, subsequently getting wings, and oodles of sex. Atlas is the star of this particular installment and heads out to see if any demons are swinging by the local pub when all hell breaks loose.

Ivy is on the bus to try to rescue her kidnapped sister when she runs into Atlas and is immediately bowled over by his magnetism. Demons spoil their awkward introduction and Ivy is force to learn things in the moment, which she does miraculously well. It was neat to see the dynamic, learn the lore, and meet all the characters in rapid succession. The book has great pacing and even though we jump into bed quickly, it somehow didn’t seem weird (or weirder than this world expects). There is a nice HEA with enough loose ends to tie up for future books as everyone finds/re-finds their mates.

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The False Pawn

The False Pawn by A.E. Asavi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book pulled me in a few different direction and was very much a world building first installment. There is a ton of lore, character introduction, and surprising turns jammed into this book.

Anthea lives with her two sisters, acting as a pseudo mother to them after their parents died and going to work for a paycheck but not much fulfillment. I’m not sure what I expected, but it wasn’t her going to a club and then falling through a portal in to an elf-run world. Once there, she is imprisoned, forced to be a slave (or act as one, it’s confusing and edges close to Stockholm syndrome), kidnapped, tortured, betrayed, and then sort-of/kind-of revered? This book takes you through all the feels.

The overall story revolves around a prophecy and lots of court intrigue. Turns out humans exist in this world but they are a slave race, doing the bidding of the elves (who also have magic). It is quickly discovered that Anthea is immune to magic, so they quickly put her to work. Is there romance? Yes? I guess? Again, she is everyone’s prisoner so how much is her own bidding and how much is questionable consent? It toes a line there, but if you can put that aside, there are more than enough very attractive elves who could easily be in the running for Anthea’s partner.

None of this truly pans out as this is just book 1 and we need to set up a lot of things all at once. I’m not the best high fantasy reader, so admit that a lot of the very similar names ended up blurring together a times, but the author did convince me I should be rooting for our unlikely hero, Anthea. It will be interesting to see what other trouble she gets into in future books.

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Fused in Earth and Stone

Fused in Earth and Stone by Sandy Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is one of those books where you spend the whole time worrying about all the things Kennedy has not done. In that worry, you somehow do not predict the even worse things that happen during what she *is* doing. Not sure if any of that made sense, but that’s Kennedy’s insane life right now.

Kennedy, as the reluctant caretaker of the Rain, has begun putting in place her own rules, breaking from the status quo, much to the dismay of the werewolf and vampire leaders. They were used to submitting a list that they had each vetted, taking money from the folks who wanted to use the hotel (and give a little bit to the Rains), and going about their merry way. Now Kennedy wants to control who comes and goes and that is not going so well. When the werewolves show up with tent camps, knowing she won’t let them in, she tries to go around the list again, sparking even more werewolf drama.

On top of this, she’s got friends who are starting to suspect non-human stuff, she’s got a vampire ally who is being tortured and is need of rescue, and she’s still got some mysterious debt to a very bad fae. There’s probably more (oh, like the witch who killed her parents still out there causing trouble) but Kennedy has a knack for swinging for the fences in the chaos department. It feels like she has no real clear plan but it sort-of ends up working out for her. Also - what is up with Christian? I have so many questions and while this book gives us an ending that blew my mind, it certainly did not come close to answering all my open questions here. There better be more to this story!

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Cold Curses

Cold Curses by Chloe Neill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am so incredibly sad that I’ve got to leave this world now. I didn’t realize this was the last book until all the loose ends were tied up! This fantastic world is so fun and filled with interesting characters - I’m left hoping for yet another spinoff.

Elisa and Connor are still a bit of a powerhouse duo. They’re officially engaged and navigating the complicated life of a vampire and a shifter alpha pairing up. Elisa is still actively working on keeping the city safe, but that’s proving particularly hard when demons are essentially taking it over. You’d think after the events of the last book we’d get a break, but news of the demon wards going down appears to have signaled an all clear to any and all demons who want to create mayhem. The larger story here is about a bit of mafia-like demon warring that spills over into the human and other paranormal arenas.

While Elisa is trying to calm down her inner monster about getting it back to the sword, she’s also coordinating ward work with her bff’s parents, calling in cops from the city, supporting Connor in his apex challenges, and trying to figure out the “big bad” who is stirring the pot this time. Oh yeah, and she’s also got to plan a wedding or something. Loves seeing the gang firing on all cylinders here in this last act and particularly seeing Lulu step into her own power. This really did offer a fantastic wrap up and while sad, I’m satisfied where we are leaving things.

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Badge of Honor

Badge of Honor by Hailey Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book shows up a few different ways online. Sometimes it says this is part of the series, sometimes part of the larger epilogue world, but I’d recommend reading this as a very satisfying conclusion to the POA storyline.

Hadley is working on getting the final prep done for her Star Trek themed wedding, while also training for her “final exam” for the POA role she’s essentially been doing this whole time. The vote appears to be in the bag, what with her, ya know, saving the city a whole bunch of times. But there’s a bit of doubt thrown in when a contender is announced with experience being a potentate from another city. While the team (and the city) rally to support Hadley, there’s a lot more at play than just a fair fight.

Midas, of course, has her back 1000%, as does his pack. It was great to see most of the familiar faces resurface to truly put a nice bow around the end of this series. We do finally see a test, the outcome, and even some HEA in Hadley’s future (hopefully). I couldn’t have asked for more in a finale to a great series. This is definitely a must read.

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Shadow Kiss (re-read)

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Adding my re-read notes here:
This book is definitely a turning point in the series. We see Rose, still reeling from the ending of book 2, feeling like an adult but still with training wheels. Lissa is becoming more and more a political figure/pawn in this battle, with less and less insight into Rose’s mental state. Lastly there’s Dimitri, who I didn’t even mention in my few lines review originally (at the bottom). Adrian is really the standout here and thank goodness he gets his own spinoff later.

So - what’s the story? Well, Rose see’s dead people. Or at least 1 dead person. She does the somewhat logical/sane thing and hides this from everyone. While that’s going on, there is the growing darkness Rose is getting from Lissa as she re-embarks on her journey with magic. With her and Adrian working it together often to try to cross train, it starts to add up. Through all this - the “real world” experience part of class is in session. Teachers are fake/real attacking paired up folks and Eddie is really kicking butt, even though he is somewhat reluctantly assigned to Lissa.

The other big thing? Their old nemesis resurfaces with ominous threats and almost blackmail about Rose/Dimitri’s make out session. In my re-read I have to admit that I was way more conflicted about where that all ends up this time around. Maybe it’s the +13 years since my original read through, but it made me feel way more icky. All in all, though, lots happen at the end of this book that begin a whole new journey in book 4.

Original review: Gah! So much happened in this book that I think I need a breather before I start the next one. Ps I love Adrian.

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The Epilogues: Part III: How to Rattle an Undead Couple

How to Rattle an Undead Couple by Hailey Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

We are just blasting through all the important events in Linus and Grier’s new life together. At the end of the previous novella we learned that Grier was unexpectedly pregnant and they didn’t really have time to evaluate what type of powers the kid would get. That’s not their biggest problem, though.

At almost the start of the much awaited baby shower, Linus’s very powerful mother is a no show. There is absolutely nothing short of kidnapping that would keep her from this event, so they all immediately go on high alert. There are hints that our mysterious vampire nemesis might be behind it, but that would be too simple. With all the mysteries going on, it’s no surprise that the reveal caught me off guard. Also, I didn’t expect to have such a “to be continued” ending, but I guess with Grier and Linus there is no such thing as expected endings. I’ll be hopping from this to the novella in the spinoff series.

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The Epilogues: Part II: How to Survive an Undead Honeymoon

How to Survive an Undead Honeymoon by Hailey Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After that very messy and very chaotic wedding, I was excited to see what they had planned as a honeymoon. With Linus planning, it seemed like a safer bet than something Grier chose. No such luck.

They end up in a remote bed and breakfast that comes complete with a haunted history. Seems like something that should be easy enough to navigate, even if the ominous anniversary of demon sightings is rapidly approaching. Things never go easy for these two, though, so even while on their honeymoon, they get sucked into a bit of a murder-mystery, with cats, demons, and things that go bump in the night. Even a simple trip to the library comes with attempts on their lives.

If you’re worried that this will be a road trip story with no other characters we know - don’t worry. Oh, and it has a super fun ending! I’m loving these little shorts to add on to the main story and would happily read even more of them.

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The Epilogues: Part I: How to Kiss an Undead Bride

The Epilogues: How to Kiss an Undead Bride by Hailey Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really love that we get to revisit with Grier and Linus post-main series big stuff. Don’t worry, there’s still big stuff here! It’s finally wedding time!

After all the potentate training, long engagement, and other craziness, we get to have a wedding! It is (of course) happening at their home and will be filled to the brim with the required society guests and their chosen families. Now that the important food decisions are winding down, of course that’s when the last seed nobody ever wanted to hear from again seems to resurface. There’s terrible clues pointing to someone hell bent on ruining the wedding, even out to get their vendors!

I loved watching the crew dig into the mystery but I definitely didn’t put all the pieces together in time. The wedding ends up being an affair to remember in a pretty terrible way and I was a little let down at the mood killer. It wraps up okay, but you definitely get to feel all the feels in this reveal.

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Pinky Promise

Pinky Promise by J. D. Blackrose
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This series has gotten me completely addicted and no amount of bad decisions by main characters can shake me loose. It might go without saying, but you should start at the beginning here - if you somehow picked this book up first, I don’t know what to tell you.

Becs and her big mouth have committed her to somehow restoring Pinky’s powers, that he expended so completely to rescue… everyone. On top of that commitment, her dream walking friend has just informed her that she’s also got to do the one thing she swore to never do again - visit Faerie. She somehow needs to convince the queen to help them repair the connective tissue between Earth and her world, to save them both. Oh, and Becs gets a dog. That’s important.

Also very important is the bizarre love triangle-ish thing happening between a possibly reformed mobster (who started the whole trip to Pinky losing his powers) and Asher, the ex-angel. I completely thought this book was going to be Asher tripping over himself to become powerful again but instead it really surprised me. No spoilers, but it’s a good ride to get there. I can almost support the rationale - almost! I can’t wait for the next book to see how they get out of this messy not-really-a-true-cliffhanger ending.

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Moment of Truth

Moment of Truth by Hailey Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Where do you even begin when you wrap up a 5 book series? This was a very satisfying ending, wrapping up all the loose ends I wanted it too, but still left me wanting lots of epilogues (which I will go into right after!).

Hadley just needs to do one small thing before she can continue to her official role as Potentate - ya know, just save the city from the encroaching evil witches, lock said witches out of their “wardrobe”, and figure out her relationship with Midas. OK, so the last one kind of already worked itself out, but they still have the whole balance between Potentate and the pack to discuss.

Without getting into the details and spoilers, it was fun watching the team work together, play it their strengths, and I also really appreciated the mystery of who was behind this whole thing. There was a lot of time slippage, portal hopping, and *a lot* of “screen time” from our oddly favorite shadow. This book somehow helped me reach a certain appreciation for him and I feel pretty good about how Hadley ends this journey.

She and Midas are a perfect pair and their chosen family is even better. I was sad to say goodbye to someone, but hope they have their own update/spinoff opportunity. As a series, I am happy I took the chance and dove into the world of Hadley, even after not particularly liking her in the original series. I went on the journey with her and was happier for it!

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The Hedge Witch

The Hedge Witch by Colleen Delaney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a fun start to a series! I wasn’t sure what to expect with this new (to me) sort of hedge witch, but I fell in love with this merry band of sisters.

Laurel is a hedge witch. She’s got all sorts of powers, but she mostly tries not to use them and instead has leaned into her calling as a tarot card reader. Living with her sisters in a house on a relatively remote island, there aren’t huge witch-related issues to worry about until one particularly eventful hedge jump. Having all been warned that the sisters would find their fated mates, Laurel eagerly discovered her soul mate (or a version of him), but that appears to have triggered her past lives-self’s cursed arch-nemesis to resurface.

Owen is the son of a witch but is not particularly powerful. He is a carpenter entering his slow season when he meets Laurel in what he deems a dream. On a quest from a higher power, he ends up adventuring the said remote island and gets quickly pulled into the mayhem that ensues. Don’t worry, though, because there is also romance, sexy times, good conquering evil, and all that jazz. I like the unique blend of powers we learned about and hope Owen’s chaos-loving family comes to visit them soon!

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Proof of Life

Proof of Life by Hailey Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really thought I couldn’t stomach another book with Boaz in it, yet here we are, with me loving this one despite the stupid big oaf. Hadley has completely converted me and now I can handle anything as long as she and Midas are there.

By the end of the previous book, we got to watch Hadley and Midas make it official, moving in together, being really mates, so all is well in the romance department (if they could only get time to get together alone - that’s another theme in this book). It’s of course at this time that her family (original and new) decide to come visit for some random art exhibit. Seems very shady, but that appears to be legit. At the start of this book, we begin to notice a theme - someone is trying to blow up Hadley and/or her friends and family. They manage to hit a few places, kill a few people, and everyone is still trying to find any clue as to who it could be. Signs point to betrayal, unfortunately.

Addie is maybe one of the best new characters for me, and while I didn’t appreciate her in the Boaz spinoff story, she is a great “big sister” to Hadley throughout. This book really explores all the trauma and terrible time Hadley had growing up, and even unblinds that to her inner circle. At this point, most people also know about her alter ego, her “shadow” and we even get an amped up screen time to that effect. I'm loving where we are heading, with the big showdown on the horizon, but boy oh boy was this a crummy reveal at the end. Well written, kept me guessing, but we have a big mess to clean up in the next book!

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Change of Heart

Change of Heart by Hailey Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m loving this series, so much in fact that I’m way behind in reviewing because I am gobbling these up as quick as I can! I also have completely determined that this series is better than the original (Beginner’s Guide to Necromancy), though we need to get through that to get to this wonderful place.

Hadley is wonderful. It’s refreshing to be in both her head and Midas’s, which seems to be evening out and I love it. The snark, the laughter, the love, is all just perfection. They also balance each other out in wonderful ways. This book is about the yucky yucky yucky “drug” that is being distributed among paranormals and humans alike. It comes from a truly terrible source, and of course they need to stop it from killing their kind (an “unfortunate” side effect).

Also, coming off the heels of the previous book, they need to collect hearts from the evil coven that’s after them. It’s gross and terrible, but that’s the deal that was struck. This book also unblinds a member of Hadley’s team, which is a nice side-effect of the weird magical interference. I’m happy that we might see everyone pair up and be happy by the end of all this craziness. I do really mean craziness because there is a surprisingly large amount of explosions, damage to the main characters, and fire around. We get to meet more supernaturals, too, and even get a glimpse into Bishop’s background a little more. Loving all this and highly recommend this series!

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Bound by Bloodsong

Bound by Bloodsong by Sandy Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book has been on my wishlist since I read the first in this series. I got a little distracted and didn’t circle back until now. This is a series with a rich world and really unique, fun, paranormal bits.

Kennedy is kind of a jerk. I get it, she’s thrust into a life she doesn’t want to pursue and it’s all because her parents were murdered. She’s being told what to do by just about everyone around her and she wants no part in it. And then there’s Blake, a sexy werewolf stalker type who she is equal parts attracted to and scared of. He’s definitely got an agenda, but by the end of this I’m kind of convinced that he just wants in her pants. To add more love interests to the pot, we’ve also got Christian, who knows more than he says and hides all sorts of secrets. He also seems to be sort-of in love with Kennedy.

The big sweeping story of who killed her parents is continued here (and resolved?), but we also get more bits of Kennedy’s past, previous friends, introductions to yet more paranormals out there, and lots and lots of Kennedy saying no to really really powerful people. By the end, I was on her side, but it definitely takes a lot to love her. I will 100% be continuing on to see where we go with all the drama she stirred up at the end of this book.

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Pack of Lies

Pack of Lies by Hailey Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

These books are really good. Like, maybe even better than the main series that this is a spinoff from. Big plus? No Boaz. Also - Midas is really great. Oh, and Hadley too!

I gotta say, by book 2 I’ve completed gotten over Hadley’s previous “sins” and am now firmly on her team. Her team, too, is awesome, and I love that we get to go there and learn all about them. This book starts with them recovering from making some bad decisions during the “snowball” incident. It’s a teachable moment, but there’s also some strangeness going on with Hadley. She’s waking up in places she didn’t go to sleep and she’s worried Ambrose is slipping the leash. This book also showed Bishop stepping up and being a good friend and I guess partner? Not sure what to call him because he’s not really the leader, but he definitely enjoys unlimited spending on flame throwers.

This book also took a deeper look in the mentor/mentee relationship between Hadley and Linus, which developed “off screen” between the two series. Love it all, and I especially love the blossoming relationship between Midas and Hadley. Don’t really love the Ford mess, or the bugs that are a messy gross thing almost as much. These books are fun, surprising, and I find myself laughing or smiling while listening. I love where they are headed and I’m also glad this book marks the hopeful end of the triangle.

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Frostbite

Frostbite by Richelle Mead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m re-reading this series with book club and have a new/old appreciation for them.

While I can see that my original read was a long time ago and has a bit of a nostalgic feel, the re-read is giving me new appreciation for the journey these characters all go on. The big important thing that I took for granted first time around is the introduction of Adrian. He is the best and continues being the best. The main story, though, is about how the bad vampires are ganging up and combining their efforts with humans for hire to take out whole families. In a world where it being daylight out used to mean safety, this throws their fragile world into chaos.

In romantic storyline news, Rose is still filled with the teen angst and I’ve got to say that she is way in the wrong here. Having stepped back from the sizzle, it’s totally not OK for her to hook up with essentially her teacher. Don’t worry, though, they dance around that line a bit in this book. There’s also poor Mason, the rebound, who goes through all the feelings in the span of this one book. Also, making a somehow redeeming appearance is Mia. By the end, you kind of stop hating her as much, and group all these teens in a more traumatized bucket. Overall, this book begins the steady climb to the end of their journey, but they all don’t even know it yet. Still love this series - it’s a super easy read, too!

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Shadow of Doubt

Shadow of Doubt by Hailey Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After finishing up the Beginner’s Guide to Necromancy series, I knew I wanted to see what happened next in this world. While I don’t think you need to have read that series, I do feel more informed about the backstories here, which might be confusing to the uninitiated.

We join “Hadley” after some time has passed since we last saw her volunteering to take on the Potentate of Atlanta mantle from Linus. It was a selfless offer, which also happened to give her a way to feed the evil she forever bound herself to. I was particularly interest in learning more about the mysterious team that Linus worked with, so this certainly didn’t disappoint. Hadley is lying to everyone about who she is, but she is also hiding her scent from the shifters who previously met her. Nobody has let out this secret, but it seems only a matter of time, especially since Midas has taken a very close interest in her after “meeting” at a crime scene.

Hadley’s first solo assignment ends up being a shifter kill. Paired up with Ford (who was a wonderful character addition in this world), she has to navigate the complicated pack politics in the city, as well as the myriad of lies she’s told. Ford is very interested in Hadley, which just seems to ignite Midas’s own interest. Enter: The Love Triangle! I’m here for it, though. I found Hadley so much less annoying outside of the Boaz shadow and away from Grier. Her team is also awesome. I am hooked and even the mystery had me guessing wrong the whole way through. If this is where it starts, I can’t wait to see where this series goes!

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How to Wake an Undead City

How to Wake an Undead City by Hailey Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really plowed through this series on audiobook and am happy I did. Were some of the installments better/more satisfying than others? Sure. Was it worth it - absolutely!

This really wrapped everything up that I was hoping for. There was a bit of a scare at the end where I thought there were some loose ends dangling but a quick sprint to the finish took care of them (and the epilogue installments will likely expand on that universe). So - we pick up this book in the post-apocalyptic world that is now Savannah, and Grier’s new non-necromancer squad of human helpers. Grier has a FULL plate, too - she’s got to go back to Atlanta (which was never a really great time for her), ask her estranged family for more info on her “condition”, beg the alpha for some help defending the city she loves, and manage to pull off this new mantle without being called out as a total fraud. Oh and she’s also got to get the city back from her vampire grandfather when she gets home.

Lucky for us, Linus is there to keep her alive (or vice-versa?) oh and the most awesome and adorable thing happens that I won’t spoil. There’s also pack dominance fights, shifter nonsense, magic misbehaving, life-threatening possessions, and stupid Boaz. Nothing goes right during any step of their plan in this book. Nothing. It is both frustrating and reassuring in that we get to leave Grier stronger, but still never taking the straight path through things. We leave this world (or series, since there is a spinoff and follow-up books) better, I think, than we joined it. All the characters we met have grown in leaps and bounds. I even sort-of didn’t hate Boaz (that’s probably a lie). I’m happy that the series took us to such a satisfying end.

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How to Live an Undead Lie

How to Live an Undead Lie by Hailey Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yeesh, Grier's life is complicated. This book ends in some unresolved stuff that led me to *immediately* dive into the final book of the series. We knew this was all building but I was 100% unprepared for the reveal at the end here.

So, what happens in this stunning installment? Well, congrats, Grier's a mommy to a vampire. He ends up showing up on her doorstep in a series of political and necromancer related events. In good news, Linus has really shown that he is the perfect match for her. He balances her crazy with the stable stubbornness that only he can provide. While this is a wild ride that ends with some huge changes in Grier's life, it's very clear we have been pointed in this direction from the start of the series. Grier is now the power player that she only ever dreamt of being, and that grows with each book.

Some things don't change, though. Like Boaz - who is still an idiot. As someone who is firmly in the next book, I wish I could tell you he eventually is not an idiot, but I think he will forever be one. Does he do things with good motivation? Sometimes? It's still infuriating. Lethe and Hood are bright spots and such a wonderful addition to the wild and crazy world that we are in. Does drama get stirred up in their world? Yes. Does it somehow resolve in a way for the better? Yes. I think I prefer that to the never-ending push and pull of Boaz/Grier. As a book series that is complete, I can definitely be happy to wrap things up (hopefully) by the end of the next book, but I'll be sad to say goodbye to most of these characters.

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Sapient Curse

Sapient Curse by Michael Pierce
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I took a pretty long break between books here so it took me extra long to remember even who anyone was at the start. First, let me acknowledge that this ends in a big cliffhanger, so if that is going to piss you off, wait until we have book 8 out and read for you to devour.

We join Maeve, now heading into her Sapient year at the academy with her friends. One friend has just been turned into a vampire. Her boyfriend is up to shady business with an ex. Oh, and now they all have to go through super traumatic virtual reality devices as part of their routine classes, so everybody is more than a little on edge. The "big bad" of this book revolves around a mysterious man who ran into Devon and Maeve on a training exercise, then attacked the crew when they ventured outside the safety of the school's walls.

It really doesn't sound like a lot when I spell it out like that, and I guess it wasn't. A majority of the time was spent on adapting to changes (i.e. of the vampire variety) and the interpersonal drama that is being a school aged person dating someone older. With all the build-up to the ending here, it was mostly clues, hints, and the usual dangerous threat to Maeve, but it did feel relatively low stakes this time for some reason.

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Vampire Academy (re-read)

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Re-reading this for book club and I still love this book. I plowed through it at a rapid pace and can 100% recommend re-reading this series if you haven't already done that. I didn't quite remember all the steps we take to get to our series end, so it was fun to reconnect with the characters and go along for the ride. Not everything was a surprise, but it felt good to see everyone back where it all started.

Original review: I both love and hate Tara for gifting this book to me. I couldn't put the damn thing down! If I didn't have to wake up for work this morning, I would've finished it last night! Now I guess I need to read the rest of these things... Great story and really the blurb doesn't do it justice. I guess I'm a YA addict...

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Beginnings

Beginnings by Bridget Nicole
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a fated mate book that takes us through all the eyes of someone who has no idea werewolves exist at the starts.

Olivia is engaged at the start of the book. She's with a reliable guy who she could see herself spending a very dull rest of her life with. At a wedding of all places, she ends up meeting Ethan. There is instant chemistry and they even share a secret kiss. This one chance meeting ends up blowing Olvia's world apart. She's forced to take a leap of faith from her "normal" life into the world of werewolves and politics.

Since Ethan is the alpha, he's also very used to getting what he wants. Olivia, being a normal human woman, throws a bit of a wrench in his plans by questioning just about everything. What should, by normal werewolf rules, be a relatively simple fated coupling, ends up hitting many bumps along the way, including some troublesome family members, betrayal, and doubtful soon-to-be-mother-in-laws. As your standard fated mate book, we end up getting through all that to a nice resolution at the end. Does everything get truly resolved? No. In fact, a big part of the start of the book never ends up re-surfacing in this book. Who knows if it shows up in book 2? Either way, it felt a little unfinished by the end here.

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Making It So: A Memoir

Making It So: A Memoir by Patrick Stewart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to this as an audiobook, so got to hear Patrick Stewart tell all his stories directly. It definitely added something to the retelling, particularly with the Shakespearean text.

But what made me want to read this? The Star Trek bits. It was really interesting to hear the stories from his side, ones that we may have heard in different ways through cast interviews or rumors, too. Patrick Stewart really has had a long and interesting life, and I was really interested in how he managed to end up an actor. I won't summarize his story, because that's what the book is for, but will say that some of the anecdotes he shared will definitely make me look at episodes a bit differently. There are definitely sadder and happier moments but overall the book left me feeling more enriched having read it. If you are a fan of his work, I'd definitely recommend this read.

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Bloodlust Blues

Bloodlust Blues by Luanne Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first of a series that had me interested from the start. It combines paranormal and action with just a sprinkling of slow burn romance (maybe).

Charley runs a bar in a town called Crimson, in a world where supernaturals are out in the open. Just because they are out, though, doesn't mean everybody forgot how to discriminate. Charley is just doing her best for her patrons, taking a stab at providing vampire blood (a drug in this universe) to folks who need pain relief. It spirals pretty quickly, though, after a new business moves into an abandoned shop across the street.

This story give a little bit of needful things vibes in that the aforementioned neighbor seems to be doing the impossible and luring in all the townsfolk with a French restaurant of all things. There's attacks, disappearances, and murders in what used to be a very quiet town. Charley, who strongly believes she did not inherit her mother's powers, is the only one willing to stand up to their supernatural bully to try to set things right. She risks her life and her bar in ways nobody would expect and ends up coming out stronger for it all. I'm excited to learn more and see Charley grow into her powers in future books.

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How to Dance an Undead Waltz

How to Dance an Undead Waltz by Hailey Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book did for me what I was hoping for all along. I was dying for Grier to really own her now and by the end we finally got there! She’s powerful and all the attempts on her life need to stop!

So, where do we begin? Grier is still sadly not over Boaz. I’m ready for him to stop with all contact but I will say, the way we leave him at the end of this book is immensely satisfying. Again, this book is all about payoff. Grier sadly has to step outside her “normal” life to take on this new aspect, but it’s all worth it in the end.

You know what else we get in this book? We get a resolution to the open questions about her family. We get payoff for all the slow burn. We get answers to the basement conundrum. We also get a lot of smoothie drinking, which directly impacted my desire to have a smoothie (with different ingredients). After all the previous books showing the weaker or more “damsel in distress” Grier, it was amazing watching her flex her necromancer skills (and actual muscles) and fight back hard. I get that this was a building type of storyline, but I wish it hadn’t taken so long to get here. Now that we’re here I’m almost afraid of backsliding in the next book. Now we’ve just got to solve that dream thing.

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Awry

Awry by Meghan Ciana Doidge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Woah. That book really took me for a ride! I dove into this series with absolutely zero preconceived notions. I know I like the author and the other worlds she has built, so I started without even reading the synopsis.

Zaya is the main character here. She’s a conduit, who somehow controls fate, lives, and oodles of more magical things at play in this universe. The story is set in one of my least favorite settings, post-apocalyptic. That should tell you exactly how engaging I found the story that I could not put the book down. I was obsessed with learning more about Zaya and her seemingly spotty memory. The power she wields. The people she chooses to save or “nudge” in the right direction. There is also a good sizzle/love story aspect that had me on the edge of my seat.

The world includes shifters of all kinds - and I mean ALL kinds. They seem to be broken up into motorcycle gangs - also not my favorite thing, but this book pushed me all out of my comfort zone in a good way. One such set of 3 brothers seems to be circling around Zaya with expectations. There are so many mysteries and unanswered questions, but this book gave us just enough to have me asking when the next book will come out. The world building alone was worth the price of admission. I can’t wait to see what Zaya and the reverse harem (hopefully!) will do next!

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