Accidentally Wedded to a Werewolf

Accidentally Wedded to a Werewolf by Isabelle Taylor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a cute, cozy romance with a paranormal twist. Luna and Oliver are an unexpected couple, to say the least!

Luna is supposed to be enjoying a tropical vacation in advance of her wedding, but finds herself sliding out of control on Alaskan backroads. After crashing into a sign, she takes that as a “sign” and checks into the local monster friendly hotel. In this world paranormals are out and have established this town in particular as a nice monster getaway. Luna, a rich and spoiled woman, is certainly out of place in the rundown lodging and Oliver, who is manning the front desk, is also having a bad day of his own. The two clash instantly, which makes what happens next all the more jarring. Oliver ends up availing himself, accidentally, to the ritual bonding alcohol used in werewolf ceremonies, leaving it on the counter for Luna to them experimentally try. This yields a magically bonded werewolf husband and wife.

These two don’t take it too well - Oliver because he’s got his own relationship baggage and is focused on becoming the next alpha, Luna because she’s already engaged (though in an open relationship). Turns out - they are exactly what each other needs. Luna needs a chance to flex her skills instead of coasting along on her families money and clout, Oliver needs someone who pushes him out of his comfort zone. I admit to not liking either very much at the start of this book, but by the end it was satisfying to see the HEA materialize.

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Cursed Debts

Cursed Debts by Claire Castellan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gosh, this book was filled with unexpected twists and turns, oodles of world building, and chaotic bad luck.

Mads has been cursed with bad luck all her life, protected mostly by some very cursory magic and a charm bracelet from her mother. Said mother is locked away in a mental hospital, leaving her to her own devices early on. This, of course, goes badly, resulting in her owing a debt to the fae that are even scarier than bad humans. In this world, she is in the know about the magical community, though lives on the fringes. She works as a courier, same as her roommate, and agrees to take on one of his assignments which spirals out of control.

The other part I haven’t touched on is the Wild Hunt, and its leader, Dara. As this book was largely world building, action, and chaos, we learn a lot all at once. Dara ends up following Mads on one of her terrible idea journeys, rescuing her from certain death with the promise of partnership - for a little while at least. There’s no smut to be found here, so don’t get your hopes up - it is a slow sizzle at most, with some distracting other boys thrown in for good measure. I can’t even begin to explain the convoluted quest we end up on, but there’s layers of reveal and betrayal stacked one on top of another until I can’t tell what’s real and what’s a lie anymore. As book 1, it definitely sets up another book in rapid succession - here’s hoping for more answers and more sizzle!

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Jinx and Tonic

Jinx and Tonic by Gina LaManna
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It’s book 3 and Lily is really starting to settle in to life on the Isle. She’s mixing up potions, solving mysteries, and even dating officially now!

Lily and X are settling into dating and it’s a huge relief. While they keep some secrets from one another, it was nice to see that tension relieved. All the rest of Lily’s life is a little crazy, though - there’s an escaped villain type who can control folks on the loose, candidates for ranger are actually dying while competing, and somehow Lily is the only person who can stand up to the blood magic at play. It’s a lot of pressure for her, but she makes it through, though missing some bits of herself. There is such a rollercoaster of events in this book, it’s hard to discuss without spoilers. Onwards to the next book!

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Stupid Spellbound Love

Stupid Spellbound Love by Amy Boyles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oops, I definitely read this book without reading book one in this series - so can confidently say it is OK to start here. This was a book filled with secrets and misunderstandings, but also magic and heart.

Coco lives in a town that has just started to thrive again. There are magical creatures all around them, but for some reason the town discriminates against humans with the same magic as the literal soil beneath their feet. Coco is hiding the secret that she can do a little magic and see magic all around them. It’s what makes her exceptionally skilled for her job with the town, which takes her to meet Stone. He is building a big structure designed to lure folks to vacation in the little magical town. Unfortunately for the town, it is disrupting the flow of magic. Coco, with the best of intentions, tries to convince Stone that he needs to rebuild but without him seeing the magic, it’s hard to convince him.

In truth, it would probably be hard to convince him even if he cared, which it appears he doesn’t. Coco shuts his site down and then secretly works on a potion to allow him to see magic. This, unfortunately, does not go as planned, leaving Stone without his memory. The rest of the story turns into a romance, with these two sparking all sorts of chemistry now that Stone is without his memories. I spent most of the book cringing and waiting for the inevitable fallout, which comes catastrophically. Don’t worry, though, because we get a HEA that makes up for all the drama.

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