Review: A Wolf Apart

A Wolf Apart by Maria Vale
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have not read the previous book in this series, but I think I managed to get what I needed from the introductory chapters. That being said, it would probably be better to start from the beginning (maybe?).

Elijah is a wolf shifter who has been designated as “Offland.” He runs their day-to-day business while managing his pack remotely. This is starting to wear a little thin on him and he feels like his sanity is slipping away as each moon passes. He’s been pretending to be human for too long and just about every interaction he has could be scripted. There’s no joy to his offland life and he has resorted to counting down the days between his return home.

His mindset shifts a bit when he finds himself facing a definite attraction. It’s been so long since he showed any interest in anything that the feeling is foreign to him. Thea is everything that he should not be attracted to – she’s gruff, solitary, and has no interest in black tie parties or networking. Somehow, though, she reminds him of what he’s missing. She becomes his surrogate “home.” There are some hiccups, lots of secrets, and the issue of trust, but through it all they manage to fight for a HEA. The pack dynamics are interesting and unique, with a Viking twist. This book was definitely a departure from my typical werewolf read.


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Review: Hidden Holidays

Hidden Holidays by R.L. Naquin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This adorable short story gives us another glimpse into the wacky world of Zoey. The story begins during the Christmas holiday, which is obviously celebrated very differently by each of the Hidden. On top of the normal holiday worries and stress, Zoey finds herself coming face-to-face with a real life Selkie.

Things end up getting resolved pretty quickly, thanks to Zoey’s vast network of supernatural friends. It was adorable, satisfying, and put me in a very festive mood overall. I like these little bite-sized stories to link the larger books together.


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Review: Pooka in My Pantry

Pooka in My Pantry by R.L. Naquin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book certainly moves this whole larger story along in leaps and bounds. Definitely the turning point in the series, I am simply dying to know what happens next.

We join Zoey as she tries to find her place in this world filled with “hidden.” She’s just using her instincts and her empathic gift to get by, still hiding her secret life from her BFF. That possible love interest from the end of the last book, Riley? Well he stood her up. I’m mad at him on her behalf, but that is really the least of her worries. Maurice is trying to get back together with his estranged wife so ends up taking some time away from Zoey’s house. This, unfortunately, leaves a vacancy that is immediately filled by an annoying Pooka (bad luck bringer).

When things appear to not be able to get worse, Riley’s return is accompanied by an auditor of sorts who will be tester her for her Aegis abilities and then deciding if she should have died. No pressure. Oh, and the leprechaun mafia is in town, shaking down humans with magical gifts for money and killing them in horrible bad luck scenarios if they refuse to pay. It’s through this high stress time that Zoey somehow unleashes some more of her mysterious powers.

There’s some information that gets uncovered about her mother’s disappearance, some more infrastructure revealed from the hidden world, love interests, pets in peril, and lots of secrets getting revealed. This book was definitely a turning point in the series, giving Zoey more power, more confidence, and a more definitive goal. She’s going to be the best Aegis ever!


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Review: Spellsmoke

Spellsmoke by S.M. Reine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow – this book has convinced me to root for Lincoln Marshall! I thought it was impossible after kind of hating him in the last book, but somehow I’m left at the end of this book wanting… more of Lincoln? It’s a strange feeling, but I’m 100% on board with this series now.

We join Lincoln following his turbulent entrance into the OPA limelight. He’s doing his own thing as a bounty hunter of sorts, rooming with the guys he hated last time, and once again confronted by the innocent awesomeness that is Sophie Keyes. She is thrust upon Lincoln after running from her own issues. Tasked with keeping her safe, Lincoln brings Sophie deep into Marshall family drama. Around the same time as Sophie showed up at his door, Lincoln also finds out that his father is dying. The money earmarked for finding Elise (and getting rid of his unseen companion) is quickly repurposed into a plane ticket back home.

Not surprisingly, Lincoln’s family goes really out of their way to make Sophie feel unwelcome in their home. Oh, and a jerky memory from Lincoln’s past is actually the sheriff and continues to be a jerk. There’s a bit of a mystery around some deaths in the same place the eldest Marshall is living out his final days, lots of werewolf posturing drama, racism, species-ism, and (of course) Sophie wandering into trouble. All of this combines in a really exciting and entertaining installment that (like I said) had me really in Team Lincoln.

This book ends in a sort-of cliffhanger, leaving me desperate for more. I know where things should end up, so I’m assuming there isn’t some magic HEA for Sophie and Lincoln, but it is definitely fun watching the pieces fall into place. These two are becoming a new pair of favorites in this universe. I continue to not like Abel… at all. Here’s hoping the next few books focus more on Sophie and less on the werewolves. Isn’t it weird that I ended up here? I started this universe with the werewolves and now I am desperate for a reprieve.


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Review: Ill-Conceived Magic

Ill-Conceived Magic by R.L. Naquin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a cute short story that fills the gap between the first and second books of the series. While not critical, it does give you a healthy dose of gargoyle with a loving splash of family drama.

Zoey ends up finding a kid. I know, I was scared, too. Will this persist? I’m not really a big kid story fan… Don’t worry – this is definitely a standalone that doesn’t necessarily tie in completely. We learn about inter-monster-racism, what Maurice has hidden inside himself, and begin to learn the gargoyle language along the way. Zoey is her usual adorably clueless self who somehow manages to muddle her way through. Maurice is still my favorite.


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Review: Monster in My Closet

Monster in My Closet by R.L. Naquin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Admittedly, I started this series almost at the end and then flagged it as “to-read” at a later date from the beginning. I was reminded of this at some point and now here I am! Enough time has passed that I don’t really remember where the series ends up, which makes the beginning that much better.

The main character, Zoey, finds her world turned upside-down when the closet monster of her nightmares needs a place to stay while going through a marital separation. This is only the tip of the iceberg as soon “monsters” of all sorts show up on her property asking for help. As a newly diagnosed empath, Zoey hardly ever says no, and these cases are no exception. Equipped with little to no knowledge of the “hidden,” she still manages to muddle through this rather crowded life until an incubus, drawn by her gifts, starts murdering women she meets.

As the co-owner of a bridal business, it’s kind of important that women around her not die. It’s also got something to do with Zoey’s unwavering morals that she thrusts herself in the line of fire to save those around her. I’ve absolutely fallen in love with her and Maurice (and even the questionable Riley) and can’t wait to see what antics they all get up to. Will Zoey mix her normal life with her monster one? Will I find out how you can get a closet monster housekeeper (they sound awesome!)? Will Zoey’s love life blossom in future installments? I love this universe already!


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Review: Twice Turned

Twice Turned by Heather McCorkle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This story revolves around Ayra – a previously abused and battered member of a wealthy family of shifters with a historic lineage. They have in the past produced a line of reapers so they feel a bit too entitled for their own good. Ayra, now gifted with the power to know when a shifter has gone off the rails and killed people, is tasked with hunting those bad guys down and killing them. Along with that power comes some other wicked superhero abilities, like the power to channel lightning, suck other shifter energy, and be generally one tough cookie.

Ayra’s older brother is on a warpath that is forcing her hand. Sure, he’s a jerk, but he’s still family. Trying to figure out a way to track him down ends up putting her face-to-face with her magically disappearing BFF. Vidar went off to college and ended up becoming a monk of sorts. This type of monkhood, however, is secretly designed to create the perfect protector for the chosen reaper. Vidar is especially determined to be that man since he’s in love with Ayra.

These two dance around the issue and fight against all the odds to end up as a superhero crime fighting team. There’s lots of action, assassination attempts, other shifters, and even vampires along the way to a HEA. It feels like there is a lot more to these stories than I know yet and that has definitely given me a feeling of… incompleteness at the conclusion of this tale.


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