Review: A Witch's Handbook of Kisses and Curses

A Witch's Handbook of Kisses and Curses by Molly Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I still wasn’t really sold on the Half-Moon Hollow post-Jane books when I started this one, but by the end, I was hooked all over again! Thanks, Nola Leary, for restoring my faith in Molly Harper!

Nola is a witch who has some unreliable healing abilities, is prone to things exploding, and has somehow become the head of the family and in charge of finding relics that, in the wrong hands, will doom her clan. On her death bed, her grandmother puts her on this quest by also informing her that Jane’s deceased shop-owner friend is Nola’s grandfather! Surprise! The connections to the original series abound in this book, so prepare yourself. Nola ends up renting a house that is shared with a very helpful contractor neighbor, Jed. Jed has his own secrets and, though they work to fight it, there’s attraction on both sides as well.

There are mysteries, backstabbing, magic, and (of course) vampires throughout this wonderful tale. Nola was relatable and fun to watch as she becomes more her own person and even gets some closure on childhood issues. Jed, too, was a great companion for Nola, without having to rescue the damsel in distress. This book was a really great addition to this world and I’m even more excited to keep exploring!


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Review: Priest of Skulls

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

I’m not sure it’s possible to start here in the series (or this world as a whole), so if you’re looking for a standalone, this book probably isn’t it. That being said, this book picks up right where the first one left off and might lead to some binge reading for later fans. While it always helps to be familiar with the larger world that the author creates, if this is your first series of hers, welcome!

Allene has been taken at the end of book 1. Sorry if that’s a spoiler for you – see above! She kind of sort of wanted to end up with Macsen anyway, whether to damn him or save him, that’s unclear, but we’re here anyway. Turns out, Macsen is super wounded and actually ends up needing Allene to soothe his broken soul. Allene is her brash self, trying to push through Macsen’s boundaries, trying to undo the brainwashing that so obviously has been taking place. All of that, plus the attraction, makes for some good times while being kidnapped.

Leander, of course, is not just sitting around waiting for the king to act. He and the other familiar faces of book 1 work together to help Allene where they can and leave her to her own devices where they can’t. Things are never a straight path, though, and the most obvious decisions end up having some truly catastrophic consequences. The ending of this book is a big ole cliffhanger, so prepare yourself!


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Review: The Librarian's Vampire Assistant

The Librarian's Vampire Assistant by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love this author and I love vampires. Those two things led me to this book. Maybe I should have read the details closer? Maybe I should have ignored my love of libraries and paid more attention? Either way, this book was not what I expected.

Michael is a vampire on the hunt for information about his maker’s killer. In the non-vampire friendly state of Arizona, he somehow gets wrangled into a job interview as a librarian’s assistant (it’s hard to explain). Once there, he ends up even further drawn into this quirky librarian’s world, saving her life and binding himself to her. The librarian, who I really cannot recall the name of, doesn’t have any interest in Michael, and it drives him crazy. Honestly, though, Michael’s friend Lula was so much more likable than him.

The larger story is about some nefarious plot by the local vampires to do horrible, apocalyptic (and evil) things to the rich folks in town. And there’s drug dealers. And mysteries. All of that rolled together in a book that didn’t really have the quirky humor I was looking for in a book from this author. I probably will not continue in the series.


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Review: Taste of Darkness

Taste of Darkness by Katie Reus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really really like this new series and the direction it’s going in. There’s a real uniqueness in the mashed up world of wolf shifter, dragon shifters, demons, and other wild paranormals. The matches are new and exciting with me guessing and second guessing myself every step of the way.

Drake was the dragon shifter we met in the previous installment. His instant attraction to Victoria was overwhelming, but he has been trying to “make himself more deserving” of her before revealing his intentions to make her his mate. It doesn’t matter to him that she’s a wolf shifter or that she is wonderfully independent. The match is absolutely perfect. They both balance each other out in great ways, when they least expect it.

This isn’t your typical virgin romance. Victoria is tough as nails and confident in her sexuality. The sexy scenes sizzle right off the page. If you’re looking for a brand new twist on a shifter romance novel, you should definitely check this series out. It’s really shaping up to be a wonderful series.

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Review: Driving Mr. Dead

Driving Mr. Dead by Molly Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Since I saw that this book was not a full numbered book in the series, I guess I assumed it would be a short story. It totally is not a short story! This may be a longer book than some I’ve read in a full-fledged series. So, that minutia aside, this definitely did more to get me back into this world than the previous book.

This book sort-of/kind-of branches off of the previous Iris book. Miranda is a bit of a free-spirit, jumping between jobs and leaving a path of destruction in her wake. When Iris decides to take a stab at running the new arm of her company, she needs someone to physically transport the vampires. Miranda was looking for an escape from town after discovering her fiancé has been less than faithful. For some reason, she decides to “think it over” on her job, but I believe we can all agree there should be no coming back from what he did. It only gets worse from there on out.

Collin is an uptight vampire who hasn’t traveled in a really long time. The last thing he probably expects at his door (late) is a walking, talking jinx. She just cannot seem to get through anything without an incident of some sort. Lucky for him, it mutes his annoying ability and leads to some of the most exciting days in his very long life. Of course, there’s romance, although I almost could have done without it. Maybe that’s based on first impressions, but I never got fully onboard with the Collin love interest angle. I think Miranda can do better. We get some familiar faces thrown in here and there to keep it current with the world, but it can probably be read as a standalone story. I’m slightly more eager now to dive into the next of the series.


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Review: Love and Other Wild Things

Love and Other Wild Things by Molly Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am loving this new series, set in the lovely, weird world of Mystic Bayou. Having already read book 2.5 and book 1, I was in the unique situation of knowing where we get but not knowing how we get there. This filled in the gap quite nicely and I wish there were more of these books available already!

This story is about Zed. We met Zed in the last book – he’s the mayor of this unique town, centered on a rift that is acting up. It’s turning humans into magical creatures and is only getting stronger. To this end, the league calls in Dani, an energy witch. Dani has been raised in a family of “normals,” so this town is particularly interesting to her. It’s probably the first place she can freely be herself, and that includes all her relationship issues and baggage from a childhood of being tossed around. Zed, a big, hulking bear shifter is just blunt enough to find Dani a delightful vision (and tell her that).

These two could have made their lives very easy and just had a purely physical relationship (that’s what she certainly was hoping for), but it quickly grows into more, through pie and life threatening situations. There’s a bit of hiding, betrayal, and lots of high strung league employees in this book, which gives the world a much larger feeling. While I knew who survived and where they ended up, it was still a delight to read. I’m happy for Zed and Dani, and really enjoyed the liberal use of my neighborhood (Parsippany, NJ).


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Review: Untamed Delights

Untamed Delights by Suzanne Wright
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve jumped in and out of this series and the author’s works, but have always enjoyed what I’ve read. I’m sad that this is the “saying goodbye” book for the Phoenix Pack, and hope for many crossover/spinoff opportunities moving forward.

Remember Dominic? Well, if you don’t know him and you’re joining us here (WHAT?!), then all you really need to know is that he has subjected all the women who have come into their pack to some truly horrific and hilarious pickup lines. We knew eventually the time would come when his mate walked into his life and they would all finally be able to get him back. His mate, it turns out, is in the form of Mila. Don’t worry about her, though, because she is tough as nails.

Mila comes from a family of organized crime, Russian murdering wolverines, and other pallas cats, like herself. Unfortunately, her true mate has chosen someone else and she’s still licking her wounds, hiding her horrible secret from him. In a last attempt to get well, she tentatively agrees to an arranged mating all the way in Russia. No one is happy with this, least of all the adorable flirt she meets after performing at a shifter bar. Dominic, unfortunately, has more than just impressing Mila on his plate. What he thought was a simple one night stand turns into a boatload of drama for him when her father teams up with the extremists.

These two are 100% great for one another (of course), and were a nice, solid way to end the series. We get to see Dominic settle and yet learn way more about his inner workings. We watch the score get settled with the rest of the pack for all the flirtation. We also get to see the shifters pull together in a big fight. Oh, and we get to see more pallas cat action, which is always scarring in the best way. This ties up a lot of things, but I’d still take 8 more of these books!


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