Adventures As A Novel Mom

Diverse Urban Fantasy at Its Best

2026-03-29T10:00:00.157-04:00

image copied from Goodreads

I'm admittedly behind the times by a wide margin on the Mercy Thompson series as the first novel came out in 2006. However, to be fair at that time the market was flooded with many popular urban fantasy series, riding the wave of Dresden Files fame and the likes of YA sagas like Twilight and Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments. So, it was hard to keep up. But I recently found graphic novel adaptations of the first few books in the series and decided when my sister recommended it, and loaned me the first book, (Thanks, Megan!) that now was a good time to give this urban fantasy a try. I'm glad I did and for this review, I'm going to discuss the first book and the graphic novel adaptation of it. I thought it'd be fun to read one and then follow up with reading the other.

So, what I can say about the novel right off the bat is that it has held up very well over time. As I was reading it, I didn't feel that it was twenty years outdated at all. In fact, in terms of the worldbuilding I would say that Patricia Briggs was thinking ahead by bringing up how much harder it was becoming to keep the supernatural and magical world under wraps with advancing technology and forensic science. That isn't something that I think was always addressed in urban fantasy back then. Or it was handled in a way that explained how some magic users could still keep humans in the dark by making technology glitchy around them, like Butcher does with his Harry Dresden. However, in Briggs's world the Gray Lords over the fae have already revealed themselves to humanity and as a result, many of the lesser fae, at least, have been forced to live on reservations. Another thing that I liked about this series is the diversity of the main character and the portrayal of her as a walker, someone who can magically shift into a coyote. Many walkers or skinwalkers then and now, have been negatively stereotyped as cannibals or monsters and villains in fantasies and urban fantasies over the years. But Briggs offers us a different perspective that is more respectful, in my opinion, of Native American folklore and culture by making Mercy's ability more in keeping with the natural world and less an evil monstrosity. In fact, I would say that from Mercy's point of view, the European werewolves and vampires are more monstrous and predatory in an unnatural sense than any walker that might still exist.

Another positive that I feel has stood up to time over the last several years is the characterization of Mercy herself. Briggs gave her a profession that makes her a minority in the human world in the same way she is in the supernatural one, as a auto mechanic. Still today there are fewer women working in this field than there probably should be. Mercy is independent and like many urban fantasy characters has already endured much tragedy and loss in her life. But while she is content to be largely a loner, she isn't cynical of closed off. Mercy does have contact with her family and has developed some friendships with some powerful beings. She also lives next door to the werewolf alpha for her region. I don't think it is too much of a spoiler to say that I'm pretty sure Adam, her werewolf neighbor, is going to be an important future love interest for Mercy later in the series. Despite his obvious charisma and dangerous appeal though, Mercy is clear on setting her boundaries as far as what she'll tolerate from him and his natural machismo. I liked that about her. She claims to be rash and impatient and in some instances she is, but I never felt that her decisions as she becomes more and more enmeshed in what is going on with the werewolves in the mystery of the story were out of character or just plain dumb. I also felt that the rest of the cast of characters were given complexity and reasonable motivations for why they do the things that they do. So, I really enjoyed this first installment in the series and will continue to read more.

image copied from Goodreads

As for the graphic novel adaptation, I was a little taken aback by where it starts. Instead of opening with Mercy and the boy who comes to her looking for work, as the novel does, we get some backstory about the wider world by finding out that the fae have revealed themselves to humans. In looking at this though from an adaptation standpoint, it made sense after I continued reading. It sets up the world right away and helps it stand out from other urban fantasies at the same time and eliminates the need for too much dialogue or monologue for Mercy as a character once we switch to her. The adapter, David Lawrence, made good choices in giving us some visual backstory for the world, then giving us the first gripping action scene with Mercy and Mac, the boy she's helped, then takes us back a few days before to when Mac first shows up in Mercy's shop. I thought that arranging the story and visuals in this way gave us some important worldbuilding, drew us into the story and action right away and then allowed us to take a step back and say, okay, here's how this all transpired in the first place. In terms of the illustrations and artwork, Amelia Woo also did an amazing job. I was not disappointed by any of her depictions of the characters from the novel. Based on the descriptions of them from the book I think her artwork was spot on and adds to the visual narration of the story in the graphic novel.

So, if you're an urban fantasy fan and you've never given the Mercy Thompson series a read, I highly recommend it. I also found it very entertaining to read the first book and then follow up by reading the first graphic novel adaptation right afterwards while the story was still fresh in my mind. Both were available through my local library system, so if you have a library card with your own public library, they shouldn't be hard to find. I checked out the graphic novel on my library's digital hoopla app.

For my next reads and reviews for April, I'm considering either a cozy mystery by one of my Rowan Prose pub siblings, or one of the paranormal suspenses that I bought from Plenty Bookshop when I went to their Wine and Words Festival the beginning of March. As always, I came away from that with far more books than I probably should have. Stay tuned for my next review in mid-April!

Assassin Suspense That Would Make Helen Mirren Proud

2026-03-15T10:00:00.028-04:00

Image copied from Bookshop.org

I have long been a fan or Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell series. A mystery series set in Victorian England that features a strong, fiercely independent and unconventional female lead. I was naturally intrigued when I heard that Raybourn had created a stand alone thriller that featured a squad of female assassins who are equally fierce and unconventional. The reason I think this book would make Helen Mirren proud is the fact that she played just such a character in the movie Red, which I've included an IMDB link to for those of you unfamiliar with that film. Mirren's character of Victoria from the movie was what I thought of when I first read the blurb for this book. However, instead of a group of different assassins both male and female being targeted for a hit, this book features all female assassins.

So, let's get right into it. These women are all mature women who have mastered the art of being underestimated and used that to their advantage their whole career. Being retirement age and seen as outdated, while maddening, is not really that shocking for them. As the first group of women to be trained as professional assassins for the clandestine organization they work for, they are very used to being either overlooked, underestimated, or both. At the start of the novel they've each retired from their agency and have been offered an all-expenses-paid vacation as a reward for their 40+ years of service. Unfortunately, during their cruise they realize that the organization they've worked for has set them up to be taken out on their vacation. A kill order has been initiated and if they want to survive they're going to have to figure out who put out this kill order and why. They're also going to have to take down the people behind it to put a stop to it.

From there the suspense and action take off and I was here for all of it. The book is largely told from Billie's point of view in the contemporary timeline. But there are a few chapters interspersed that take place in the past and give readers a window into why these four women, Billie, Mary Alice, Natalie and Helen were recruited and how. Those chapters are told from a distant third-person viewpoint. I found this to work very well. It gives us backstory but in a fun and interesting way as the stories for each of the women and the woman who trained them is fascinating in part because it is given in small doses from this more distant lens. Also, it adds to what we know of each of them now, setting them apart personality wise as distinctive characters. Later ,when we learn about their training it also augments what we already know as each of them also have different aptitudes and skillsets as assassins as well. Though, as this becomes important to the story as it unfolds, I won't spoil that for anyone who hasn't read the book.

The action in this novel was fast-paced and each chapter was just long enough to keep my interest. Sometimes, even with action suspense books, I can find myself paging through to see where a chapter might end. I didn't find myself doing that with this book. Each chapter cut off in just the right place and with just the right cliffhanger for me to want to turn that page. Also, each time one of the women has to take someone out, Raybourn is careful not to make it too easy for them. As Billie notes, even the best plans can get derailed or have unexpected problems crop up, making it important to be able to pivot and improvise when needed. One of the things I really appreciated about that was the way that the author used that in not only the plot of the novel, but also used that as an example of how one's everyday life can unfold. Each of these women has had to learn how to pivot or adjust when life threw them curveballs all while largely being seen as expendable by society as a whole rather than appreciated for the strong and competent people they are, especially, as they became women of a certain age. Hats off to Raybourn for conveying that in a fun action-adventure story. Making her fierce heroines assassins also created an excellent vehicle for portraying female rage in general without it being trite, preachy, or heavy-handed. I think women of any age who love fast-paced suspense featuring strong female main characters should give this book a try. You might be surprised by how much you'll enjoy the ride!

Stay tuned for my next review and read. Whatever I choose from my extensive TBR pile it will have some sort of mystery element and also feature a strong female main character in honor of Women's History Month.

New Dark Academia Urban Fantasy

2026-03-01T10:00:00.023-05:00

image copied from Bookshop.org

Half City by Kate Golden is a new urban fantasy series that was just released this past February and offers a fun spin on the dark academia trope. I thought it was unique in that it was set in our world but one in which a chasm exists where demons or deviants were unleashed on the world in some alternate past. Lymantrians, or supernatural beings, then came down to Earth from an upper plane of existence to fight them and seal the chasm. That is the world in which the made up city of Astera is located. So, our world with some alternate history twists.

The main character Viv is a born hunter, unlike her sister and mom. Therefore, she's been forced to live in the mortal world while keeping her abilities and hunting of deviants a secret from her own family since her father (who was the parent she inherited her gifts from) was killed by demons years ago. In this world hunters mainly hunt and kill demons but other forms of deviants exist such a vampires, werewolves, warlocks, etc. As a lone hunter since her father died, Viv has developed her own code of conduct in who she hunts and kills to protect mortals. Much of her ethics revolve around what her father taught her, but some have evolved as she has. I thought this was an excellent way to portray her as a character. She loves her family but cannot be fully herself with them. She abhors deviants that prey on humans, but only hunts and kills them if she feels they're posing an actual threat to someone, not just because she recognizes them as a deviant or something other than human.

As such, Viv is tough, cynical, conflicted, isolated, and very lonely at the start of the novel. Her conflict, backstory and the backstory of this world are all introduced well through action and dialogue right from the beginning. I was immediately drawn in and left wanting to read on to figure out what might happen with her next. She was a very relatable and well-drawn heroine. While defending herself from yet another deviant encounter after showing up late for her best friend's birthday party, Viv meets a recruiter for a university for hunters, Reid Graveheart from Harker Academy. What a fun name!

Intrigued that there might actually be a university for demon hunters, Viv decides to check it out. While she isn't sure she'll want to enroll, it would mean more lying to her mortal family and friends after all, another hunter who befriends her encourages her to give it a day. Viv is surprised to find she feels at home at Harker and decides to enroll. She also realizes that attending college there might give her more of a chance to figure out who her dad really was and what might have led to his death.

The description of the campus and of Viv's classes and training were all fun and rich in detail. I felt that I was discovering this world Viv never knew existed right along with her. She is able to form friendships with other hunters where she can finally be herself and not have to hide all of who or what she is. The mystery about what happened to her dad and the events as they unfold on campus throughout the story were intriguing and intertwined well. The romance that develops between Reid and Viv was also tense and believable. Even though he's Viv's instructor, which I would normally find icky for a love interest, the backstory for both characters and the fact that Viv is of age made it less of a problem for me.

My only complaint, and it's not really a big one, was the cliffhanger ending. While the threads of the mystery for this novel were wrapped up, the ending leaves you wondering how Viv or Reid might survive. So, many questions and so much action still lie ahead for both. I'll be eagerly anticipating the sequel to this one! I hope it isn't released too long after this book.

The next book I'll be reviewing in a couple of weeks is Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn. It is a suspense thriller about a group of women who worked as assassins and have to figure out a way to avoid being retired by the company they worked for permanently. The cover and book blurb below have both been copied from Bookshop.org.

Older women often feel invisible, but sometimes that’s their secret weapon. They’ve spent their lives as the deadliest assassins in a clandestine international organization, but now that they're sixty years old, four women friends can’t just retire—it’s kill or be killed in this action-packed thriller by New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for forty years. Now their talents are considered old-school and no one appreciates what they have to offer in an age that relies more on technology than people skills.

When the foursome is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. Only the Board, the top-level members of the Museum, can order the termination of field agents, and the women realize they’ve been marked for death.

Now to get out alive they have to turn against their own organization, relying on experience and each other to get the job done, knowing that working together is the secret to their survival. They’re about to teach the Board what it really means to be a woman—and a killer—of a certain age.

Amazing Contemporary Gothic Suspense

2026-02-15T10:00:00.003-05:00

Image copied from bookshop.org

The title and description of this book had me intrigued from the first. But oh my!! This was so much more than I expected. The mystery by itself had me compelled to keep reading, but then add in the gothic elements of the setting, a small coastal island town and the large mansion overlooking it on its lonely bluff, and I was completely hooked. It reminded me of the Victoria Holt or Phyllis Whitney romantic suspense novels that I read growing up, only better.

The romance elements were there but they were very, very small compared to the rest of this sweeping story of murder, family secrets and small isolated communities. I loved the main character Willow, who despite seeming to have it together as a musical grad student is still very lonely and adrift at the start of the novel. She returns to North Shore Island off the coast of Maine after receiving a plea from her godmother to come back so they can reunite. Willow cannot resist the chance, but is heartbroken to learn, shortly after receiving the letter, that her godmother has met with an untimely death. From there we follow Willow and a few other point of view characters throughout the story as she struggles to come to terms with what happened to her godmother and why the mysterious and very haunted Cameron House seems to be at the center of it all.

The setting, the mystery and the characters were all well drawn and engaging. I especially loved the women on the island who all seem to want to help Willow but who seem to have secrets of their own that make you wonder along with Willow who she can really trust or if she can accept their overtures to become a part of their found family. Despite the fact that the last living Cameron on the island was truly a despicable and mean old man, I couldn't help but like him a little as Willow did. Then there was the police detective who used to be Willow's nemesis when she visited her godmother, Sue, on the island in the summers. Nick is obviously secretly smitten with Willow still, but hides it well. She likewise finds he has grown up to be quite attractive, but still clings to her impression that he is a royal pain all the same. The banter between them in the few scenes where they're together was entertaining and added just the right amount of zing to the dynamics of the story. The mystery, you realize early, is one of murder and involves a plot on someone's part to claim Cameron House for their own. I was left guessing until near the very end who was behind it all and there were some wonderful twists and reveals at the climax that any mystery lover would enjoy! But then add in the ghosts and the sentient-seeming house and it takes the whole mystery up another notch in my estimation. I truly loved this book and will be getting my own copy to re-read again once it comes out this February!

If you love gothic mystery suspense with rugged settings and haunted mansions, then you will thoroughly enjoy this debut novel.

For my next review, I'll be featuring Half City the first in a new series by Kate Golden. This one is a fun urban fantasy into dark academia. It combines the best of both worlds for me in that it is a fantasy and a mystery as most urban fantasies tend to be. I also loved the spin Golden gives to dark academia in this one. Both the book cover and blurb copied below are from Bookshop.org. As always, consider supporting your local indie bookshops or local libraries whenever possible.

Welcome to Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. Keep your daggers sharp, and your wits even sharper.

Viv Abbot is an average twenty-one-year-old girl. She lives in an expensive city where the rent is too high, works long hours at a thankless job, and is dating a guy she doesn’t even like in the hopes of winning her prickly mother’s approval.

She also happens to be a demon hunter.

Ever since her father's murder, she's been forced to hunt deviants alone, meaning everyone, including her family, sees her as an outsider . . . until the day she crosses paths with a dangerously alluring demon, Reid Graveheart. The reformed deviant tells her of a school for people just like her: Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. If she enrolls, she'll learn to hone her craft, work with other hunters, and never be alone again.

But Viv has a deadly secret. One that not even her new friends at Harker can know about, not if the school might hold the answers to untangling the mystery surrounding Viv's father’s death. When strange occurrences begin to plague the students, Viv will have to figure out who she can trust, all while trying to ace her classes, avoid falling for a demon, and make it through her first year at Harker in one piece. How hard could that be?

Fun Historical Mystery Adventure for Middle Grade Readers

2026-02-01T10:00:00.002-05:00

Image copied from Goodreads

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin was the first read of 2026 of my Online Kidlit Book Club. I was excited to delve into this one as it was a historical mystery that involved spies, intrigue and Bletchley Park in England. I was not disappointed. This novel was an adventure that was well balanced for the intended reading audience in terms of the history it incorporated in with the fictional suspense. It also had a lot of heart as the two main characters are a brother and sister that have become estranged by loss and the war.

The story opens with Lizzie, the sister for the main character duo, escaping from her escort tasked with taking her to America where her grandmother resides. Lizzie is determined to do the opposite of escape to safety from the coming German Blitz on London and other parts of England that is imminent. Instead, she had decided to seek out her brother Jacob once she discovers where on the map he's dropped off to and to figure out what happened to their mother who everyone thinks is dead. Finding her way to Bletchely Park, by way of Jacob being tasked with bringing her there, the adventure begins.

Of the two characters I loved Lizzie! She is smart, determined and full of optimism even though everyone keeps telling her that her mother is dead. Lizzie refuses to believe it. She finds coded information hidden in her mother's room right before she is whisked away to Bletchley by her brother that is further proof for her that their mother was more than she seemed and is in fact very much alive still. Add in the historical details of the work that was done in Bletchley Park to break the enigma that is the German intelligence exchange system and this is a mystery that is full of tension, suspense, and heart. Lizzie soon figures out what is really going on at Bletchley despite Jacob's efforts to keep her in the dark. As someone who is hired by the general in charge of the park to be a message courier about the manor she is in able to watch and observe the hive that is the park. As clever as she is, it doesn't take her long to piece things together.

The backdrop of the start of WWII is also a character in the story. The parts that are told from Jacob's point of view give us a glimpse into British intelligence and recruitment during the war as Jacob is recruited as a university math major to be a part of the think tank that is Bletchley. We see firsthand the pressure the people involved in this code breaking were under to prevent the Germans from invading England and to figure out what their targets would be for the bombing they did of England to break the British spirit. As the British fought largely alone at the start of the war once the Germans occupied France. A few details were also included as to how the British were able to get their hands on the enigma machines in the first place in order to start working at breaking the coded ciphers the Germans used to relay their messages. While I was not as engrossed in Jacob's side of the story, anyone interested in coding, ciphers and complex math would probably enjoy this side of it. I did like getting to see some of the real life people in the story also such as Alan Turing. The ending when the two siblings finally figure out the real story of what happened to their mom was tension filled and very like a James Bond moment. All in all, if you or a young reader that you know enjoys historical mystery fiction set during WWII then I recommend picking up The Bletchley Riddle. I think this book would also be appropriate for those teaching this historical period to upper elementary or middle school students.

My next review for February will be a really good gothic mystery that I read as a NetGalley ARC, Murder Will Out by Jennifer Breedlove. The book cover and the description are both copied from bookshop.org. To obtain copies of either books mentioned in this post just click on the title to order a copy from bookshop.org and support indie bookstores. I also recommend supporting your local libraries by checking out or requesting they obtain copies of either of these books for their shelves as well.

Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award winner Jennifer K. Breedlove brings coastal Maine to life in Murder Will Out, a lighter, modern gothic mystery that's as atmospheric as it is heart-warming.

Come for the memories. Stay for the murder...
Little North Island, off the coast of Maine, is so beautiful it could be a postcard. Organist Willow Stone cherishes her memories of childhood summers spent on the island with her godmother Sue... even though her visits ended abruptly, and she hasn't seen or heard from her godmother in over fifteen years. Until a letter from Sue—and word of Sue’s death—brings Willow back to the picturesque island.

The islanders rarely mention Sue without also bringing up Cameron House, and the controversy around Sue’s unexpected inheritance of the sprawling mansion. When Willow overhears someone threatening the next heir to the property, she starts to question whether Sue’s death was really an accident, and can’t help but wonder whether someone on this sleepy island is willing to stop at nothing—even murder—to claim Cameron House for their own.

Through Willow’s eyes, as well as those of others on the island, a mystery unfolds that keeps drawing Willow back to Cameron House and the very real ghosts that walk its corridors.

Heartfelt & Humorous Romantic Suspense

2026-01-18T10:00:00.002-05:00

image copied from NetGalley

Definitely Maybe Not a Detective by Sarah Fox is the first in a new mystery series. This is the second novel by the author that I've read, and I loved this one even more than that book. Definitely Maybe Not a Detective is engaging with a full cast of eccentric yet mostly lovable characters. Emersyn Gray is struggling to make ends meet while raising her niece. Fired from yet another job after being laid off from her previous one due to budget cuts, she's unsure how to get her life back on track and keep her parents from taking away her guardianship for niece, Livy. To help, Emersyn's best friend Jemma concocts a scheme to help her recover the savings Em's ex-boyfriend, Hoffman, stole from her. Their plan is to threaten Hoffman with being investigated by a private detective if he doesn't return her stolen money. But the Wyatt Investigation Agency is all made up. That is until a real-life Wyatt turns up at Emersyn's apartment complex to return her lost phone the same day the super of her building is murdered. When Emersyn's elderly neighbor turns out to be the prime suspect she finds herself teaming up with Wyatt to investigate a real murder even though she has no idea where to even begin.

The banter and heat between Emersyn and Wyatt, coupled with her attempts to solve the murder to clear her neighbor's good name was funny and intriguing. Wyatt is as much a man of mystery as the fictitious PI he's pretending to be. Emersyn is leery of getting involved with any more men after her last disastrous relationship. But Wyatt's kindness and determination to help her, make it hard to keep to her no-dating vow. The side characters in the mostly senior living apartment complex were interesting and sometimes over the top, but in a good way. One scene where they help Emersyn follow a lead was particularly amusing. The relationship between Emersyn and her niece added stakes and a tender emotional element to the story that kept me rooting for Emersyn to succeed even when her avoidance at accepting Wyatt's help in the investigation at times, made me frustrated. I truly enjoyed this book and will happily read more adventures about Emersyn and Wyatt in this a series.

If you love mysteries full of unconventional characters, fun banter and slow-burn, low-spice romance then you'll thoroughly enjoy Definitely Maybe Not a Detective by Sarah Fox! As always, click on the title to order your own copy from bookshop.org to support indie bookstores, or consider checking out a copy from your local library.

Next up for review will be The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin. It's a middle grade historical mystery full of spies, intrigue and smart, intrepid characters. Check out the cover and blurb below, both copied from bookshop.org.

Remember, you are bound by the Official Secrets Act…

Summer, 1940. Nineteen-year-old Jakob Novis and his quirky younger sister, Lizzie, share a love of riddles and puzzles. And now they’re living inside of one. The quarrelsome siblings find themselves amid one of the greatest secrets of World War II—Britain’s eccentric codebreaking factory at Bletchley Park. As Jakob joins Bletchley’s top minds to crack the Nazi's Enigma cipher, fourteen-year-old Lizzie embarks on a mission to solve the mysterious disappearance of their mother.

The Battle of Britain rages and Hitler’s invasion creeps closer. And at the same time, baffling messages and codes arrive on their doorstep while a menacing inspector lurks outside the gates of the Bletchley mansion. Are the messages truly for them, or are they a trap? Could the riddles of Enigma and their mother's disappearance be somehow connected? Jakob and Lizzie must find a way to work together as they race to decipher clues that unravel a shocking puzzle that presents the ultimate challenge: How long must a secret be kept?

New Year, New Review!!

2026-01-04T10:00:00.001-05:00

image copied from Goodreads

Happy New Year!!! I'm starting off my 2026 reviews with a New Year's Day release of a fantasy romance. I was fortunate to be gifted an eARC of Diamond Dust by author KF Breene in exchange for my honest review of it. It's the sequel to the first book in this duology, Obsidian. Both books follow the main character Daisy who is a secondary character in the Demigods of San Francisco by Breene. I highly recommend both series if you enjoy action-packed fantasy romances. I loved finally getting a chance to read Daisy's story. Both books were fast-paced, spicy and intriguing in terms of what's going on with the Fae that has haunted her since her early teens.

In Obsidian, Daisy starts off having dreams about a Fae noble who made things difficult for her and her family years before. Now for some reason he's back and just as annoyingly sexy and cocky. Daisy runs into him while looking into something else with her trainer Zorn. It turns out that the Fae, Tarian, is after something called the crystal chalice. This chalice is important because it can help the Fae form some sort of link between Faerie and the human world. Something that would be devastating to the mortal realm. Daisy is, of course, very much against this as is her family. In the end, Daisy must decide if she is willing to form a pact with Tarian when she's kidnapped and taken into Faerie. However, the deal could prove to be deadly for her.

For some background on Daisy, she is a non-magical human living in the magical zone of San Francisco in an alternate reality version of the city. She's what magic users call a Chester. But Daisy has trained and worked hard to survive in spite of not having any true powers of her own. She has been gifted some extra strength and healing abilities by her demigod adoptive mother, Lexi. But this is a quality that makes Daisy just the sort of human that Tarian is interested in.

Both books in this series are told from dual points of view, though Diamond Dust is primarily told from Daisy's perspective. It picks up right where Obsidian left off. Daisy has made a bargain with Tarian in order to save the human world from a Fae invasion. This deal involves her being Tarian's champion in a gladiator-style competition held by the Obsidian Faerie Court. As a human with no known magical abilities both of them are counting on the Fae underestimating just how ruthless and dangerous Daisy can be. The second book in the series is definitely steamier than the first and you learn something about Tarian that was quite surprising. The love that develops between Daisy and him is compelling and believable for both of these damaged characters who have been through so much trauma in their lives. I also enjoyed seeing a more tender and vulnerable side to Daisy in this book. She knows what she's up against could be tortuous and gruesome. There are a few instances where Daisy is caught off guard by the sheer power of these Fae who see her as little better than an animal. Despite the love that grows between both characters no happy-ever-after is guaranteed and is in fact highly unlikely. These stakes kept me eagerly turning pages to see how it would all end.

I really enjoyed both books and highly recommend them and the Demigods of San Francisco series if you haven't read them. But you can read Daisy's series as a stand alone without needing to read the other earlier series first. In fact, I might go back and re-read the earlier series again and then read this one a second time around now that I've spent the last couple of months engrossed in this world.

For this year, I plan to review more mysteries than I did in 2025 since my debut mystery is coming out in a little over a year from now. With that in mind, my second review for 2026 will be a fun cozy mystery by Sarah Fox that comes out this week, Definitely Maybe Not a Detective. This is the second book by Fox that I've read and is what I hope will be the start of a new series by her. Because I enjoyed it even more than the previous book in a different series of hers that I read. Check out the book cover and blurb below, both copied from bookshop.org. You can also click on the titles for any of these books to order your own copies from bookshop.org. But they're also available online wherever books are sold and you could very likely request your library get copies as well if you're interested in supporting your local library.

In this delightfully charming rom-com mystery, a woman becomes accidentally entangled in a murder investigation (and with a handsome stranger) when her fake detective agency is enlisted to solve a real homicide.

Emersyn Gray is definitely not a detective.

Really, she’s an unemployed twenty-eight-year-old raising her beloved niece in the only place she can afford after her ex-boyfriend ran off with her life savings: a run-down, seniors-only apartment complex that was desperate for tenants. But never fear—her wild best friend has the perfect plan to get Emersyn back on her feet and stick it to her thieving ex: scare him into returning her money by hiring a private investigator to prove he stole it. Only, there won’t be an actual detective, just a fabricated business card from Wyatt Investigations . . . and a ridiculously hot stranger, who steps in to play the part—a stranger whose name is, coincidentally, Wyatt.

Emersyn can’t help but notice the real-life Wyatt is capital H-O-T hot, even though she’s wary of his intentions. But her ex does seem flustered, and if she can get her money back and regain control of her life, maybe it’ll finally prove to her parents that she can be a responsible caregiver to her niece.

But the day after they set their plan in motion, the superintendent of Emersyn’s apartment building winds up dead, and her neighbors turn to her fake detective agency for help after finding one of the phony business cards. With so many eyes on them—or maybe just their eyes on each other—Emersyn and Wyatt agree to take on the case. Now the question is, Can they solve the murder without getting tangled up in their own fictions—or each other?

“Fast-paced and quippy.”—Catherine Mack, USA Today bestselling author of Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies

Cute and Cozy Holiday Mystery Fantasyi

2025-12-21T10:00:00.045-05:00

image copied from Goodreads

This was a cute holiday mystery with lots of fantasy elements present as well. Rudie is a funeral director living in a holiday town where magic is everywhere and the North Pole is the big city. Despite her sisters’ insisting that Rudie is good enough just as she is, she has never felt like she fit in. Her insecurities are magnified by her childhood bully, Hayley. When Rudie volunteers at the annual holiday market to help raise money for the reindeer refuge, she is unexpectedly a witness to a homicide carried out via hot cocoa. Worse, her ability to see ghosts causes her to be ordered by the spirit of the murder victim to find her killer or be haunted by the angry ghost forever.

Rudie was an engaging main character and her low-spice romance with newspaperman and partner in investigating, Archer, was sweet. I loved that the author made Rudie a funeral home director in a holiday town near the North Pole. It added a unique twist to this cozy fantasy mystery and made Rudie's abilities to talk to ghosts plausible. Once she succeeds at resolving what happened and why it also allows Rudie to see the value of the service that she provides to her community through her work. This isn't something that I ever remember seeing in a fictional story before. Having the spirit of the murder victim insist that Rudie catch whoever killed her gave the story clear and believable stakes and a convincing reason for her to start searching for answers. The mystery was sort of predictable for me. But overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read and would happily read more novellas in this series.

I can't believe this is my last review for 2025! I hope they've helped you find some enjoyable reads to your collection. In 2026 I will be focusing much of my reading on mysteries as I work at promoting my debut book coming out in April 2027. But I was also honored to be given ARCs to read for some great fantasies coming out in the New Year. The first of which I'll be reviewing the first Sunday in January. It is for K.F. Breene's newest romantasy Diamond Dust the second and final book in her Shadowbound Fae series. I am loving it so far! Check out both the blurb and the cover for the ebook edition both copied from Goodreads below. Diamond Dust will be out for publication on New Year's Day, January 1, 2026. So, my review will come out a few days after publication. Until then, I hope everyone has a safe and very merry holiday season!

The fae royalty think I’m their toy. Their entertainment.
But I’m the only thing standing between their glittering world and the darkness waiting to consume mine.

To buy us time, Tarian enters me into the court games—a bloodsport for the bored and cruel. No allies. No protection. Just monsters wearing crowns and smiling as they watch me fall.

My odds of survival? Slim.

My resolve? Unbreakable.

They’ve always underestimated me. I exist in the shadows. I thrive there.
And when they push me too far… they’ll learn exactly what kind of carnage a cornered human can unleash.

The explosive conclusion to the Shadowbound Fae duet.

Clever Romantic Suspense with a Strong Female Lead

2025-12-14T10:00:00.001-05:00

Image courtesy of Penguin Random House

I have never read any of Mimi Matthews's historical fiction before. I also did not realize that this was the second book in a series. Her Crinoline Academy series. However, that didn't matter for this novel. I had no trouble following along with the characters or the plot and I have to say I absolutely loved this book!

The characters were all very well developed and the romance that develops between Miles and Nell was so tender and sweet. They are intrigued by one another and Nell's path gets derailed in a major way. But Miles is patient and understanding towards her and I was totally invested as they grow to care for one another. I also found the mystery elements to be well balanced with the romance and the pacing of the plot. The characters gathered just enough clues throughout to keep me interested and guessing how the threads might all weave together. I really felt that I was solving the puzzle right along with Nell and Miles. The two are a strong partnership, and while Miles is protective of Nell, he never tries to take away her agency or to discount her intelligence.

The historical elements in the story added to the world building as well. Matthews does not shy away from the dark underbelly of Victorian society, which adds plausibility to the mission of the Academy where Nell has grown up and become headmistress. At least until a misunderstanding forces her and Miles to get married to save both their reputations. I loved Miss Corvus's Academy and wish there could have really been such an institution for young women in this time period. Honestly, we could probably still use a school like the Academy in this day and age, too.

I read quite a few books each year and many I have found thoroughly entertaining. But there are only a few that I would willingly read over and over again and The Marriage Method is one of them. If you love historical romance with a good mystery woven in, then you should definitely give this one a read!

My next review before Christmas will be a fantastical mystery set in a holiday village near the North Pole. Check out the cover and book blurb below for Cocoa Curses. Both are copied from Goodreads.

Have yourself a very Merry Witchmas in Holiday Haven, where the magic and mystery of Christmas is snow joke!Hardworking witch, Rudie Hollybrook, adores her quaint town of Holiday Haven, located near Santa's Workshop at the North Pole, but can't help feeling like an outsider. Not only does she have the unique ability to see ghosts, but she also runs the Hollybrook Funeral Home with her sisters. In a town where the holiday cheer is turned up to eleven all year round, Rudie's slightly eerie abilities make her feel like a misfit. While volunteering at the Christmas Market days before the big celebration, Rudie witnesses a tragedy. One of the volunteer club's chairwomen is murdered by poisonous hot cocoa, sending the charming town reeling.When Rudie's tasked by the dead woman's ghost to find her killer, she teams up with her crush at the local paper to do some sleuthing. Together, they uncover embezzlement, bribery and an illegal potions ring, all with ties to the murdered woman. Could it be the rebellious teenage granddaughter with a less-than-stellar taste in men? Or maybe the town doctor with a mysterious past? Rudie's investigation even leads her to suspect her nemesis, the bully with a history of getting what she wants--no matter the cost. With the countdown to Christmas nearly at an end, and the restless spirit threatening to haunt her holiday, Rudie races to catch the cocoa killer and make her beloved town safe again. Will Rudie unmask the culprit and prove she's a vital member of this charming Christmas town? Or will a murderer roam free and ruin Christmas for all of Holiday Haven?Grab your cup of cocoa, sit in a comfy chair by the cozy fire, and find out now in Cocoa Curses ! And be sure to check out the other magical mysteries of the Winter Witches of Holiday Haven series!

Cafes, Baby Dragons, and Romance are on the Menu for Today's Review

2025-11-30T10:00:00.212-05:00

image copied from Goodreads

Full disclosure, this fall has been much busier than I anticipated. I've been traveling each month quite a bit to be with my mom as she battles cancer. She's doing very well and is halfway through her treatment plan. But being on the road so much has meant that I've had lots of time to listen to audiobooks to make the drives more enjoyable. So, rather than review The Baker's Man by Jennifer Moorman as I'd originally considered. Today, I'm going to review the latest audiobook I listened to that also has food as part of its theme with The Baby Dragon Cafe by Aamna Qureshi. It's a cozy fantasy that was just what I needed this time of year amidst the usual holiday busyness and the additional travel to be with my mom.

Saphira is a kind and relatable character, following her dream to open her own cafe and be around the dragons that she's always loved. It is also a way for her to cope with the grief of losing her grandmother, the only family that Saphira had. But opening up her business to baby dragons and their riders has been much more difficult than she realized. It costs much more in upkeep to have a cafe where some of the clientele can be a fire hazard. Despite loving her unique business and being a popular spot in town for people to come and get their coffee fix or a chai latte, Saphira is hanging on by a thread. One that seems about to snap. Enter reluctant new baby dragon owner, Aiden. He and his baby dragon Sparky have been struggling to bond since Sparky hatched. In fact, Aiden's baby dragon doesn't seem to like him at all. But Aiden is determined to find a way to make it work as Sparky is the last gift Aiden ever received from his brother before Danny died in a tragic accident.

Saphira and Aiden meet by accident, and Sparky is instantly enamored by the cafe owner. Saphira it seems has a natural way with both animals and people. Aiden immediately decides to enlist her help by hiring her to train Sparky after hours at the cafe. With the money he is offering that could enable Saphira to make some much needed repairs at her business, yet again, and the chance to be around an adorable baby dragon one-on-one, it doesn't take much for Saphira to agree. However, the arrangement is an unorthodox one. In Starshine Valley, only those from dragon-rider families are usually allowed to train and closely interact with dragons. Saphira is definitely not from one of these uppercrust families. But she is a natural when it comes to interacting with Sparky and understanding what he needs in terms of guidance.

I have to say that while I did like both Saphira and Aiden, Sparky the baby dragon stole the scenes for me every time he was in them. As a character, Qureshi somehow made this mythological baby seem real and engaging. Sparky is both intelligent and sweet with attributes all his own. I wouldn't say he could be compared to real-life animals of any kind completely. Instead, Qureshi develops him with characteristics similar to any baby animal pet, curious, energetic, sometimes willful, while also giving him many traits that a baby dragon would have. I loved that about the story and her characterization. In addition, the romance that develops between Saphira and Aiden is a slow-burn one. They start out as friends and then blossom into something more. I appreciated the fact that it is obvious that Saphira is inspired by the author's own Muslim and Pakistani cultural background. Aiden too has diverse characteristics of his own. Though it isn't given a label, he comes across as a neurodivergent individual who seems like he could be in the autism spectrum in some way. But despite his initial gruffness and reluctance to participate in Sparky's training from the start with Saphira, she remains determined to help them bond, but patient with Aiden as much as she is with Sparky. The class system in this story is also clear and well developed. While it adds conflict and tension for the characters to overcome, it isn't insurmountable and gives both Aiden and Saphira additional dimension to their story and what they learn to accept about one another.

Since I listened to this as an audiobook, I'd be remiss in not mentioning how well I thought the voice actors did in narrating for each character. The slight inflection that voice actress Ash Raju gives to Saphira hints at her cultural heritage, and also conveys her warm and caring personality. While Hunter Johns, who narrates for Aiden, manages to highlight his neurodivergence by adding in brief pauses in his speech and thought patterns in the narration. It is just the right amount to give his characterization the clues for the listener to understand that Aiden doesn't always process the world in the same way as everyone else. It makes his character a very empathetic one as he struggles not to be overwhelmed by social settings or by processing emotional or visual cues from the other people he interacts with. Add in the charm of the setting, a village surrounded by mountains where dragons fly high above, a cafe where delicious coffees, chai and baked goods are offered and of course the adorable baby Sparky and this is a warm and cozy story I found it easy to sink into. I warn you though, The Baby Dragon Cafe will make you long for a baby dragon of your own.

On the menu for next month, I'll be reviewing a couple of mysteries. One will be a historical mystery romance by Mimi Matthews and the other will be a cozy fantasy mystery that takes place in a festive town in the North Pole. Both the cover images and blurbs are copied from Bookshop.org. Until then, for those who celebrate American Thanksgiving, I hope you have a very happy one! For those gearing up for the holiday season, I hope you enjoy this time to spend some extra time with family and friends.

The Academy always comes first . . . which makes marriage to its most formidable adversary an exceedingly inconvenient arrangement.

Well removed from London’s more curious eyes, the Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies strives toward one clandestine goal: to distract, disrupt, and discredit men in power who would seek to harm the advancement of women—by appropriate means, of course.

When intrepid newspaper editor Miles Quincey starts to question the school’s intentions, the Academy appoints Penelope “Nell” Trewlove, one of their brightest graduates, to put this nuisance to rest. An easy enough mission, she supposes. Or it would be, if Miles wasn’t so fascinating—too fascinating to resist—and if Nell’s visit to London didn’t perfectly coincide with the murder of one of Miles’s reporters.

When the inexorable claws of fate trap Nell and Miles in a compromising situation, they agree to an arrangement that will save their reputations while enabling them to investigate the story that led to a man’s death, as well as the surprising chemistry between them . . .

And for a holiday mystery, I'll also be reviewing...

Blog Tour Spotlight of The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews

2025-11-25T12:16:00.000-05:00

Today, I'm honored to host this spotlight of an amazing new historical mystery romance by Mimi Matthews that is out today! I am beyond pleased to offer this spotlight on this novel that I absolutely loved. I'll also be giving a full review of it for my first blog book review of December. Until then, enjoy this spotlight of the book, the author, and a brief excerpt from the newly released novel The Marriage Method.

image provided by Penguin Random House

The Academy always comes first . . . which makes marriage to its most formidable adversary an exceedingly inconvenient arrangement.

Well removed from London’s more curious eyes, the Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies strives toward one clandestine goal: to distract, disrupt, and discredit men in power who would seek to harm the advancement of women—by appropriate means, of course.

When intrepid newspaper editor Miles Quincy starts to question the school’s intentions, the Academy appoints Penelope “Nell” Trewlove, one of their brightest graduates, to put this nuisance to rest. An easy enough mission, she supposes. Or it would be, if Miles wasn’t so fascinating—too fascinating to resist—and if Nell’s visit to London didn’t perfectly coincide with the murder of one of Miles’s reporters.

When the inexorable claws of fate trap Nell and Miles in a compromising situation, they agree to an arrangement that will save their reputations while enabling them to investigate the story that led to a man’s death, as well as the surprising chemistry between them . . .

author photo credit to Vickie Hahn 2021

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and Shelf Awareness, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes an Andalusian dressage horse, a Sheltie, a miniature poodle, and two Siamese cats.

Enjoy this excerpt of The Marriage Method:

Gloved hands folded neatly in her lap, she waited for Mr. Quincey’s questions. But he didn’t give voice to them. Not immediately. He only looked at her with a pensive frown, as though something about her person prevented him from pursuing his logical course.

“Forgive me,” he said at length. “Mrs. Royce failed to mention that you were lately bereaved. Had I known of your loss, I would never have pressed you to—”

“I am not bereaved,” Nell said.

“No?” He swept a glance from her black-veiled hat to her lusterless black mourning dress with its tight-fitting bodice and wide, untrimmed skirts. “You can doubtless understand my confusion.”

Nell would have thought it plain enough. “I travelled alone from the Academy. I preferred to do so unmolested.” She paused, adding, “Widows are generally accorded a degree of respect not offered to unaccompanied young ladies.”

Mr. Quincey didn’t bat an eye at her explanation. She suspected he was a man who wasn’t easily surprised. “In other words, it’s a disguise.”

Nell’s expression tightened. Leave it to a man to reduce a woman’s desire to protect herself to a childish pantomime. “It’s a practical necessity,” she said.

“I see. And do all teachers at Miss Corvus’s Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies employ such arts? Or is it only you who…” His words died away as she pushed back her veil.

Ah. Perhaps he was capable of being surprised after all.

Nell met his gaze, a hint of a challenge in her own. She wasn’t vain. Neither was she guilty of false modesty. She knew herself, both her weaknesses and her strengths. “Feminine ingenuity isn’t limited to the staff room at the Academy,” she informed him. “Though, I assure you, it’s in no short supply there.”

Mr. Quincey collected himself in a blink—so quickly Nell wondered if she’d imagined the look of masculine alertness that had flared in his eyes on first seeing her face. Clearing his throat, he very slowly and very methodically returned his pen to the brass holder on his desk. “Something else Mrs. Royce failed to mention.”

“What might that be?”

“How young you are.”

Nell stiffened at his tone of disappointment. She wasn’t used to anyone implying that she was lacking in wisdom or experience. Quite the reverse. In times of crisis, people generally looked to her for guidance. During Miss Corvus’s recent illness, Nell had all but been running the school. “Is my age of importance to your inquiries?”

“Only as it pertains to your tenure,” he said. “You can’t have been in your position long.”

“I have been employed as a teacher for five years, sir.”

He sat back in his chair, frowning at her again with an attitude of impatience. One would think she had wasted his precious time. “Mrs. Royce led me to believe you had been present at the Academy’s founding, nearly twenty years ago. It’s why I consented to meet with you instead of pursuing an interview with Miss Corvus herself. I had anticipated your providing certain information about the institution’s origins.”

Nell at once grasped the cause of his irritation. He’d wrongly presumed she would be a much older woman. One who had spent the whole of the past eighteen years teaching at the charity school. “Mrs. Royce did not mislead you.”

“Not only Mrs. Royce,” he replied. “You, as well, Miss Trewlove. Your letters gave me to understand that you had decades of experience at Miss Corvus’s Academy.”

“I do,” she said. “Or nearly that long. I was one of its earliest students.”

Understanding registered on his face. He stared at her with renewed attention. “You were an orphan?”

Nell’s chin ticked up a notch. “That’s correct.”

There was no shame in it. Not as far as she was concerned. It was just as she often told her girls. One wasn’t accountable for the circumstances of one’s birth, only for the choices they made and the actions they took. It was that which defined a person, not pedigree.

“As are all the students at the Academy?” Mr. Quincey asked.

“To a one,” she said. “They come to us from all over the county. I flatter myself that we do our best for them.”

“Your best being…?”

She lifted one shoulder in an artfully casual shrug. “We feed them, house them, and provide them with an education that will best help them meet their potential.”

Mr. Quincey narrowed in on the word with single-minded precision. “Their potential for what, exactly?
Nell’s mouth curved in a slow smile. She comprehended the unspoken crux of his question. He believed the Academy was a home for dangerous revolutionaries. Budding feminists and crusaders for equality, willing to go to any ends to achieve their goals, even if that meant destroying the occasional man who got in their way.

He wasn’t wrong.

Excerpted from The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews. Copyright © 2025 by Mimi Matthews. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/727469/the-marriage-method-by-mimi-matthews/

By Popular Demand....Da-dum, dee-da!!

2025-11-16T11:03:00.000-05:00

image copied from Goodreads

By popular vote today's book review will feature the novella omnibus set by Gabrielle Landi, Tales of Cake and Comfort which are prequels to her novel Once Upon a Cat from her The Galamere Chronicles series of fairy tale retellings.

image copied from Goodreads

But since this was such a fast read, I'm also going to review another novella, The Tea Witch's Secret by Laura Greenwood and Ariana Jade. It's a novella from their Purple Oak Oasis series.

First things first though, let's talk about Tales of Cake and Comfort. This was a cute cozy fantasy novella omnibus. In the first novella, the two main characters, Thea and Nat, have a meet cute involving a cake and then a cake competition. Nat has left his small hometown in the mountains where he feels unwanted and aimless to head to the big city of Riyel. There he literally runs into Thea who is on her way to the first round of a baking competition for her family's bakery to win a commission to bake for an event for the queen. In return for helping Thea arrive safely, her parents offer Nat a job and a place to stay in their bakery. Thea and Nat begin to fall in love from there, though there are instant sparks between the two when they first lay eyes on one another. It is a very sweet low-spice cozy fantasy. One of the things I really appreciated about it is the way the author gave both characters distinctive voices so that you're never left trying to remember which point of view you're in when the chapters switch between characters. I also liked that meet-cute moment that was very reminiscent of a Hallmark movie. The baking competition is not like a Bakeoff on TV though. The contestants only have their finished products judged that they bring to the judging location on the day of each round of competition. There is some tension for each round, but it isn't the same as you might expect if you're thinking this is going to be like the The Great British Baking Show. However, the first novella ends with a happy-ever-after for the couple with some foreshadowing of problems to come.

The second novella begins with those problems emerging right from the start. Nat must return home and leave Thea and Riyel behind. However, the separation of the two lasts much longer than either anticipated and they eventually lose touch. Much later, Thea leaves Riyel to start over someplace else and unknowingly ends up in Nat's hometown. Thea decides that this time rather than open a bakery like her parents did, she'll instead open a cafe. She sees that a storefront in the village is available for rent and upon seeking out the landlord comes face-to-face with Nat again. He is her new prospective landlord. Nat immediately agrees to rent Thea the space and the story continues to unfold from there. In this one the dual POV works as the two still maintain a distinctive voice in the narration. However, a new point of view is introduced later in this novella, that of a kitten Thea finds and takes in. Like with the other two characters the narration from the cat's perspective is very in keeping with that of a cat. There is of course, some tension when one of the townspeople realizes that Thea's cafe will give his business competition as another place the villagers can come for a meal. This troublesome character has been used to having a monopoly on that. But as with any good Hallmark story, this one has a positive resolution for Thea. I did enjoy this novella, but I liked to first one the best of the two. The second one is very much a prequel to lead into the full-length novel of second chance love for Thea and Nat. So, there is no firm resolution for their relationship in this second novella as in the first. The other thing I was hoping for in this second novella was some resolution as to why the two characters lost touch in the first place. But perhaps that will be explained further in the novel to come Once Upon a Cat. I would be interested in reading that fairy tale retelling as well as some of the others in this series. In looking at the blurbs for some, Landi gives some fun twists on the old fairy tale tropes, such as having Nat turned into a cat instead of a frog in his and Thea's novel that is advertised as a Frog Prince retelling. The other stories in the series have equally fun twists as well.

image copied from Goodreads

The other novella that I read, The Tea Witch's Secret was just as engaging in its own way as Tales of Cake and Comfort. It is also part of a series of novellas cowritten by British authors Laura Greenwood and Ariana Jade. This novella had a very interesting magical system right from the start and I liked how the authors describe it at work in the story. Hana is a healer and derives her magic in part from magical tea. I suppose her inherent abilities are enhanced by the tea. She calls herself a tea witch for this reason. While her love interest in the story, Oliver, is a ward. At first, it isn't clear what the duties of a ward are, but later in the novella Hana and Oliver in comparing their gifts touch on all of the various ways wards can protect their community. Wards like Oliver have their powers enhanced by having a bond with a familiar. In Oliver's case his familiar is an adorable owl named Howie. Like the other novella's by Landi, this one is told from dual points of view of the two main characters. However, unlike Landi's stories, I did have a bit more trouble remembering whose point of view I was in at times in this novella. However, I did love both characters and enjoy the setup for their conflict. It seems this community is jointly run by four founding families that are descended from different magical beings, tea witches, dryads, and wards. According to local lore those three groups did not always get along and so decided to keep the peace by running things jointly, but also keeping their families separate to avoid future conflicts. As such, though the children of these families were encouraged to be friends, it was with the understanding that they could never be more. This is a problem for Hana and Oliver since the two are very much attracted to one another and this story gets much steamier than Landi's books. As this is a cozy fantasy though, they do get their happy ever after of sorts. However, the ending is left somewhat open for them. I am guessing this means that eventually in the series this will all be resolved for the good. But the authors do leave this story somewhat open-ended. Like with the other series, I would definitely be interested in reading the other stories in this one and in checking out other works of the individual authors.

If you'd like some fast cozy reads for the busy holiday season, I would recommend all of these novellas. Both feature relatable characters and romance mixed with a fun fantasy elements. Tales of Cake and Comfort by Gabrielle Landi is low spice and geared more towards a younger reading audience, I'd say. While The Tea Witch's Secret by Laura Greenwood and Ariana Jade is definitely higher in spice and very much for an adult audience. So, it is dependent on what level of steamy you go for if you're into cozy fantasies.

For my next review I'm thinking of going with an audiobook that I've been listening to The Baby Dragon Cafe by A.T. Qureshi. It's a fun cozy fantasy with baby dragons as the name implies, magic and a cute cafe where they serve delicious and diverse baked goods along with traditional ones and of course coffees and teas. It also features a neurodivergent character. I've copied the cover and book blurb below, both copied from Goodreads. Until then, for those who celebrate, Happy Thanksgiving!

When Saphira opened up her café for baby dragons and their humans, she wasn’t expecting it to be so difficult to keep the fires burning. It turns out, young dragons are not the best magical animals to keep in a café, and replacing all that burnt furniture is costing Saphira more than she can afford from selling dragon-roasted coffee.

Aiden is a local gardener, and local heart-throb, more interested in his plants than actually spending time with his disobedient baby dragon. When Aiden walks into Saphira’s café, he has a genius idea – he'll ask Saphira to train his baby dragon, and he'll pay her enough to keep the café afloat.

Saphira’s happy-go-lucky attitude doesn’t seem to do anything but irritate the grumpy-but-gorgeous Aiden, except that everywhere she goes, she finds him there. But can this dragon café owner turn her fortunes around, and maybe find love along the way?

Fall into this Cozy Fantasy Mystery about a Reluctant Magical Librarian and her Possibly Sentient Magical Book

2025-11-02T10:00:00.074-05:00

Image copied from Goodread

I"m loving the popularity of cozy fantasy books, lately. For that reason, I was thrilled when I was given permission to read a digital ARC of Witches of Dubious Origin by author Jenn McKinlay by NetGalley and Berkley Publishing. Unlike some others in the genre that take place in epic fantasy-based realms, this one takes place in the real world. It reminds me of some of the popular cozy fantasy mysteries of the late 90s and early 2000s like Madelyn Alt's Bewitching Mystery series or Annette Blair's Accidental Witch trilogy. Like those, Witches of Dubious Origin follows a young woman who must discover her own power and learn to embrace who she is to defeat evil.

Zoe Ziakas is a librarian who is content to lead a quiet life in a small town in Connecticut. Until a mysterious book arrives where she works that is locked by a strangely engraved metal band. When Zoe asks her friend, and stand-in mom, Agatha about it, she learns that it is a grimoire. Zoe's family grimoire and as the last of her family line, it has found its way to her. I thought Zoe was a very relatable character. She is opposed to embracing anything to do with magic because of the all the pain it caused her family. It even drove her mother to relinquish Zoe's care to Agatha before she disappeared from Zoe's life. After so much trauma and loss, I could understand how Zoe would want nothing to do with a magic book. However, being a librarian she is also curious to discover what's inside it, even if she swears to herself she'll never use it.

The catalyst for the story of a mysterious and puzzling book that a curious librarian can't help but want to solve was a fun one. From there we learn that there is a Museum of Literature that contains an entire collection of Books of Dubious Origin (BODO) and I would say of dubious power as well. That discovery introduces us to the cast of characters that works in the BODO collection who are all interesting and unique in their own way. Miles with his knowledge of magical history, Tariq with his gifts of potions, and Jasper who works in containment and who Zoe finds irresistibly hot. Even Olive adds an element of fun to the cast, though she is anything but lovable with her Wednesday Addams vibes. Beyond all of this there is definitely an edge of danger to the story, too. Not long after the grimoire appears in her life, Zoe begins to be plagued by undead minions of their own dubious origins who are sent to steal her book from her, even if it means getting rid of Zoe to do so. The mystery that unfolds as Zoe learns more about her family legacy, and about what truly happened to her mother and grandmother added another intriguing element to the novel, one that kept me wanting to turn pages to solve it.

Altogether this story full of magic, family secrets, possible murders, hidden powers, found family and learning to embrace one's own gifts to overcome past trauma and defeat those intent on causing harm, made this a very enjoyable read. One that was a perfect bridge between Spooky Season and the rest of Fall. If you are a fan of cozy fantasy that is set in the real world and that has a blend of mystery, light romance, and humor, then I encourage you to check this one out. I hope this is the first book in a series with many more to come.

As November has four Sundays, I still have three other books to read in the cozy fantasy genre. I'm going to try to stick with food and/or drink related ones in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday here in the States. Here are some of the ones that I'm considering. To read more about these selections, simply click on the title. All cover images copied from Goodreads. Tag lines copied from Bookshop.org or Amazon. Feel free to leave me a comment on which of these you think I should read next!

The Baker's Man by Jennifer Moorman

If you found a recipe for the perfect man, would you bake it?

Tales of Cake And Comfort: A Cozy Fantasy Omnibus (The Galamere Chronicles) by Gabrielle Landi

Tales of Cake and Comfort is a cozy fantasy omnibus combining two previously published novellas with additional bonus chapters. It follows Thea Greene from a royal baking competition in the city to starting her own café in the Northlands. Along the way she finds romance, new friends, and a faithful companion in her orange cat, Ginger.

Tusks, Tails and Teacakes by T.L. Stone

One part Legends and Lattes, one part Hallmark rom-com, and a generous sprinkle of cottagecore coziness.

Welcome to The Tusk & Tail Tavern where the fire is always crackling, the meat pies are rich and savory, the air is filled with laughter and bard-song, and friends are like family. At least, it used to be...

The Tea Witch's Secret by Laura Greenwood and Ariana Jade

Hana knows she shouldn't fall for Oliver, even if his familiar training constantly leads him back to her for healing.

2025-10-19T10:00:00.001-04:00

image copied from Goodreads

Vampire Hunter by John Evans may just be my new favorite urban fantasy series to follow. It opens with Tobias Halson in the middle of a hunt, chasing down a newly turned redneck vampire. Right away I was swept into the action of this version of Philly and Tobias's calling to protect his city from bloodsucking monsters. Make no mistake, in this series, vampires are not the angsty, goth "Anne Rice kind" as Tobias explains. They don't leave little love bites on your neck. When these vampires feed there is nothing conflicted or pretty about it. They rip and tear into their prey in an overwhelming need to feed.

Evans does a masterful job of opening the novel by giving plenty of information about this world without sacrificing any of the tension or pacing to do it. For instance, in addition to explaining what vampires are really like we also get hints that they aren't the only supernatural beings that exist. While there are some clues given that magic wielders might also be out there, Halson isn't one of them. He is a vampire hunter who has been successful in exterminating them when needed, but he does so with careful planning, cunning weapons specially developed for the task, and skill alone. He is as he says, just a "vanilla human" at the end of the day. This kept me turning pages as the stakes were pretty high throughout each encounter with these monsters in the book. How could Tobias succeed in some of the tight situations he gets into when he doesn't have any special abilities, I often wondered?

The characterization of Tobias was deft as well. He was a very relatable character with a tragic backstory that has made his focus being a hunter detrimental to having a personal life, meaning he's socially awkward and tries to disguise the fact with snark and smartass comments. He isn't a complete loner though. Early in the book, he explains that he's been working with a special division of the Philly PD to take care of special pest problems that he is uniquely skilled at handling. In large part, this is because the head of that division, Detective Bullard, witnessed Tobias's prowess firsthand. Since then, Tobias has been on-call for Bullard and his partner, the beautiful Alex Benson, when needed. This has allowed Tobias to do well enough to pay his rent, have an office and even hire on a secretary, Anita. I loved the small group of allies who are in the know about the supernatural that Evans gives his character. It makes for a nice respite at times from the action but also serves to raise the stakes even more for Tobias as he has people to lose. Something that being a complete loner wouldn't give him.

As I was reading, I could see how some who've read this series could see some nods given to Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden from his Dresden Files series. However, while they are both around the same age at the start of both series, and while each have trouble with authority and not being wisecracking smart mouths, Harry has magic. He also works with the police in Chicago, but largely with them thinking he's a nutcase and with them being in the dark that the strange cases they are called to investigate do actually involve the supernatural or magic. In Tobias's case his police contacts fully know what they're up against, at least in Bullard and Benson's case. I appreciated these distinct differences.

Another thing that I like about urban fantasies in general are that they are essentially mystery thrillers with fantastic elements. That means that there is always a crime to solve. The mystery plot in this case is whether or not a prominent CEO of a large corporation was killed by a vampire or not. The clues seem to point to no. But Bullard isn't so sure and hires Tobias to do some snooping. Halson is reluctant, he isn't a private detective after all, he's a vampire hunter. But he is also curious about the murder and agrees if only to serve as a distraction to the would-be assailant. But as Tobias digs for clues, more and more questions arise. I truly enjoyed trying to piece things together along with Tobias. Evans gives us an intriguing plot, that while I did hazard a guess pretty early on about who was behind the murder, still left me questioning the how or why behind the crime. All of the elements kept me hooked and made this a fast and entertaining read. I"m very happy that the next book in the series, Werewolf Hunter, is already out for me to read. After the way things ended in this book, I'm very interested to see how things will unfold for Tobias from here. I really hope there will be more books to follow as well. If you enjoy fast-paced urban fantasies with interesting and well-developed characters, then I urge you to read this series. You won't be disappointed. If you'd like to get your own copies, just click on the title and you'll be taken to bookshop.org to obtain one.

I'm not sure what my next book review theme will be for November. But I'm thinking of making it cozy fantasy month as I've been able to read some really fun cozy fantasies recently. But for a roundup of other books I've read in honor of spooky October, here are some titles to check out. Again, just click on the title and it will take you to a link for bookshop.org where you can read all about them. Admittedly, most are not spooky at all. But hopefully you'll be able to find some new great reads!

The Keeper of Magical Things

Hollow

A Curious Kind of Magic

Witches of Dubious Origin

Mist Thief Blog Tour Spotlight

2025-10-12T10:00:00.001-04:00

Image provided by Random House

I was so excited to hear that the first spinoff novel from the original Ever Seas duology was going to feature Jonas!! He was one of my favorite secondary characters in the series. So, I'm very happy to share this spotlight with you. The Mist Thief will not only give us Jonas's story, but give us more insight into the elves introduced in The Ever Queen and in particular Skadia. Below is a blurb for the book, the release date and a brief bio of the author, LJ Andrews. If you love dark fantasy romance that is Viking inspired and that contains pirates, fae and now elves, you should check out this book and other books in The Ever Seas series.

Book Description:

She tried to kill him, so he made her his wife.

Skadi first met her husband-to-be with blades in hand on the opposite side of a battle. She lost, and he claimed his prize.

To her horror, the king of the shadow elven agrees to marry her off to Jonas, a prince in the fae realms, as a way to unite their kingdoms against a shared enemy—the light elves. Skadi knows the marriage is nothing but a political game. Feelings won’t come into play.

Except her new husband makes not falling in love . . . challenging.

When new threats arise, Skadi must decide to either love her enemy or keep him alive by betraying him to another.

The Ace Hardcover release is October 14th.

About the Author

LJ Andrews is a USA Today bestselling author of fantasy romance. She could live in dark worlds with brutal romantic heroes all day. When she isn’t writing, she’s keeping her four kids alive, spending time with her hot husband, or enjoying the mountains of Utah.

Legend of Sleepy Hollow Inspired Magical School Romantasy

2025-10-06T10:00:00.001-04:00

As a fun extra for spooky season, I'm sharing a spotlight of a romantasy being re-released by Ace Books by bestselling author Karina Halle. It is a Legend of Sleepy Hollow inspired gothic magical school fantasy. Check out the blurb below along with a brief bio of the author. It will be available wherever books are sold October 7th.

A sexy, dark fantasy reimagining of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, where Katrina Van Tassel doesn’t have to choose between Brom Bones and Ichabod Crane, and there are worse things haunting them than the Headless Horseman.

Kat Van Tassel’s life was predestined from childhood; she was to marry her best friend, Brom Bones. But Brom vanished from Sleepy Hollow years ago, leaving Kat alone to enroll in Sleepy Hollow Institute, a shadowy university for advanced witchcraft run by her powerful family. And now she finds herself drawn to the school’s enigmatic new teacher, Ichabod Crane, as he delves into dark magic.

When Brom returns, suffering from amnesia and a dark transformation, the trio must confront gruesome murders attributed to a vengeful spirit, The Headless Horseman, while navigating their tangled relationships.

As Kat, Ichabod, and Brom seek answers, their bonds deepen, and forbidden desires take hold. But Sleepy Hollow holds secrets more sinister than they imagined. The Headless Horseman lurks, threatening to claim them, while something even more terrifying looms in the shadows. Embark on a journey of dark mysteries, desire, and danger in the eerie heart of Sleepy Hollow.

About the Author
Karina Halle is a screenwriter, former music & travel journalist, and the New York Times bestselling author of Realm of Thieves, River of Shadows & The Royals Next Door, as well as 80 other romances across all sub-genres, ranging from spicy rom coms to gothic horror and dark fantasy. Needless to say, whatever you're into, she's probably written an HEA for it. When she's not traveling, she, her husband, and their pup Perry, split their time between a possibly haunted 120 year-old house in Victoria, BC, and their not-haunted condo in Los Angeles.

Great Gothic Appalachian Horror

2025-10-05T10:00:00.003-04:00

image copied from Bookshop.org

I am not usually a fan of straight horror genre novels. But this one gave off some hints of Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House when I read the blurb. One of the few horror type stories I do love. I was privileged to receive an ARC of the novel from my publisher, Rowan Prose Publishing. I'm so glad I gave this one a shot. It is a fun and suspenseful read that not only explores horrors of the supernatural kind but also the horrors that can evolve of the human variety as well, especially when obsession is involved.

Lovers' Leap by Rikki Goodwin starts off with a bang and doesn't let up from there. Hazel, our narrator, and her best friend and former high school sweetheart, Finn, are both terrified of their respective partners and trying desperately to escape them as the novel opens. Things do not go well and from there we are taken back to three days earlier before everything went horribly wrong.

Hazel, who is happy with her boyfriend Dimitri but miserable working a dead end job as a barista, is happily surprised to get a call from Finn inviting her and Dimitri to dinner to discuss a business proposition. It turns out that Finn and his wife Lucy are thinking of purchasing a bed & breakfast and they'd like to run it with Hazel and Dimitri. But before signing on the dotted line, Finn invites them to accompany him and Lucy to the Lovers' Leap Inn for a long weekend away to see the property for themselves before they decide. It sounds like an amazing opportunity as well as a fun weekend escape. Of course, all is not what it seems and there is definitely a reason for the venture to sound too good to be true.

From the moment they arrive things seem off. The longer the two couples stay, the spookier things get. Lovers' Leap is definitely haunted but why and by whom is the question. The novel delivers in creep factor and in suspense as well. The more we learn about each of the characters involved the more we start to question whether Hazel herself has something to hide. I knew there would be ghosts and possibly other supernatural elements involved. But I was intrigued as much if not more by these characters as we watch them all slowly start to unravel as a group and individually. The novel deftly explores the horrors that can be inflicted on the human heart when individuals hold on to relationships that are toxic. The fallout from the mixture of both elements in the story kept me invested emotionally in these characters and turning pages to find out how everything was going to turn out. Just when I thought I had it figured out, some unexpected twists took me completely by surprise. And wow! That ending really got me!

If you love horror with complex characters, gothic haunted mansions, and lots of unexpected twists and turns, then you'll love Lovers' Leap by Rikki Goodwin. If you like supporting indie bookstores as well, simply click on the title link to purchase your copy from Bookshop.org.

Stay tuned, on Monday I'll be posting a spotlight for a Legend of Sleepy Hollow inspired magical school romantasy that sounds spicy entitled Hollow by Karina Halle.

In a couple of weeks I'll also be reviewing the first in a new urban fantasy series that I've heard lots of good things about by author John Evans. Check out the cover and blurb below that are both copied from Bookshop.org.

"Intricate storytelling & well-developed characters." -Entertainment Monthly

Riding to the rescue with quick wits and snappy one-liners.

Tobias Halson, a young paranormal hunter, is charged with protecting the city of Philadelphia from the undead creatures of the night. A corporate board member is thrown out of an office building showing signs of vampire attack, and Tobias is called in to investigate. But he soon realizes he's out of his element, lost in a world of white collar politics and water cooler plots. With the innocence of a young woman in danger, it's a race against time to find the killer, preferably before Tobias ends up the next victim.

Fans of Ilona Andrews, Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs, Nalini Singh, Faith Hunter, and Nalo Hopkinson will enjoy John Evans's Urban Fantasy books.

Today's Picks Feature Elite High Schools and a Historically Black Magical College/University

2025-09-21T10:00:00.001-04:00

In keeping with my back-to-school theme for September we'll be looking at two very different novels for young adults. One features a first-generation only child of immigrant parents attending an elite high school. The other a young Black man with magical abilities who discovers he's not as alone as he thought after he is accepted into a Historically Black College that is a magical HBCU.

image copied from Goodreads

First, let's talk about Ellen Zheng's debut novel, The Art of Overthinking. It's a wonderful contemporary young adult novel about first love, finding your voice, and learning to love yourself in the midst of a mental health breakdown.

Isla Wu is a junior in high school who is under tremendous pressure to succeed in order to be able to eventually attend an elite Ivy League college. The only child of immigrant parents, she is constantly judged by both her mom and dad in different ways and made to feel she doesn’t quite measure up. Author Ellen Zheng does an amazing job of helping us connect with Isla from the very first page and immediately understand her family dynamics and why she has body image issues as well as anxiety to constantly perform at the highest level academically. Isla’s voice is real, it’s engaging, and is instantly relatable.

At the same time, these serious dramatic aspects are beautifully balanced against the humorous and awkward moments that often accompany first love. Right from the beginning, Isla has what she calls a very “not-meet-cute” moment when she spills coffee on the hot new guy at her high school, Slater Westbrook. From there a friendship blossoms and then becomes something more. I loved how the author has Isla comparing her developing relationship with Slater against the common rom-com tropes. It made for some great wry humor. The poignancy of Isla’s emotional struggles and mental health concerns paired with the romantic elements of the story made this book one I could not stop reading.

The Art of Overthinking also deals with issues such as intentional and unintentional racism, toxic friendships, and offers up some very important information about how to identify when you are not okay mentally, and how to seek help for that when needed. It does not sugarcoat how hard it can be to cope with or overcome any of these things. Each of these elements was portrayed in a touching way through Isla’s eyes so that I truly felt I was experiencing them right along with her.

This is a great young adult read for anyone who enjoys a sweet, funny contemporary romance that doesn’t shy away from the real struggles many teens face today in our fast-paced, highly competitive world. This is one of the best books I've read so far for 2025 and I urge you to grab a copy for yourself.

image copied from Goodreads

Blood at the Root (BATR) by LaDarrion Williams is the first in a series and is also the author's debut novel. It is one of the first fantasy books that I've read that featured a young Black male protagonist. I have read fantasies that featured young Black or BIPOC female protagonists as main characters. But very few with young men as the main characters. I hope that this trend changes with the success of BATR.

Malik Baron's life started off pretty normal in his small Alabama home town. But at the age of seven his childhood ends when he comes into magical powers he didn't know he possessed and is orphaned at the same time. Ten years later, Malik has managed to emancipate himself early from the foster care system and is intent on getting his foster brother, Taye, back so they can both start over. However, things do not go as planned and Malik is forced to use his magic to try and save them both. An action that draws the notice of family he never knew he had and that winds up with him getting the opportunity to attend Caiman University, a magical all-Black college. I loved this premise and was eager to see how things would transpire.

At first, Malik agrees to go there because he hopes it will help him discover what happened to his mama on the night she disappeared. The longer he's there though, the more Malik finds he loves attending college and learning to master his abilities. For the first time since he was "baptized in his magic," Malik feels that his abilities aren't a curse like he's always believed. They can be used for good and are a gift passed down from his ancestors. The way that magical abilities are portrayed as Malik gets a tour of Caiman's campus was amazing and instantly immersive. It was very reminiscent in some ways of Camp Half-Blood from the Percy Jackson series. However, this magical community is more diverse and expansive, I would say, than that series. We have conjurers, shape-shifters, people who can seem to fly, all mixed together. Each dorm even has its own tribe or part of this Black magic culture that it is tied to. It was easy to get lost in this story and in Malik's journey.

Williams does an amazing job with both the world-building and character development this story. Malik is a very angry and distrustful character at the start. His rage leaps off the page, but it is understandable considering all that he has lost and suffered through. The author balances that angst with the love that Malik feels for his younger foster brother, the only real family he feels he has in the world. Malik is willing to put a small measure of trust in his grandmother, who he rightly feels abandoned him, if it means providing care and a safe space for Taye to do so. One of the other things that I loved about this novel was the way that Williams portrays Malik as he explores this world and is reacquainted with an old childhood crush from his days in the group home Malik is placed in after his mother vanishes. Malik not only gets to come into his own power in the magical sense, but he's given a love interest in Alexis, his former crush, when he finds she attends Caiman U as well.

Another interesting aspect of this novel is the way that the main conflict in the story is developed. As Malik comes to know more about Black magical society, he comes to realize just how diverse it is and also how divided it has become. One tribe controls and sets the rules for the Black magical community. But many are starting to question if that is for the best as more young Black kids from both the magical and nonmagical community start to disappear, only to be found dead, later. Malik feels that something should be done and the Black magical community should be using their powers to put a stop to this in the outside world. However, there are also some lines that Malik is unwilling to cross to help when Alexis introduces him to uses for their magic that he just can't condone. Williams also doesn't shy away from the idea that parents are flawed. As Malik delves more into the mystery of his mama and who she really was, he learns some very troubling things about her. Things that led to him never knowing his grandma or his mama's extended family at all. The stakes continue to grow and the pace of the story remains fast, but well developed as all the threads for the novel weave together to a breathtaking climax. And oh my, those last lines of that epilogue! Those are some of the best closing lines for a fantasy novel I've read in a long time. If you want a great fantasy read geared toward a young adult male audience, I highly recommend Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams. Even better, the second book in the series Bones at the Crossroads is available to read now too, which I fully intend to do!

Up next for review will be books that feature vampires, witches and ghosts for October and spooky season. Some up for consideration are:

Running an allegedly haunted bed & breakfast sounds a lot more fun to Hazel than her current dead end job, but a trip to inspect a property with her three best friends has unearthed way more ghosts than she was willing to deal with...and only some of them are hers.

Hazel is surprised but pleased when her high school sweetheart Finn suggests they and their significant others go in together on purchasing a B&B, but their weekend trip to visit a potential property has a rocky start. The current elderly (and bizarre) owners seem to take issue with their presence. Dizzy spells plague her and...was that a person she just saw in the mirror?

Both her boyfriend and Finn's wife are also having a hard time coping with the creepiness of the place. They'd all assumed "haunted" was only a marketing strategy. Perhaps not. Finn, though, is resolute they're overreacting, and insists on moving forward with the purchase, despite their misgivings. The expansive property might not be big enough to house both Finn and Hazel's clashing personalities, or the secrets they've been keeping from each other.

They'll have to put those issues aside though, when both of their partners suddenly start behaving erratically. Are they sick? Are they just tired of Finn and Hazel's bickering? Or is something more sinister going on?

Riding to the rescue with quick wits and snappy one-liners.

Fans of Ilona Andrews, Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs, Nalini Singh, Faith Hunter, and Nalo Hopkinson will enjoy John Evans's Urban Fantasy books.

I'm also considering reviewing:

A bewitching novel of a New England history professor who must race against time to free her family from a curse by Katherine Howe, New York Times bestselling author of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane.

A magical bloodline. A family curse. Can Connie Goodwin break the spell before it shatters her future?

Connie Goodwin is an expert on America’s fractured past with witchcraft. A young, tenure-track professor in Boston, she’s earned career success by studying the history of magic in colonial America—especially women’s home recipes and medicines—and by exposing society's threats against women fluent in those skills. But beyond her studies, Connie harbors a secret: She is the direct descendant of a woman tried as a witch in Salem, an ancestor whose abilities were far more magical than the historical record shows.

When a hint from her mother and clues from her research lead Connie to the shocking realization that her partner’s life is in danger, she must race to solve the mystery behind a hundreds’-years-long deadly curse.

Flashing back through American history to the lives of certain supernaturally gifted women, The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs affectingly reveals not only the special bond that unites one particular matriarchal line, but also explores the many challenges to women’s survival across the decades—and the risks some women are forced to take to protect what they love most.

All the above images and blurbs were copied from Bookshop.org. I'm excited to delve into each of these novels and the works of these new-to-me authors. But I'm also happy to take any recommendations for other spooky season reads, provided that they aren't too terrifying.

Magical School Fantasy Like You've Never Read Before

2025-09-07T10:00:00.001-04:00

image copied from Goodreads

For my first September read, I thought it would be fitting to read a book about a magical school in honor of all those back in the classroom. However, this urban fantasy is unique in that it gives back-to-school a whole new perspective. That of a mundane human parent sending her daughter off to magical kindergarten. Parent and school drama take on another level of stressful when you have to help your child navigate her control over wolfing out, figure out where to buy magical supplies, like an athame, and try to fit in with parents who run the gamut of mages, immortals and cryptids. But all of this and more is part of kindergarten mom Vivian's new normal in The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association by Caitlin Rozakis.

When a terrifying encounter causes Vivian's five-year-old, Aria, to be turned into a werewolf, not only do they have to rethink where Aria will start school for the first time, they have to move to a completely different town. Vivian and her husband Daniel both feel out of place as the only parents without magic or supernatural qualities in the Connecticut town of Veilport. In an attempt of make new friends and help her family adjust, Vivian volunteers to step in as treasurer for the Parent Teacher Association. An offer that is lukewarmly accepted. As an accountant, it is one of the few things Vivian feels confident she can do well. Little does she know that balancing the books for the PTA will involve her in a hotbed of scandal, doomsday prophesies, and danger.

I really loved this premise for this urban fantasy. Rozakis weaves together a world that is both relatable and fantastic in nature. Despite the unique diversity living in a community with witches, mages, sirens, and other supernatural beings entails, the level of politics, bigotry, and power moves that occur in Veilport and Grimoire Grammar will likely be all too familiar to any parent of a primary school aged child. Turns out that mundane human behavior and that of the magical set are not all that different. What is different though is the mystery surrounding what happened to the previous headmaster the year before Vivian and her family arrived in town and enrolled Aria in school. Why did he suddenly retire without warning and then disappear from the community completely? Another nice twist on the magical school premise is the fact that instead of battling an evil villain who must not be named or not, Vivian and her family find themselves instead battling ever growing rumors that they are the first sign indicating an apocalyptic prophecy about the town is actually coming true. This plot point creates an original source of conflict. Not only do Vivian and her family have to find ways to fit in, but they also have to determine more about the prophecy and how they could possibly be indicators that it's about to unfold. I also loved the obvious references to the Harry Potter series, without any specific people or places from those books being named outright. One thing that did bother me a bit about the book was that Vivian spends the first half of it blaming herself for everything. Her insecurities and guilt did start to get a little repetitive after awhile. However, once she decides to start taking actionable steps to take up for herself and save her daughter, the story really takes off and the tension and suspense kept me turning pages and up far too late into the night, reading.

I will say, that while there is a lot of humor in this novel, there are also several moments when themes of mental health issues and trauma are explored. For that reason, while this novel does fall into the magical school trope, I would definitely say it is more of an urban fantasy than a comical, cozy one. Rozakis does not shy away from some heavier themes or social commentary about class, privilege, elitism and the fact that bullying doesn't always stop once a person reaches adulthood. It can very much be prevalent within parent and adult organizations as well. All in all, if you like relatable characters, fish-out-of-water stories with fantasy elements and references, as well as ones with unique mysteries to solve, then you will very much like The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association.

In keeping with my back-to-school theme for this month, the next books I will be reviewing are The Art of Overthinking a debut novel by Ellen Zheng that is a contemporary young adult romance and Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams, a young adult magical school fantasy. Covers and blurbs for both are included below, both of which were copied from Goodreads.

Set in the backdrop of New York City and immersed in the academically elite high school culture, “The Art of Overthinking” is a celebration of the ties that bond us and a love letter to mental health.

Isla Wu is fine.

Or, at least, that’s what she tells herself. She has friends, semi-supportive—albeit judgmental—tiger parents, and good grades, so why wouldn’t she be okay? Besides, anything other than “fine” is not suitable for an American-born Chinese girl with Ivy League dreams.

But still, the numbness claws at her.

Everything goes to crap when she spills coffee on a new guy (how meet-cute, NOT). Yet, as she starts to like him, everything she thought she once knew unravels until the numbness threatens to pull her under. Because when you’re at the top, the only way to go is down, and ignoring her problems or feelings doesn’t help anyone.

Maybe Isla Wu is not fine.

*Fans of "How It Feels to Float" by Helena Fox, "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" by Jenny Han, and "Every Last Word," by Tamara Ireland Stone will enjoy THE ART OF OVERTHINKING.

A teenager on the run from his past finds the family he never knew existed and the community he never knew he needed at an HBCU for the young, Black, and magical . Enroll in this fresh fantasy debut with the emotional power of Legendborn and the redefined ancestral magic of Lovecraft Country .

Ten years ago, Malik's life changed forever the night his mother mysteriously vanished and he discovered he had uncontrollable powers. Since then, he has kept his abilities hidden, looking out for himself and his younger foster brother, Taye. Now, at 17, Malik is finally ready to start a new life for both of them, far from the trauma of his past. However, a daring act to rescue Taye reveals an unexpected connection with his long-lost a legendary conjurer with ties to a hidden magical university that Malik’s mother attended.

At Caiman University, Malik’s eyes are opened to a future he never could have envisioned for himself— one that includes the reappearance of his first love, Alexis. His search for answers about his heritage, his powers, and what really happened to his mother exposes the cracks in their magical community as it faces a reawakened evil dating back to the Haitian Revolution. Together with Alexis, Malik discovers a lot beneath the surface at feuding covens and magical politics, forbidden knowledge and buried mysteries.

In a wholly unique saga of family, history and community, Malik must embrace his legacy to save what's left of his old family as well as his new one. Exploring the roots and secrets that connect us in an unforgettable contemporary setting, this heart-pounding fantasy series opener is a rich tapestry of atmosphere, intrigue, and emotion.

Ever Seas Blog Tour Spotlight

2025-08-31T10:00:00.003-04:00

Hi All! Since there is an extra Sunday in August, I thought I'd share a brief spotlight for a great duology that is being traditionally published with Ace Books. It is the Ever Seas series by LJ Andrews. Below is a brief summary of the series along with book covers and blurbs shared with me by the publisher and a brief bio of the author herself. The first book was released earlier this August. The sequel comes out September 16, 2025. Enjoy!!

From USA Today bestselling author LJ Andrews comes a sweeping romantasy debut with claws, crowns, and the kind of brooding antihero you’ll gladly drown for. The Ever King launches the Ever Seas series with a storm of vengeance, Norse mythology, and undeniable slow-burn chemistry. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yarros, and anyone who dreams of Viking-inspired kingdoms and dangerous romance, this viral sensation is finally making waves in hardcover—complete with exclusive bonus content. If you love your fantasy full of saltwater, spice, and scarred kings with shattered hearts, then this one will absolutely wreck you—in the best way.

Image provided by Ace Books

They stole his crown. So he stole their daughter....

For years, Erik, the scarred king of the Ever Kingdom, has thought of nothing but vengeance against the man who killed his father and trapped him beneath the waves, making him a prisoner in his own realm.

Until his enemy’s daughter unintentionally breaks the chains on the Ever, and Erik makes her the unwitting pawn in his vicious game of revenge.

She’s innocent. He’s vicious. But he will take back what he lost, no matter the price.

Unless she steals his heart first.

And if you love The Ever King, you’re in for a treat! Because from USA Today bestseller LJ Andrews comes the searing second volume in the Ever Seas romantasy saga—where vengeance simmers, love burns brighter, and the sea holds more than just secrets. The Ever Queen is a lush and blood-soaked continuation of a TikTok-favorite fantasy romance series that blends Norse mythology with irresistible spice.

Image provided by Ace Books

With his queen missing, the king’s wrath knows no boundaries.

Captive. Challenger. Queen.

Enemies took her from the man who holds her heart. They might see her as weak, as a pawn in wicked games, but they’re no match for the first Ever Queen.

Let them think they’ve won. Her heart belongs to a beautiful monster, and she will never stop fighting until she’s back in his arms.

Captor. Villain. King.

They’ll die for touching her.

His heart belongs to a stunning little bird. He will never stop searching for her light across the skies. Not until the blood of his enemies spills at her feet, and his queen wears their bones around her neck.

LJ Andrews is a USA Today bestselling author of fantasy romance. She could

live in dark worlds with brutal romantic heroes all day. When she isn’t writing,

she's keeping her four kids alive, spending time with her hot husband,

or enjoying the mountains of Utah.

Next weekend, I will begin my September reviews with a fun back-to-

school theme, starting with Caitlin Rozakis's unique urban fantasy

The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association.

image copied from Goodreads

When Vivian’s kindergartner, Aria, gets bitten by a werewolf, she is rapidly inducted into the hidden community of magical schools. Reeling from their sudden move, Vivian finds herself having to pick the right sacrificial dagger for Aria, keep stocked up on chew toys, and play PTA politics with sirens and chthonic nymphs and people who literally can set her hair on fire.

As Vivian careens from hellhounds in the school corridors to demons at the talent show, she races to keep up with all the arcane secrets of her new society—shops only accessible by magic portal, the brutal Trials to enter high school, and the eternal inferno that is the parents’ WhatsApp group.

And looming over everything is a prophecy of doom that sounds suspiciously like it’s about Aria. Vivian might be facing the end of days, just as soon as she can get her daughter dressed and out of the door…

Laugh-out-loud End of Summer Read

2025-08-17T10:00:00.135-04:00

Image copied from Goodreads

I picked this one because it incorporated one of my favorite romance tropes, the blocked writer who finds love and is inspired to write her next great novel. In this case, the author is a popular romance writer who has been recently dumped. Yep, her fiancé left her for their wedding planner after knocking said wedding planner up. Ouch! The story opens with Gracie Landing paging through her old high school yearbook in a drunken stupor. Her friends sent her home from their night out to cheer her up after Gracie sees pictures of her ex's new baby. Gracie is a hot mess and shouldn't have been left to her own devices because she ends up sending an email to her old high school crush right before passing out.

From there the comedy begins in this cute romance. Her former crush, Colin Yarmouth is now a successful lawyer who has suffered his own breakup, recently. Even sadder, he'd only been married for six months, so barely enough time to even be out of the newlywed phase. I won't spoil what his ex did to him, but it's a doozy. Needless to say, he finds Gracie's accusatory drunk email, to his work email no less, intriguing. And yes, he does realize after reading it a second time that it was probably sent to him while Gracie was wasted. Colin surprises Gracie by replying, setting off a series of funny emails that move on from there to texts, then phone calls and eventually a meet up in person. The story is also told in dual points of view between Gracie and Colin.

I found Gracie to be a real, delightfully imperfect character right from the first. I did get a little tired of all of her stomach issues she seems to develop. I did find those to be overdone. But overlooking some of that, the rest of her personality was wry, honest, and hilariously spot on in terms of her observations of the world. Some reviews I read complained that she seemed immature. I suppose you could say that. But I don't necessarily see not having your life together or all figured out after a devastating breakup like hers a sign of immaturity. Instead, I thought is was refreshing to read about a character who is unapologetically grieving and a hot mess. Colin in contrast is much more together on the surface. But inside he is just as hurt and depressed as Gracie. Its their shared relationship woes that help draw them together. I also liked the fact that Colin remembers Gracie as someone he thought was pretty in high school but never connected with because he had no real idea how to talk to girls. Being one of the youngest varsity players on the high school soccer team though meant that he never had to really learn, as girls were more than happy to flirt with him first. I liked this glimpse into Colin as it made his interest in Gracie after her initial email more plausible as to why he'd be so willing to respond and reconnect with her all these years later.

The two decide that to help Gracie overcome her writer's block, she should use the details of Colin's breakup with his ex-wife in her next romance. This not only gives Gracie plenty of fodder for her plot, but also makes Colin feel he's helping someone again, which helps boost his confidence. Their plan ends up having some very unexpected consequences that aren't good for either of them. Again, I won't spoil it for you. But in trying to iron out the fallout, things go from really bad to awful. However, I did enjoy the eventual character growth for each. The relationship between Gracie and Colin ends up helping each of them face down their fears, and in Colin's case his overbearing parent. The two are able to come out the other side of their latest troubles stronger and more resilient and of course, because it's a romance, find their happily-ever-after.

I have not read any books by K.J. Micciche before. But after enjoying The Book Proposal, I plan on reading more by this author! If you'd like to grab a copy of this laugh-out-loud romance for yourself, click on the link. It will take you to the page for a small local indie bookstore in my hometown, Next Chapter Bookstore, to order from. The Book Proposal is also available wherever books are sold.

Next month, I'm looking forward to reading a fun urban fantasy, with a unique back-to-school premise called The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Associaton by Caitlin Rozakis. Check out the book cover and the blurb for it below, both copied from Goodreads.

Two parents and their recently-bitten-werewolf daughter try to fit into a privileged New England society of magic aristocracy. But deadly terrors await them – ancient prophecies, remorseless magical trials, hidden conspiracies and the PTA bake sale.

When Vivian’s kindergartner, Aria, gets bitten by a werewolf, she is rapidly inducted into the hidden community of magical schools. Reeling from their sudden move, Vivian finds herself having to pick the right sacrificial dagger for Aria, keep stocked up on chew toys and play PTA politics with sirens and chthonic nymphs and people who literally can set her hair on fire.

As Vivian careens from hellhounds in the school corridors and demons at the talent show, she races to keep up with all the arcane secrets of her new society – shops only accessible by magic portal, the brutal Trials to enter high school, and the eternal inferno that is the parents’ WhatsApp group.

And looming over everything is a prophecy of doom that sounds suspiciously like it’s about Aria. Vivian might be facing the end of days, just as soon as she can get her daughter dressed and out of the door…

Second Chance Love Perfect for the Beach

2025-08-03T10:00:00.026-04:00

Image copied from Goodreads

I found Heart Marks the Spot to be a charming and entertaining romantic adventure. The premise revolves around Stella, a focused and driven treasure hunter and Huck, a talented but seriously blocked, bestselling author. The two are given a second chance at love when Huck breaks Stella's heart after tagging along on one of her expeditions the first time around.

I was surprised that the first half of the novel is set in the past when the two characters first meet. But I actually enjoyed this, since it allows for plenty of character development for this vibrant cast of characters. Not only do we get to know the two main characters, but we get to know Stella's crew who are also her family. Once we get to the present in the second half of the book, we know these people well and have a good handle on what's at stake for them. In addition to that, we also get some great glimpses into the landscapes where the treasure-hunting quests take place. The beginning of the story is set in Iceland. The author does a good job of vividly painting this fascinating and rugged place, giving us a taste of its unique beauty and topography. She also weaves in elements about Viking treasure that are fun and seem like they could be plausible. In the second half of the story, we are introduced to the beauty and perils of deep-sea diving off the coast of Key West. But Hubscher sprinkles in some local flavor for that area as well with mentions of both real and probably some imagined places there. One reference to Judy Blume in the story had me chuckling.

The love story between Stella and Huck was just the right balance between steamy and emotional. Both have wounds from their past that make them simultaneously guarded and rawly vulnerable when it comes to trusting someone else with their hearts. There is even a bit of intrigue about why Huck walked away from Stella the first time. I will agree with some other readers that I'd love to get Teddy's love story someday. As Stella's best friend, he was one of my favorite characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this romantic adventure and am thankful to both NetGalley and Penguin Random House for allowing me to read an eARC of it right before it came out in exchange for an honest review. To get your own copy, simply click on the book title in this post which will take you to bookshop.org. Heart Marks the Spot is also available with retailers wherever books are sold.

My next beach read for review will be The Book Proposal by K.J. Micciche. It is a fun rom-com. Check out the cover and blurb below both copied from Goodreads.

DESPERATELY SEEKING FICTIONAL HERO FOR HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Broke up with, broke, and with a vicious case of writer's block, romance writer Gracie Landing is a hot mess. She can hardly be blamed for drinking one (or a few) too many cocktails when out with her besties in an attempt to cheer herself up. Sometime in the foggy wee hours, she recklessly emails her unrequited high-school crush, Colin Yarmouth, who is now a successful attorney harboring regrets of his own. When she receives an intriguingly friendly (not to say flirty) response, her acute embarrassment is overcome only by her fervent curiosity―what would a hottie like Colin be like as a grown up? The two forge an unlikely friendship that's unmistakably headed for more. Colin's tales of his own woeful break-up become fodder for Gracie's fertile imagination and her current work-in-progress takes off. With the deadline looming and her checking account dwindling, Gracie has no idea that borrowing Colin's story could wreak havoc on her life, her career, and her own chance at happily-ever-after...

Great Middle Grade Fiction that Represents

2025-07-20T10:00:00.004-04:00

In honor of disability pride month, I am continuing to review novels that represent characters who help raise awareness, challenge stereotypes and promote inclusion. Both novels I was able to read over the last couple of weeks do this very well and are written for a middle grade (ages 8-12) audience.

Image copied from Goodreads

Crystal Allen is an author I have long admired for her deft character development in her novels and for the humor she masterfully weaves into each story. While Between Two Brothers incorporates much of Allen's trademark humor and wonderful characterization, it is a slight departure from her other books. All of Allen's novels often contain elements and issues that can be serious in nature for the audience of young people she writes for, but involve plots that are more lighthearted in tone. But Between Two Brothers deals with some topics and problems that make much of the story more serious in tone. Main character Isaiah "Ice" Abernathy has always looked up to his older brother Seth. But as the two head into the school year, Ice begins to feel like his brother, who is a senior in high school, is starting to pull away. The results of his fear and sadness that Seth is poised to move on to the next stage in his life, college, without him cause the two to have a falling out. But a tragic accident soon after leaves Seth permanently changed from the older brother Ice always relied on.

I loved the depiction of both Ice and Seth and how close they are at the start of the story. Seth encourages Ice to break out of his shell, knowing that Ice will need to be able to speak up for himself once Seth has graduated and gone off to college. Learning to not let "shy guy" psych him out is hard for Ice. But the effort he makes to tune "shy guy" out pay off for both brothers. Determined to help out while Seth recovers from his accident, Isaiah takes on more responsibility at home. When the doctors try to convince Ice and his parents that Seth may never recover or be able to recognize them or even speak again, Isaiah decides to work with his brother in order to help him continue to get the therapy he needs to prove the doctors wrong. I loved the fact that in spite of the tragedy that befalls this family, they continue to work together and to support each other, even when they disagree. I also appreciated the realistic way that Allen gives Ice agency as a main character to believably help his brother recuperate while still keeping the storyline realistic for a middle school aged person. There were times throughout this novel where I laughed and others times that brought me to tears. Sometimes though, they were happy tears. Ice and Seth's story ends on an uplifting, hopeful note, but not one where everything goes back to the way it was before. The author acknowledges the fact that life changing events often mean that people have to face a new normal in their life and their abilities but she also shows young readers that this does not mean they are any less important or strong. In fact, both characters prove to be stronger and more resilient in the wake of Seth's accident and I think that is a beautiful message to convey. An author's note at the end of this book also lets readers know that this story was loosely based on a real event that happened to Allen's own son. So, in many ways Between Two Brothers is a firsthand account of how to face a traumatic event and come out on the other side of it with your love as a family and faith still intact.

Image copied from Goodreads

Similar to the other novel, El Deafo tells the story of a character who develops an impairment, this time through an illness. Main character Cece, in this graphic novel, is largely based on author Cece Bell's childhood experiences. I call this a work of fiction though as the author does note that some events portrayed in the novel are composites of real events, character names have been changed, and the illustrations depict bunny-like individuals instead of human beings. However, Bell does a wonderful job through both her artwork and her prose of conveying the feelings and challenges she faced as a hearing girl who becomes deaf and still has to live largely in a hearing world. The feelings of insecurity, isolation, loneliness and fear of being different come through from the moment Cece is fitted for her first hearing aid. The novel starts when Cece loses her hearing at age four and continues to follow her journey throughout elementary school up through fifth grade.

Bell manages to capture the feelings she set out to in a realistic and engaging way. We experience her joys and sorrows with her through friendships made and lost, in facing bullies, dealing with being misunderstood and navigating her first crush. I would say that this graphic novel is geared for a younger middle grade audience since it starts out right before Cece is school age and the characters are depicted as bunnies rather than people. However, the artwork throughout was terrific and colorful and for me reminiscent of traditional comic series with its superhero vibes. I thought all-in-all this graphic novel was a delight to read and a great one for younger readers to help them to feel seen or to help them understand the world from the perspective of someone who is hearing impaired. The fact that Cece learns to embrace her differences and see them as a super power is a message that I think any young reader could relate to.

One other novel that I would have liked to review, but ran out of time to read all the way through in time was Popcorn by Rob Harrell. Again, this one is semi-autobiographical in nature and deals with disabilities that are unseen rather than physically seen ones. Like El Deafo it has illustrations as well, though it is not a graphic novel, but more of an illustrated middle grade novel similar to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. The portion I read of it was both humorous and moving as Harrell takes us through the course of picture day at school and how challenging a school day can be for a student dealing with anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). If you would like to read up more on this novel, click on the title to be taken to a link for it on bookshop.org.

Next month, I am switching gears to adult reading fair with a beach reads theme for the end of summer. The first book I'll review, Heart Marks the Spot, is a new rom-com adventure by Libby Hubscher, involving treasure hunters, second chance love, and found family. Check out the cover and book blurb below, both copied from Goodreads.

A treasure hunter and the bestselling adventure novelist who broke her heart after one successful expedition reunite for a summer to search for lost riches.

Treasure hunter Stella Moore dreams of having it all—wealth, love, and a flourishing career—but knows she’ll never be that lucky. Every summer she and her childhood friends travel to search for hidden treasure, but she can barely manage her bills, let alone a relationship. Then, a chance encounter with alluring novelist Huck Sullivan during an expedition in Iceland has Stella thinking maybe her fortune has changed.

After his last book bombed, Huck hasn’t written a word. Joining Stella and her crew on an adventure seems like the perfect distraction from his problems, and when the crew finally uncovers hidden treasure, he is certain that he’s found more than just inspiration for his next novel. Huck and Stella’s undeniable connection gives way to an unforgettable night on a black sand beach.

After Huck disappears without a goodbye, Stella vows to put the heartbreak behind her—but that’s easier said than done when, a year later, every bookstore has a life-size cutout of her ex-lover next to stacks of his latest record-breaking bestseller. Good thing it’s time for another summer treasure hunt. Stella throws herself into mapping the path to a shipwreck off Key West, but the last thing she expects is an extra crew member showing up in search of material for a sequel and a second chance.

Stella and Huck are prepared for storms, sharks, sea sickness, even a tentative truce. But facing the feelings they buried and confronting the devastating truth about why Huck left is the only way to find what their hearts have been searching for all along.

Hilarious Regency Rom-Com

2025-07-06T10:00:00.146-04:00

Image copied from Goodreads

This is not a new series for Beverley Watts. In fact, there is at least one other spin-off series to this one that is out now. But it was new to me when my sister recommended it. Both of us have been Julia Quinn fans for years. So, when she told me that this series featured a large family of almost all girls and their reverend father who is desperate to marry them off to affluent husbands, I was intrigued. Knowing that in May I was going to be traveling a lot, I looked up audiobooks for the series through my library's digital app. I was happy to find they have all nine of the books in this first series about the Shackleford family.

I was not disappointed in the least with Grace or the other two books in the series that I've listened to so far. Grace is the oldest Shackleford daughter. Soon after the newly titled duke of the estate, Nicholas Sinclair, returns, Grace finds herself inexplicably being married off to him. Of course, nothing ever goes smoothly to plan in rom-coms like this one. The two characters in the story do not have a good first encounter. But they are nevertheless reluctantly attracted to one another. Both Grace and the Nicholas carry their own scars and misbeliefs that make them certain they will not find love or true contentment in marriage to anyone, least of all each other. However, when the duke starts off their marriage ignoring Grace, she takes matters into her own hands to convince him that he would be better off letting her live an independent life and be married in name only. Hijinks of all kinds ensue. The one thing that I did find funny and surprising was the character of the father. Reverend Shackleford is every bit as impulsive, imaginative and headstrong as any of his girls. The plans he concocts are wild and wildly amusing. You expect that sort of thing from the heroines and even sometimes the heroes in these stories. But you rarely have the parents play an active role in this way in the stories.

The backstory for the Nicholas Sinclair was also interesting. He is not only the heir to the estate, but he is also a war hero in the Battle of Trafalgar against Napoleon. A severe injury ends his naval career, leaves him partially crippled and causes him to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Nicholas also has a depressing family history, which is not that uncommon in a regency romance. But part of his trauma involves his nearest and dearest from his recent and distant past. It makes a nice counterpoint to Grace, who comes from a boisterous but close-knit family. Other side characters add to the humor and heart of the story, including the reverend's assistant Percy and the reverend's wife, Agatha. The book is told from multiple points of view, from Grace, to Nicholas, to the reverend and occasionally we get Percy's perspective as well. But unbelievably this was not a detraction for me in the least. It actually helped build some light suspense at times in the plot. I started this book as an audiobook, but I ended up finishing it as an ebook. I will say that at first, I enjoyed reading the ebook version better than listening to the audiobook. The story is read by two accomplished voice actors. But when the male voice actor had to switch to telling the story from Grace's perspective he sounded like an old woman more than the young early twenty something character he was portraying. When the audio went back to the female voice actor things were fine. But listening to the man do some of Grace's dialogue was a bit jarring at times, especially listening to the story for the first time.

So, if that sort of thing puts you off listening to a book, you might want to stick with a print or ebook version to read. If you are fans of Julia Quinn, Karen Hawkins or other regency romance authors who incorporate lots of humor and heart into their stories, I highly recommend this series.

Stay tuned for my next review this month. In honor of disability awareness month I will be reviewing another book that features a disabled character as this one did. But the ones that I'm considering for review will be for a younger reading audience. The three that I'm considering, and depending on how long some of them are, I might do two of the three, are in no particular order:

Between Two Brothers a middle grade novel by Crystal Allen

Popcorn a middle grade novel by Rob Harrell

El Deafo a graphic novel by CeCe Bell

I am also open to any suggestions for good reads that feature disabled characters that any of you might want to suggest as well. The titles for all three of these books also serve as links that will take you to their bookshop.org page to find out more. As always, thank you for reading!

YA Silkpunk Sequel That Takes Us to the High Seas

2025-06-22T09:30:00.001-04:00

Image copied from Goodreads

My end of June review is of a NetGalley read that wraps of this silkpunk YA fantasy duology by Amber Chen. One that weaves in steampunk elements with mythology and some early Asian Pacific history to create a truly engrossing and often heartbreaking series full of romance and longing, found family, intrigue, politics, and adventure.

I enjoyed this sequel to Of Jade and Dragons. In The Blood Phoenix, we switch from being in the skies with airships to exploring the depths of the ocean with mysterious submersibles. Unlike Of Jade and Dragons, this book is told from dual points of view as well. We not only get Ying's perspective, but we also have part of the narrative told from her sister Nian's perspective. The story opens two years after the events of the first novel, with Ying engaged to a young man on another island. But an attack on Ying's new island home send her back to Fei and back to Ye-Yang to help the High Commander figure out a way to defeat the pirates that have been causing problems for the nine isles and interfering with trade routes between them and the Jade Empire. At the same time, we learn through Nian how things have been going within Qianlei Palace with the new High Command and the remaining beiles, including Ye-Kan, the youngest beile and former guild mate of Ying's. It seems that Ye-Yang, has been training Nian in how to deal with court politics but in every other respect treats her more like a friend or a younger sister than a fiancée.

The aspects of this novel that I loved most were the steampunk elements that are further developed. Instead of focusing on airships we are at sea in this adventure. Fleets of pirate ships, along with mysterious underwater steam-powered submersibles, or what we would call submarines, are wreaking havoc on the Order of the Cobra's ships and airships, and on civilians who make their living at sea in some way from both the nine isles and the Empire. Without giving too much away, the descriptions of how these submersibles operate and how they look are amazing. The interactions with the pirates later in the story when Ying and friends set out to test their engineering inventions was also fun and engrossing. We get to see just how much broader the scope of engineering is in the wider world beyond the confines of Fei and the Engineering Guild. The new gadgets and inventions that Ying and her guild friends are exposed to are truly incredible. Chen's imaginative worldbuilding in this respect is first rate all the way. I also enjoyed the story that develops between Nian, Ye-Kan, and with the court politics the two have to navigate. I loved the character development of Nian. She is very different from Ying in many ways, but she is no less intelligent and brave. Getting to see new facets of an older and more mature Ye-Kan through Nian's eyes was also very entertaining. All of these aspects added dimension and drama to this world and to this sequel.

This novel was very different in terms of the overall story arc from the first one. Of Jade and Dragons is very much a coming-of-age story. But The Blood Phoenix explores a different theme, one of war, politics, and the complexities that come with both. It also delves into the consequences of realized ambitions whether they be for power, revenge or both. It does not shy away from the darker aspects of the guilt and uncertainties that Ying and Ye-Yang have been left with after making the choices they do in the first novel. All of the characters in The Blood Phoenix, even some of the secondary ones, are faced with challenges that are much less black and white than what they seemed in the first book. It is much harder for them to distinguish between who is good and who is evil. Though some characters remain team bad, the other characters that we assume are adversaries at the start of the story are much more complicated and more morally gray that we are at first, led to believe. This makes the twists and turns of the novel much harder to anticipate in terms of outcomes making the tension and stakes much higher. That being said, I did think that the pacing was a bit slower than the first book. However, with all of the threads of intrigue woven into this plot, I did not mind the slightly slower pace. However, unlike the first novel in this series, I gave this sequel 4 stars rather than five. My reason for doing so was the ending. I am not a fan of open-ended conclusions. Most of the the loose threads are very deftly wrapped up at the end of the story. However, while we are given slivers of hope for some characters in the resolution, their circumstances at the conclusion are still left very uncertain. I only hope that if the author writes any other stories set in this world we are given some hints about what transpired for some of these characters we are left to wonder about.

If you don't mind some story ending ambiguity and you enjoy stories with lots of fun and imaginative steampunk elements, I highly recommend this duology. I am definitely interested in reading more books by Amber Chen after finishing this series. Even though she was clear that for these characters this is the end, this world has lots of potential for series spinoffs or even another series duology with different characters set at some future date in this world.

For my first review in July I will be switching gears from YA and fantasy to adult regency romance. I will be reviewing the first in a regency rom-com series I've discovered by Beverley Watts. It came highly recommended to me by one of my sisters and I have thoroughly enjoyed the first three books in the Shackleford Sisters series. Both the cover and the blurb below for the first book were copied from Goodreads.

In this funny romantic series, the Shackleford sisters descend on a Regency society that don’t know what’s hit them…

....Reverend Augustus Shackleford’s mission in life (aside from ensuring the collection box was suitably full every Sunday) was to secure advantageous marriages for each of his eight daughters. A tall order, given the fact that in the Reverend’s opinion they didn’t possess a single ladylike bone in the eight bodies they had between them. Quite where he would find a wealthy titled gentleman bottle headed enough to take any of them on remained a mystery and indeed was likely to test even his legendary resourcefulness.

....Grievously wounded at the Battle of Trafalgar, Nicholas Sinclair was only recently returned to Blackmore after receiving news of his estranged father’s unexpected death. After an absence of twenty years, the new Duke was well aware it was his duty to marry and produce an heir as quickly as possible. However, tormented by recurring nightmares after his horrific experiences during the battle, Nicholas had no taste to brave the ton’s marriage mart in search of a docile obedient wife.

…..Never in his wildest dreams did Reverend Shackleford envisage receiving an offer for his eldest daughter from the newly appointed Duke of Blackmore. Of course, the Reverend was well aware he was fudging it a bit in describing Grace as respectful, meek or dutiful, nevertheless, he could never have imagined that his eldest daughter’s unruliness might end up ruining them all….