Reading Fanatic Reviews
All Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Paranormal Reviews
A Bottle Full of Djinn by Paula Lester
A Bottle Full of Djinn*
Mysterious Happenings at Witches’ Retirement Community
Zoey is the head of staff for a magical retirement community. Her town of Sunnyside, California, is full of witches and warlocks, though normals do occasionally pass through town. People aren’t supposed to use magic in public, but they are often lax about it. Strange events that Zoey can’t explain start happening at the retirement community, a kitchen covered in chocolate cake batter, farm animals in the common room, and a ghost. Will Zoey figure out what’s going on? Will she lose staff and residents because of this? If you read the prequel to The Sunnyside Retired Witches Community series, you are familiar with the quirky world and cast characters that make up the greater and smaller communities of Sunnyside. The author does a fantastic job of integrating magic into the story, often in a humorous fashion. It’s an engaging read that makes you wonder what funny, offbeat thing will happen next, whether it is magical or not. The book is a delightful way to spend an afternoon.
The Emancipation of Veronica McAllister by Shawn Inmon
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
The Emancipation of Veronica McAllister*
If You Could Live Your Life Over…What Would You Do Differently?
What a great concept! The book starts with a dramatic death scene, and immediately the main character, Veronica, is transported not to Heaven or elsewhere, but back to her teenage body. Imagine being your younger self, with all the knowledge that you have after a long-lived life. The author does an excellent job of revealing Veronica’s new and old past and future slowly. She is at turns nostalgic (seeing loved ones long since dead) and unsure of how to proceed (does she choose a different man to marry if it means she won’t have the children she loves). The author also gives a lot of detail of what living in 1950s small-town Oregon was like; you feel like you are there! I enjoyed joining Ronnie on her journey.





