Reading Fanatic Reviews
ParanormalBlood & Holy Water by Joynell Schultz
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Blood & Holy Water*
Delightful Tale of Angel Trying to Earn Her Wings
Ava is a fourth order angel who is trying to get her wings by being part of a miracle which she believes requires a vampire ER doctor name Fin. She angel-stalks him, and he can see her, which he isn’t supposed to be able to do. He doesn’t believe he is worthy of a miracle. He murdered his wife twenty years ago and has been repenting by trying to save human lives as a doctor; he has even distanced himself from other vampires. But Ava believes that the miracle that will get her her wings involves him. She slowly starts to break down his walls, and they get to know each other. Then strange things begin to happen with murdered angels and murdered vampires.
Will Ava get her miracle and her wings? What sort of miracle might Fin need? What is happening with the murders of angels and vampires?
What a fast-paced, immersive read! Ava is such a sweetheart and a little naïve, but she has good intentions. Fin is complex with his challenging past and his desire to do good now; he cannot appreciate his own kindness and compassion. I enjoyed what went on in this story between Ava and Fin as well as within the greater paranormal community of vampires and the angels. I love the romantic aspect of this as well, as Ava and Fin would seem at the surface to be such different entities that they couldn’t have such an attachment. The love story aspect of this is sweet, with just a little cuddling but no explicit sex.
If you enjoy stories about angels and vampires with a romantic twist, you might enjoy this book.
An Untouched Witch by Liza Mitchell
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
An Untouched Witch*
Wolf Pack RH with Possessive Alpha
I usually like to start my reviews with a brief, partial plot recap. The plot for this book is secondary; it seems to be just a framework for the erotic scenes. Beyond the erotica portions, the story is about Grace, who is a witch who was attacked. She’s wanting to know who is harming witches in her town. But for safety, she retreats to the woods to live under the protection of the Wildwood wolf shifter pack. Let’s just say that most of the wolves there don’t mind sharing…everything.
Will Grace figure out who she is in danger from? Will she and the wolf pack be able to do anything about it? Will she choose polyamory or the Alpha, as he wants?
If you like short steamy shifter erotica, this book could be up your alley.
The Minotaur’s Kiss by Erin St. Charles
Available at Amazon, Kobo, Mondadori, and Angus & Robertson
The Minotaur's Kiss*
Gods, Shifters, Latents, Magical Creatures … Oh, My!
In this complex world, alien gods use human concubines to procreate as the god’s genetic lines have been tainted by inbreeding. This has also given rise to a vigorous sex trade. The world is also inhabited by shifters, who may not understand their lineage until puberty. Because of the danger inherent in the sex trade, an army of social workers seeks to protect the industry’s workers. Diana is one of them. At an office event, she hooks up with a minotaur shifter she doesn’t know for a one-night stand. Unfortunately for her, he soon turns out to be her evaluating supervisor during a case that could make her career, smoothing the handover of a concubine. During what should be a routine inspection at one of the brothels, they find a sex worker whose missing. Soon, both she and Mac, the minotaur, are drawn into dangerous unforeseen circumstances, and Diana finds herself relying on him for protection.
Max is having a hard time dealing with Diana. He is usually a one-night-stand kind of guy, but their interactions have him rethinking his stance and even pondering a longer-term relationship. Thrown together on the job, he has a hard time keeping it professional. He’s never had such a sustained attraction to a female, and he’s not quite sure what to do about it.
By the way, this is a very steamy read. Within the first few chapters, we’re giving details about their one-night stand. The author has done a very good job at setting up the complexities of this world of gods, shifters, latents, other magical characters, and humans. She did a good job of creating tension-filled action scenes. Diana is a black woman, and I found it interesting that the author had her question racism as it applied to minotaurs, which was a sneaky way to get readers to think about the harshness of racism in our own world.
If you enjoy steamy stories about gods and shifters in a fast-paced read, this book might be for you.
Coven at Collington by Shereen Vedam
Coven at Callington*
Witch Wars, Intrigue, and Romance in Fantastical Regency England
Fresh from fending off an attack by hellhounds, Guard of the Green Cross–a secret arm of the Anglican Church meant to handle evil forces and entities if they rise from darkness–the Earl of Braden gets new orders from the Archbishop that are directly opposed to a central tenet of the guard’s code: do not interfere in disputes between witches and warlocks. Centuries ago witch hunts blackened the name of guards (then known as knights), so meddling is now forbidden. Braden has been tasked with retrieving the son of a warlock, who was supposedly taken by a demon, as well as destroy the coven in the area. More is happening at Callington than Braden imagined, and he is more than tempted to enlist the aid of the coven protectress, Merryn, to help figure it all out. Merryn believes that the same warlock who killed her younger brother has taken the boy.
Will Braden succeed in rescuing the boy? What exactly is going on between the warlocks and witches in Callington? Will Braden risk his position to follow what he knows is right? Will he fall for the coven protectress?
The author has done a fantastic job of creating a magical version of Regency England. I love how the first scene in Regency times a flame in a streetlight is talking! I literally did a double take to see if I was reading correctly! There are other magical elements as well, some of which are not truly explained until later. I thought the idea of having this secret group of guards under direct orders of the Archbishop of Canterbury was inspired. Braden is a complicated, fascinating hero to watch wrestle with right and wrong, on both personal and professional levels.
With elements of fantasy, the paranormal, intrigue, and romance . . . what’s not to like!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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.
Used To Build My Websites
NetGalley Badges