Reading Fanatic Reviews
ParanormalGrits, Gamblers, and Grudges by Paula Lester and Lisa B. Thomas
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Grits, Gamblers, and Grudges*
Skeleton in the… Basement?
I’ve enjoyed the two previous installments in this series, and this one was just as delightful. It’s got all the things that I love about paranormal cozy mysteries: a beleaguered heroine, quirky cast of characters, a small town that is more than it seems, a little supernatural flair to take it out of the ordinary, and a mystery that has a few surprises that make it fun to follow. Paige certainly had a rough go right from the start. Not only did she need to take out a loan for plumbing repairs, but the plumber finds a skeleton. An inspector comes out to look at the plumbing but discovers Paige has been living there in a commercial-only zone; she gives Paige two weeks to get out, or she’ll be fined and the bookshop closed. Could deceased Aunt Nora actually be responsible for the skeleton found in the basement of the bookshop? I enjoy the author’s writing style, as I can just slip right back into the world she has created as if I never left. Looking forward to more in the series.
While the Dragon’s Away by Joynell Schultz
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While the Dragon's Away*
Growth and Evolution in This Installment
Roommate issues, which start the novella, are the least of Ruby and Ty’s problems in this book. Ruby doesn’t only have to balance her human concerns but also magical ones. Secrets are revealed as Book 2 delves deeper into the world acknowledged in Book 1—and these will have an impact on Ruby and Ty’s future. This book asks questions that I’m looking forward to future ones answering, particularly about the magical realm that Ty is a part of (and Ruby is to a certain degree). Ruby seems more grown up in this book, and her relationship with Ty continues to evolve. Magic, when used, appears to have consequences that can’t always be foreseen.
As I’ve come to expect from Ms. Schultz’s work, the world of this book is fully imagined and well described, yet she doesn’t overburden the narrative with too much at once. At this point, we’re only getting glimpses of the full extent what magic means and the mostly unseen magical realm, but it is enough to tantalize and make you wonder about the full extent of it all. I, for one, am looking forward to the next installment of the series.
Color of a Soul by Katherine McIntyre
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Color of a Soul*
Can She Find Her Soulmate Before It’s Too Late?
Jason is at a tourist location on Lake Ontario that was supposed to have been a special getaway spot for him and his near fiancee, but she broke up with him. Unfortunately, the place they were to stay has a no-refund policy, so he decided to take the romantic vacation by himself. Here, he meets Kelsey, and they fall into a surprisingly easy and empathy-provoking conversation. She is quite unlike any other woman he’s met, but that is an understatement! She’s not a woman but rather an undine. She has come from the Otherworld and only has a few days left on Earth before she must go back to her Realm because she has been unsuccessful in finding her soulmate. To remain on Earth, she needs to join with another soul.
Some writing in this was a little awkward, but still the author was able to convey the feelings of both of these characters convincingly. I can sense how Jason was at a true crossroads in his life, not only losing his girl but his job as well; it was fun to see him perk up and come alive in his discussions and interactions with Kelsey. For our heroine’s part, it was lovely to see her unfolding wonder as she began to realize that Jason had potential to be the one, first in his acceptance and understanding and then in his obvious growing affection. The author did an excellent job describing the scenes and the settings—I felt like I could visualize them—though I wished at the end that she had given a little more detail on the exact undine-soulmate process that had to take place. I think that could have been fascinating to read if it were like the other well-done descriptions. I loved that first scene with the pixie!
I felt like this story needs a little more conflict and tension because the middle was mostly just delightful scenes between the hero and heroine. Still, though, I did enjoy these characters and their story. I like that the author has a brief epilogue that shows how they fare.
Force Majeure by Ashley Barner and Jennifer Sanders
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Force Majeure*
Magical Quirky Cast… and Mystery
The book begins at the reading of the heroine’s grandfather’s will. She, her brother, and her sister are all his heirs, each getting a generous stipend from his business. But Hulda receives his house, which she silently understands means that she is to take over his position in the community—running a group of witches! But before things get too far, a storm forces an unlikely group of characters together.
The authors have done an excellent job of creating a cast of quirky characters. I have a hard time choosing which of the van Dusen siblings I like more. They’re each distinct and add a unique perspective to the twists and turns of the plot. Parts of this book felt very realistic, but it had a magical overlay that made it so much more than regular day-to-day life. I like how at the end the authors left so much open. What will be the next adventures for this group? I am interested in finding out.
Skarlit is No Fool by Isadora Brown
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Skarlit is No Fool*
Is the Danger from the Big, Bad Wolf?
Skarlit has been chosen as the one from her village to deliver medical supplies to a wealthy realm called Roses. It is said to be an honor, yet no one has ever returned from it alive. The only way to this realm is through a forest where a wolf lives that is believed to attack and kill the person sent. Skarlit knows all about the dangers because her grandmother was chosen four years ago and never returned. Skarlit does meet the wolf in the forest, but what happens to her there is just one of the surprises in this book.
If you read the first book in this series about Alice, you will be pleased to revisit Robin, Maryanne, and the Merry Men in this book. They provide a safe way station for Skarlit in the middle of the Emerald Forest.
The first part of the book and the underlying backstory did feel a bit derivative of The Hunger Games. It is also a twist on Little Red Riding Hood. I didn’t think that the premise was set up correctly. It just seemed unbelievable that the people in Skarlit’s village would continue to send people on the same path through dangerous woods when these people never came back. The author did state that going via the forest with the only way through, but if you have an understanding of typical geography, this seems unlikely. Or if it had to happen this way depending on topography, why wouldn’t the village set up some more protection than a single person going through the woods? If these supplies are so vital to Roses, why wouldn’t they give protection? Of course, some of this is answered at the very end of the novella, but the shaky setup made it hard for a suspension of disbelief. Some of the secrets that are revealed at the end are shocking, but they aren’t given any real basis in the early part of the story, so they don’t seem inevitable, as shocking moments in literature should be.
This novella is rather short and ends abruptly. I wonder how it actually all does turn out for Skarlit with her new reality and the new person that has become vital to it.
Shift of Destiny by Carol Van Natta
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
Shift of Destiny*
Danger for Woman Newly Coming into Her Power
Heroine Moira is on the run from a man who believes she has magical powers and wants to harness them. She doesn’t believe she has these powers. She chooses a small town in Wyoming as her destination. This little tourist town has secrets of its own; it is home to all manner of magical creatures who are able to hide themselves from the tourists by wearing a special charmed pendant that only shows what the wearer wants the non-magical person to see. Moira meets Chance on her first night, and the shifter handyman sees her to the place she will be staying. The book follows their blossoming romance and the attempts by more than one person to capture her.
I enjoyed the quirky little town that Moira ended up in. In fact, I wish more time was spent there as it was such a fun place to hang out with all the different types of magical beings present. I thought Chance was a good hero. He is a decent and kind person/shifter who is protective of those he cares about even if he has been a loner for much of his existence.
I was surprised at the level of profanity and crude words in this book, especially as the book went on. I just personally find this off-putting and distracting from a story. The book was mostly well edited, but I did find one peculiar fault, given that it was professionally edited—commas were used with compound predicates (verb phrases), and they don’t need to be.
If you enjoy shifter romance, you will most likely enjoy this book with a well-imagined world and well-drawn and sympathetic characters.
A New Witch in Town by Jenny Bankhead
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A New Witch in Town*
Paranormal Cozy is Missing Some Pieces
Lorna has inherited an English cottage from an old aunt. She decides to give up her job and no-good fiance in Tennessee and start a new life in England. The cast of quirky characters starts coming around the new place and introducing themselves. Lorna has barely settled in when a murder rocks the sleepy town of Tweed-upon-Slumber. Lorna’s inquisitive nature makes her want to help figure it out.
I was intrigued by the concept of the book. I love a good witchy paranormal cozy mystery. However, I was put off by several elements. There was quite a bit of head hopping, even just for brief moments. Occasionally, the author switched to an omniscient viewpoint, telling us things that the character couldn’t know or wouldn’t know yet. At the very outset, several things just didn’t ring true to me. They are tiny details, but enough to affect my suspension of disbelief. For instance, her aunt has only recently died, but the house is in total disarray with cobwebs, lots of dust everywhere, and rotting furniture. Even if it took Lorna a while to settle her affairs in the States and get to England, this doesn’t seem like it would be accurate; could the place get so bad so quickly. Another tiny quibble was that the author stated that Lorna only was given a small snack on her transatlantic flight; having just done one not too long ago, you usually do get a proper meal.
The book started with a bit of an informational dump about Lorna’s past and all that brought her to claim her inheritance in England. The parade of neighbors didn’t feel quite right either. Cozy mysteries definitely need to have a cast of quirky characters, but we’re not usually introduced to them one right after the other in one setting. Typically, the protagonist will meet someone around town or at an event. It almost felt like an information dump for characters!
Inexplicably, this cozy mystery takes place in the 1990s. I’m not sure why the author felt the need to make it happen that long ago. It was simply jarring when I first read the word “nineties” in relation to time. Before that, I had assumed it was contemporary, so I had to read that line more than once to understand the context of the word and that it’s a story that supposedly takes place twenty years ago.
Because of the odd setup on several points, I can’t fully recommend this book.
The Shadow Falls by K. S. Marsden
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Scribd, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
The Shadow Falls*
Not Alone in the World
After the decimation of the witch hunters at the end of the last book, Hunter is on his own and trying to learn more about his unique skills. He has vivid, detailed dreams of what his life with Sophie might have been or could possibly be. Hunter isn’t as alone as he thinks.
I read the three books in this trilogy in rapid succession. I found this book to be better paced than the last one. Hunter was much more active as opposed to being in waiting mode as he was in much of the previous book. I like the addition of the dream sequences; not only were they so different from what was actually going on, but it made you wonder if they were what could have been or what may yet come. I’m not sure if I’m 100% satisfied with the end. I do like some new characters that were added to this book; they had to be added after so many were lost in the last one. This book had some issues with grammar and punctuation, especially in the later part of the book. I also thought the text was strangely formatted, making it hard to read. Most fiction books are formatted with the first line of a paragraph indented while non-fiction books often have block paragraphs with visual space between them. Unfortunately, this book had block paragraphs with no spaces between them, making them appear to run all together, which was hard to read.
If you enjoyed the other books in this series, you would most likely appreciate the culmination of it.
Burned by J. K. Harper
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Burned*
Dragon Shifter Beauty and the Beast
I’ll admit that I love stories that are new takes on classic tales, so I was intrigued by this dragon-shifter adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. We meet the heroine, Teagan, as she’s bumbling her way through a swordplay class. She meets the hero, Ash, in the parking lot when she mistakenly thinks that he might be ready to attack her. Even though she only has a practice sword, she approaches him like a fiery warrior goddess protecting herself. Ash calms her down, and they start to have an interesting discussion, but when the wind blows his hood from his face, she sees his scars. She gasps, and he thinks that she’s just another one who can’t or won’t be able to see past his physical deformity.
What a delightful reimagining of Beauty and the Beast! Both Teagan and Ash have wounds, some interior and some exterior. I love how both of them were able to see past the physical right away. Poor Teagan has such self-esteem issues that she couldn’t see her unusual features as anything but ugly, but Ash could only see beauty. Teagan is smart, nerdy, and a little bit clumsy… and really quite endearing in her awkwardness, both verbal and physical. How can you not love a character who is so enamored with Queen Boadicea and ancient Ireland? And Ash, he truly believes himself to be unlovable, and I adored how the author had him wrestle with his inner dragon when confronted with this woman who could mean so much to them both.
If you enjoy retellings of classic stories with lots of heartfelt emotion and realistic, wounded characters, you might find this book a compelling, sweet (but steamy) read.
Thrilled by J. K. Harper
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Thrilled*
Rollicking Good Writing Style
We first meet Gabi, intrepid undersea explorer, who has found a wreck that promises to be a treasure find. Kai is a water dragon shifter who has been cursed by his dying mate: he’s not been able to touch their combined hoard until he finds true love again. Is this what Gabi has found? How can she see it and him, when she shouldn’t be able to do either?
The author’s writing style is delightful and easy to read. She has made two such clearly defined characters that their thoughts and actions leap off the page as being authentic. Gabi is full of life, exuberant, and dedicated to her job and her grandmother. At times, the book feels light and airy, while at other times we can understand and feel the pressures that both Gabi and Kai live under. There are humor and good banter, which I always love in any sort of romance.
This book is a part of a series, but it could be appreciated as a standalone. If you enjoy shifter romance with a strong heroine, a little steam, humor, and heart, you might find this a satisfying read.
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