Review:  Midlife Demon Hunter (Forty Proof 3 by Shannon Mayer

Rating: 2.75⭐️

I tried. I tried really hard. And I’ll get around eventually to writing my review for Midlife Fairy Hunter, book 2.

But this book, Midlife Demon Hunter is where I stop. With the series and the author. 

I’m done. 

And it’s not because there’s not some good elements here or creative aspects of the storytelling. But at its foundation, there’s some very problematic things that, imo, will keep me from going forward. 

They circle around how the main character of Bree, her perspective on ageism and gender, and her relationship with men. Specifically the men in her life here in the series. 

She’s in her forties but acts as though she’s someone who is in her sixties or seventies, viewing herself as elderly. Yet also excuses the “flirtatious/jump their bones “ way she interacts with men as due to her “hormones” acting up as though she’s in heat. Which is honestly offensive. Normal healthy (whatever you choose it to be) sexuality doesn’t seem to be part of the narrative here. 

Don’t get me started on that poor gay werewolf. That’s another issue here. 

Additionally, Bree is someone who, no matter what a man has done to her, against her, she’s excused their behavior and actions. This includes some really reprehensible actions. There’s three men, each of them have currently lied to her, been abusive physically and or mentally, and are involved in shady activities. But she’s highly aware and hot for them, physically engaging with them.

Here, Cody, who disappeared for a week without any communication (as has another one, Crash) reveals he’s the person responsible for her despicable ex-husband’s knowledge of the otherworld, which he then used to strip Bree of everything she had. But oh no, Bree says it’s not Cody’s fault. Even absolving Cody of his  abusive behavior towards her because he’s related to her ex. 

All this while cuddling. Just no. 

Between the ageism, the excuses for abusive behavior and seemingly continuous support of patriarchal values (Crash , the Fae blacksmith “saves” a female character by making her his slave), this is a series, character, and author that I can’t go forward with.

The problematic outweighs the good here. 

That might not be the case for everyone but it is for me. 

There are many other authors and series that have the same elements but without the issues I’ve found here. I’m working my way through those. 

The Forty Proof Series (9 book series):

Midlife Bounty Hunter #1

Midlife Fairy Hunter #2

Midlife Demon Hunter #3

Midlife Ghost Hunter #4

Midlife Zombie Hunter #5

Midlife Witch Hunter #6

Midlife Magic Hunter #7

Midlife Soul Hunter #8

Midlife Vampire Hunter #9

Buy link

        Midlife Demon Hunter: A Paranormal Women’s Fiction Novel (The Forty Proof Series Book 3)

    

Blurb 

Goblins and ghouls and magic, oh my! Hang tight to your britches, this laugh out loud adventure is about to light you up!

Ousted from the Hollows Group, the shadow world has officially taken notice of me.

With loan sharks sniffing around and knocking on my door, I need to figure out how my ex-husband pushed all his debt onto me, because it stinks of black magic and back alley dealings.

Until I can get some answers there, I distract myself with a new job—working for a goblin. The job is as simple as hiding some paperwork for him. Only . . . someone else wants what he gave me. And they are playing dangerously dirty to get what they want.

Throw in a lovesick bigfoot, a siren going through menopause, a demon next door, and two hot guys vying for my attention, and you’ve got my life in a nutshell.

Well, that is if you don’t count on Robert showing up and saving my bacon again. Which he has to, because this time . . .this time I’ve really put my foot in it.

Review: Last Boss Farm (Last Boss Farm Book 1) by Beatrix Penrose

Rating: 4⭐️

Beatrix Penrose is a recent discovery for me and I have found I absolutely love her range of characters and fiction stories, from lyrical storytelling to the entertainment found here in her cozy LitRPG fantasy tale. 

Last Boss Farm is a terrific novella, a fantasy LitRPG that’s heavily based in the game trope if you’re not familiar with the LitRPG genre. So character are known by their stats, gameplay levels and rules. 

However, Penrose has her characters decline to play by the rules and set their own course, a decision that is entertaining and makes for an engaging experience.

While short, the characters are well designed and easy to connect with. And become extremely fond of. I want more of them and where this series is taking them and us. 

It’s fun, quick and well crafted. 

Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys this type of fiction. 

Last Boss Farm (3 book series):

Last Boss Farm #1

The Stranger Problem #2

The Conditions #3

Love the covers.

Buy link

 Book 1 of 3: Last Boss Farm 

Blurb 

He built three apocalypses. He can’t fix the slime pen.

Malgrath the Undying was the World System’s greatest villain. Legendary designation. Maxed stats. Nine lives of civilisational ruin. When he finally decided he’d had enough, he didn’t go out in a blaze of glory — he filed retirement paperwork, bought a derelict monster sanctuary, and went to feed an injured wyvern.

The System is not handling this well.

Every morning, a new villain quest appears in his notification queue. Every morning, he presses DECLINE and goes to deal with whatever the slimes have escaped into this time. 

But the System doesn’t accept “retired” as a status, and it has options: a confused Hero dispatched to defeat him, a Villain Reassignment Officer sent to reclaim him, and an escalating stack of administrative notices that are becoming increasingly passive-aggressive.

None of this is as difficult as figuring out why the rosemary keeps dying.

Last Boss Farm is a LitRPG cozy fantasy about a man with maxed Intimidation stats and a C+ in Domestic Competency, a wyvern who steals lunch, cave trolls who build surprisingly good retaining walls, and a World System bureaucracy that is deeply, personally offended by someone refusing their role.

Perfect for fans of cozy fantasy, progression fiction, and stories where the most dangerous character is the one who has simply decided to stop.

April 21, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

43 pages

Book 1 of 3

Last Boss Farm

Review:  Flightless Afternoon: Ageless Mysteries – Book 5 by Vanessa Nelson 

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

Flightless Afternoon is the penultimate book and it’s hard knowing that this fantastic series is drawing to a close. Nelson’s complex story is pulling together, all the mysteries and deeply held secrets that link the Ageless to the various characters and agendas working against them. 

This has a murder of a character, a Ageless we were fond of, and pulls the previous investigations into areas and twists that, while not unexpected, still add up to a deeper history and greater understanding of the otherworldly nature of the universe here. 

Thea’s character continues to evolve into someone of strength and power. And her relationships, including that with her father, develop into something that expands into her new understanding and role.   

I like that that there’s no instant resolution of Thea’s long trauma, or the strained feelings in connection with her father. It’s a believable work in progress, to understand him and work through her childhood trauma. 

And her feelings towards her mother’s revelations. Also raw and emotional. 

Outstanding narrative work and a fantastic tale. Highly recommended. 

This is one of my favorite dark fantasy series. Not a romance.

Ageless Mysteries (6 book series):

 Deadly Night #1

False Dawn #2

Morning Trap #3

Assassin’s Noon #4

Flightless Afternoon #5

Ascension Day #6

Buy link 

 Book 5 of 6: Ageless Mysteries 

Blurb 

With one of their own dead, the ruling elite want answers. 

The unthinkable has happened. One of the Ageless has been killed, their body left in a public space, displayed for all to see.

The Archon is furious and threatens to burn the entire city, unless the person responsible is found and turned over to her for justice.

Thea March is called on to investigate again. As little as she wants to turn anyone over to the Archon, she also knows that the Ageless could burn the city to the ground and not care about the death and destruction they cause.

Working with Niath, can Thea find the person responsible for the Ageless’ death? And, if she finds them, can she bring herself to turn them over to the Archon?

Flightless Afternoon is the fifth book in the Ageless Mysteries series, and continues Thea’s story which started in Deadly Night.

If you like fantasy with magic and mystery, you will love this series. Get your copy of Flightless Afternoon today to continue Thea’s story.

Review:  Blood Code: Mahu Investigation #14: A Cutting-Edge Crime Thriller of Tech, Genetics, and Betrayal (Mahu Investigations) by Neil S. Plakcy

Rating: 4.5🌈

I’ve reading Neil S. Plakcy’s Mahu series since the beginning, where the tag line, was simply “Surfing detective Kimo Kanapa’aka uncovers crimes in the shadowy parts of the Aloha State.”

Mahu, book 1, which has since been reprinted and retitled 18 times that I can find, was originally published in August 15, 2005, when I first read it. 

What struck me then and is still now as applicable, is how great Plakcy is at pulling the reader deep into the Hawaiian island identity and culture. From the moment we meet Kimo Kanapa’aka, a police detective, and journey with him, the reader begins to hear the voices of the island. The colloquialisms, the gestures, and fluidity of the island sounds as Kimo interacts with everyone around him, be it family, friends, colleagues or those he’s arresting or investigating for cases.

Plakcy has an intimate connection with the people and places here, not just with the beaches and touristy areas but the back lots, off the track areas, and zones most aren’t familiar with. 

And as a reader who’s followed Kimo’s journey through his struggles with coming out in the first book and with the rejection of the traditional law enforcement community through his real shaky history with firefighter Mike, to finding themselves finally a HFN partnership as a family, with an adopted troubled teenager and shared parenting of twins. That’s decades of realistic daily life struggles amidst law enforcement cases and firefighter duties. And in-law problems. 

So here we are at Blood Code, book 14, Kimo and Mike are older, their children are older, and they are facing new challenges in their lives. 

So too is Hawaii. The use of AI here within the storyline, the setting down of pros and cons with  the Technological World (as relayed by a scientist here) and the views by those who have seen their work co-opted, is extremely current. And sure to stir up discussion.

The murder investigation is interesting, but I really loved being back in Kimo’s world again. The way the various people and races are portrayed, and the spiritually that’s woven into the land and the culture.

Can a reader come into this without having read the other books? Yes. But reading the other novels gives you such a rich history and foundation that I highly recommend it. 

Just remember that although it says that book 1 was published in 2018, that the latest edition and doesn’t accurately reflect the time period it was written in. That would be 2005. Yes , it makes a difference. 

Mahu Investigations (18 book series):

Mahu: Mahu Investigation #1: A Hawai‘i Crime Thriller of Identity, Murder, and Coming Out

Mahu Surfer #2

Mahu Fire #3

Mahu Vice #4

Mahu Blood #5

Zero Break #6

Natural Predators #7

Children of Noah #8

Ghost Ship #9

Deadly Labors #10

Soldier Down #11

Unruly Son #12

The Virgin Homicides #13

Blood Code #14

Accidental Contact #15

Mahu Investigations 1-3: 3 gay police procedural mysteries in Honolulu Book 16

Mahu 1-6: Six Full Gay Mystery Novels: Hawaiian Homicide with Aloha Flair (Mahu Investigations Book 17)

Buy link

 Book 14 of 18: Mahu Investigations 

Blurb 

A cutting-edge startup. A dead founder. And secrets that shouldn’t have been coded.

When tech entrepreneur Noah Kim is found murdered outside his Honolulu office, homicide detective Kimo Kanapa’aka and his partner Ray Donne are called in to investigate.

Kim’s company, Kahola.ai, promised to transform medical care for Pacific Islanders—blending artificial intelligence with traditional knowledge.

Now someone wants that work buried.

As Kimo digs into the world of startups, research labs, and competing interests, he uncovers a network of ambition, secrecy, and ethical lines pushed too far. What began as innovation may have crossed into something far more dangerous.

And someone is willing to kill to keep it hidden.

At home, the pressure is just as intense. When fire investigator Mike Riccardi is injured on the job, Kimo is left juggling the investigation with caring for their twelve-year-old twins—forcing him to confront what it truly means to be a parent, and how far he’ll go to protect his family.

As the case spirals from high-tech labs to deeply rooted Hawaiian traditions—and into the volatile landscape of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park—Kimo realizes the truth could change more than one life.

If he survives long enough to uncover it.

Samwise Books

Publication date

June 2, 2025

Edition

1st

Language

‎English

Print length

280 pages

Book 14 of 18

Mahu Investigations

Review: Managing the Vampire’s Mansion (Magiford Supernatural City story) by K. M. Shea

 

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I was absolutely delighted to see K.M. Shea’s new book in the Magiford Supernatural City universe, Managing the Vampire’s Mansion.

It’s a fantastically entertaining read, and the main character of Abi is absolutely endearing. I loved watching Abi slowly embed herself into the community around her and into Beckett’s undead life, changing and challenging him to do better. 

And the surprise crossover characters was amazing and great in every aspect of the storyline. And each one made me want to go back and read their series again.

There’s a mystery and investigation involved here that will pull various elements of the community together that’s very well crafted. And a hilarious bit from the gnome group that wants Beckett to do things for them and has a special way of asking. 

The love aspect I thought was rushed but the relationship was built really solidly, through believable interactions and genuine friendship. With some help from special fae tea. 

The author has said that this is a standalone and that other characters in this small lakeside town will have their stories told.  I look forward to reading every one. 

Definitely recommend reading this and the other series in the universe.

Cover Art by Melody Simmons

Magiford Supernatural City is a registered trademark of K. M. Shea LLC.  

Related Series Magiford Supernatural City universe series-all fabulous:

Magiford Supernatural City (5 books)

Gate of Myth and Power (3 book series)

Hall of Blood and Mercy (3 book series)

Magic on Main Street (3 book series)❤️

Court of Midnight and Deception (3 book series)❤️

Buy link

https://www.amazon.com/K-M-Shea/e/B005ANPMZU/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Blurb 

Starting over as a house manager in a charming small town sounded perfect. Until my new boss turned out to be a vampire. 

After burning myself out at my corporate career, I take a job managing a mansion in a picturesque tourist town to reset my life.

The house is historic. The town is charming. The locals are welcoming. And, as I accidentally discover, my unfairly handsome employer, Beckett Kinge, is a vampire in hiding.

Beckett prefers order, privacy, and absolutely no supernatural mishaps.

Unfortunately for both of us, a rogue vampire is attacking the locals. The same people who have been nothing but nice to me. As attacks escalate and secrets unravel, staying uninvolved is no longer an option.

And somehow the only person who steps up to find the vampire is me—the mansion manager with poor people skills who knows absolutely nothing about supernaturals. 

At least… I think I’m the only one working this case. But somewhere between tracking a killer and trying not to die, I realize Beckett isn’t just protecting his secret. He’s protecting me. And that might be far more dangerous for my emotional well-being. 

Regardless, the rampaging vamp has to be found, or no one in town will be safe. Not even me.

This stand alone cozy urban fantasy story is set in the same world as the Magiford Supernatural City trilogies, but is located in a different (real life!) town in Wisconsin. If you’re searching for a stand alone story with cast of characters that will make you laugh while they try to solve a mystery and muddle with the supernatural, pre-order this book today

April 24, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

271 pages

Review:  Warlock’s Menace: Magical Usage Council Misadventures Book 1 by MJ May

Rating: 4.5🌈

MJ May is one of those authors whose books and enlarging universe get keeps getting better and more intriguing with every new addition. 

First, May introduces us to the fabulous world of the Perfect Pixies, which wasn’t frankly all that wonderful but full of past trauma and a series plot of enormous horror and unimaginable violence. One that carries over subtly into the next series. We meet incredible characters and their moving stories. 

Then it’s the next series.Necromancer Tales, where a character we’ve met, Erasmus Holland, the son of a human woman and one of the world’s most powerful warlock, Nikodemus Holland, gets his story told.   It’s a fantastic tale of family, magical creatures, deathly powers and an unexpected path to a great loving relationship with a police detective. 

And many of the fantastic characters will cross over into this series, because of the intense storylines, the interconnected plots that the author continues to weave together throughout this universe, and how each of them are part of each other’s lives now. 

Warlock’s Menace starts with Nikodemus returning home from Erasmus and Franklin’s wedding. That’s his necromancer son from the series and his detective SIL. And the warlock has picked up an unexpected surprise from the wedding. 

Well, not unexpected for anyone who read that last book. Because we’ve been waiting for this. 

The Kitsune, Hikaru, who is a tragic character, has taken a very serious interest in Nikodemus. Why is a great element of the story and magical world. 

The magic that surrounds the warlock and the usage is revealed and seen from Hikaru’s perspective, which makes him even stronger a character. 

The plot, or plots are again tied to various events and other aspects of the world, this is simply one angle that will be explored by May. Its suspense filled, emotional and so well written.

I absolutely adore the way the characters were allowed to build their relationship. And bring in other characters too that Nikodemus usually isn’t well acquainted with. 

It’s just another fantastic story and great start into expanding on this outstanding universe. Can’t wait to see more.

Cover design by cheriefox.

Connected Series starting with the first:

Perfect Pixie Series (5 book series)

Necromancer Tales (4 book series) 

Magical Usage Council Misadventures:

Warlock’s Menace #1 -Nikodemus Holland and Hikaru 

Buy link

 Book 1 of 1: Magical Usage Council Misadventures 

Blurb 

Warlock Nikodemus Holland is a master of his craft. Arrogant, powerful, and reserved, Nikodemus is the epitome of a warlock in every way save one—his love and commitment to his necromancer son, Erasmus Boone.

Hikaru is a seven-tailed kitsune still mourning the loss of his eighth tail and the betrayal that took it from him. Crafty, mischievous, and easily bored, Hikaru needs a distraction, and he needs it now. Lucky for him, he’s found the perfect candidate in a handsome and stuffy warlock. Hikaru just knows he’ll be oh-so-good for his Niki.

Returning from his son’s wedding, Nikodemus has acquired an unwanted tagalong kitsune that he just can’t shake. Walking through his front door, Nikodemus discovers Hikaru is the least of his worries when he finds a letter from the Warlock Council informing him that they’re investigating damning allegations and threatening to bind Nikodemus’s powers if he’s found guilty.

Someone’s been tampering with Nikodemus’s charms, turning them deadly. Nikodemus has no idea what the Warlock Council’s endgame is or what it has to do with the struggling Magical Usage Council. What he does know is that he’ll be damned if he sits back and allows himself to be framed, or worse, his loved ones threatened. Oddly enough, that category has expanded to include an ornery kitsune.

If pressed too far, the Warlock Council won’t just have a livid warlock to contend with, but the unleashed fury of a smitten kitsune. Nikodemus’s enemies are about to learn the word menace isn’t always an endearing sentiment but can be a vicious threat.

Warlock’s Menace is a mm supernatural fantasy/mystery. Expect to find arrogant warlocks (some with redeeming qualities and some sadly lacking), a mischievously ornery kitsune who is confident he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to Warlock Nikodemus Holland, an off the morality rails Warlock Council, seven fox tails that don’t know the meaning of personal space, misbehaving charms, the satisfaction proper payback brings, and HEA’s.

Warlock’s Menace is the first in the Magical Usage Council Misadventures series and is meant for adult readers. Each book will concentrate on a different couple. This is a spin off of the Necromancer series. While characters from this series are mentioned and/or make occasional appearances, one does not have to have read the Necromancer series to enjoy Warlock’s Menace.

March 19, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

331 pages

Book 1 of 1

Magical Usage Council Misadventures

Review: The Lighthouse Keeper’s Last Letter by Beatrix Penrose

Rating: 5⭐️ plus 

It was the description and cover that led me to this incredible book, one of those stories that stick with you, a novel that you tuck into pockets and journeys with you, wherever you go. 

I only recently discovered Beatrix Penrose but it still didn’t prepare me for the quiet lyrical truth and beauty of her writing here.  The depths of the narrative and characters found in a tale that is only 58 pages long. But feels like a long dive into a whole world and people we know. 

Luminous. That’s an excellent way to describe this. The journey of Sylvie Carr to a lighthouse at the edge, a small cottage, and something remarkable. 

“And then, one Tuesday in March, she had sat down at her desk and looked at the morning’s work — a collection of correspondence from a Victorian engineer, carefully bundled and awaiting description — and found that she could not begin. Not because the work was uninteresting. Because something in her had simply stopped, the way a watch stops, without drama or announcement, somewhere between one tick and the next.”

Archivist Sylvie Carr takes leave of absence. And through a series of unlikely circumstances, ends up at a decommissioned lighthouse inherited by her Aunt Rosalind. 

I have read this three times now and have found different elements that delight me or aspects of the story that I hadn’t thought of before that digs deep.

I love it so much. It’s books and discoveries like this that make me love reading and uncovering new authors! New find added to my hoard!

Buy link

The Lighthouse Keeper’s Last Letter

Blurb 

When Sylvie Carr, a burned-out archivist, inherits a decommissioned lighthouse on the North Yorkshire coast, she finds a letter on the mantelpiece addressed to her — written in 1947, before she was born.

The ghost of Callum Stroud has been keeper of Dunmore Light for over a century. In life, he wrote hundreds of letters to people in grief, people at crossroads, people who needed a fixed point in the dark. But seven letters he could never finish. Seven people he couldn’t find the words for. And until those letters are complete, he cannot rest.

Sylvie is an archivist. She has spent her career preserving what others made and said and felt. Now, at the edge of the land and the sea, she finally has something of her own to keep.

A warm, quietly luminous story about letters, lighthouses, and the people who stay at the edge of things.

Set in the same world as The Bookshop at the Edge of the Afterlife.

April 16, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

58 pages

Review:  Skulls and Sunlit Secrets (The Haunted Ranch Mysteries Book 7) by Sara Bourgeois 

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries is my first dive into the writings of Sara Bourgeois but I just love what she’s accomplishing here with her characters, location and overall mystical aesthetic.

Skulls and Sunset is one of the best books in the series so far, combining the all the great elements of the series and the haunting emotional aspects of the story into one beautifully crafted tale of motherhood and obsessive love. 

This novel moves Claire’s powers and abilities forward as well as resolves a previous storyline about that huge dark mysterious creature that’s seen flying over the desert in the past story.

But the anchor of this tale is the human being who has lost her life. One we meet briefly and yet immediately becomes someone we know and identify with. Amelia Sanders, so happy and bright. 

That’s what is so impressive about this author is her capacity to make a character have such impact on the reader and story in such a short time. Like Amelia does. We are heavily invested in Claire’s investigation and want to know what happened.

 

It’s a heartbreaking mystery, with absorbing side stories to go along with it. And the ending is just as it should be, poignant and moving. 

I love this series and story. It’s not a standalone. Each builds upon the previous one .

Highly recommended! Excellent read!

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries (8 book series)

Death Rides The Desert #1

Bones and Cactus Blooms #2

Spirits of the Saguaro #3

Tombstones with a View #4

Body Beneath the Wither #5

Death Waits at Dead Rock #6

Skulls and Sunlit Secrets #7

The Bone Charm #8

Buy link

 Book 7 of 8: The Haunted Ranch Mysteries 

Blurb 

Everyone in Perdido Springs was looking up when Amelia Sanders died.

A total solar eclipse has turned the little desert town into a tourist destination, and Claire Caldwell just wants to survive the weekend without someone asking if her ranch does birthday parties. But when the moon covers the sun, Claire sees things the darkness reveals… creatures, pathways, and the outline of something vast moving through a world layered on top of her own.

Then the light returns. Amelia is dead outside the bar. The sheriff calls it a scorpion sting. Her friends call it impossible. A massive owl that shouldn’t exist keeps circling a house on the edge of town. And Claire is starting to realize that the murder and the owl might have nothing to do with each other, which means she has two problems, not one.

April 20, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

198 pages

Book 7 of 8

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries

Review: Midlife Bounty Hunter (Forty Proof #1) by Shannon Mayer 

Rating: 4⭐️

I throughly enjoyed Shannon Mayer’s Midlife Bounty Hunter story about a divorced woman trying to earn money to save her house from her ex husband’s lawyers and earn a living. As a paranormal investigator/bounty hunter in Savannah, Georgia. 

She’s of Irish descent, deeply so as she calls her ex “Himself”, and the fact that she’s Irish is a big deal here for other characters. It seems to be an important component of the series magic that’s playing out. 

She had an abusive relationship with her ex husband, to the point he had her hospitalized in a mental institution because she saw the otherworldly beings. He didn’t.  Instead of fighting the abuse, she gave in. I’ll let this part of the story to the reader.

Fast forward to the present. He’s had his lawyers take everything possible from her in the divorce, including the house her grandmother left her.  This aspect of the divorce is a huge part of the series. 

She’s in debt, wants her house back, and is in her late 40’s. But also she’s got her magic back, her past defense training and is, for all her trauma, very competent with certain things like guns and knives. Not a pushover. So she’s likable and very engaging as a person. 

Except that Shannon Mayer has some very odd ideas about women’s bodies and ages. This was written in 2020, but for all the attitude on ageism it might be written in the 50’s or 60’s. She sees a woman in her mid forties as being middle aged, someone barely creaking along. A crone. 

Shannon Mayer writes as if the character being 40ish years old is someone headed for the grave instead of a woman who is at a great age, especially these days where this is a fabulous time of life. Fifty is more accurate to be called middle aged and still people are working, active and motivated to do more than ever before. This has her sounding like she’s ready for aged care.

“If I’d learned anything at the ripe old age of forty-one, it was that no dream could last forever, and no man can save you from yourself.

“Score one for the old broad.”

Its quotes like this for the entire book. Had she made Breena in her 50’s, this might have been a tad more accurate. Or not. I have seen some 50ish women in yoga that would make many people cry. 

Shannon Mayer, do better. Hint, she doesn’t in fact do better in the rest of the series. 

The plot is great. Fantastic twists and surprises, with characters personalities and where the reader believes they stand in the storyline. That’s a huge plus for me. It it looks to continue as the “baddies” are exposed for who they are. 

Ageism aside, and it’s a definite factor here, the book and character is great. And I’m going forward with it and her. 

The Forty Proof Series (9 book series):

Midlife Bounty Hunter #1

Midlife Fairy Hunter #2

Midlife Demon Hunter #3

Midlife Ghost Hunter #4

Midlife Zombie Hunter #5

Midlife Witch Hunter #6

Midlife Magic Hunter #7

Midlife Soul Hunter #8

Midlife Vampire Hunter #9

Buy link

 Book 1 of 9: The Forty Proof Series 

Blurb 

When divorce comes your way, don’t let the ex get you down. Get ready for a whole new laugh-out-loud adventure. Because life is just beginning . . . as a midlife bounty hunter of the supernatural! Now a COMPLETED series! 

  • # 1 in Women’s Fantasy Fiction!
  • #1 in Fantasy & Futuristic Romance
  • # 1 New releases Werewolf and Shifter Romance

One day I’m married, living in Seattle, and magic isn’t real. The next, I’m divorced and living in the guest room of my ex’s hotter- than-sin cousin’s place in Savannah . . . and talking to an animated skeleton named Robert.

I have to admit, Robert isn’t my worst date.

At forty-one, I didn’t think I’d be starting over. But I’ll be damned if my ex thinks I’m down and out because he pulled a fast one on me.

When a job comes my way that offers me a chance to use my childhood training in the shadow world, I take it—I need the money more than I care about my sanity.

It’s dangerous.

I have to embrace the magic and dark of my past.

And I need Advil to keep me going.

But those who’d hold me back better sit up and take notice, because a new woman is in town, and she’s not about to be counted out by anyone.

Even if she does groan when she rolls out of bed in the morning.

Hijinks Ink Publishing

Publication date

February 16, 2020

Language

‎English

Print length

340 pages

Book 1 of 9

The Forty Proof Series

Review: Magical Midlife Dating (Leveling Up #2) by K. F. Breene 

Rating: 4.5⭐️

“Maybe we’d all had a fire inside us, clawing to get out, and we’d kept it at bay to fit into someone else’s mold of what we should be as women.” – Jessie

Other people have marked this quote and it’s because it’s impactful. To Jessie, the woman still navigating her way through the shambles of her life after the divorce left her homeless, her base of security and family gone in her middle age. 

She packed up and moved cross country to a small remote village that she visited with her friend as a child. Now she’s a caretaker of a sentient magical mansion, got powers she needs to learn to control, and an enormous universe of paranormal beings that are increasingly interested in her and Ivy House. 

Every aspect of Jessie, her character and emotional challenges is beautifully crafted. She stumbles, fights, figures things out, asks for help. She’s a very real, believable woman.

And the way the author builds up the need for not only Jessie but for Austin, Niahm, Mr. Tom, Edgar and the rest of the crew here to find their own places in the new order being established and help Jessie develop? So remarkable and layered emotionally. 

I’m so looking forward to Jessie further exploring this new role and coming into her own in Ivy House, scary dolls and all. 

Fabulous storytelling. 

Leveling Up (13 book series):

Magical Midlife Madness #1

Magical Midlife Dating #2

Magical Midlife Invasion #3

Magical Midlife Love #4

Magical Midlife Meeting #5

Magical Midlife Challenge #6

Magical Midlife Alliance #7

Magical Midlife Flowers #8

Magical Midlife Battle #9

Magical Midlife Awakening #10

Magical Midlife Rescue #11

Magical Midlife Rogue #12

Magical Midlife Conclave #13 – Nov 12,2026

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        Magical Midlife Dating: A Paranormal Women’s Fiction Novel (Leveling Up Book 2)

    

Blurb 

She must learn to fly, but can she withstand the allure of the handsome new teacher?

The decision has been made. Jessie has taken the magic, and all the weird that goes with it. Including wings. There’s only one problem – she can’t figure out how to access them.

Through a series of terrible decisions, Jessie realizes she must ask for help. Gargoyle help.

But she could’ve never predicted who answers her call – he’s an excellent flier, incredibly patient, and a good trainer. He’s also incredibly handsome. And interested. Maybe flying isn’t the only thing she needs help with. Maybe she needs help getting back on that saddle, too, emerging into the dating pool.

Except, the new gargoyle is also an alpha, just like Austin, and the town isn’t big enough for two.

Turns out, flying is the least of her problems.  

date

August 11, 2020

Language

‎English

Print length

468 pages

Book 2 of 13

Leveling Up