Category: Paranormal adventures,

Review:  Sweet Blood (At First Bite #1) by Lola Glass 

Rating: 3.75⭐️

Sweet Blood (At First Bite #1) by Lola Glass is the first book by this author I’ve read and it’s got several interesting elements about it. 

The first story in a paranormal fated mate’s romance murder mystery series, it has a different take on vampire and shifters than I’ve seen before. 

Here in this universe, vampires are a much weaker species. There was a paranormal war and werewolves came out on top. They now are the ones that have the political power over everyone, including humans who have the same feelings about the few remaining vampires as they do. 

Those vampires who survived, remain hidden among them by using contacts and other forms of camouflage to prevent them from being “outed” as vampires. 

All very opposite to the norm of the genre. 

The lack of strength, ability to walk in sunlight. That’s not exactly explored here. 

The main female character is a vampire who is, of course, hiding her species identity, while working in a high level job in an important werewolf company. 

Bloom, the vampire assistant to a non paranormal director, is the immediate suspect, when one of the other employees is found dead, a victim of a vampire attack. The king of werewolves, Maverick, has her arrested and held after biting her, determining she is a vampire.

This aspect of the story was something I thought needed more attention. No police, just held and moved by the wolves to a cell and “convicted” until proven innocent. 

Any foundation for this isn’t given until much later. And then there’s still no information about any separation between police and the werewolves themselves. And a real legal legitimate framework. I found that missing totally. 

The base is a tenuous fated mate relationship being established between vampire Bloom and King Maverick. He’s insistent upon it. She’s not so sure. Her family? Absolutely not. His own species? Mixed bag. 

Meanwhile, bodies are falling. There’s a heinous plot to be investigated and Bloom’s best childhood friend is in serious trouble. 

Many storylines. And actually one of the best relationships here is that of Bloom and Harper, her best friend who is featured in the second book and mystery.

It’s not a lack of interesting characters and storylines or elements here but maybe follow through. I found myself flipping through pages of spicy sex trying to figure out plots and story arcs that were under explored and required further development. Only to discover that there wasn’t really any other information. 

Another person mentioned that there’s other books and series about vampire/shifter fated mates from this author that exist in the same universe. Maybe some further world building exists there.

I’m at least going to read the second book.  See how the mystery unfolds there. 

If you enjoy paranormal fated mates romance, here is a different take on the trope. 

At First Bite:

Sweet Blood #1

Wolf Blood #2

Same universe:

Wildwood (3 book series)

Buy link

 Book 1 of 2: At First Bite 

Blurb 

A werewolf showed up to investigate a murder in my office building—then bit me, and accused me of being the killer.

When I’m proven innocent, he admits the truth:

We’re soulmates.

Unfortunately for both of us, I’m a vampire. Our people are mortal enemies, so we have no choice but to ignore the connection we share until it eventually fades.

The only problem?

His instincts won’t let him walk away, and he isn’t trying to fight them.

When I’m nearly offed by the murderer myself, all bets are off.

My werewolf will take out the killer and make me his… or we’ll both die trying.

*This is a spicy enemies to lovers romance with a happily ever after

June 24, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

522 pages

Book 1 of 2

At First Bite

Review: ABBY, SKYLAR, AND GWYN’S AWESOME APPRENTICESHIP ADVENTURES (Jon’s Mysteries and Mack’s Marvelous Manifestations Short Stories ) by AJ Sherwood 

Rating: 3🌈

This group of 3 short stories is a bit of a mixed bag to be honest. Centered around the teenage characters from AJ Sherwood’s Jon’s Mysteries and Mack’s Marvelous Manifestations series they range from problematic to interesting.

Spoilers:

I didn’t expect this, especially considering such cool characters to work with. 

AITA for Telling My Friend She’s Being Cheated On? This is the story I have major concerns about. Abby, and Skylar are both high school students with powerful magical abilities. One being able to read people. See relationships, health issues. In this case it’s that a friend is being cheated on. Fine. But it’s not the issue. 

The boy is not well liked. Nor is the girl who he’s having the other relationship with. Again not the problem. Although not handled well. 

The issue? Abby reads that the other girl is pregnant, a fact she doesn’t realize herself. Nor does he. 

All extremely serious, private sensitive information. Want to guess how it’s going to be handled? Yep announced to those involved by Abby at school. With no adults present until much later. 

Nowhere is there any discussion on ethics or ramifications of this matter.  We all know how deadly high school is.  None of this matters.  Abby has outed the cheaters. 

This was almost a DNF moment. 

The rest was just ok. Honestly after that. I was done.

The second story saw Gwyn settling in and the third was about ghostly call that went sideways. 

But that first? Nope. Poorly executed and not well executed. 

Where’s the ethics here? 

No recommendations.

Cover by Katie Griffin

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comAbby, Skylar, and Gwyn’s Awesome Apprenticeship Adventures …

Blurb 

Have a Mack’s Horribly Hellacious Ghost Town hangover and need more? Here are three new short stories featuring the apprentices from Jon’s Mysteries and Mack’s Marvelous Manifestations! Each story is about a first of some kind, learning moments for the girls.

Note: Gwyn was introduced in Mack’s Horribly Hellacious Ghost Town. It is recommended you read that book first, but it’s not necessary.

AITA for Telling My Friend She’s Being Cheated On?

One of Jon’s first lessons to me had been to mind my own business. He’d stressed to me that life would be better for me all around if I kept everything to myself unless someone asked for information. Or unless the situation called for me to reveal that secret.

I, uh, had no idea which heading this fell under.

All in the Family

I think anyone in my shoes would be nervous. I was meeting people who would be in my life for years to come. People who didn’t have to like me. Brandon and Mack assured me it’d be fine, that everyone in their family was easygoing and I’d become part of the family, but still. My own parents didn’t like me. How could I expect anyone else to?

First Time for Everything

Lazy Saturday morning with nothing to do? Check.

Unexpected ghosts needing passing? Check.

Being attacked by a ghost without Mack around to help? Uh…help?!

Tags:
apprentices, short stories, side stories, BAMF girls, milestones, ghosts, energy reading, AITA, found family, chosen family, F/F romance, psychics, bonds, Gwyn does her first exorcism, Eli

Review:  The Rut in the Road (Beyond the Veil #11) by K. M. Avery

Rating: 4.5🌈

Rayn’s journey has been one of the most haunting, and tormented of all of the characters to date in this immersive paranormal world where an Arcana virus swept across the world altering the human landscape forever. A large portion of the world’s population perished, others were left altered by the virus, becoming orcs, witches, weres of various species, zombies, vampires and other otherworldly beings. Quickly consigned to hospitals, or institutions or worse when society and families couldn’t accept them or the virus transitions were physically agonizing and long to take hold. 

By book 11, Humans only rights groups, not just the extremists, are fighting to remove the rights the Nids have gained. It sounds very familiar. And the fear and ugly hate groups, the crimes against the Nids going unpunished, is so well written that it feels lifted from events today. 

Rayn,older and working as a touch psychic in alongside Ward and Mason in BTV is still very much the under socialized, on the spectrum person he’s been even as he’s developed physically.  His childhood, and its accompanying deep trauma and abuse along with his lack of knowledge of his own powers, still makes Rayn an introverted, emotionally awkward person. He’s trying to get people to accept him as adult and not as a fragile little traumatized boy most who know his history see him as. 

Avery’s crafting of Rayn is immaculate, he is real in his skin, his efforts to navigate through the communication blocks and issues between Raj and himself are emotionally tough and difficult and feel absolutely credibly raw.  Hart plays a great supporting role here, once again revealing himself to be a fine, intelligent caring man. 

Raj has been a strong presence in the series and his involvement with Rayn starts in the previous book. But the issues between him and Rayn have been building and his extraordinary overprotective nature is a huge problem. 

It’s addressed and seems to be an aspect that he needs to work through. Do I believe that it’s resolved? Not sure. I never know with Avery, maybe it is or maybe it isn’t. There’s one more book in Rayn’s trilogy and the human only faction element has just gotten more complicated and suspenseful by the end of this very amazing story. 

I highly recommend reading it but it’s not something that you can read by itself. Each one should be read in the order that it was written for characters and overall plot development. 

Amazing series and fantastic characters. One of the best paranormal group of storylines I’ve read. Certainly one that has the most impact on current events.

Series couples to date (not standalone and have to be read in the order they are written):

Highly recommended. 

Beyond the Veil Series : 

💀Ward’s story (1-3): 

The Ghost in the Hall 

The Boy in the Locked Room 

The Skeleton Under the Stairs. 

💀Hart’s story (4-6): 

The Dog in the Alley 

The Bones in the Yard 

The Elf Beside Himself 

💀Seth’s story (7-9): 

The Turning of the Tables 

The Badger in his Burrow 

The Past in the Present 

💀Rayn’s Story (10-12) 

The Diamond in the Rough 

The Rut in the Road 

The Rock and the Hard Case (coming 2026) 

💀Dan’s Story (13-15) Coming 2026-2027

Buy link 

 Book 11 of 11: Beyond the Veil 

Blurb 

I was finally getting my life together—I had a job, a boyfriend, was working on my college degree, and was learning to control both my magic and my psychic abilities. I’d reconnected with my sister and I was starting to think that I might actually be able to have something approaching a healthy adult life, even if it wasn’t going to be an even remotely normal one.

And then I hit a rut in the road.

Or, rather, people started hitting other people. What started as a single hit-and-run had become several of them, all targeting Arcanids, and I was being asked to get into the mind of the killer… although I’m starting to think that maybe there’s more than one. Tracking one killer is hard enough, but when you think there might be several, things get a lot messier.

Especially when your boyfriend is a federal agent who just got called in to take over the case. It’s the first time we’ve worked together since we started dating, and it’s definitely taking a toll. I don’t want to have to choose between keeping him and solving the murders.

July 30, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

430 pages

Book 11 of 11

Beyond the Veil

Review:  The Bone Charm (The Haunted Ranch Mysteries #8) by Sara Bourgeois 

Rating: 4.75⭐️

The Bone Charm brings the beautifully written paranormal mystery series , The Haunted Ranch Mysteries by Sara Bourgeois to a heartwarming, richly satisfying conclusion. 

Through 8 books, nine of you count the prequel, Claire’s development starting from a woman who has fled failures in her life back in Chicago, fired from her job and dumped by her fiancé to arrive in a small town in Arizona and a ranch left to her by a aunt.

Slowly she’s accepted that the dusty, weird town of Perdido Springs and her desert life out on Whispering Saguaro Ranch is where she belongs. The ranch becomes an animal sanctuary in odd scenarios, each a memorable character themselves and, the ranch is inhabited by ghosts, fully realized and completely a part of Claire’s life and the series. 

Each book has a murder mystery, the casualty one that leaves a wound upon the community in multiple ways. Physically and emotionally and metaphysically damaging the magic that surrounds the desert and town. 

That happens here. 

The townspeople, like Buddy Kern feel incredibly real, as part of the landscape that the author describes so realistically and with such great detail.  They’re believable in their crustiness and weariness from the everyday realities of ranch life in the heat of the desert. 

And don’t get me started on how much I love Oso the livestock guardian dog lost in his grief while still watching his flock. 

The thoughtful investigation, the way the case was resolved, both of them, because there was several aspects to this particular murder mystery that needed to be finalized. 

And Sara Bourgeois brought Clair’s journey to a close with her role being tied to her land and town in a way that makes sense. She’s grown and become grounded, by her ranch, the animals, the land itself. And her magic has evolved as she has.

The end acknowledges her journey, her growth, and her future there. It’s all tied up together beautifully. And I’ve feel so thrilled and happy for this series to end like this.

One of my favorites.  Highly recommended. As is the author. 

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries (8 book series)

Last Call in Chicago #0.5 prequel 

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 8 of 8: The Haunted Ranch Mysteries 

Blurb 

Claire Caldwell’s life at Whispering Saguaro Ranch is never quiet. Between escape-artist goats, a rooster with a personal grudge against her wedding ring, and a spirit fox who disappears every night on business of his own, she’s learned to expect trouble in feathers, fur, or both.

Then Socorro Vega, the elderly herb seller from the farmers market, is found dead on a desert trail.

The county blames the heat. Claire might have believed them if she hadn’t gone to rescue Socorro’s goats and her grieving Great Pyrenees, Oso. One touch of a carved bone charm in Socorro’s kitchen shows Claire what really happened. A dark room. Hands pressed over an old woman’s face. A desperate voice begging her to sign a piece of paper.

Plenty of people wanted what Socorro owned. Her forty acres include one of the last live springs in a drying valley. Her handmade charms are worth a fortune to the right collector. Even her closest relative has debts he can’t outrun. Unfortunately, the sheriff has already closed the case, and visions from a dead woman’s necklace aren’t evidence.

While Claire and her friends search for something they can prove, Perdido Springs begins coming apart in ways no one can explain. Animals panic without cause. Lights wander through the cemetery. Ghostly cowboys flee into the desert. Socorro wasn’t simply gathering herbs all those years. She was tending a hidden boundary around the town, and her murder left part of it wide open.

Finding Socorro’s killer is only the beginning. If Claire can’t finish the work Socorro died protecting, whatever is pressing against that broken boundary may soon find its way through.

July 28, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

154 pages

Book 8 of 8

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries

Review: Neverthorn (Of Quirks and Curses Book 1) By Shannon Mayer

Rating: 4⭐️

Shannon Mayer is a hit or miss writer for me. Some stories I think she writes are just wonderful, well plotted with amazing characters. Then there’s those books I find have terrific points and elements but include one or two aspects of the story that make me put it down, permanently.

Neverthorn, the first book of Of Quirks and Curses series by Shannon Mayer, is a bit of both. Mayer’s previous dark urban fantasy academy thriller, Shadowspell (2021) is amazing. Now comes Neverthorn, Of Quirks and Curses, it’s not a YA novel although there’s some similarities. 

It has some really interesting elements about it. Starting immediately with Harlow, a 29 year old magical thief, who, along with her younger non-magical sister, is dragged unwillingly back to Neverthorn Academy, a place she left and swore never to return to. 

As with these urban fantasy academy mystery series, the main character gathers together a group of misfits around her. This time it’s another group of older people, thrown together into a magical House, who’ve come from a variety of normal lifestyles outside of the magical life because they sucked at magic.

This is a great element. A group of adults brought back to an academy for purposes unknown, most of them with “weak magic “, who were bullied when they were younger there. 

I loved watching them gell as a group, definitely a “us vs them” atmosphere. But with such a fantastic plot element, Mayer has a hard time hanging onto the characters ages and writing them as credible adults of 29 and older.  More and more, their personalities start to present as younger than they should be.  They soon feel like early 20’s, if that. And an interesting plot idea is being lost.

The School is certainly harsh as is its situation. The scenes are laid out in rich detail and the darkness of the magic of the villain is spookily drawn into the narrative. Very well executed. 

However for every nice twist that’s revealed, there’s a major plot or storyline that’s been easily telegraphed by Mayer’s execution so that the reader can see who is actually the villain (wink, wink) and how the entire series will play out without needing to read it. It’s just that heavy handed.   

I’m going to because I’m sure there’s some interesting twists along the journey. But yes, I have to say I have a good idea of how it will go down. And if you have read enough of these books, you’ll see it too. 

It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. 

And the second book is out so the reader can head immediately forward to the how it’s resolved. 

I’m recommending it because it’s still enjoyable to read. 

Of Quirks and Curses (2 book series)

Neverthorn #1

Heathermoor #2

Buy link

 Book 1 of 2: Of Quirks and Curses 

Blurb 

In a realm where magic reigns, a legendary Hero once stood against the encroaching darkness. But with his death, hope dwindled, and the best the world can muster is Harlow Daygon—a thief, magic school dropout, and notorious troublemaker.

At nearly thirty, Harlow can’t even cast a simple rune without blundering it. So why does anyone think she can take up the mantle of Hero? Reluctantly, she’s dragged back to Neverthorn Academy with seven former classmates, tasked with training to confront and defeat the Villain of their world.

But the challenges are stacked against her:

Professor Hot-As-Sin makes it clear she’s a failure.

Professor Used-To-Be-A-Mean-Girl has a vendetta.

And lurking in her past is a secret so dark it could reveal she’s not the Hero the world needs—but the next Villain.

With fate hanging in the balance, can Harlow embrace her destiny before the shadows claim her?

Hijinks Ink Publishing

Publication date

July 22, 2025

Language

‎English

Print length

529 pages

Review:  A Witch’s Legacy (Drakethorn Legal Book 1) by Michael Anderle and Isabel Campbell

Rating: 3⭐️

Michael Anderle is an extremely prolific author who often co writes his books and series with several other authors, Isabel Campbell among them. 

And I admit I often pick up a book by him because the premise is intriguing, offering something I haven’t seen before in a paranormal/fantasy or science fiction novel. 

That happens with A Witch’s Legacy, the first book in the Drakethorn Legal series.  

It has a really great storyline about a main female character who is a lawyer who turns out to be a dragon. There’s so much potential there for interesting character history, courtroom drama, and, well dragon related stuff. 

Stacy Drake, a lawyer who has an eye for cases for the underdog, doesn’t know she’s a dragon until she starts blacking out . Turns out she’s a dragon or the offspring of a dragon and a witch. 

It starts off entertaining and with all the drama and elements that drew me into this story. But then begins to lose me. 

Anderle is very good at writing action and fantasy stories. He can build worlds and make them real. But here the bridges between Stacy’s character and storyline and how we get to her father and his past and the fantasy isn’t well established. 

She’s mad at dad. He’s fabulously wealthy. Huge castle and estate. She sees him again and wonder of wonders, the servants are gone, estate is looking shabby, and our young lawyer says nothing about it. Her dad doesn’t look so hot either. Any chance of Stacy mentioning that? No. 

She’s supposedly extremely intelligent, great attorney. Yet time after time, things slide right by her. Not just her father and the past. But SMH plot points that make a reader wonder about the character’s motivations and smarts. 

Then there’s the entire she’s supposed to be a dragon but we get the magic of her mother, so there’s that. A bit disappointing and the magical system we do get is never explained but more on the poof, it’s magical thing. Not very exciting.

I finally finished it but nothing made me feel as though I had to go further. 

Interesting. But the potential for more was what brought me here. 

Cover by Mihaela Voicu

Drakethorn Legal (With Michael Anderle) 

A Witch’s Legacy (Book 1) 

Scales of Truth (Book 2)

Buy link

 Book 1 of 6: Drakethorn Legal 

Blurb 

You don’t read books about lawyers.

Neither did she — until the lawyer turned out to be a dragon.

Stacy Drake champions the people no one else will fight for. Evicted single moms. Bullied shop owners. An entire nation the city wants to bulldoze. She buried her old-money family name so every courtroom win would be hers and hers alone — and she’s very, very good at making smug, powerful men squirm.

Then a masked man jumps her in an alley with a knife and a warning. She blacks out. She wakes up with no memory, a bloodied shirt, and a headline about three attackers found torn apart — “WITNESS CLAIMS SUPERHUMAN ATTACK.”

The truth is older than she could imagine. Her estranged father is the last Red Dragon. Her dead mother was a powerful witch. And Stacy is both — just as the rival she keeps beating in court hires something inhuman to bring him her head.

A snarky, big-hearted urban fantasy for readers of Annette Marie and Lindsay Buroker — dragon fire, witch magic, found family, and an underdog you’ll be c heering by page two. Clean read, no spice, all bite.

One-click A Witch’s Legacy and start the series readers binge in a weekend.

Review: Shadowspell Academy : Year of the Chameleon Book 6 by Shannon Mayer

Rating: 4.75⭐️

Shannon Mayer brings the Shadowspell Academy series and the Year of the Chameleon mini trilogy to a thrilling conclusion here in the sixth and final story. 

Wild, Gregory, Wally, Johnson and the rest of her crew have 3 days to stop Frost or all is lost. It’s a terrifying race to find the all the keys and figure out how the magical pieces work together to become the ultimate weapon to defeat a enemy whose powers are growing.

The author’s manages to gather all her characters, the main circle of friends as well as the older characters, ghosts and outliers together, as well as their past shared histories , in this magical powerful confrontation with evil. 

And it takes Wild back to her beginnings and returns the series to its own roots. A really great narrative touch. 

The ending was harrowing, heartbreaking in scenes and emotionally charged. How it finally felt after the battle was over? Drained and right. 

It would have gotten a higher rating but there’s still too much left unfinished. Characters who are important but have no resolution. Same goes for Wild’s siblings and father. 

For a “academy/trials” trope, outside of the first book, the school and any type of academic work is not addressed here. The very idea of an academy going forward with Wild and crew and their schooling would have to be a continuing part of the series. 

What would come after The Year of the Chameleon? 

Anyway, this was excellent. Absolutely exciting, highly suspenseful, thrilling storytelling. I’ll definitely be recommending it for lovers of this genre and paranormal fiction. 

A real pleasure to share.

Shadowspell Academy (6 book series)

The Culling Trials #1 through 3

Year of the Chameleon #4 through 6 written by Shannon Mayer

Buy link 

        Shadowspell Academy: Year of the Chameleon: (Book 6)

    

Blurb 

You Don’t Choose the Academy. The Academy Chooses You.

Broken, bruised, and battered beyond anything else, I’ve survived what I shouldn’t have. 

But my day isn’t done yet. We finally have the key to stopping Frost—literally. Even if we don’t know how to use it. 

One last time my friends and I have to scour not only the city but the supernatural world to find the pieces of this final puzzle—and we have three days to do it. 

One final showdown brings us back to where it all began, and I face off against the woman who killed my brother. Who hunted my mother down. Who broke my uncle’s spirit.

Hijinks Ink Publishing

Publication date

May 18, 2021

Language

‎English

Print length

326 pages

Book 6 of 6

Shadowspell Academy

Review: Shadowspell Academy : Year of the Chameleon Book 5 by Shannon Mayer

Rating: 4.75⭐️

We’re at the penultimate book, the real villain has been identified, and the scramble is on to stay alive, find a way to stop her and save Wild , her family and friends and the world magical order as it is.

And things aren’t looking so good. 

Shannon Mayer’s storylines are flowing into one another fluidly at this point, so this is picking up where the previous book ends. 

Helped by not just her own close knit group of paranormal friends, but the ghosts of her brother and mother, Wild is desperately looking for the magical instrument or instruction to help her defeat their enemies. 

 

The author has plenty of revelations about Wild, her family, as well as the history of the school to unlock as part of this highly suspenseful, action packed, and emotional storyline. 

Wally (a fantastic character who has had tremendous character development here), Johnson, and the rest of Wild’s crew get a lot of attention from the narrative as they are separated from Wild. Each striving for the same end before they reunite. 

It’s a great story, and the characters are so amazing with their own storylines and growth. 

Of course, as everyone heads towards the final battle, it ends in a cliffhanger. 

Fantastic work. Highly recommended. 

FYI. The academy has been pretty much left behind. 

Love it. 

Buy link 

        Shadowspell Academy: Year of the Chameleon

    

Blurb 

You Don’t Choose The Academy. The Academy Chooses You.

The Shadowkiller is back.

And he is hunting me down like a dog in the streets of New York City using every tool and ally he has—including people I once trusted.

I have never been so alone in my life, and yet if I turn to my friends that puts a target on their backs too. Which means I have to keep running.

So, I do what I know, and I set myself to finding the trail of breadcrumbs that will lead me to the one who is still pulling the strings.

Frost. A Chameleon just like me. Just like the Shadowkiller. Worse, she’s seeking out my friends to pick them off, one by one. To drain their lives in order to feed hers.

To stop her, I have to find her—a task easier said than done in a city this size.

What I don’t expect to find is a truth that this world and its secrets run far deeper, and far darker than I could have ever suspected.

But is any of that going to stop me?

Not a chance.

Hijinks Ink Publishing

Publication date

March 30, 2021

Language

‎English

Print length

314 pages

Book 5 of 6

Shadowspell Academy

Review: Drop of a Hat (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow Book 6) by Sara Bourgeois 

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I love this so much. Where to start. 

Drop of a Hat sort of epitomizes why I love this author’s writing style so highly.  In 213 pages, Sara Bourgeois concisely delivers a story that is intriguing, quietly compelling, with elements that manage to be puzzling,horrifying, poignant, occasionally funny and sometimes exceedingly terrifying. And end up with a solid warm hearted note. 

All while leaving the characters where they belong , for now, and the reader satisfied but needing the next book. 

That’s when there’s multiple mysteries, only one of which is resolved, the villain’s story and resolution will likely keep you thinking, and the latest addition to the family, a zombie raccoon, is absolutely one of the most heartwarming aspects of the story! 

Not all but one! Then there’s Moira back from the dead. 

Such an incredible story. Ok off to reread it now. 

If this prolific writer isn’t on your radar, she should be. I’m reading two of her series now. Read the books in the order they are written. 

I’m highly impressed by this one and recommending it.

Love the author and series. Can’t wait to read the next book.

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow (4 book series)

If the Hat Fits #1

Under The Hat #2

Hat Out of Spell #3

Hat Trick #4 

Bear Many Hats #5

Drop of a Hat #6 

Veil of Doom #7 – September 29,2026

Buy link

        Drop of a Hat (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow Book 6)

    

Blurb 

Sometimes the dead don’t stay buried

Blythe Fairfield finally has her life together. A tea shop with her name on it. A talking cat who runs the place from the windowsill. A sheriff who just told her exactly what she means to him… right before her dead great-aunt knocked on the door.

But the real trouble starts when one of Cauldron Hollow’s oldest witches is found dead. The poison? Brewed from a recipe out of the Tallowmere family collection. The suspects? Start with the witch who just walked out of her own grave, and work your way down to the niece who took her in.

Blythe has solved murders before. This one is different. The victim had secrets. The suspects have more. Every clue she follows leads somewhere she doesn’t want to go. Every alibi has a hole in it, and one person who might be innocent refuses to account for herself.

Meanwhile, the witches of Cauldron Hollow are muttering about the old ways, the mundane authorities are circling a case they can’t be allowed to understand, and Blythe’s own familiar is taking sides… against her.

The clock is ticking. The town is watching. And the killer is closer than anyone thinks.

Turns out some hats never go out of style. They just come back.

July 13, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

213 pages

Review:  Shifting Allegiance (Shifter Lords Book 11) by S. E. Babin

Rating: 5⭐️

I’m not sure how each of these stories manages to get increasingly complex and more devastating by the book but with Shifting Allegiance, Shifter Lords Book 11, Moira’s journey takes a truly dark, intensely horrifying turn of events which ends with a terrifying cliffhanger. 

Babin has created for her Shifter Lords series a case of remarkable characters, including a group of women , goddesses, faes, vampire, otherworldly beings who have close ties to each other through family bonds or friendships that are now so tightly woven together that they are a force of nature and magic. Each woman comes with her own unique identity, often traumatized past and depths of character. The series may have begun with Evie’s journey but these same women have grown and developed over time and as events has changed them all. 

Now they circle and surround Moira as her evil witch mother returns to reclaim her daughter and seed her revenge against her own daughter who escaped from her mother and the tortured life she inflicted upon her. 

I’ve loved Moira from the beginning of the series. She’s been a great character, true friend, one who not only told Evie the truth about her relationship as the toxicity with Caelan was increasing but stayed true to support her. Even though her own issues. 

My heart breaks for Moira here over and over. Especially when Ethan’s past is revealed in the harshest, most tragic way.  And let’s not for Cerunnos’ and his own personal reasons for being in Moira’s life.

Layer upon layer, Babin builds a narrative that is dramatic, deeply rooted in family, trauma, love and devastation. There’s past child abuse mentioned as well as torture. Truly tragic and dark. 

But for all the characters who aren’t redeemable, Babin gives us those who are. Like the goddess Cliome, Evie’s mother, who started off the series in the role of villain and now is a permanent part of the inner circle that surrounds her daughter and friends. And, even Caelan, who I absolutely despised, has made a tremendous turnaround here. 

That’s why this is so incredible and the writing so fascinating and well executed. 

But now I have to wait, probably for another cliffhanger too. It’s just the way this series is rolling. 

And it will probably be one of my favorites. 

It’s one I highly recommend reading right now. 

Cover design by Covers by Christian

Shifter Lords (14 book series):

Shift of Heart #1

Shift of Morals #2

Power Shift #3

Shifting Winds #4

Shifting Resolve #5

Shift of Rule #6

Shift of the Wild #7 

Goddess Shifting #8

Final Shift #9 – finale to Evie’s story 

Moira’s story begins 

Shift Happens #10 

Shifting Allegiance #11 

Shift of Shadows #12 – Nov 17,2026

Karmic Shift #13 – Dec 15,2026

Shift of Fate #14 – March 2,2027

Buy link 

 Book 11 of 14: Shifter Lords 

Blurb 

Moira has spent years outrunning her past. Now it’s finally caught up with her.

What should have been a routine job with Soren goes disastrously wrong, forcing Moira to come face-to-face with the one person she never wanted to see again. As old wounds reopen and long-buried secrets claw their way to the surface, the vampire hybrid must confront the darkness she’s spent a lifetime trying to escape.

Then Ethan becomes the target of a devastating spell.

Overnight, every memory of the connection growing between them vanishes, leaving Moira as little more than a stranger in his eyes. Worse, the magic continues to spread, twisting Ethan’s thoughts and reshaping his reality one lie at a time.

Determined to save him, Moira hunts for the source of the dark magic before it consumes him completely. But the deeper she digs, the more she uncovers a conspiracy tied to her own past—one that threatens not only Ethan’s future, but her very existence.

With time running out and enemies closing in from every side, Moira faces an impossible choice: walk away and save herself, or sacrifice everything for the man who no longer remembers her.

Because some monsters can’t be outrun.

And some futures are worth dying for.

Oliver Heber Books

Publication date

July 7, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

246 pages

Book 11 of 14

Shifter Lords