Category: Supernatural

Review:  The Unlikeable Demon Hunter (Nava Katz Book 1) by Deborah Wilde

Rating: 4.5⭐️🌈

🌈 for the many LGBT characters 

I came across writer Deborah Wilde by accident when looking for female main characters outside of the norm. She writes several books with characters that just aren’t the female main characters you normally expect and I really appreciate that. 

In her Navia Katz , The Unlikeable Demon Hunter series, Wilde actually has written a character that reminds me of a friend whose family resembles this one, in that her brother, not her, was the golden *cough* only child. Yes, it was a traditional Jewish family and decades ago. But I remember the damage done, her feelings , and the painful dynamics clearly, even now. 

The situation is fraught with emotional trauma, and made worse by the fact that it’s a twins dynamic that is involved here, and that it’s a beloved brother and distant parents in a Jewish household that holds many secrets. 

I like that Wilde isn’t afraid to make Navia a little unlikable, highly sexual, and “in your face” individual. She’s full of anger, not so hidden pain, and lost dreams. And she doesn’t have a sense of where she’s going or support.  Except from her driven “chosen “ twin brother. 

And when her brother’s initiation in the Demon Hunting Brotherhood goes wrong in an hilarious scene, her life and his takes a spiraling out of control turn. 

This is a paranormal tale, the world building isn’t there, at least in this story. But I’m thinking that’s because, like the secret society, it will be filled in along with her training and events that will happen.

Wilde isn’t afraid to create unapologetically unlikable characters or ones that will be able to change and show considerable growth. The twin’s dynamic is full of damage, transforming energy and love. 

It’s also full of their Jewish heritage. Wilde provides a Jewish/Yiddish dictionary here for all the words and phrases used. 

This is a culturally rich, paranormally diverse tale. I really enjoyed it and Navia, a female character I rarely come across. Amazing woman. 

I highly recommend her and this. 

Great covers!

Cover design by Damonza

Nava Katz series- complete 

The Unlikeable Demon Hunter : Nava Katz series:

  • The Unlikeable Demon Hunter #1
  • Sting 2
  • Need #3
  • Crave #4
  • Fall #5
  • Buy link 

        The Unlikeable Demon Hunter: A Devilishly Funny Urban Fantasy Romance (Nava Katz Book 1)

    

Blurb 

The mission: kill demons. The catch: infuriatingly sexy minder. The challenge: don’t get the two confused.

Nava Katz is an expert at burying her lost dreams and wielding cynicism as her personal brand. Then she interrupts her twin brother’s induction ceremony into a secret supernatural society, accidentally torches his life-long dream, and steals his destiny as a Chosen Demon Hunter.

Oops?

Now she’s trying to wrangle her new-found powers while facing her worst nightmare: being needed.

Her questionable reward? Being assigned to Rohan Mitra, rockstar turned ruthless slayer. A man whose inner demons earn nods of respect from actual ones. The chemistry between them is as dangerous as the monsters they hunt, yet he’d be the perfect bad boy fling—if only he wasn’t determined to make her face her demons too.

And speaking of facing demons…

Odds saving her brother from one’s hit list? Um…

Odds of her succeeding out of spite? Way better.

The Brotherhood wants her gone.

The demons want her dead.

First gig as a Chosen One and she’s already nailing it.

Featuring a snarky heroine, kickass action, and spicy romance, this laugh-out-loud, deliciously addictive series sucker-punches you in the heart when you’re not looking.

Binge the complete series now!

Review:  The Other Realm – The Glimmer Series Omnibus by Heather G. Harris

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I made the mistake of reading this universe out of order. I started with The Other Wolf series, which focuses on secondary characters from The Glimmer series.  And to be honest, after reading this fantastic introductory series, I’m still not a fan of those characters. 

But I’m a huge fan of these. And luckily Harris has two series that are very much all about the extremely well written main FMC, Jessica Sharp (Jinx), a truth finder and empath, as she discovers her true identity, the hidden world around her, and the truth behind her parents deaths. 

Everything I’d been missing in that last series is here. Harris’s world building is amazing and impressive, encapsulating multiple dimensions and even times, from detailed descriptions of locations and various other creatures and characters.

What I really love about a omnibus is being able to read through the cliffhangers, the wild twists (really great ones) and proceed with the story and characters moving forward with their journey and whatever is happening in the world. 

And there normally a lot going on.,

Jinx is so well written, she has depth, and is scrambling to learn how she fits into her new role and life while maintaining who she is fundamentally. We believe in her personality and her core character.  And it comes with a Great Dane companion who is extra! 

To go further is to ruin some of the most important and well plotted threads of the series. I was absolutely delighted and invested in this series and character because I read this right through. 

This is the writing and storytelling I was looking for when I went to see what this author had to offer outside of her work that she is co-authoring with Jillian Dolbeare.  

This is fantastic storytelling with main characters to keep you invested in their journey, no matter how long it takes. I’m there for her . 

Highly recommended.  And headed to The Court Omnibus next. 

The Other Realm – The Glimmer Series Omnibus contains the following books:

The Glimmer Series

Glimmer of the Other

Glimmer of Hope

Glimmer of Death

Glimmer of Deception

Cover images by Christian Bentulan

Buy link:

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comThe Glimmer Series Omnibus (4.5 Books): An Urban Fantasy Collection (The Other Realm …

Blurb 

I can tell when you’re lying. Every. Single. Time.

I’m Jinx. As a private investigator, being a walking, talking lie detector is a useful skill – but let’s face it, it’s not normal. You’d think it would make my job way too easy, but even with my weird skills, I still haven’t been able to track down my parent’s killers.

When I’m hired to find a missing university student, I hope to find her propped up at a bar – yet my gut tells me there’s more to this case than a party girl gone wild. Firstly, she’s a bookish soul who’s as likely to go off the rails as Mother Theresa. Secondly, I’m not the only one on her trail; she’s also being tracked by the implacable and oh-so-sexy Inspector Stone.

Stone and I team up, and he shoves me into a realm where magic is real – a place where there are vampyrs and werewolves, dragons and trolls. And where my skills are more than just detecting lies…

Oh, and my dog? He’s a freaking hellhound who can manipulate the magical realms themselves.

I need to find the girl.

I need to discover who killed my parents.

And I need to find out more about the attractive but mysterious Zachary Stone…

Burn through this fun, fast-paced, laugh-out-loud mix of urban fantasy and mystery.

This is the complete Glimmer series e-boxset. Don’t miss this internationally best-selling series if you like humour, heart, a strong heroine and a slow burn fade-to-black romance.

Written in British English.

The complete box set of the Other Realm Series contains the following books:-

Glimmer of The Other

Glimmer of Hope

Glimmer of Death

Glimmer of Deception

And now a new bonus novella is included!

  • Publisher: Hellhound Press Limited (December 23, 2021)
  • Publication date: December 23, 2021
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 1004 pages

Written in British English.

Don’t miss all the books set in the Other Realm!

The Glimmer Series

Glimmer of the Other

Glimmer of Hope

Glimmer of Death

Glimmer of Deception

The Other Wolf Series

Protection of the Pack

Guardians of the Pack

Saviour of the Pack

The Court Series

Challenge of the Court

Betrayal of the Court

Revival of the Court

The Other Witch – An Amber DeLea grimoire

Rune of the Witch

Hex of the Witch

Coven of the Witch

Familiar of the Witch

Destiny of the Witch

Review:  Protection of the Pack: An Urban Fantasy Novel by Heather G. Harris

Rating: 3.25⭐️

I picked up this series and another because the authors are co-authoring an urban fantasy series that I’m absolutely in love with, and I thought I’d explore what each writer was doing separately. 

At least, if this (and Jilleen Dolbeare’s Splintered Magic novel) are any indication, they are far stronger together than apart. 

Heather G. Harris’ Protection of the Pack has some interesting ideas and promising elements but it’s derailed by its main female character , a surprise here, and a world building where its lack might be due to its many related series and overlapping characters, none of which are well explained in the story. It’s assumed that the reader has the foundation knowledge of this universe to understand the under explored elements. 

But it’s mostly on the shoulders of a poorly conceived main female character that is unable to carry the weight of the story and a romantic relationship that had little to no chemistry between them that’s the issue here.

I’ll try to make it brief. 

Lucy is was a regular person until her serial killer incubus boyfriend made her his next victim and put her into the ICU in the hospital. A quick bite from her werewolf bestie and she’s a werewolf and , in a plot from another story, a reluctant Alpha of an unhappy little pack.   That’s the facts. 

But Lucy? She’s another SMH character. Instead of trying to learn how to lead, focus on pack dynamics, etc. That girl’s gonna party. And whine about her problems. 

There’s a good element of the werewolf or just wolf being a separate entity within her, complete with its own personality and goals. Esme, the wolf inside has hidden knowledge and history of pack rules and otherworldly creatures from the advice she offers to Lucy. Not that Lucy is willing to listen all that much.

Lucy is frankly written as an annoying person. That boyfriend is a serial killer, has basically killed her, murdered multiple women. Her stance? She feels sorry for him. 

What is the author doing? Consistently, Lucy is running off, not informing anyone where she’s going, putting herself, the shaky pack leadership, and the pack itself in danger.  Honestly, she’s a gorgeous twit. 

Greg Manners, former dragon brethren, is an overlapping character from another series. His story is scribbled in briefly so maybe his background is described in another series. But his lack of one makes him very one dimensional here, especially as he’s seen as the main romantic character for Lucy.  No chemistry and no real sense of connection. 

That’s the issue here with the other characters. They seem to be carryover from other books and it’s assumed we know what their relationships and stories are.  New readers will feel completely lost as very little information is given out about any of them. 

This isn’t to say there’s not some intriguing plot lines or great characters. There are.  Bob the gargoyle and his group. The Griffin assassin (from another series) is fascinating, if only for his stance on morality. 

But the fact that the main characters are not the strongest characters in the series or are not as well crafted as to be able to keep me invested in her story is a big problem here. 

It’s continues to be in book 2, but I’ll address that in my review later. 

I’m actually very surprised that I didn’t like the story more. That Lucy wasn’t as good a character or as well constructed as I expected from having read the other co-authored series.

I’ve read book two and it’s more of the same.  Honestly I’m debating on whether I should read all the books. 

Cover Design by Christian Bentulan.

The Other Wolf Series – now complete!

Protection of the Pack, Book 1

Guardians of the Pack, Book 2

Saviour of the Pack, Book 3

Awakening of the Pack, Book 4

Resurgence of the Pack, Book 5

Ascension of the Pack, Book 6

Buy link

        Protection of the Pack: An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Other Wolf Series Book 1)

    

Blurb

***Series Complete!***

I have a wolf in my head. Her name is Esme, and she likes killing things.

I’m Lucy, a regular accountant turned alpha werewolf. A tryst with the wrong incubus ripped me from my ordinary life and sent me tumbling into a magical realm that I’d never even dreamed existed.

I was just adjusting to pack life when I was asked to mercy-kill the current alpha. I’m not a total bitch so I did what he asked, but it’s left me as alpha of a pack I don’t know, full of werewolves who resent that I still live and breathe while their old alpha doesn’t. If I’m to survive in this dog-eat-dog realm, I’m going to have to win my new pack over – and fast.

I’m still trying to find my way in this violent new world when my third in command, Mark, is brutally murdered right under my damn nose. To regain control of the pack, I need to find the killer and bring him to vigilante justice. Luckily, my wolf, Esme, is more than happy to get her paws dirty.

When the werewolf council show up to question me, things get a little dicey. Thank goodness I have the deadly Greg Manners, former dragon brethren and general ass-kicker, to back me up. Now I just need to unravel who’d want to kill Mark – and there’s a really long list of suspects because he was shadier than an oak tree.

I’m hip-deep in suspects, and I need to move swiftly – before the killer strikes again…

Burn through this fun, fast-paced, laugh-out-loud mix of urban fantasy and mystery.

This is the first book in the Other Wolf series. Don’t miss this internationally best-selling series if you like humour, heart, a strong heroine and a slow burn fade-to-black romance.

Written in British English.

  • Publisher: Hellhound Press Limited (September 9, 2022)
  • Publication date: September 9, 2022
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 387 pages 

The Other Wolf Series – now complete!

Protection of the Pack, Book 1

Guardians of the Pack, Book 2

Saviour of the Pack, Book 3

Awakening of the Pack, Book 4

Resurgence of the Pack, Book 5

Ascension of the Pack, Book 6

Don’t miss all the books set in the Other Realm!

Review:  The Vampire and the Case of the Cozy Christmas: An Urban Fantasy Holiday Story (The Portlock Paranormal Detective #(5.5) by Heather G. Harris and Jilleen Dolbeare

Rating: 4.5⭐️

A sweet heartwarming holiday story with Bunny getting the family type of Christmas dinner and gathering she’s always dreamed about but never had. All her found family and friends have come together at Conner’s house to celebrate and share gifts. 

Sig is in the kitchen making the best food imaginable, and the wine is flowing. 

Of course it’s Portlock, so there’s a few surprises. But it’s a lovely Christmas story and a narrative present for fans of the series and characters. 

A heartwarming tale.

Love it and the cover.

Cover design by Christian Bentulan. Published by Hellhound Press Limited.

The Portlock Paranormal Detective series:

The Vampire and the Case of her Dastardly Death, a prequel.

The Vampire and the Case of the Wayward Werewolf, Book 1.

The Vampire and the Case of the Secretive Siren, Book 2.

The Vampire and the Case of the Baleful Banshee, Book 3.

The Vampire and the Case of the Cursed Canine, Book 4.

The Vampire and the Case of the Perilous Poltergiest, Book 5

The Vampire and the Case of the Cozy Christmas, Book #5.5

The Vampire and the Case of the Hellacious Hag #6

The Vampire and the Case of the Malevolent Mermaid #7 – July 3,2025

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comThe Vampire and the Case of the Cozy Christmas: An Urban Fantasy Holiday Story …

Blurb 

Vampires, gingerbread and Christmas magic – what could possibly go wrong?

All I want is a perfect Christmas with great food, amazing friends and the love of my life by my side. The tree is decorated, the feast (cooked by a hearth witch!) is ready, and Connor’s home is buzzing with festive cheer. This year I can feel it: Christmas magic is within my reach.

Then Liv calls.

When a necromancer rings for a favour, you know it’s not about borrowing sugar. Throw in a car accident involving the town drunk and a mysterious gingerbread thief targeting poor Sigrid’s baking, and my carefully planned holiday is on the brink of collapse.

Can I juggle saving Christmas, helping my friends and making it back in time to celebrate the holiday of my dreams?

Join Bunny and Connor in this heartwarming, magical holiday tale packed with festive mischief, a sprinkle of mystery – and plenty of Christmas cheer!

  • Publisher: Hellhound Press Limited (December 13, 2024)
  • Publication date: December 13, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 80 pages

Review:  The Vampire and the Case of the Perilous Poltergeist: An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Portlock Paranormal Detective Series Book 5) by Heather G. Harris and Jilleen Dolbeare

Rating:  5⭐️

In The Vampire and the Case of the Perilous Poltergeist authors take Bunny and her best friend, Sidnee outside of Portlock to the Alaska State Trooper training academy for training and certification. 

It’s a mixture of hidden paranormal cadets and normal human beings with all the same bigotry and prejudice that people face in social situations. Except that the paranormal recruits are expected to hide their abilities from their classmates and staff and still get their certificates. A difficulty in dealing with some bullying recruits.

I really loved this story and appreciated the many well developed storylines that further broadened the series arc mystery and allowed many of these characters to deepen their relationships and potential for their own powers. 

Bunny’s character is growing stronger with each case. She’s discovering new powers, allowing herself to become closer to the people she is now considering her “found family “, and her own powers are being expanded into a new level of magic.  Sidnee, the shifter whose friendship and trauma has been so much a part of Bunny’s story, is a big part of the story too. She’s struggling still with past events but trying hard to find her way through. 

Without specific details, Heather G. Harris and Jilleen Dolbeare use a poltergeist, a truly poignant piece of work here, to bring another bit of this series back into play. Outstanding storytelling!

And of course, I have to mention Fluffy and his own personal struggles with his transformation ability or lack thereof. Love Fluffy and that enigma Shadow. 

Another fantastic book! I’m so addicted to these characters and world.  

Highly recommended!

Cover design by Christian Bentulan. Published by Hellhound Press Limited.

The Portlock Paranormal Detective series:

The Vampire and the Case of her Dastardly Death, a prequel.

The Vampire and the Case of the Wayward Werewolf, Book 1.

The Vampire and the Case of the Secretive Siren, Book 2.

The Vampire and the Case of the Baleful Banshee, Book 3.

The Vampire and the Case of the Cursed Canine, Book 4.

The Vampire and the Case of the Perilous Poltergiest, Book 5.

The Vampire and the Case of the Cozy Christmas, Book 5.5.

The Vampire and the Case of the Hellacious Hag #6

The Vampire and the Case of the Malevolent Mermaid #7 – July 3,2025

Buy link

        The Vampire and the Case of the Perilous Poltergeist: An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Portlock Paranormal Detective Series Book 5)

    

Blurb 

This academy’s secrets could get you killed – if the poltergeist doesn’t get you first…

I thought going back to school would be fun. After all, we’re adults now – no angst-ridden teen dramas here – and we’re all law-enforcement recruits training to become State Troopers. Surely we’ll work together like professionals, right? Wrong.

One of my fellow recruits has it in for me. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I’d peed in his cereal or corrected his grammar in public, but I swear I’ve done nothing to deserve the daggers he’s throwing my way.

The problem is that he’s not the only one giving me grief.

The academy has a unique resident, a poltergeist who loves nothing more than causing havoc. What starts as harmless pranks quickly turns sinister and I’m left wondering just how far the spirit will go.

The deeper I dig the more I realise this academy isn’t just haunted, it’s hiding something far worse than ghosts and ghouls. And if I don’t uncover the truth soon, I might not make it to graduation…

Dive into this fast-paced urban fantasy series if you love mystery, humour, found family and a slow-burn romance.

  • Publisher: Hellhound Press Limited (December 6, 2024)
  • Publication date: December 6, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 257 pages

Review: The Vampire and the Case of the Cursed Canine: An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Portlock Paranormal Detective Series Book 4) by Heather G. Harris and Jilleen Dolbeare

Rating: 5⭐️

The Vampire and the Case of the Cursed Canine: An Urban Fantasy Novel is a story I’ve been anticipating but sort of dreading. Because it’s focused on Fluffy, that endearing, remarkable German Shepherd who Bunny rescued in London, and has been a huge emotional support and absolute love for her here. 

Well, it doesn’t start out as being a Fluffy centric story but as an investigation into who is hexing people around town with increasingly complex and dangerous curses. Really  mysterious cases lead into ones that are closely linked to the people Bunny holds dear and are getting curses that are highly dangerous, even deadly.

The new elements introduced a fabulous magical black market and intriguing sides to established characters. 

But the biggest issue and surprise is that Fluffy carries a curses that no one knew about and has no idea what it entails.

 Again, this is such a completely layered and beautifully crafted story that I’m not throwing in any spoilers. Just that it’s wrenching emotionally, funny, but mostly poignant and sad. It’s gives Bunny and the reader even greater insight into her traumatic childhood and recent horrible events that led her to Alaska. 

This book is full of scenes and characters that have reverberations that will carry forward for the rest of the series. 

Amazing stuff and fantastic writing.

Highly recommended, a reader’s choice for me. Read the series in the order written. 

Again, love Fluffy and the covers. 

Cover design by Christian Bentulan. Published by Hellhound Press Limited.

The Portlock Paranormal Detective series:

The Vampire and the Case of her Dastardly Death, a prequel.

The Vampire and the Case of the Wayward Werewolf, Book 1.

The Vampire and the Case of the Secretive Siren, Book 2.

The Vampire and the Case of the Baleful Banshee, Book 3.

The Vampire and the Case of the Cursed Canine, Book 4.

The Vampire and the Case of the Perilous Poltergiest, Book 5.

The Vampire and the Case of the Cozy Christmas, Book 5.5.

The Vampire and the Case of the Hellacious Hag #6

The Vampire and the Case of the Malevolent Mermaid #7 – July 3,2025

Buy link

        The Vampire and the Case of the Cursed Canine: An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Portlock Paranormal Detective Series Book 4)

    

Blurb 

Spells, hexes and curses.

Curses are falling on this town like rain in London. Just when I think I’ve found a link between the hexed victims, someone else shows up who’s been jinxed. It feels like the devil is playing darts with my paranormal town and if the dart hits you, you get whammied with a curse.

To be honest, I haven’t a clue how to find the perpetrator. My sole lead is pointing at the travelling black market that has just arrived in Portlock. That would be all fine and dandy —ifI could find it. Weirdly, no one is willing to direct the cops to a highly illegal market. I’m obviously persona non grata – though being a slightly-less-than-undead vampire, I’m kind of used to that.

On top of everything, my overbearing British mother has come to visit. Stuck in my shoebox of a house together, we might actually have to deal with some of our issues. Thank goodness I have Connor Mackenzie, vampire leader and sexy lumberjack, to run to when the going gets tough.

I’m juggling things—badly—when I discover my dog is cursed. What am I willing to do to save my hound? Anything and everything.

The world can burn for all I care, as long as I can save my pup…

Dive into this fast-paced urban fantasy series if you love mystery, humour, found family and a slow-burn romance.

  • Publisher: Hellhound Press Limited (June 28, 2024)
  • Publication date: June 28, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 471 pages

Review:  Any Witch Wolf: The Smokethorn Paranormals Series Book 2 by C.P. Rider

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Any Witch Wolf was a terrific story in a number of ways. The first is that Rider did the unexpected in terms of moving the character’s development and the apparent storyline in new directions than I’d anticipated.

Instead of moving comfortably with Betty’s magic and her settled in the trailer park, Rider’s story has Betty’s painful struggles with her magic, her memories of her mother’s love and legacy, as well as the trailer park’s own story still vividly in place. 

Betty’s grief is being dealt with and shared with her friend, Ada, a retired necromancer living in the same trailer park, along with her familiar, a magical cat named Fennel and Cecil, a homicidal garden gnome.  

Rider’s dusty small town citizens, human and paranormal, are beautifully crafted. Each feels genuine and natural to their age and living circumstances, doesn’t matter if they’re elderly werewolves who like to garden or frisky otherworldly beings who end up in a black book of a missing Lothario werewolf, they are realistic and characters who we connect with. 

And when Betty is asked to find that missing werewolf, it becomes a funny, poignant journey we take with her. One of discovery through an older community very reflective of those around us. 

Of course this investigation is not the only storyline that’s being played out here. Sexton’s involved. As is Betty’s past. 

Any Witch Wolf: The Smokethorn Paranormals Series Book 2 by C.P. Rider is another compelling read, setting up multiple dramatic plots for the next story to come. 

I can’t wait as I’m completely invested in this desert paranormal trailer community and Betty!

Highly recommended.

Great cover.

Cover design by The Book Brander

The Smokethorn Paranormals Series :

Strike It Witch #1

Any Which Wolf #2

Wicked Witch of the Wolf #3 – May 31,2025

Buy link

        Any Witch Wolf: The Smokethorn Paranormals Series Book 2

    

Blurb 

“Promise you won’t do anything to put yourself in danger.”

“That’s not a promise I’m comfortable making. My partners are a delinquent gnome and a willing-accomplice magical cat. Plus, my best friend just bought a case of spelled wine from the witches in Sundance.”

Betty Lennox is an elemental witch in a desert town that gives Hades a run for its money in summer. Her magic is tied to the land under a paranormal seniors’ trailer park she inherited from her mother, land that hasn’t fully accepted her. Because of this, her power has become unpredictable, unreliable, and unbelievably inconvenient.

Small-town trailer parks don’t pay much, so when a job pops up to find a missing beta wolf—an octogenarian lothario with a shoebox of questionable toys and a little black book filled with juicy tidbits about the town’s senior ladies— she takes it. As Betty delves deeper into the investigation, she attracts the attention of a dangerous stalker and a deadly alpha wolf.

To track down the missing Casanova and avoid her enemies, she’ll need to rely on her partners—a magical cat named Fennel and Cecil, a homicidal garden gnome with a penchant for explosives—her retired necromancer best friend, a graveyard demon she doesn’t trust, and the sexy-as-sin son of her worst enemy.

For fans of urban fantasy with a side of slow-burn romance.

  • Publisher: VC Group, LLC (January 31, 2025)
  • Publication date: January 31, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 307 pages

Review:  Strike It Witch: The Smokethorn Paranormals Series Book 1 by C.P. Rider

Rating:4.5⭐️

“Thanks for your concern, but I don’t need your protection. I have a mystical cat, an unprincipled gnome with a violent streak, and I have my magic.” Betty Lennox

In my quest for writers and books with new approaches to their main characters and the tropes I enjoy reading, this is a great new find that I can’t wait to share. 

Although the author is a popular writer, C.P. Rider is new to me. The Smokethorn Paranormals is the first series I’ve read by Rider and all its characters and elements have struck a chord with me.  

Starting with the main character of Betty Lennox, a grief torn earth witch, living in a 19 ft Airstream trailer in the paranormal seniors’ trailer park she inherited from her mother.  Betty’s curvaceous, dark-haired reflective of her Mexican heritage, and trying to leave her desert hometown of Smokethorn, California.  But she has to honor her mother’s wishes and legacy and find the right earth witch to buy the property. 

From the paranormal senior citizens in living in the trailer park, beautifully realized and hilariously depicted in a number of scenes, to the desert area around her, the location feels fresh and authentic. A vibrant new world for a series and group of extraordinary characters. That extends to the town itself. 

Rider’s Betty Lennox is a woman so consumed by her loss that she doesn’t even realize how it’s caused her to become stuck in life, a kind of limbo.  Unable to move forward however she tries.  It’s a powerful portrayal of love, loss and grief.  And magic. 

For it’s magic or its absence that a clear sign of loss and grief. 

Betty’s friends, one of whom is a retired necromancer in her eighties, Ada, 

Cover design by The Book Brander”

The Smokethorn Paranormals Series :

Strike It Witch #1

Any Which Wolf #2

Wicked Witch of the Wolf #3 – May 31,2025

Buy link

        Strike It Witch: The Smokethorn Paranormals Series Book 1

    

Blurb 

“Thanks for your concern, but I don’t need your protection. I have a mystical cat, an unprincipled gnome with a violent streak, and I have my magic.”

Betty Lennox is an elemental witch on a mission to leave her desert hometown of Smokethorn, California, for good. But first, she needs to sell the property she inherited from her mother to someone who, among other things, doesn’t mind living in a paranormal seniors’ trailer park in a town where it’s so hot in summer that the local demons head back to Hades to cool off.

She’s also running low on cash to keep up the protection spell on the park. When she’s offered a job to procure a cursed grimoire, one so dangerous the local coven won’t touch it, she takes it. Even though the job comes from a vicious wolf alpha who won’t rest until she’s dead.

To get the grimoire and keep her soul, she’ll have to lean on her partner—a magic cat named Fennel—Cecil, a homicidal garden gnome, a graveyard demon, her retired necromancer best friend, and her second-least favorite bartender in town, who also just happens to be the wolf alpha’s son.

If they can manage to work together without killing each other, Betty just might survive.

For fans of urban fantasy with a side of slow-burn romance.

  • Publisher: VC Group, LLC (October 30, 2024)
  • Publication date: October 30, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 264 pages

Review : Enchantra (Wicked Games #2) by Kaylie Smith

Rating:  4.5⭐️

What initially appeared to be a duology, Wicked Games is clearly expanding into a full series with this novel and the addition of the paranormal Silver family to a universe that had focused solely on the Grimm sisters, Ophelia and Genevieve Grimm, and Ophelia’s love Salem. 

Enchantra picks up from the events in Phantasma, a novel where Ophelia Grimm , recipient of the Grimm matriarchal necromancer powers, enters a gothic mansion looking for her sister, Genevieve Grimm , and ends up having to play a sinister deadly game, Phantasma. 

It’s a fantastic story and horrifying game , which ends with Ophelia leaving with a romantic demon love, Salem, and her sister safely out of the mansion. This couple and Salem himself have a great impact on Genevieve’s reasons for her trip. 

Enchantra is a new devilish game, a location, as well as being Genevieve Grimm’s story, all taking place in Italy. Genevieve or Vivi is a complex, layered character. The younger sister born into a matriarchal family of necromancers, Genevieve always felt like an outsider in her world of magical women. The one left to her own devices, the one not given any real affection or sense of belonging. 

Smith builds into her character all the emotional aspects of a person wounded by her childhood and events in her adolescence. When a reader gets frustrated ,as i did, by her impulsive actions, it’s easy to think about the situation and reason behind her reactions. 

This is also a marriage of convenience, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, dark fantasy romance. With deadly games and demonic monsters. 

The Silver family, starting with Rowen Silver the person who greets her at the door and immediately tells her to go, are an intriguing bunch. With each new stage of the game, both the reader and Genevieve will have a better understanding of each of them. 

The world building and supernatural elements are frightening, violent and full of twists. The Silver family, all the many siblings and familiars are violent, terrifying and magical. 

The only member who didn’t have much of a role or well defined character is the father, a surprising aspect of the story.  This factor and one other thing makes me think that the author is waiting for another book to bring him back into this series. 

The ending is fantastic. Emotionally powerful and extremely satisfying. But it also has one strange twist, a element that is a pivotal part of book one and is mentioned a couple of times at the start here, and that’s the fact that Salem’s true name was forgotten by all by terms of agreement.

And yet there’s this ending. I can’t imagine that the author doesn’t keep track of her own notes on important series elements or aspects of characters . So it would seem this too is a big part of the series going forward.

Either way, it makes for delicious suspense and fun for the next novel in Wicked Games. 

Highly recommended.

Great covers. 

Cover design Alexandra Purtan/ Fenix Cover Designs

Wicked Games series: 

Phantasma # 1

Enchantra #2

Buy link

        Enchantra: A spicy fantasy romance (Wicked Games Book 2)

    

Blurb 

Welcome to Enchantra. There’s only one rule: Never, ever trust your heart.

When Genevieve Grimm’s mother is killed, Genevieve wants answers nobody can give… until she receives an invitation to Enchantra, a cursed palace filled with temptations and illusions.

Arrogant and dangerously handsome, Rowin Silver meets her at the door and refuses to let her inside. But Genevieve finds her own way in… And soon realizes her mistake.

Enchantra is a twisted labyrinth of marble and thorns, where Rowin’s family are trapped forever in a deadly game. Now, Genevieve must win or die.

Rowin offers her a deal. They can compete together… if they convince everyone watching that they’re desperately in love.

Genevieve knows she can’t trust Rowin, but she’ll do whatever it takes to survive. As they hunt and hide together, Genevieve tries to ignore the desire burning between them. She absolutely cannot fall for this man. Cannot forget that she’s only pretending to be in love.

After all, it was Rowin who taught her Enchantra’s first rule… Never, ever trust your heart.

Packed with deadly intrigue and spicy romance, Enchantra will transport you to a world of feisty heroines and morally gray love interests, fake dating, forbidden desire and family secrets. If you love books by Kerri Maniscalco, Carissa Broadbent and Lauren Roberts, prepare to discover your new romantasy obsession.

  • Publisher: Second Sky (April 8, 2025)
  • Publication date: April 8, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 443 pages

Review:  Bloodlust Blues (Charley Underwood Book 1) by Luanne Bennett

Rating: 4⭐️

I’ve been searching for new authors and series that offer different perspectives or approaches to certain tropes and main characters I enjoy reading.  

I love a good paranormal or urban fantasy universe that focuses on a different kind of location and a character that’s outside of the usual main character frame. 

So a story situated inside an old local bar & grill where its colorful walls are covered in years of signatures and memorabilia and it’s clientele is a mixture of human and supernatural beings, getting their drink on to tunes on the jukebox? Yes, sign me up. 

A town called Crimson, Georgia where the paranormal and humans have come to live in a peaceful place, sort of. 

Charley Underwood owns the bar, The White Stag, locally known as the Stag, which has been in her family. Her employees are werewolves, as well as a human or two. And her mother, a powerful witch, has recently died. 

Bloodlust Blues sees Charley running a covert blood bank out of her back rooms, using donated vampire blood to help the elderly and impoverished people of town. 

I really enjoyed the story. It sets up the foundation knowledge of the town and surrounding areas.  Bennett also brings in all the characters that will form Charley’s found family and the character that is the potential romantic connection. And his familiar. 

There’s a terrific mystery that involves a couple of murders as well as missing people.  And the introduction of a permanent villain type character too. 

Bennett shows the journey that Charley has to take, as she finds out how magical she actually is. And why she wasn’t trained all along. 

I can’t wait to see her next story and how this character is developed.

A definite winner. 

Cover design Damonza.com”

The Charley Underwood series -complete 

Bloodlust Blues 

Bloodlust Bites 

Bloodlust Curse 

Bloodlust Shadows

Buy link

        Bloodlust Blues: A heart-racing and completely addictive urban fantasy (Charley Underwood Book 1)

    

Blurb 

Welcome to Crimson, Georgia. I’m Charley—reluctant witch, and owner of the best bar in town. 

Everyone’s welcome at the Stag—vampire, wolf or human. As long as they don’t make trouble. Or ask too many questions about what we’re selling out of the back room.

I keep the beers coming, and in return the town keeps my secret. But when a gang of deadly vampires shows up at the bar, it’s clear they’re not looking for a drink. They want to take my business. Or my blood.

But this is more than just a shake down. All over town, people are dropping like flies. Disappearing or attacking their neighbors. It’s like they’re possessed. And someone—or something—is pulling the strings.

As if I didn’t have enough trouble, a fancy new restaurant just opened right across the street. And a sexy vampire from out of town seems to think I need protection. I have plenty of dangerous friends already… so why can’t I stop thinking about him?

The whole town is going to hell. Perhaps literally. And it looks like it’s up to me to stop it. 

Discover a thrilling new series that will leave you reading late into the night. With heart-stopping twists and a found family you’ll fall in love with, this urban fantasy is perfect for fans of Annabel Chase, Charlaine Harris, and Patricia Briggs.