How to Reap a Soul (And Fail Miserably) is the first book in the urban fantasy series, Soul Management Bureau by April Kelley.
It’s a fated mate romance between reaper and their soul mates, so it’s instant love/instant sex romance with a plot that’s not always easy to follow because Kelley is trying hard to lay down all her histories and plotting for multiple characters, not just the main couple, and her world building into one story.
And it’s not always effective because someone gets lost in the narrative. Some connection between her characters, some chemistry is left behind in the rush to get it all accomplished.
It’s interesting but I’m not sure I’m really engaged with this world or characters.
Try it out and see for yourself if Grym and Elliot Coyne work together for you.
Cover artist: Miblart
Soul Management Bureau
How to Reap a Soul and Fail Miserably #1
How to Reap a Soul (And Lose an Assistant) #2 – Dec 29,2026
Love was never on my to-do list, but now that I have it, I’ll let the world burn before I let anything happen to him.
Grym
I’ve reaped souls for three hundred years without a single mistake. Until Elliot Coyne. I’m supposed to ferry him into the afterlife, not bring him back to life and turn him immortal.
Now HR is threatening me, the world is acting like it might explode, and my reaper brothers are stress-snacking like it’s Armageddon.
Even worse? My soul insists Elliot is my beloved. Reapers aren’t supposed to have those. Are they? Regardless, it’s wildly inconvenient.
Elliot So I die, wake up immortal and able to walk between realms, not that I know what those actually are.
The guy responsible is an annoyingly hot reaper who apparently broke the universe just to keep me breathing.
We’re suddenly stuck together, hunted by his supernatural bosses, and if we fall for each other it might tear reality apart.
Love isn’t supposed to end the world. Yet here we are.
After enjoying Hidden Storm, the first book in The Witch’s Bestiary by Evangeline Hunter, unfortunately, I found Midnight Storm suffering from second story syndrome.
It just doesn’t carry through on the potential from the original story. Many of the interesting elements, the Bestiary itself are relegated to just barest scenes and the fact that Alicia Stormwell is a powerful rescuer and ally of exotic species is an inconsistent aspect of this story.
The werewolf shifter she helped and is now her assistant, Kyle Matthews, is the most problematic character here. He’s still in search of his missing sister and wants Alicia to continue to help him find her. No issue here.
However, his behavior is extremely immature. For a grown adult. When they run into dead ends and Alicia, reasonably wants to enlist all the assistance they can get, police aid included, he objects. Whining, throwing tantrums.
As a reader, I both want to stop reading or put that character in a timeout. He’s that childish.
Only the author wants us to continue to connect with him and accept that this intelligent,highly powerful woman is attracted to this toddler? Just no.
And the storyline is further proof that the series has lost its original path when during the last section where the sister, just as irritating as her brother, has been located, it’s among the very abused exotics Alicia’s life is focused around.
But that’s hardly mentioned except for a sentence at the end of the story.
It should be a huge deal but it’s not. And even the sister doesn’t mention her role in their damage. It’s all about her.
I’m surprised I finished this. And I’m debating going forward. The only reason why I would is that wolf boy isn’t in the next book . A plus.
A brutal tournament, a missing sister, and a witch with nothing left to lose.
I’m Alicia Stormwell, a witch who spends her days rescuing fantastic creatures and my nights battling the dark underworld of magical animal trafficking. But nothing prepares me for the mess I’m about to walk into.
When my hunky werewolf friend, Kyle Matthews, asks for my help in finding his missing sister, Sabrina, I’m all in. Our search leads us to the Velvet Claw, a shadowy organization running a supernatural fight ring where lives are currency and losing isn’t an option.
As the tournament reaches its sinister climax, I must race against time and use every ounce of my magical skill to rescue Sabrina before the Velvet Claw gets its claws deeper into her life, Kyle’s, and mine.
The Witch’s Bestiary includes:
· Witches, Werewolves, and Vampires
· Hidden magic and a magical underworld
A slow-burn / RH romance
· Fantastic creatures
· A badass female main character with snark and humor
Bound By Fate (Blind Fury Book 1) is a new series by Annabel Chase and the first book is a terrific one.
I absolutely love the premise of a paranormal retirement community, along with the attendant issues of its otherworldly residents in their “later, much much later years “ of existence. Witches, vampires who have lived extremely long and rich lives and now live out their lives together. Some lively souls, enjoying their ancient lives while others exhibit significant signs of dementia.
It’s a familiar setting and group made fantastical in a complex and intimate story. One that will flow together with a weekly meeting of cardsharp players and fanatical cliques of pickleball teams. All beautifully written and believable.
Chase treats them with kindness, respect and compassion. These people are layered with degrees of history and poignancy of life at its for some.
The assistant head of their security team is an enigma, Maya August, an intriguing figure herself. She’s in hiding on this retirement island off of Savannah,Georgia. She’s been personally isolating herself from everyone. And that gives Chase ample room for her to develop Maya’s personality and reveal bits about her background as events happen.
And, wonderfully, Chase does this by bringing Maya into the community. She finally fully acknowledges her role as protector and part of them. We are enveloped by their presence as well as Maya’s ability to make her own choices for herself.
But there’s also mystery, murders, and outside forces of power here. One of those includes a person called Zale, someone who will figure into the series.
I love everything about this. The many characters, types of beings, the various mythology the author is introducing (she’s excellent at it), but above all, this realistic yet not retirement community of powerful paranormal beings. All who have issues we can identify with but on extraordinary levels.
I really can’t wait for the next story to arrive.
Btw, HOA’s are still awful no matter what the setting. FYI.
Most people move to a magical retirement island for peace and quiet—and pickleball.
Maya August moved there to disappear.
As the assistant director of security for Evermore Island—a secret community where elderly paranormals fade into obscurity—Maya has built the perfect hiding place. Her days consist of magical mishaps, avoiding the clothing-optional tennis courts, and definitely not getting attached to the island’s strays (feline or otherwise).
Then her boss vanishes. A resident turns up dead. And Maya’s carefully constructed refuge begins to crumble.
She could handle a murder investigation. She’s handled much, much worse. What she can’t handle is the HOA president forcing her back to the mainland after five years in self-imposed exile to meet Vale, the mysterious and powerful figure who’s claimed jurisdiction over her case.
But Maya isn’t interested in playing by his rules or anyone else’s.
Because if Maya can’t solve this case and keep her past buried, there are fates far worse than letting a killer walk free.
Perfect for fans of morally gray heroines, slow-burn tension, and retirement home chaos meets magical noir, Bound By Fate is the first book in the new Blind Fury-urban fantasy series.
Beast Business is a great side story from the remarkable Hidden Legacy urban fantasy universe created by Ilona Andrews (husband and wife author team Ilona and Gordon Andrews).
It features several important characters from those stories who have been around in lesser known but still impactful roles. Here they are elevated to the main character status and given the same attention as their counterparts, from their backgrounds to current situations in their lives.
For me this is an absolute gem because of each character’s power and abilities. We had no idea of the depth and complexity of each type and what it meant for that person as an individual. Growing up and as an adult.
We still don’t. Which makes this even more intriguing.
Augustine Montgomery is an Illusion Prime, head of House Montgomery and the company MII. He’s been a constant presence in the Hidden Legacy universe, sometimes as an antagonist then as a supporter and ally/best friend of the main Houses of the series and. He’s highly feared and complicated.
Diana Harrison is a Beast Prime, a little known power and head of House Harrison, a House aligned with House Rogan and House Baylor.
Diana comes to Augustine with a job, one born of desperation.
The action filled suspense story is incredible. Full of magically powerful scenes of imaginative bottles, emotions and new insights into the characters and their powers and backgrounds.
It also gives us new details on other characters equally important to us and the universe, ones new and already familiar to us.
The only reason I rated I lower was it’s an open ending. This storyline is resolved but the relationship between Diana and Augustine is really just about to begin. And now I need so much more.
But the authors have a new release coming out soon ,This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me (Maggie the Undying Book 1), and released previously ,The Inheritance, the first fantastic book in their new (yes another) series The Breach Wars). I really, really, want a sequel to The Inheritance (Breach Wars Book 1) now.
I don’t know how they do it.
That’s three completely different worlds and three completely different series.
All of which, except for Maggie which obviously I haven’t read yet, I recommend. Because no arcs here I just buy my books.
Here’s another recommendation! And frustration! You can thank me!
A thrilling novella by #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews, set in the spellbinding Hidden Legacy World.
Show as little as possible. Make them think that illusion is all you have. Your life depends on it.
Augustine Montgomery is an Illusion Prime, the highest rank of magic user. The people who have seen his real face can be counted on the fingers of one hand. The people who’ve witnessed the full extent of his power are dead. Illusion isn’t just his brand of magic. It’s become his lifestyle.
One day Diana Harrison walks into the office of Augustine’s premier PI corporation. Diana is also a Prime, a mage who bonds with animals through her magic and prefers their company to humans. Something precious has been stolen from House Harrison. Something Diana must recover at all costs before it perishes.
Augustine is cold, rational, and calculating. He doesn’t get emotionally involved, but something about Diana disturbs the careful balance of Augustine’s inner world. She asks for his help, and he can’t refuse.
Neither Augustine nor Diana are who they appear to be. Both would die to keep their secrets. But the enemy they face is unimaginably powerful, and saving the life at risk will demand the ultimate price, one neither ever expected to pay – complete honesty.
This is a great take on the “villain/big baddie turns hero” trope that is becoming more popular in fantasy and paranormal fiction.
Foster is another new discovery and I really enjoyed the storyline, especially the smartly crafted dialogue and well rounded characters that slowly became important to the “retired” demon overlord in his new role and reader.
It’s a believable redemption arc, and from the final battle between Devine Hero and Demon Overlord to his journey to the small village of
The Demon Overlord impetuously kept a bit of Wilhem’ when he took over his body so Galornus decides that best plan for retirement is journeying to the tiny mountain village where Wilhelm wanted to spend his life, being a farmer surrounded by his animals and raising crops. Not that the Demon Lord knows what any of this means.
The story that follows is witty, honest, oddly warmhearted, and believable in its own way. As Galornus learns about the humans around him, he learns to value and care about them and slowly becomes a real heart of the community. Each one of these villagers becomes, not just a neighbor but maybe more. Like family.
Plus there’s hilarious demonic goats and a wonderful demon dog. And children and pickles.
This is one book that continues to surprise and delight you as the story progresses. What a great find!
When destroying the world and killing the hero grows boring, what’s a Demon Overlord to do but quit while he’s ahead?
Galornus Prime was the Scourge of Nations, Ender of Hope, and Master of the Cardinal Sins. After achieving all that, what else was left?
His retirement plan was perfect: Get a goat, farm quietly, and don’t accidentally conquer anything. Evil never sleeps… but it does plant turnips.
When corrupt officials and greedy merchants threaten his infuriatingly loveable neighbors, Galornus faces his greatest challenge yet: saving his village without revealing he’s the very monster parents invoke to make children eat their vegetables.
Demon Overlord’s Retirement Plan is a cozy fantasy with teeth, where the hardest battle isn’t defeating heroes—it’s staying retired and learning how to live after 444 lifetimes of villainy.
Squib is a side story to The Cat Lady Chronicles that features Kit McCafferty, retired assassin/agent living in the paranormal city of Coldstream.
Harper has chosen two of her more intriguing, often irritating secondary characters from The Cat Lady Chronicles to feature in the first of The Coldstream Chronicles, the crossover series. And it works beautifully on multiple levels.
Mallory has popped up numerous times in Kit’s stories because she’s a powerful information broker. She trades in secrets and the ability to deliver items that no other person or company is capable of doing. What she deals in is absolute promises. Which as a “mere” human in a paranormal world makes her powerful.
Her companion in the story is another frequent character as well in Kit’s series. Another powerful player in Coldstream, the werewolf Alpha Enter Alexander MacTire. He’s got an interesting mission for her.
Harper has their interactions playing out with intelligence, great dialogue, and believable chemistry.
Plus a terrific mystery that’s not totally resolved but will have ramifications for both series.
I am very excited to see how Harper is going to weave in the storylines and sustain the many characters that crossover throughout this mystery.
Another great winner. And honestly, I loved how these characters became so much more well developed and relatable here than they were in the first series.
She’s supposed to find him the perfect match. Falling for him herself was not part of the deal.
Mallory has zero magic. No spells, no shape-shifting and no flashy Preternatural strength. But in the magical city of Coldstream, Mallory has made knowledge her power and she turns secrets and favours into currency.
Enter Alexander MacTire: alpha werewolf, wealthy businessman, and walking temptation. He wants Mallory to find him a mate. She wants absolutely nothing to do with him.
But MacTire isn’t used to hearing no—and Mallory’s not immune to his charm, no matter how hard she tries. What starts as a reluctant business arrangement soon turns into something dangerously personal. Because the more she gets to know him, the less she wants to help him find love … with anyone but her.
The first book in the Coldstream Chronicles is jam-packed full of magic, mayhem, and slow-burn heat. It can be read as a standalone or alongside The Cat Lady Chronicles.
Babin is taking Norse mythology and weaving it into a series about a goddess’s journey through a long term marriage of domesticated abuse, neglect, and emotional abandonment to one of recovery, healing and acceptance.
It’s a terrific take on Odin, Freya and exactly how the women were perceived and treated in Asgard by Odin and those loyal to him.
It begins with Freya, after thousands of years of neglect and abuse, finally done with Odin’s philandering, humiliation of her and her status as the Queen. She’s leaving.
This is extremely current topic and it’s Babin’s treatment of such an emotionally sensitive subject that’s so successful. With Freya as the main character leading the way to creating change for herself and her people, the story is one of powerful stories and compelling elements.
There’s no immediate salve for the pain, anger or damage that Freya has experienced for centuries. It’s emotional trauma she needs to overcome and work through herself.
And the life she’s trying to build comes with additional challenges, huge demands on her new life and that includes mystery and murder.
With a settlement in Virginia, Loki by her side and host of intriguing characters surrounding her, Freya’s emotional new journey begins with a tremendous amount of suspense and drama.
I didn’t put it down until after it was finished.
A note to consider, I’ve seen other posts about this series where people have said that it’s been years since the last update. Four to be exact. Babin is a prolific author and she’s currently writing a series I’m reading right now.
Hopefully she’ll return to this universe soon and publish a finale for Freya and crew.
Vikings of Virginia (incomplete at 4 books to date):
Freya is over Odin’s shenanigans. After finding yet another blond in her bedchambers, she makes a choice that shakes the foundation of her entire pantheon.
Literally.
‘Cuz she blows up the palace.
When she holds a meeting in the town square and offers safe haven to Asgardians who wish to defect, Freya creates a retirement community in the countryside of Virginia and becomes the owner of a brand new pub. Away from the annoying antics of her husband, Freya is content for the first time she can remember. Of course, this is when disaster strikes.
Happy serving drinks to the townsfolk, Freya is completely unprepared for the first true crime to hit her people in centuries. Something magical and unwelcome has sought haven in her new town and is preying on her people. Loki thinks it’s Ragnarok. Odin thinks it’s karma.
Freya just thinks it’s a crock.
But she’s the only one who’s up to the challenge of finding the threat and eliminating it before her new settlement is over before it’s truly begun.
For fans of The Goddess Chronicles and those who love paranormal shenanigans, welcome to a new world full of frothy beer, bad puns, and laugh out loud mystery antics!
Rhyme or Treason (Behind the Rhymes Book 1) by Sarah Beran was a sweet urban fantasy mystery romance. It’s a no spice, bordering YA romance novel.
There’s some interesting elements in it and ones that I find too “Twilight cuteness “ for me to personally enjoy.
Beran used children’s nursery rhymes as both a reference and cute little reader Easter egg list for the book and series. Whether you feel that adds or distracts from the story will depend on your preference for the book.
Here the part of the rhyme goes:
Hey, diddle diddle
The cat and the fiddle…
I’m sure you can fill in the rest.
With nicknames like Dish for the MNC bodyguard and Spoon for the FMC fae woman who’s in need of him, you can get a feel for the type of sweet dynamic that the author is building.
The writer has some interesting ideas and elements here, especially as pertains to vampires and their natural history. It’s an unusual take. But, for me, that scientific approach is lessened by the addition of rainbow sparkles and so much twinkling.
It’s the same throughout the book. A serious and thoughtful discussion of survivor guilt and a resourceful paranormal woman character with a debilitating illness is woven with scenes of rainbow fae sparkling power. And scenes that are extremely cute or propels Wyn, by her own admission, into certain dangerous situations. Definitely SMH moments.
There’s not a lot of world building, so we don’t know why all these paranormals have settled on Earth.
And while this couple has a HFN ending, there’s a much that’s left open ended as far as storylines go. Which isn’t entirely satisfactory.
That will feed over into the next novel for those interested in following up on the story.
Honestly, this is not the book for me. It’s too young. Had the rhyme played out differently, with a clever twist and perhaps fed into the mystery, and the relationships , especially given the supposed age of the characters, felt more layered, then maybe.
But as a YA or teen fantasy mystery romance, this book is a good read.
How do a chronically ill secretary and a straight-as-an-arrow bodyguard plan a heist?
Without rhyme or treason.
No one applies for secretarial jobs for the thrills and excitement. And while I love an organized, color-coded schedule as much as (okay, probably more than) the next person, I knew that serving as the mayor’s administrative assistant would mean long days of answering phone calls, scheduling meetings, and dealing with cantankerous constituents. Still, for a supernatural with my…condition…the desk job is ideal.
Until someone decides they want to get to the mayor—who also happens to be the Fae King—and they’re going to do it through me. But, hey, now instead of diddling away time behind a desk, I’m finding ways to entertain Dish, the very handsome, very stoic, very humanbodyguard that the mayor assigned me, and convincing him that the best way to get to the bottom of things is to let me play bait.
Why? Because these people have gotten their hands on information that could have disastrous consequences for the supernatural community, and I want it back—if for no other reason than I’m not exactly over the moon at the idea of the flood of concerned phone calls and emails I’ll have to answer. The plan is simple:
In the game of cat and mouse, I’ll be the cat…and I’m going to play them like a fiddle.
Rhyme or Treason is the first book in Behind the Rhymes, an urban fantasy trilogy with humor, snark, quirky side characters, and clean, no-spice romance, and inspired by classic nursery rhymes. Though each installment follows a different couple, the complete story arc is best enjoyed by reading the books in or
Hidden Storm is a great start to this complete series about Alicia Stormwell , a powerful witch who runs The Bestiary, a paranormal animal rescue for all types of supernatural creatures. She also goes out at night undercover to save those who need her help from exotic fantasy animal trafficking or worse.
A murder and a vampire detective set off the mystery of the story which brings Alicia into the investigation of the death of a local girl and the wolf lying beside her.
The paranormal animals that live with her and how her Bestiary is set up is imaginative and intriguing. I could have spent so much more narrative time in there just exploring the spaces and creatures she’s saved.
The mystery is excellent although the resolution is a bit too quickly resolved.
Neither male character is particularly well developed but I hope future stories will show them as more defined and fleshed out. They both have so much potential.
The setting is atmospheric and believable. It’s in the small details, the barest of memorable elements that make this world real, sad and heartbreaking at times.
I’m looking forward to seeing more of the characters and their stories.
A winner for those who love paranormal mystery and fantasy fiction.
Rescuing fantastic beasts is child’s play. Clearing the name of a ridiculously handsome werewolf? Hold my broomstick.
My name is Alicia Stormwell. By day, I run The Bestiary, a nonprofit that saves and rehabilitates legendary critters. By night, I don my witch’s hat and battle the dark underworld of supernatural animal traffickers.
When a witch is found dead and a wolf is accused of murder, a vampire detective from the NYPD’s Magical Crimes Division hires me as a consultant. I take in the suspected hound only to discover he’s not just any fabled creature, but a werewolf. And he’s been framed.
Now, with a murderer on the loose and a hunky shifter in my care, I’ve got to use every bit of my powers and questionable instincts to uncover the truth before the killer turns his sights on me, and I end up the next witch in a body bag.
The Witch’s Bestiary includes:
· Witches, Werewolves, and Vampires
· Hidden magic and a magical underworld
· A slow-burn / RH romance
· Fantastic creatures
· A badass female main character with snark and humor
Although it’s not specifically mentioned, Virtual Games brings The Digital Detective Mystery Series to a happy ending where all the characters have moved forward in their lives, growing up in some ways and developing new relationships and friendships, finding new powers and potential partners.
And it happens in a very surprising way. With Vampire Games and visits from characters from an another Matthews series, the Green Witch. Those who have read this series will love this crossover element. I haven’t and it will likely send me there to see what it is about.
But the story here has more than enough to keep a reader engaged. Several plots, an interesting murder mystery included that brings back part of Skye’s past and an old college painful memory.
Matthews balances the needs of Skye and Seb’s relationship to move forward along with those of the other characters, as well as the individual characters whose personalities and powers continue to be developed by the events and storyline.
It’s a dynamic narrative, one that’s so powerful and jammed with interesting elements and characters that it leaves room for additional drama and stories even though it’s a satisfying finale as well. We want more but are happy with this too.
Perhaps Matthews will pick up this universe with the sister, Zephyra’s story. That would make sense and for great storytelling.
Very entertaining and engaging. I even liked Bob finally!
The Digital Detective Mystery Series (5 book series):
Skye Sanders, tech mage extraordinaire, is on the trail of a hit-and-run—only to discover it’s tangled up with the infamous Vampire Games.
Her boyfriend Seb’s invitation to “help from the sidelines” quickly becomes a front-row seat to sabotage. The Games test skill, strength, and cunning. Physical gauntlets, brain-bending riddles, and the occasional death-defying stunt are fair play.
With rival teams closing in and tensions simmering hotter than Sydney in January, Skye must unravel a sabotage trail before it claims its next victim. But in a contest where every competitor guards secrets like treasure and alliances shift faster than a server crash, even her sharpest code might not be enough to keep everyone alive—least of all Seb, who’s squarely in the crosshairs.
The stakes are literal. And losing? Not an option.
If you enjoy urban-fantasy mysteries with magic, humour, and a clever heroine—think books by Patricia Briggs, Hailey Edwards, Heather G. Harris, Annette Marie, or Kim Harrison—Virtual Games should be right up your alley.
