Category: Urban fantasy series,urban fantasy mystery

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: Midnight Auto Parts (The Body Shop Book 3) by Hailey Edwards

Rating: 4.75⭐️

It’s hard to say no spoilers when the blurb just goes ahead with the most shocking element of this book as well as the ending of the last. 

But where most novels would have a hard time finding a storyline that then raises the narrative bar for the characters and series arc, Hailey Edwards has no problem moving forward with another great book that’s thrilling, emotionally compelling and plot wise extremely complex. 

This is a fantastic story that I had to read twice, and then immediately regretted it because the next in the series isn’t released yet. It’s that incredible a series that I need to go straight into the next book. 

Frankie’s development goes into areas I hadn’t even considered, making me even more excited about the future. There’s new mythology, new gods and powers but even greater depth to the relationships and family dynamics.

Hailey Edwards is writing an excellent series and an amazing character arc with Frankie. 

A must read. 

Great cover art both for storytelling and characters. 

Cover by Damonza 

Illustration by Marouane Hs

The Body Shop series:

Fair Market Value #1

Amber Gambler #2

Midnight Auto Parts #3

Cheater Slicks #4 – Dec 25,2025

Other linked series:

The Potentate of Atlanta (6 book series) – this is set within The Potentate apparently 

The Beginner’s Guide to Necromancy (9 book series) in Savannah 

Buy link

        Midnight Auto Parts (The Body Shop Book 3)

    

Blurb 

The whole dying thing sucked, but Frankie isn’t going to dwell. She’s focusing on the positive. She’s alive. Ish.Her family is safe. Her business is booming. She’s even got a boyfriend. Everything is coming up roses in Thunderbolt, Georgia.

Until a client decides she needs more time and makes a run for it in her loaner body. Too bad for the client, the last thing Frankie does before a loaner hits the showroom floor is microchip them for this very reason. Finding the runaway soul will be a piece of cake.

Or it would have been if she hadn’t bumped into Carter, who’s working a case that gets tangled up in Frankie’s repo. Missing women. Stolen cars. Alien abductions? The only way to get Frankie out of trouble is to help Carter uncover who’s behind it all. And pray the answer isn’t her client.

 

• Publisher: Black Dog Books, LLC. (January 4, 2025)

  • Publication date: January 4, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 337 pages

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:  Half Dead (Crossroads Queen Book 8) by Annabel Chase

Rating: 4.75⭐️

I waited until the last book in the series was released to read Half Dead, the penultimate book in the series. That way I could happily breeze right through both books.  Or so I thought. Best laid plans.

Because I keep forgetting that Chase can break my heart, that when dealing with death, demons, ghosts, and the underworld, things happen that are traumatic and I’ll need a break before I can finally finish the books. 

And yes, this ends on a cliffhanger even. 

Still, after I finished sobbing in parts, admiring the sheer artistry of Annabel Chase’s work and plotting, that even a new character that made a minuscule appearance in, yes, an incredible scene, left me absolutely bereft, I was absorbed in Lorelei’s story.  From a totally different angle of an outsider, now Lorelei is firmly connected to the people and paranormal beings of Fairhaven, characters we’ve gotten to know and care deeply about. 

Kane is a huge part of this narrative, and as his and Lorelei’s relationship has evolved, so does any threat to him become a threat to her as well as the town. 

The Corporation continues to expand its presence and entity’s evil impact. It’s truly a fascinating and awful villain. 

Half Dead (Crossroads Queen Book 8) by Annabel Chase is a fantastic book. Only the cliffhanger aspect caused it to miss a 5-star rating.  This hurt my heart, made me realize how amazing the storytelling is, and incredible the characters.

Time for the finale.

Highly recommended!

Great cover art and design. 

Cover by Trif Designs, which has changed to reflect the fact that the word has gotten out that Lorelei Clay is a demigod. So great touch with that head halo/crown addition. Love the castle in the background. 

Crossroads Queen – series complete :

Dead to the World #1

Dead of Night #2

Dead Last #3

Dead Wrong #4

Dead Weight #5

Play Dead #6

Dead Heat #7

Half Dead #8

Dead End #9 – series finale 

Buy link

        Half Dead (Crossroads Queen Book 8)

    

Blurb 

Lorelei Clay wants to play offense for a change. She’s tired of hiding from the past she didn’t even know she had. With a promising relationship and new friends in a small town she loves, Lorelei wants to be free to live life on her terms, without the threat of death or capture hanging over her.

Kane Sullivan hasn’t exactly been hiding from his past—more like he moved without a forwarding address. Unfortunately for him, the boss he tried to overthrow never gave up the search.

And now the former prince of hell has been found.

Kane wants to do whatever it takes to keep his problems from endangering his found family. He knows better than anyone what Lucifer is capable of.

Lorelei is willing to do whatever it takes to protect the demon she loves, but if she can’t convince him to get in the game, they risk losing everything they’ve built together.

When the supreme demon finally makes his move, Lorelei realizes there are some nightmares that even she can’t control.

You don’t want to miss Half Dead, the penultimate book in the Crossroads Queen urban fantasy series.

  • Publisher: Red Palm Press LLC (January 2, 2025)
  • Publication date: January 2, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 288 pages

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

Rating: 2⭐️

And I’m out. Honestly I tried so hard to like this series and main character because it had so much potential, but in the end,  the story, plotting, and overall poor character development just sunk it.

I’ll take it issue by issue, starting with the least interesting part , that of the plot elements and total story reveal early on.  

I guessed at how all the various elements of this story came together to point to the main villain and his nefarious plan at around the 45 percentage point.  But the author herself gets several characters to actually tell a small group the exact details of the storyline, the mystery, the villain, at the halfway point. So it’s a done deal. Just a matter of bringing him down. 

For the rest of the book. Mystery solved.

Next. The biggest problem is the characters. Most are of the cardboard type. One dimensional. No layers , no history and very little details or any real reason to care for them. That’s the majority of the cast. One gets hurt or killed. It’s not a big deal because they are, for the most part, underwhelming and interchangeable.   Only a few stick out, and that’s due to how often they appear throughout the book and their names. Like Dog, the werewolf bartender.  But that’s all you really know about him. 

The main character, Charley, is problematic is multiple ways. For me she’s a prime example of a TSTL character. She’s constantly doing things that are highly “stupid” , that is the word used in the book, in that both she, her circle of friends, and the reader know are traps, running into scenes where she’s outnumbered, or the villains or baddies are waiting for her. She’s either told herself it’s a ‘dumb or stupid” idea, her friends or even frenemies have told her it’s a bad idea. So, over and over, she goes through and does it. And yes, gets hurt , needs to be saved, and often gets others hurt too.  Watch her repeat this pattern while asking yourself why you are still reading this book.

TSTL.  Extremely frustrating to read about. And gives me little reason to invest in the character. 

The magic and her lack of training, the nasty coven and that entire aspect of the story is full of flags and issues. But I’ll table those because the main character has so many herself. 

Finally the romance.  We don’t have much of any relationship history or romance development between Charley and the vampire Samuel. But instantly they are in love, committed and Dog is so happy for them. After a few minutes in the alley and a couple of times where he steps in and helps her out?  Where is the relationship dynamic? Even instant love romances have more of a connection than this one does. 

Add everything above and I barely got through the book. It was a struggle.  So I’m definitely not going forward .

If you’re a fan of the author, then you might want to consider reading this. 

I’ll leave it up to you. 

Cover design Damonza.com”

The Charley Underwood series -complete 

Bloodlust Blues 

Bloodlust Bites 

Bloodlust Curse 

Bloodlust Shadows

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        Bloodlust Bites: An addictive and action-packed urban fantasy (Charley Underwood Book 2)

    

Blurb 

Welcome to Crimson, Georgia. I’m Charley Underwood—witch, bar owner, and accidental demon hunter.

Crimson isn’t a regular town. With vampires, shifters, and humans living side by side, tensions always run high. I try to keep the peace, and most of the time nobody gets hurt. Most of the time.

Right now, Crimson is one bite away from all-out chaos.

A dangerous new wolf is stirring up trouble. A sexy vampire is on the hunt, with a gun full of sunlight bullets. And thugs from Atlanta are threatening my friends.

As if that wasn’t enough, my magic is running wild. One second it’s throwing bad guys through windows, the next it fizzles out to nothing. There’s only one way to get it under control—by taking lessons from Crimson’s terrifying old-school coven of witches.

I need to get a handle on it fast. Way out in the woods, someone is attacking young women, leaving them bitten and bloody. Is it a stranger or one of our own?

When police pin the attacks on one of my bartenders, it’s clear that none of this is random. Someone is coming after me and the people I love.

I’ll do anything to protect my crew. Even strike a deal with a vicious old enemy.

Because when I see what I’m fighting against, it’s clear I need all the help I can get.

  • Publisher: Second Sky (August 9, 2024)
  • Publication date: August 9, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 300 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

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        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