As author Hailey Turner says, this is an absolute treasure of a gift to her fans, those who love and have followed the long journey Patrick Collins and Jonothon de Vere from their original book and meeting to this their final chapter where they get married, their happy epilogue.
Many of the favorites are also in attendance and we get a quick drama before the ending.
It’s been incredible and for me it’s a series I’ll be rereading.
Patrick Collins earned the peace he’s found in New York City with his pack through sacrifice. Six years out from the end of the world, he’s satisfied with the life he’s built and doesn’t think about what else the future might hold until he stumbles his way into a hostage situation he didn’t ask to be part of.
Jonothon de Vere would like nothing more than to wake up each morning with the love of his life and never deal with trouble again. Except Patrick has always been a magnet for such crises, and Jono isn’t one to stand idly by when his lover could use some help.
It feels just like old times when that’s the last thing they want, but maybe it’s also the reminder they need that the future isn’t set in stone. Maybe, just maybe, Patrick and Jono are finally ready to take the next step and walk down the aisle together.
Born to be Legends is what fans of Hailey Turner’s best-selling Soulbound series have been waiting for.
Another excellent book, another unusual mystery and murder investigation!
This murder investigation finds Ember assigned to cover the reemergence of retired Creature Hunter Winston York who comes to Starry Hollow to discover an elusive creature who’s there to lay her egg and then disappear into the ocean.
Things immediately turn dark when York is found murdered and his fame hunters are all in town seeking the same creature.
There’s plenty of storylines here to dive into, from the creature herself and the nature vs exploitation angle, to Ember’s self confidence and the Ivy Rose history/magic aspect of the series that’s getting ever stronger and darker.
Plus the romantic element of Ember’s life is getting more interesting, and coming under a more realistic scrutiny than previously dealt with by Ember.
All done with great dialogue, full on action and lots of magical moments.
Fabulous series and storytelling.
A highly recommended book and series to be read in the order they are written in.
Welcome to Starry Hollow, where spells were made to be broken.
Starry Hollow is abuzz when the famously reclusive Creature Hunter, Winston York, emerges from retirement after a rare sighting of an endangered magical creature and Ember Rose is assigned to cover the story. Florian and Aster are thrilled with this development because a new documentary by York would mean an influx of tourists to the magical seaside town. Excitement quickly turns to horror, however, when York dies during filming. What seems like an unfortunate accident starts to look more like murder to intrepid reporter Ember.
Can Ember solve the crime before the killer renders her extinct?
Magic & Monsters is the twelfth book in the Starry Hollow Witches paranormal cozy mystery series.
Duskbound was a good book but frustrating to read as the potential for a great piece of fantasy adventure was there but never quite reached by the authors.
The positive elements I found in Riftbourne were discarded or replaced by new characters and a less energetic version of the character from book one.
The scrappy, independent character of Fia, passionate, determined and guarded, able to think for herself became a new kind of character here. One who instantly, in many “as told to” scenarios, discards the previous main character, falls into a deep love for a less well written character of Aether, in a short time period, and evolves into another personality.
Even with over 500 pages, this character development doesn’t seem to have a believable or realistic foundation or storyline. No in comparison with the first book.
The magical system and its own powers explanations are the best aspects of the book. Hinted at in Riftbourne, this story continues with the shadow realm and magical elements that are present throughout Fia’s character’s arc.
This book again ends up on a cliffhanger note but, honestly, if you’re a well rounded fantasy or mystery reader, you can anticipate where it’s headed.
I will finish this trilogy just to discover that Fia will get another main character in book three. You never know. The relationship here with Aether absolutely has me disconnected from the plot.
If you are a fan of the authors or engaged by the series arc, I’m recommending you continue reading. I will because I’m curious.
Fia Riftborne thought joining the Sidhe Guard was the hardest choice she’d ever make.
She was wrong.
Taken prisoner by the very shadows she was sworn to fight, Fia uncovers a devastating truth. The wraiths who brought destruction to the Isle’s western border aren’t monsters at all, but a race of people from a dying realm called the Kálfar, and they believe Fia’s growing powers are tied to their survival.
As war looms on two fronts, Fia must navigate a world of shadow magic and political upheaval. A disgraced Kálfar lord builds an army in the south while tensions within Sídhe reach a breaking point. And the Void that gave Fia her power is calling—but answering it means betraying everyone she left behind.
The Guard. Her friends. Laryk.
In a war where nothing is as it seems, choosing the wrong side could cost her everything, including the brooding commander whose darkness seems to recognize her own.
Direbound is the debut fantasy novel by Sable Sorensen, a pen name of two co-authors and friends creating their first fantasy/paranormal series.
Direbound is, for the most part, a very successful romance fantasy thriller. Direbounds narrative is full of giant dire wolves, a horrific physically demanding mountain trial the main characters have to undergo. And for those that survive? They become part of a terrifying murderous academy of bonded pairs ,in a story that includes an enemies to lovers potential love story, missing children, and terror everywhere.
There are many elements I found absolutely fascinating, things that held my attention and kept me riveted to this world and ongoing drama.
I found I was totally involved in the main character of Meryn Cooper, alley cat street fighter of the Eastern Quarter who turns to the army when a family tragedy strikes. Her unexpected journey into a new path than the one she envisioned for herself. She’s tough, well rounded, and credible in every aspect of her journey. Well, except one.
Her character, that of the twins, Isabel and Venna, one of the sisters is hearing impaired being a factor and the use of sign language in their stories, and the Rawbonded brutality of this story is a very well written aspect of Direbound.
Another important aspect of the story is the bonding between the wolves and their human bondmates. It’s unlike other stories, it’s far more complex, pack like and brutal than other similar tales. The raw energy, high emotional intelligence of the wolves and constant tension and conflict between them is a great way to keep the reader engaged and guessing here.
Survival isn’t guaranteed, and some of the characters are more relatable than others.
There’s plenty of mystery and chaos and drama mixed in with the murderous conflicts and bonding events.
The relationships between characters make and break the story for me. Yes to all the wolf/human dynamics. And those relationships between the humans fighting for survival and final bond rights. Those are believable.
But outside of those? It’s that boyfriend aspect that drags everything down.
Things that absolutely irritates me as a reader? A nickname of endearment like Kitten. One it’s has a displaced terminology aspect associated with it for the type of the locations and world foundation the author is creating here. However, more importantly, its usage indicates a different issue for the character, one I believe is telegraphed too soon. See boyfriend that bothers me above. That entire element just isn’t as well written.
But the story is a gripping tale and it keeps me invested in its journey. Especially when the ending is so dramatically shocking.
That’s a great way to end.
Now quickly let’s talk about why I think this book deserves a better reading. The PR should let it stand on its own merits.
What this isn’t is what the PR releases desperately wants it to be “Fourth Wing meets The Hunger Games in dark action-packed fantasy series!” No, and I wish every heavy handed PR group would stop this kind of release approach. It does a disservice to the authors, readers and actually the book by not letting them see it on its own without a preconceived notion.
Direbound: A Dark Romantasy (The Wolves of Ruin Book 1) by Sable Sorensen is a terrific debut novel. It has some fantastic elements that make it stand out on its own right as a paranormal/fantasy thriller. This includes that great wolf bond aspect of the book.
And a woman character that is strong and well developed in Meryn Cooper.
I’m definitely recommending this book and looking forward to reading more in the series.
Only the worthy survive the Bonding Trials. She’ll risk her life—and her heart—to be one of them…
Meryn Cooper has never dreamed of being one of the Bonded, the King’s elite warriors who form mental links with massive, vicious direwolves. She’s made peace with her life scraping by in poverty in the shadows of the castle. But then her younger sister Saela is kidnapped, stolen across the border by the immortal monsters her country has spent centuries fighting.
And Meryn’s world falls apart.
Desperate to cross the front and save her sister, Meryn enlists in the army—only to discover that there are Bonding Trials this year, where all soldiers are forced to risk their lives in an attempt to connect with a direwolf. It’s too late to turn back; Meryn is thrown into the deadly competition against her will.
Now, she’ll need to survive the next four months of training at the castle if she wants a chance of finding Saela. Everything here is a test, from the brutal classes where one mistake means death, to the glittering court parties where every smile hides a knife.
To make things worse, Meryn is bound to a feral direwolf who refuses to communicate. The other trainees would love to spill her common blood. And her gorgeous instructor, Stark Therion, is as malicious as the wolves himself.
Everyone is out to get her—everyone but the dangerously handsome crown prince, Killian Valtiere. But if she loses her heart to him, she may also lose her life.
And the castle is hiding dark secrets…
— Direbound: A Dark Romantasy (The Wolves of Ruin Book 1) by Sable Sorensen
Direbound is set in a dark fantasy world and contains dark subject matter and adult romance. Content warnings for this book include gruesome, explicit on-page violence; self harm; mental health issues including anxiety, depression and psychosis; domestic abuse; parental death; and explicit sexual content including elements of dubcon.
I dearly love this series and wish the last 9 books came in a box set much like the first 10 books did, as it makes binging them so much easier.
Each novel is approximately 19 chapters or give or take, so it’s easy to read one or two books a day. And they blend together beautifully, with each one picking up from the events of the previous story.
What I love about this is that they can be enjoyed on multiple levels. Chase has crafted terrific murder mysteries that Ember gets involved with , and the investigations are intriguing and often lead to a conclusion that’s surprising and satisfying.
But it’s the personal relationships and dynamics that drive the series and make the characters so strong and compelling. Each story and book reveals more about Ember, the Rose family and including the seemingly rigid Aunt Hyacinth.
Even the familiar dynamics, like those between Ember and Raoul, aren’t the same as those I’ve come to expect from other writers and fantasy universes. It’s just different and that makes me take even closer note on everything else in this series.
Love it. And binge reading it way too quickly.
A highly recommended book and series to be read in the order they are written in.
Welcome to Starry Hollow, where spells were made to be broken.
When a gaming tournament comes to Starry Hollow, everyone is thrilled with the influx of tourists–until a player ends up dead. Meanwhile, Ember makes an important discovery in connection with her mysterious ancestor and the Rose family deals with a visit from an old relative who gets under Aunt Hyacinth’s skin, which means everybody’s tip-toeing on eggshells to avoid her wrath. Thanks to the many distractions, Ember fails to notice that Raoul is involved in something over his furry head.
Can Ember stop the madness and identify the killer before the end of the tournament or will it be game over?
Magic & Misdeeds is the eleventh book in the Starry Hollow Witches paranormal cozy mystery series.
The Paternity Puzzle, the third series and another important evolutionary step in Sawyer Keys and Royce Locke’s relationship and marriage.
This well written book is about families, from many emotional aspects and from different perspectives. It’s Sawyer and Royce embarking on their own journey through prospective fatherhood, a murder case involving a fertility doctor that hits home for them, and Royce’s strained dynamic with his father gets a thoughtful storyline that’s moving and realistic.
While this investigation is complete, the story sets up a larger narrative with a different darker story going forward.
Excellent character development, and it’s wonderful to see all my favorites here, including those podcasters from Sinister in Savannah.
Really looking forward to seeing the next in the series.
Royce Locke and Sawyer Key are back and better than ever with new mysteries and hilarious shenanigans as they tackle their greatest challenge yet: fatherhood.
A perfect holiday weekend takes a twisted turn when Royce investigates a suspicious death involving Dr. Jean Claude Matisse, a retired pioneer in fertility medicine. What first looks like an accidental overdose quickly turns into something more sinister when explosive allegations reveal hundreds of reasons why someone would want the doctor dead.
This investigation hits close to home, exposing the vulnerabilities of relying on science and a doctor’s ethics to have a family, especially when the hopeful husbands are only a positive pregnancy test away from parenthood.
The Paternity Puzzle is book one in the Felonies and Fatherhood trilogy, the third story arc for Royce Locke and Sawyer Key. ** New readers should start with the Zero Hour and Matrimony and Mayhem trilogies before reading Felonies and Fatherhood. ** The Paternity Puzzle continues Royce and Sawyer’s happily ever after as they move into the most anticipated phase of their lives. Though some storylines span the trilogy, this book does not end in a cliffhanger. Heat, humor, heart, and homicide abound. You have been warned. 18+
What a fully immersive and jammed packed story The Wolf Vs The Monster turned out to be. I was thinking this might be the last book but instead Hignett ramped up the suspense, the plot lines, gave us high action, white knuckle anxiety for our main characters, including multiple anonymous villains, unforeseen events and situations, magical powers and creatures, and a new teenage vampire I absolutely fell in love with.
This book is a fantasy Toad’s wildest adventure ride with a cliffhanger ending and every single part of the story is fabulous.
Plus a certain character gets a long overdue comeuppance.
And other things, huge plot points are revealed here too.
So it’s absolutely satisfying and that cliffhanger will lead to an amazing story. So I’m excited to read this next book.
The Wolf Vs The Monster: The Hidden City Supernatural Sleuth by Lauretta Hignett might be my favorite story of the series so far. It’s extremely well written, the characters and tightly packed narrative is perfectly balanced, and that ending really adds to the overall momentum here.
Sometimes it’s hard to tell who the real monsters are…
A strange creature attacked Romeo last night. A huge beast unlike anything anyone has ever seen in Philly before – an alien monster with natural armor, organic high-tech weaponry, and poison dripping from its limbs.
My intuition is screaming at me. It’s telling me the monster is not here for Romeo.
It’s here for me.
The Wolf Vs The Monster is book five in the Hidden City Supernatural Sleuth, a hot new Urban Fantasy series by bestselling author Lauretta Hignett.
And with a literal turn of the page, Mae has landed us in the fairy tale world of Peter Pan, Tinkerbelle, and Captain Hook with this second book as Harmony Fallowell, best friend Molly, and falcon Fetch leaping out over the edge of the page of the Kingdom of Alabaster just as the darkness was closing in.
It’s a splashdown into some familiar territory with wonderful creatures and fantastic twists!
Mae keeps moving the overall theme of getting Harmony back to her original kingdom in time to save it from the evil sorceress, letting her required knowledge and skills return as this journey continues. She is getting magically more powerful as she gathers the necessary items to complete her quest. ,As is Molly who’s undergone devastating events and is emerging from them a different, stronger woman, shifting into her own style and strengths. And there’s Fetch,Harmony’s feathered companion to add excitement to each adventure and adversarial moments.
It’s hard to say anything more about the characters due to their unique roles in this book. And the many twists in this storyline.
Onyx: A Twisted Fairy Tale (Inkbound Book 2) by Shannon Mae is the middle book in this trilogy so the author starts tying up a few of the characters stories. This aspect of Onyx makes for a really satisfying read and leaves one feeling great for several reasons, while still leaving the reader with the impression of suspense and excitement as Harmony is left with a companion tumbling off another page into the next kingdom and trilogy finale.
If you are a fan of these amazing covers like I am, you will have peaked at the last one, Inked in Emerald, and know exactly where she’s landed! Absolutely perfect.
I can hardly wait for this one to be released!
See you there. Clicking my heels.
Highly recommended. But they must be read in the order they are written.
One fairytale down, one pirate-infested nightmare to go…
Molly, my ever-loyal falcon, Fetch, and I barely survived evil wizard Relyk and escaped Alabaster, only to get cannon-bombed into our next story.
Literally. Peter Pan and Tinkerbell swoop in with a rescue, whisking us off to Neverland. At first, it’s all glitter and good times on an island straight out of a daydream…until they mention a magical clock they’ve been hunting.
The same clock I need to fulfill my destiny.
So we do what any desperate main characters would do—we steal their boat and vanish into the night to get a jump on finding the clock. Too bad we sail straight into the hands of pirates.
And here’s the real kicker: Their captain is the man I’ve been dreaming of since childhood.
The twist? He’s not charming. He’s not kind. He’s not even remotely sane.
He’s the most dreaded pirate of all time.
And he thinks I’m a boy.
Now we’re tangled in secrets, trying to blend in, plotting yet another escape—until I find out the man of my dreams is after the same enchanted clock. The one he stole from Peter Pan a decade ago and lost to a massive, man-eating crocodile…along with his hand.
With reluctant alliances, sea monsters, and an unholy attraction to an even unholier pirate, this story might end with a bang or me walking the plank.
Magical Midlife Mom series is a low heat, high action urban fantasy series that has the first four novels available in a box set for a great binge read. Which, of course, I did, after having given book 1 a try.
A middle aged single mom of a teenage girl, living in the Pacific Northwest, is just trying to get by. Melissa Hartley has worked her way up to become the respected office manager of a IT company, her daughter is doing well in high school, and she owns her own home, small as it is. Then everything changes.
The author, DM Fike, has a great ear for mother/daughter dynamics as well as the ability to create that same energy in a relatable, engaging dialogue that feels realistic.
Listening to Melissa and her daughter, Regan,banter and argue, whether it’s about school or the magic that’s happening in their lives, it’s exactly what you’d expect from that relationship.
Even if in parts I absolutely was frustrated by the choices that Melissa made or how she, as a character, wasn’t ruthless enough, I had to think about if it was the writer or the actions. And I believe it’s the character’s actions, in which makes Melissa real enough but a puts me a little disconnected from her because I’m getting frustrated with her and her character “flaws”.
The otherworldly characters are good but because they’re less well known, they don’t have the same level of character development that Melissa, Regan, their friends and Melissa’s mother have. All those characters? Feel drive by their emotions and life choices.
Very little of the fantasy world does with the exception of the sirens does.
So the Magical Midlife Mom series has 5 books out with what I believe is the finale novel due out shortly, Mom Seals Her Fate.
If you’re looking for a fast paced, humorous, low heat fantasy series, this is one to check out. The main characters are out of the typical fantasy series, the feel believable in their mother/daughter dynamic and their journey together is one to cheer for.
What would a single mom do to protect her only daughter from a hidden world of dangerous, magical fae?
I love my smart, kind, and funny daughter. We may not have much, but we get along without any of the normal teenage drama.
Or at least we did, until my daughter got curious about her biological father.
Now our world is falling apart. A handsome client threatens my employment. A monstrous black wolf shows up on our doorstep. A mysterious masked woman begins stalking us.
And that’s not mentioning the fae.
I didn’t expect to have a midlife crisis involving magic, but it doesn’t matter. I may be just a single mom, but I’ll do anything to protect my daughter.
Even if it kills me.
Join Melissa Hartley as she goes on a magical journey only a mother could take. For readers of Paranormal Women’s Fiction who like strong female protagonists, witty banter, and a hint of romance.
The Magical Midlife Mom Boxed Set contains the following 4 books:
I’m absolutely entranced by Annabel Chase’s completed witchy series Starry Hollow about a widowed woman with a young daughter, struggling to keep them afloat in New Jersey whose life changes forever when her repo job goes wrong.
I’ve read multiple books by Chase but after reading, ok binging ten books here, I can say that no voice is as memorable, as regionally vibrant and hilariously true as this Jersey mom, Ember Rose. And of course, that holds true as well for her anxiety prone, hyper aware and uber intelligent 10 year old daughter, Marley, and her ancient irascible Yorkie , PP3 , the three of them who are make up the small family that’s transported magically into the hidden SC town of Starry Hollow, their new home and future.
Each book is a quick, highly entertaining grand tale! From meeting this widowed New Jersey mom grappling with her mounting bills and a daughter too smart for her public school, a aging terrier and a job that has a lot of risk associated with it as a repo person, we immediately connect with her. And if I could hear that Jersey accent and imagine a bit a Marisa Tomei. The colloquial voice is pretty great as is her sense of humor and physicality.
Can you tell I fell in love here?
Then Chase contrasts this “fish out of water “ Jersey family in every aspect with their new found relatives that are powerfully magical, wealthy and look like the American version of the Targaryens, with all their various dynamics and layers of love and relationships.
The town itself, which expands in every book with new shops, fantastic areas and community citizens, is a fully developed and unique character in its own right.
Ember herself is a woman who has suffered great loss in her life. While she never knew her mother, her father raised her and she was devastated by his death. Then by her husband’s death in a car accident 5 years ago, a man she’d known for her entire life.
These losses are a huge part of her personality and as the story is from her perspective, Chase uses the conversations and insights from other characters to show the readers how much hard it is for Ember to move forward from the tragedy of her past, that she herself isn’t dealing with it.
These losses and Ember’s journey through her new world, that of navigating the new one of magic (often with hilarious moments) and that complex world of coming together with an extended powerful family of expectations and responsibilities you never knew or imagined existed.
These storylines are both light and powerful, funny and poignant. They are full of surprises and unexpected scenes that, while fleeting, make quite the emotional impact and connection.
And they make you think and feel good, especially before going to sleep.
Nothing comes easy, relationships, magic lessons, cooking. It takes time, work and patience.
Turns out 19 books might not be enough for me. Ten definitely was not
Some relationship but not real spicy as they say. More emotional towards working things together.
Highly recommended. I love them , this universe. And read them any way you want. As singular books or as I did , one reading through the box set books 1-10.
Covers are very cute.
This collection includes the first 10 books in the 19-book cozy fantasy series:
Welcome to Starry Hollow, where spells were made to be broken.
If you’ve ever dreamed of being whisked away to a charming town where the stakes are low and the magic is high, this enchanting series is for you.
Ember Rose is a feisty young widow who’s transported to Starry Hollow, along with her teen daughter and ancient Yorkshire terrier, and discovers she’s descended from a long line of powerful witches. She also lands smack dab in the middle of a murder investigation, and the sexy werewolf sheriff isn’t falling for her charms…yet.
This collection includes the first 10 books in the 19-book cozy fantasy series:
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 