Tag: Cozy urban fantasy mystery

Review:  Magical Midlife Invasion: A Paranormal Women’s Fiction Novel (Leveling Up Book 3) by K. F. Breene

Rating: 4.5⭐️

This was absolutely hilarious. Magical Midlife Invasion, the third book in the Leveling Up series by K. F. Breene was excellent and exactly what I needed in terms of laughter, urban fantasy hijinks, and a evolving storyline that’s able to carry a multitude of plot lines, some hilarious, some suspenseful, and a few romantic, weaving them all into a rich cohesive narrative. 

The invasion? Jessie’s parents fleeing broken water pipes and a repair job, deciding now is the time to descend on their daughter with coolers of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and crab dip for a week long stay. 

Jessie, Austin, Mr. Tom, Niamh, Edgar, and Ulric have such distinct personalities and voices and when you add Jessie’s clueless and well-meaning parents into the mix, it’s absolute chaos, fabulous and richly layered with family values and magical energy. 

And let’s not forget about that magical, sentient Ivy House who turns prankster! 

Breene, however, doesn’t let the hilarity and chaos overshadow the seriousness of the series storylines and the fact that there’s a dark side here and a believable villain haunting Jessie’s life and Ivy House. That’s a great aspect of the story as well. 

Love this story and Jessie!

A fantastic story, great characters, and a journey I’m happy to follow. 

A winner!

Leveling Up (13 book series):

Magical Midlife Madness #1

Magical Midlife Dating #2

Magical Midlife Invasion #3

Magical Midlife Love #4

Magical Midlife Meeting #5

Magical Midlife Challenge #6

Magical Midlife Alliance #7

Magical Midlife Flowers #8

Magical Midlife Battle #9

Magical Midlife Awakening #10

Magical Midlife Rescue #11

Magical Midlife Rogue #12

Magical Midlife Conclave #13 – Nov 12,2026

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        Magical Midlife Invasion: A Paranormal Women’s Fiction Novel (Leveling Up Book 3)

    

Blurb 

Jessie is well on her way to learning her new life and settling in.

The tough alpha, Austin, has joined her team, and she has painstakingly learned to fly. At the moment, life couldn’t get any better. But it can get a whole lot…more irritating.

Her parents have decided to visit. They don’t know anything about magic, about Jessie’s new digs, or about the crazy crew living in and around Jessie’s house. She must do everything in her power to keep the truth away from them. Which would be much easier without the unfelt presence lurking within Ivy House’s borders.

It seems an enemy has figured out a way to magically bypass Ivy House’s defenses. Jessie is completely exposed.

The real battle, however, won’t be with the incoming force. It will be between Mr. Tom and Jessie’s mom, each intent on being the most helpful. Mr. Tom might have met his match, and he is not pleased.

Just when things were finally settling down, Jessie is in the thick of it again, and this time, the turmoil is all around her.

Review:  Bargain With Fate (Blind Fury Book 2) by Annabel Chase 

Rating: 2.5⭐️

Blind Fury series has so many interesting aspects to it. A upscale hidden retirement island for paranormal beings, many of them ancient, off the coast of Georgia. 

The retirees, a fabulous, entertaining and mythically rich group of beings keep themselves busy with nude pickle ball, gossip and a wealth of activities that often include murder and mystery. 

They are, even as supporting characters, the very best thing about this series. 

Unfortunately, it’s the main character (and her MMC) and the author’s treatment of a potential relationship that just doesn’t work for me. 

Bargain With Fate is book 2 and the main character of Maya August hasn’t shown much in the way of growth or progress in her development since her boss died and left her in charge of Security for the Island and its inhabitants. It’s a responsibility she avoided as much as possible when she was hired as his assistant. And now she’s Acting Director of Security, she’s not changing anything in regard to her role or actions.  Unless absolutely necessary or pushed by her boss, she avoids any sort of accountability. 

She’s whiny, borderline rude, and honestly, taking advantage of her job. Given her constant internal refrain/insistence on her being in isolation for her “unknown dangerous past” and that only the island is safe for her. Not being an adult about her role and job (she complains about her hours, being needed etc by her elderly residents) in return for safe haven? Makes her singularly unlikable.  Don’t get me started on the cat. 

Then there’s the potential romantic relationship with a paranormal boss who doesn’t seem to take no for an answer. She repeatedly tells Vale, a Demi god and supernatural boss of the area, that she’s not going to have a relationship with him, and that she’s got extremely good reasons not to reveal her past to him. Discussion after discussion. 

He agrees, then he starts pressing her for more information and yes, a date. Against everything they had just discussed. Because obviously no means yes. To him and his men, one an elf she’s fond of, who talk to her about why she’s rejecting such a great guy. 

All of this is supposed to be straightforward storytelling, no manipulation, which is even more toxic. Because she starts to waver even though she doesn’t want to. She continues to say no . 

And so, even with a neat plot and interesting cliffhanger, I’m saying no to that relationship and main character. And this type of toxicity. 

Cover design by Trif

Blind Fury:

Bound by Fate #1

Bargain with Fate #2

Cursed with Fate #3 – Dec 21,2026

Review: Night Owl Books (A Story in the World of the Sea Wicche #1) by Seanna Kelly 

Rating:  4⭐️

Both books in this mini series are excellent introductions to the author and Sea Wicche universe, which the majority of the characters are a part of. 

At 89 pages, Kelly quickly lays out her intriguing main female character of Orla, an extremely rare Eurasian Eagle Owl Shifter. Shes settled in Monterey, California, after the deaths of her parents, her background and theirs remains unclear except for certain elements. 

She’s been raised in relative isolation due to her nature as an owl shifter as well as her needs determined by being autistic.  She’s happiest surrounded by  her enormous personal and ever growing library that she turned into a bookstore. A old huge Victorianhouse/bookstore, Night Owl Books, open only from 8pm to 6am, that rarely sells any books or sees any customers, but allows Orla plenty of time to read or fly around all the territory she owns around the house. 

Orla is fascinating, and on target as shifter where the author has done an excellent job in incorporating the physical and natural history species details into the character. She’s throughly believable in her role as both a woman happily withdrawn from the world and an owl soaring through her territory. 

 The invasion into her home by outsiders is both realistic and shocking in its own right. Upsetting her carefully constructed calm existence in multiple ways. 

I would like to have had more pages to explore the storyline , the actual villain’s identity, and all the new characters, who are actually crossovers with the other series. 

The side characters, small portraits of a few wonderful people who are returning customers of Orla’s and her relationship with them, that’s a dynamic I’d love to see more of. 

Overall, charming, interesting and over way too soon. 

Interconnected series:

Beginning with:

Sea Wicche (5 book series)

A Story in the World of the Sea Wicche (2 book series)

Night Owl Books #1

Night Owl Bridge #2

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        Night Owl Books (A Story in the World of the Sea Wicche Book 1)

    

Blurb 

Orla is an owl shifter, so her bookstore Night Owl Books is only open from 8pm to 6am. She gets very few customers—other than a couple of insomniacs—and that’s the way she likes it. Customers tend to interrupt her reading. All of that changes one night when a terrified woman runs into the bookstore, followed by two bear shifters, a werewolf, and a psychic wicche. Poor Orla’s night is about to be far less quiet.

Publisher

NYLA

Publication date

March 4, 2025

Language

‎English

Print length

89 pages

Book 1 of 2

A Story in the World of the Sea Wicche

Review:  What the Spell?: Spellbooked Magical Cozy Mysteries No. 1 (Spellbooked Mysteries) by Elle Wren Burke

Rating: 4⭐️

Kinley Paigewright, orphan, product of the foster system, suddenly finds herself not only a jilted bride, but someone who has magical powers. Abilities that were unlocked when her ex dumped her on her wedding day and caused a magical explosion of emotions and power. And that caused a very nice paranormal policeman to come wisk her away to Sea Breeze Island, one of the hidden places where magical beings can live in safety and a place she and her family once called home . Not that she remembers. 

This was a terrific story. Kinley is a character a reader can empathize with, coming from a foster care system that had her moving multiple times, to the unknown factor that is her history and the mystery of her parents . And who locked her magic?

Those are questions that I expect will be asked throughout the series.

Kinley’s introduction to her magic, the island and the sentient store and all the inhabitants is entertaining to read about .

There’s a mystery. That’s good but it makes little sense for Kinley to investigate and withhold information about what she finds out from the very person, the officer who has gone out of his way to help her along with his familiar. Why doesn’t she just work with Ryland, he and that tiny dragon don’t have an issue with it when they do start communicating.  So not doing it to begin with just seems poorly thought out. Especially when you consider she’s new to the island and the magical community .

But it’s got just enough depth to the characters and world building to stand out from the crowd. And the story is interesting so I’ll be picking up the next book in the series 

Spellbooked Mysteries (3 book series)

What the Spell? #1

Spell to Pay #2

For The Spell of It #3 – March 15,2027

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 Book 1 of 3: Spellbooked Mysteries 

Blurb 

Unfairly dumped right before her wedding, can this heartbroken bookworm come to terms with her witchy heritage without getting locked up for murder?

Kinley Paigewright is reeling. But she tries to roll with the punches when a paranormal policeman claims the odd energy that just destroyed her bridal suite means she’s a witch and whisks her off to an enchanted island. And when the jilted bride learns she’s supposed to inherit a snarky sentient bookshop, things seem like they’re looking up…until her obnoxious new upstairs tenant joins the dearly departed.

Pretty sure she doesn’t want to stay at the top of the hunky magical cop’s suspect list, Kinley struggles to find proof of her innocence in a town overrun with puzzles and potions. But unraveling the truth means digging into her absent family’s past, mastering her explosive talents, and trusting an exuberant feline familiar to help rewrite her future.

Can Kinley crack the case before her second chance at happiness vanishes for good?

What the Spell? is the whimsical first book in the paranormal Spellbooked Magical Cozy Mysteries series. If you like immersive settings, charming cats, and twice-hexed mischief, then you’ll love Elle Wren Burke’s enchanting tale.

Buy What the Spell? to conjure up a fresh start today!

Soaring Moon Books LLC

Publication date

June 11, 2025

Language

‎English

Print length

282 pages

Book 1 of 3

Spellbooked Mysteries