How to Reap a Soul (And Fail Miserably) is the first book in the urban fantasy series, Soul Management Bureau by April Kelley.
Itās a fated mate romance between reaper and their soul mates, so itās instant love/instant sex romance with a plot thatās 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 itās 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.
Itās interesting but Iām not sure Iām 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, Iāll let the world burn before I let anything happen to him.
Grym
Iāve reaped souls for three hundred years without a single mistake. Until Elliot Coyne. Iām 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 itās Armageddon.
Even worse? My soul insists Elliot is my beloved. Reapers arenāt supposed to have those. Are they? Regardless, itās 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.
Weāre suddenly stuck together, hunted by his supernatural bosses, and if we fall for each other it might tear reality apart.
Love isnāt supposed to end the world. Yet here we are.
The Goblin in the Sink (Groom and Doom Book 2) by Hailey Edwards is a good example of how a series can lose their initial momentum with the second book and all plot potential.
That seems to be a frequent element with some of Edwards writing in her various series. She can strike hot and the entire series is excellent all the way through or the first is promising but falters as it progresses.
Here itās the later. The first novel had so many interesting moments and potentially intriguing characters that I wondered how Edwardsā next book was going to move the various plots and mysteries forward.
Then the 2nd book releases and the choices made for the characters and plot just end up frustrating and unlikely thought out from multiple standpoints.
Letās have dragons but deny them the very characteristics and abilities that make them so powerful and memorable so that the villains can act without fear of retaliation for the majority of the story. They might as well be Guinea pigs.
Until boom, suddenly, dragons act sorta like dragons. Or one does. Kinda.
However, itās turning the main character of Ana Sartori into a person who suddenly puts her own needs above the safety of others, even in the face of overwhelming danger and extreme stupidity. Where itās clear to everyone itās a highly threatening trap to do certain things, ones where sheās going to knowingly bring friends into a situation where they might not even survive, but she says , yep letās go. SMH.
Itās the equivalent of that commercial where thereās choice to go for a garage with swinging horror equipment or a running car and the teenagers choose the garage. Itās like that. Over and over.
Oh no, do you think itās a trap, trick. I just led my friend whoās now being tortured. Oh no. Wait I knew that was coming.
Itās a constant SMH from a main character who starts coming off as incredibly self absorbed and TSTL.
So itās barely a 3. And not going forward.
I enjoyed Edwards last series. And Iāll check out the others. But this is a pass.
Everything Ana Sartori knows about herself, and her father, is a lie. Or so the Walsh clan would have her believe. Their claims are convincing, the details too vivid to dismiss outright, but she canāt imagine her father as the villain of her story.
Carmichael Sartori is a lot of things. Ruthless. Merciless. Pitiless. But alphas arenāt known for being pushovers. Ana knows pack law is brutal for a reason, and her father enforces the rules with tooth and claw to protect his people. Including her.
But the more time she spends with the Walsh clan, the wider her eyes open to the possibilities of what an alpha could be, what a pack should be, and it makes her wonder if the Walshes are right about other things. The only way for Ana to be certain is to face her father. Sheāll have to throw herself to the wolves and hope she makes it out alive with her answers.
Iām continuing my journey through Shelly Laurenstonās catalog and started in on the Magnus Pack trilogy as itās focused on three closely knit girlfriends. Each has her own story, only one of which is a shifter but there are shifters in each connected story.
Things to consider first. These are sexy, sexy tough women and the stories are full of scenes that flow accordingly. If youāre looking for sweet content, you might want to look elsewhere.
Considering my favorite series is Laurenstonās honey badger series I really enjoyed it. IYKYK.
The first character and girlfriend is a heavily scarred, damaged, pain-filled woman, Sara Morrighan. With scars across her face and a limp from a badly damaged leg when she and her dad were attacked by mountain lions and she was left for dead.
Sara, along with her best friends, Miki Kendric and Angelina Santiago, keep an eye out for each other, keeping each other safe and supporting them. Especially Sara, raised by a crazy grandmother and has an employer/surrogate father, Marrec, owner of a local motorcycle shop.
But the small Texas town has secrets. Saraās life is about to change, sheās getting aggressive and her leg is still full of pain.
Then a group of people on motorcycles rides into town. Zack, one of them, shows an immediate reaction to Sara. One thatās returned.
This is a very good fast paced story about someone who doesnāt know what she is. And is about to find out the hard way. Thereās shifter battles, tons of great sex scenes and wonderful chemistry between characters that makes the instant lust realistic.
The three women are hilarious together. The sisterhood is alive and well and relatable here. We absolutely believe these women grew up together and know each other inside and out. The dialogue is amazing.
Some world building feels under explored as does the shifter universe here. But on the individual level, itās exciting and sexy storytelling.
A definite winner.
Cover design by Deranged Doctor Design.
Magnus Pack:
Pack ChallengeĀ
Go FetchĀ
Here Kitty, KittyĀ
āMiss Congenialityā in When He Was Bad anthology
What’s an Alpha Male to do when he meets the Alpha Female of his dreams? Step one, hide all sharp objects.
All Zach Sheridan ever wanted was to become Alpha Male of his Pack and to be left alone. What he definitely didnāt need in his life was some needy female demanding his attention. What he never saw coming was the vicious, scarred female who not only demanded his attention but knew exactly how to get it.
Sara Morrighan knew this was the best she could expect from her life. Good friends. A nice place to live. And a safe job. But when Zach rode into her small Texas town with his motorcycle club, Sara knew she wanted more. She knew she wanted him. But after one sexy encounter with her dream biker, everything is starting to change. Her body. Her strength. That new thing sheās doing with the snarling. Even her best friends are starting to wonder whatās going on with her.
But this is only the beginning. Saraās about to find out her life was meant for so much more. And Zachās about to find true love with the one woman who makes him absolutely insane.
Hailey Edwards has a really great new start on a series with her new paranormal novella, The Vampire in the Potting Shed.
The first in the Groom & Doom series, we donāt get much of a world foundation, although I saw mention that itās set in the same universe as the authorās Black Hat Bureau (10 book) series.
This particular story is tied to one small town and territory, and focuses on Ana Sartori, who runs Gwinnett Street Groomers, a small pet grooming business and has an Alpha wolf shifter as an overprotective father. She herself canāt shift so remains outside of the pack business and affairs.
At 125 pages, Edwards packs a lot of information, interesting characters, and relationship dynamics into her storyline. That includes some neat twists and reveals.
Itās a quick, highly entertaining story and it makes you wish the next book was ready for reading.
Iām definitely reading it when itās available.
There are two things Ana Sartori knows for certain. She canāt shapeshift into a wolf like her father or his pack. And, despite her being a latent, little more than human, he loves her despite her faults. Sheās never going to be an alpha like him, but she can still hold her own in a fight. Not that her life is violent. He makes sure of that. Aside from occasionally wrestling pets into a headlock when itās time to trim their nails at Gwinnett Street Groomers, Ana leads a simple life.
At least that was the case until someone broke into her pet resort and spa, leaving a mystery dog behind in one of the bougie boarding suites. Not to mention thereās a vampire hiding in the potting shed. A very tall, very handsome vampire. He even smells nice, minus the blood drenching his clothes.
Ana could handle those things, probably, but now thereās a new alpha determined to claim the townāand Anaāas his territory. Either she stands and fights for her home, or she runs to her father with her (metaphorical) tail tucked between her legs. Life is a lot of things, but for Ana, simple isnāt one of them anymore.
Itās taking me a while to review this as I adore it so much. Iām not familiar with Jaysea Lynnās TikTok comedy/drama skits that launched these characters prior to the Covid lockdown but Iāll have to seek it out because these beautifully realized characters, especially Lily in her journey through the afterlife and Hell, are ones that make a memorable impression on the reader.
For Whom The Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn is incredibly moving in its depiction of one womanās journey through trauma to healing, recovery and the discovery of love, self worth and a found family. All in the afterlife.
I canāt even begin to describe how powerful and inspiring this book is. Itās also funny, dark, sexy, and truly beautiful.
Lily dies of cancer. Then her story begins. But what her life was like when she was alive, that a slow reveal throughout the narrative. In bits of memory flashing into her mind as she navigates her new journey through her afterlife and adventures in Hell. Which is another outstanding element here.
Everything, the mythological world and religions are represented differently than typically imagined. Itās one I think is incredibly rich and unique in its variety and depth of knowledge.
The characters of Lily and Bel, as well as Sharky, how they develop and grow, as individuals and as a family is stunning. Itās written so emotionally and powerfully that these are characters that will just inhabit my heart . As will so many others here.
Yes, Iāve ordered the special hard back edition already. Itās that book for me.
Highly recommended. Thereās some trigger warnings. Read them. This does deal with some traumatic situations and events, though they are mentioned throughout as memories.
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAYBESTSELLER!
From Hellās Belles BookTok sensation Jaysea Lynn comes a hotter-than-hell romantasy about love, magic, and found family in the Afterlife, perfect for fans of Sarah A. Parker and Callie Hart.
They told her to go to Hell.
She went, but on her own terms.
Lily isnāt exactly thrilled with her arrival in the Afterlife, but what awaits her there is more fantastical than she ever could have imagined: Deities wait in line at the coffee shop. Fae flit between realms. Souls find ways to make death a beginning.
As she explores the many corners of the Afterlife, Lily finds herself surprisingly drawn to a place most people would avoid at all costs: Hell. Armed with years of customer service experience and pent-up sarcasm, Lily carves a job out for herself amongst Hellās demons, sending souls to their rightful circles with more than a hint of sass.
Lilyās expectations are subverted every day in Hellāespecially by Bel, a demon general with a distractingly sexy voice. The two meet by chance and form an immediate, deeply healing friendship, but the undeniable heat between them threatens to combust.
Meanwhile, something stirs beyond the boundaries of their world, threatening to destroy everything theyāve known and everything that could beā¦unless they fight like Hell to stop it.
This debut novel from BookTok sensation Jaysea Lynn invites you to lose yourself in a world where love ignites in the unlikeliest of places, magic defies the rules, and the Afterlife proves more thrilling than anyone could imagine.
I really enjoy this author and her characters and series in Midnight Empire: The Tower are getting more interesting with each book.
Three Dog Nightās best elements are involved in its main mystery and investigation, that of whatās making the local werewolf population go out of control.
Itās both a werewolf Alpha that seeks out Knights of Boudicca, specifically London Hayes, to solve the mystery. And that means bringing, unfortunately, the vampire royalty into this in the form of Prince Callan.
Chase has this investigation go incredibly complicated, takes the odd couple on the road, across territorial borders, which gives the author a chance to expand her universe and explore additional possibilities for other paranormal creatures and magical powers.
London herself emotionally doesnāt evolve that much but everything else around her is changing and it ends in a bit of a cliffhanger. Not unexpected as this story has some wonderful twists and surprises to it.
Definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.
Cover design by Trif
Books in the Midnight Empire: The Tower series include:
I survived a job for royal vampires with my life and identity intact. That means I can return to my normal life as a knight, right?
Wrong.
When a group of werewolves goes berserk in our local pub, thereās a new threat in the city and the local pack hires me to find out what it is.
Unfortunately that decision draws the attention of a certain vampire prince who likes to keep tabs on the most powerful pack in the city. Just when I thought I was free of the Demon of House Duncan, weāre embarking on a road trip together to investigate.
And what we discover changes everythingāas well as each other.
Three Dog Knight is the second book in the Midnight Empire: The Tower series. Donāt miss this supernatural joy ride that features a kick-butt heroine, a powerful hero with a deadly past, and a quirky cast of characters.
Itās 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 thatās 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 isnāt released yet. Itās that incredible a series that I need to go straight into the next book.
Frankieās development goes into areas I hadnāt even considered, making me even more excited about the future. Thereās 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
The whole dying thing sucked, but Frankie isnāt going to dwell. Sheās focusing on the positive. Sheās alive. Ish.Her family is safe. Her business is booming. Sheās 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 hadnāt bumped into Carter, whoās working a case that gets tangled up in Frankieās repo. Missing women. Stolen cars. Alien abductions? The only way to get Frankie out of trouble is to help Carter uncover whoās behind it all. And pray the answer isnāt her client.
ā¢ Publisher: Black Dog Books, LLC. (January 4, 2025)
Dead Heat really escalates the overall danger thatās been created and implies that the many serious threats towards Lorelei and her found family are more imminent and deadly.
There are a boatload of plot lines here, from an incubus bartender with a strange mark on his chest that needs a bit of investigation to a new visitor in need of a place to stay, and as always, The villainous Corporation wanting Lorelei and sending its minions after her. But of course, thereās more, and itās Kane, her demon boyfriend, who might be in trouble.
Dead Heat (Crossroads Queen Book 7) by Annabel Chase superbly increases the level of danger, suspense and chaos for all the characters going forward. Chase has brought Lorelei into the Fairhaven fold, made her its guardian, and given her a found family of vampires, assassins, witches, werewolves, ghosts and the odd paranormal beings. Even a human sheriff and demon boyfriend.
And now the largest threat is to the very people and things she came there to avoid happening and having.
Great job and story.
Iām reading two books at a time. And Iāve heard that Half Dead #8 ends on a cliffhanger and Dead End #9 isnāt released yet. So Iāll wait until both are available and then read right through.
Until then, this is one amazing series. Binge them or just read them one by one. Fab stuff. Great character development and plotting. A true winner.
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.
It isnāt easy being the liminal deity of a multirealm crossroads, as Lorelei Clay can attest. There are the typical issues, of course, like a wayward god stumbling into Wild Acres, and then there are the more pressing onesā¦
Like an incubus who wakes up with a mysterious mark on his chest and a timer on his life.
And the demon with an urgent message for Kane.
And the mysterious flying monsters with vengeance in their hearts that threaten the peace and tranquility of Fairhaven.
And last, but definitely not least, a visit from The Corporationās latest minion, who might finally make Lorelei an offer she canāt refuse.
Donāt miss Dead Heat, Crossroads Queen, book 7. For fans of quaint small towns chock full of vampires, fae, witches, werewolves, mage assassins, ghosts, and the clueless humans they protect
I was looking for something to read that wasnāt fae or trial themed so that fantastic cover for The Wolf King: A Fantasy Romance by Lauren Palphreyman pulled me right in. New author and apparently a new series or duology, terrific!
And yes, I had an absolutely amazing time reading this book. I feel that Lauren Palphreyman really captured the Highlands of Scotland, the wilds and beauty of the region through scenes and descriptions so well. And then to intertwine the Clans of Scotland with werewolves or Shifter packs and include mythology and kingdom wars, itās a very compelling story. And the political landscape isnāt just about the shaky Wolf clans but their history with the human kingdom as its own wars are being played out.
On this background, the author is writing a larger story about a woman, Princess Aurora, whoās kidnapped by an Alpha and taken to the Highlands.
Aurora, or Rory as she is called is a delightful character, one of tremendous strength and perseverance. Sheās a woman who can emotionally and mentally evolve from a tightly controlled princess into a woman who decides her journey is transformative instead of that of one of being a victim.
On the male characters side, Callum is the main protagonist and romantic lead but instead I found the morally ambiguous Blake to be the far more interesting character. Callum was forever ārunningā off to somewhere important to the narrative leaving Rory behind for the moment and events to come.
Blakeās background and character, however, manipulative and dubious, is just that much more intriguing than that of Callum, imo. And thereās the Wolf King, Patrick, who is a non-entity here. Heās got one purpose, as an antagonist for the main characters and then heās done until the next book.
The world building could be better explained or developed. Itās an alternate universe. But whatās the time frame? A 17th century type of story. Not sure. Thereās a difference between a author who vividly describes a location , whether itās a natural setting or parts of a castle, and an actual world building with cultural elements, religious traditions, political traditions and history. And so far the latter is missing here.
The relationship between Rory and Callum is more of one of self discovery. I really didnāt buy the idea that Rory loved Callum, honestly, heās just too much a Golden Retriever in wolfās clothing. Heās the boy next door you date but then leave when you go to college.
The book ends on a really interesting note. And sets up the multiple conflicts and storylines for each character. For me , itās still all about Blake.
When a princess is kidnapped by an alpha, war rages between the humans and the wolves. But soon, forbidden attraction starts to grow. . .
Princess Aurora longs to escape the castle and the marriage that has been arranged for her.
But on the night before her wedding, at a dog fight where captured werewolves are made to fight for sport, she spares the life of a young wolf. It puts her on the radar of the powerful alpha who was going to kill him. And it changes everything.
That night, when the alpha escapes, he kidnaps her and takes her to the rugged lands north of the border ā where the once warring werewolf clans are beginning to unite. He thinks that she is the key to winning the war against the humans.
Only, as they spend time around one another, forbidden attraction starts to grow. And as Aurora learns that not all wolves are bad, the alpha discovers that she is in danger from both his enemies, and those he once considered friends.
With monsters on both sides, a bloodthirsty war between humans and wolves raging, and undeniable passion growing between them ā will their story end in love? Or tragedy?
And will Aurora ever get home?
Does she even want to?
An adult fantasy romance for fans of romantasy, werewolves, forbidden romance, and enemies to lovers
Content Warning: Contains strong language and sexual situations.
Even worse, maybe the world was better off for it.ā
So begins our journey into The Elemental Keyes , the first of Sam Burns the absolutely outstanding, and emotionally gripping new two book series, Circle the Square.
A two person POV, which starts from one world, then begins a journey that the author will take her characters and readers on that just shy of brilliant.
Thereās no way to go about describing the storylines except what relayed in the description. The world is about to end. We know because one of our narratorās a seer, Blaze Keyes and heās seen the world will end on his birthday.
Well, that of his and his twin brother, Riverās. They are elemental mages as well as seers. River a fire mage and Blaze ironically a water mage. And itās because of mages the world once succeeded, and itās because of mages itās now going to die.
The other wildly different perspective comes from a elf, Elethen Voransa, aka The Crow. A well known thief among his people, his entrance into the lives of the Keyes brothers is spectacular and shattering for all.
Burns does amazing things in bringing all the characters to life, along with the dire circumstances under which they are living and maneuvering through the obstacles that keep rising up around them.
Thereās no way to prepare someone for the neat twists and surprises Burns has laid down for the readers here. Like silken traps threaded through the narrative, they snap shut with a well plotted zest, making this reader anticipate with great excitement and glee what the next and final book holds.
Iām highly impressed with The Elemental Keyes, itās so imaginative, with great twists, wonderful characters, and a fantastic storyline.
April 13th, the date The Elemental Ruin is released, canāt get here soon enough.
Fine, tomorrow is the day the world ends, but is that actually better? My name is Blaze Keyes, and Iām a seer. Since I was a kid, Iāve known that the world was going to end on my twenty-fifth birthday.
But the day before the apocalypse, the most unexpected guy falls into my lapāor maybe Iād like to fall into his. Elethen is tall, handsome, a type of mage that disappeared from earth a century ago . . . and an elf. Also, he says he fell through a portal from another world, and I sort of believe him.
If I canāt save earth, maybe I can at least get Elethen home safe. Or if we can get my infuriating brother to work with us, maybe we can save everyone on both of our worlds. Maybe the world dies tomorrow, but damn it, Iām not going out without a fight.
The Elemental Keyes is the first of two books featuring a deadly portal between two very different worlds, a confused elven Robin Hood, an unemployed mage trying to deal with the end of everything he knows, his snarky criminal brother, and a few surprises along the way. It will conclude on April 13th with book two, The Elemental Ruins
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 