Review: A Novel Death (Witches of Willow Cove Book 1) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I love Sara Bourgeois’s many different paranormal murder mystery series, whether it’s situated in the Arizona desert mountains or in a small NW Pacific coastal town. Whether a woman has inherited a ghost filled desert ranch or a seaside bookstore or witchy herb shop that’s accompanied by a cat familiar, whatever the location or inheritance, the characters and community are intriguing, plot and character development well written, and the series one that expands into a ever deeper layered narrative and leads to wonderful relationships and even more mysteries.

This is our introduction to Rowan Page, her inherited bookstore, Quill & Tide, the familiar, cat Moss, and the very interesting seaside town of Willow Cove, where things are brewing. Murder and plenty of mystery to go around with the charm and quirky community.

Her aunt’s presence is still there, and magic is winding its way into Rowan’s life.

Bourgeois has, through her other series, kept her characters layered, even the murder mysteries, from victims to villains, have dimensions that have a reader feeling about them from multiple perspectives. There’s a sense of realness in their behaviors that makes us able to understand them, if not condone their actions.

Even for a urban fantasy or paranormal murder mystery novel, having the author write characters that a reader would find engaging and relatable, even while we laugh at the “nosiness” make this a series I can’t wait to continue.

Plus I want to visit any bookstore with the name Quill & Tide. I’m sold.

Another winner I’m happy to share.

Witches of Willow Cove (2 book series)

A Novel Death #1

Tides of Betrayal #2

Buy link

Book 1 of 2: Witches of Willow Cove

Blurb

Rowan Page has a plan.

It is not a good plan, but it is technically a plan. She’ll come to Willow Cove, sort out the seaside bookshop her late aunt left behind, sell the property before the money runs out, and move on with her life.

Quill & Tide has other ideas.

The shelves are beautiful but impossible to navigate. The bathroom mirror keeps leaving messages in her dead aunt’s handwriting. And Moss, the sea-glass gray cat who came with the building, keeps glowing every time someone lies.

Rowan would love to pretend all of that is normal.

Unfortunately, denial gets harder when a bestselling thriller author drops dead at the town’s Masques & Manuscripts festival, right in front of half the waterfront.

The police have a suspect. The town has gossip. Moss has strong feelings about everyone involved, most of them unflattering. And Rowan has questions she really should stop asking, especially once they lead to a stolen grimoire and secrets Aunt Oona apparently took to the grave.

Willow Cove is charming, magical, and very bad at minding its own business.

Rowan was supposed to sell the bookshop and leave.

Instead, she may have inherited a murder mystery and one extremely judgmental cat.

Publication date

June 15, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

213 pages

Book 1 of 2

Witches of Willow Cove

Review: Sweet Blood (At First Bite #1) by Lola Glass

Rating: 3.75⭐️

Sweet Blood (At First Bite #1) by Lola Glass is the first book by this author I’ve read and it’s got several interesting elements about it.

The first story in a paranormal fated mate’s romance murder mystery series, it has a different take on vampire and shifters than I’ve seen before.

Here in this universe, vampires are a much weaker species. There was a paranormal war and werewolves came out on top. They now are the ones that have the political power over everyone, including humans who have the same feelings about the few remaining vampires as they do.

Those vampires who survived, remain hidden among them by using contacts and other forms of camouflage to prevent them from being “outed” as vampires.

All very opposite to the norm of the genre.

The lack of strength, ability to walk in sunlight. That’s not exactly explored here.

The main female character is a vampire who is, of course, hiding her species identity, while working in a high level job in an important werewolf company.

Bloom, the vampire assistant to a non paranormal director, is the immediate suspect, when one of the other employees is found dead, a victim of a vampire attack. The king of werewolves, Maverick, has her arrested and held after biting her, determining she is a vampire.

This aspect of the story was something I thought needed more attention. No police, just held and moved by the wolves to a cell and “convicted” until proven innocent.

Any foundation for this isn’t given until much later. And then there’s still no information about any separation between police and the werewolves themselves. And a real legal legitimate framework. I found that missing totally.

The base is a tenuous fated mate relationship being established between vampire Bloom and King Maverick. He’s insistent upon it. She’s not so sure. Her family? Absolutely not. His own species? Mixed bag.

Meanwhile, bodies are falling. There’s a heinous plot to be investigated and Bloom’s best childhood friend is in serious trouble.

Many storylines. And actually one of the best relationships here is that of Bloom and Harper, her best friend who is featured in the second book and mystery.

It’s not a lack of interesting characters and storylines or elements here but maybe follow through. I found myself flipping through pages of spicy sex trying to figure out plots and story arcs that were under explored and required further development. Only to discover that there wasn’t really any other information.

Another person mentioned that there’s other books and series about vampire/shifter fated mates from this author that exist in the same universe. Maybe some further world building exists there.

I’m at least going to read the second book. See how the mystery unfolds there.

If you enjoy paranormal fated mates romance, here is a different take on the trope.

At First Bite:

Sweet Blood #1

Wolf Blood #2

Same universe:

Wildwood (3 book series)

Buy link

Book 1 of 2: At First Bite

Blurb

A werewolf showed up to investigate a murder in my office building—then bit me, and accused me of being the killer.

When I’m proven innocent, he admits the truth:

We’re soulmates.

Unfortunately for both of us, I’m a vampire. Our people are mortal enemies, so we have no choice but to ignore the connection we share until it eventually fades.

The only problem?

His instincts won’t let him walk away, and he isn’t trying to fight them.

When I’m nearly offed by the murderer myself, all bets are off.

My werewolf will take out the killer and make me his… or we’ll both die trying.

*This is a spicy enemies to lovers romance with a happily ever after

June 24, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

522 pages

Book 1 of 2

At First Bite

Review: Bear Many Hats (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow Book 5) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 4⭐️

The author sets many different plots in motion with Bear Many Hats, the fifth book in the fantastic Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow series.

One storyline, the main plot that centers around the wandering bear in the town, is the one that carries the most interesting elements while also being the most easily solved mysteries of the story. It’s a carryover from the previous book and you could pretty much see it even then.

What keeps the reader engaged is the new characters, the dry, layered dialogue between Blythe Fairfield and her familiar, Pippin, either when commenting on customers in her shop or events in their community. It’s warm, well written, and even the smallest interaction is beautifully executed.

The mystery, who shot the sheriff, is more emotional than much of a mystery. The author introduces a ex-girlfriend who I expect to add further drama and the ending is a bit of a shock for all. A definite cliffhanger of sorts. That’s extremely well done.

Love the author and series. Can’t wait to read the next book.

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow (4 book series)

If the Hat Fits #1

Under The Hat #2

Hat Out of Spell #3

Hat Trick #4

Bear Many Hats #5

Drop of a Hat #6 – Sept 22,2026

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Bear Many Hats (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow Book 5)

Blurb

Blythe Fairfield was just starting to settle in.

She has a tea shop on Main Street. A talking cat who critiques her blends. A boyfriend who runs a fever nobody can explain but kisses her like he means it. And a town that’s almost stopped whispering about her.

Then someone shoots the sheriff.

Paine is found on the side of a country road with a bullet wound and no explanation for how he got there. The town is terrified. Deputy Dewey is in over his head. And Blythe is not going to sit in a hospital waiting room while whoever did this walks free.

Between an ex-girlfriend who keeps calling the hospital, a parolee who won’t explain where he was that night, and an elderly woman loudly telling everyone at the post office that the sheriff had it coming, Blythe has too many suspects and not enough answers.

But something about the case doesn’t fit. The evidence points in too many directions. And Paine, when he’s awake long enough to talk, keeps mentioning dreams he’s been having. Vivid ones. The kind that feel real.

Pippin says the dreams mean something. Pippin says a lot of things. And Baba Grimm has started showing up with gifts that aren’t entirely safe and advice that isn’t entirely free.

Some mysteries are about who did it. Some are about what’s been hiding in plain sight. And some answers change everything, including the person you thought you knew best.

date

June 7, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

216 pages

Book 5 of 6

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow

Review: Hat Trick (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow Book 4) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 4.75⭐️

Well, if that wasn’t just an excellent book. The mystery was one where you knew who did it after a while. But the investigation takes Blythe and her familiar, along with Anya, on a path that leads towards many places and players. So the plot winds up being poignant, character driven and layered with smaller pieces of other mysteries .

The author meaningfully scattered bits of information about the community throughout in new ways that knowledge of who did the murder early isn’t as key as you think.

And there’s another stranger mystery brewing that will lead to the next book in the series.

Sara Bourgeois is another autobuy/autoread for and this series is a great example why.

Highly recommended. Love the author.

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow (4 book series)

If the Hat Fits #1

Under The Hat #2

Hat Out of Spell #3

Hat Trick #4

Bear Many Hats #5 – July 21,2026

Buy link

Hat Trick (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow Book 4)

Blurb

Blythe Fairfield is finally getting the hang of her weird new life.

She owns a tea shop on Main Street. She’s dating the sheriff. Her late great-aunt’s notebooks are slowly teaching her what kind of witch she is, and her familiar has mostly stopped acting like tolerating her is a personal sacrifice.

Mostly.

Then the Cauldron Hollow Fall Festival rolls into town, and a dead body turns up behind the vendor trailers before the booths are even open.

The victim was a quiet leather worker traveling with the festival vendors. No enemies. No debts. No obvious connection to anyone in town.

At least, that’s the story everyone wants to tell.

As the festival barrels forward with tourists, bear sightings, and town gossip, Blythe starts tugging at threads nobody else seems to see. And somewhere between the funnel cake, fake smiles, and festival chaos, someone decides Blythe needs to stop asking questions.

Permanently.

It doesn’t help that Sheriff Paine is pulling away for reasons he refuses to explain. Or that Pippin keeps insisting being a Tallowmere should be enough to solve every problem, intimidate every enemy, and possibly improve Blythe’s posture.

But Cauldron Hollow has secrets it doesn’t show the tourists, and this one has been waiting twenty-four years to come due.

Blythe is about to learn there’s a big difference between a man running from his past and a man waiting for it to find him.

Sometimes the trick isn’t what’s in the hat.

It’s what’s been hidden in plain sight all along.

May 18, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

218 pages

Book 4 of 5

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow

Review: Hat Out of Spell (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow Book 3) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Hat Out of Spell took the main character of Blythe Fairfield, her family history as well as the paranormal nature of the community of Cauldron Hollow to new levels.

The author does this using the complicated murder of a recently returned and detestable man, using the investigation to examine darker, more intriguing areas of Blythe ‘s ancestry, that of the cemetery she’s renovating, and in-depth interviews into the community of witches and craftsmen who support them.

It’s small town dynamics but powered by a strong paranormal force, The Veil and old laws that Blythe has no understanding of.

I just love this story, all the many complex plots threaded together, some resolved, but many more intense storylines that are just getting out there for Blythe to think about and accept. Like her Aunt Moira, and what her future might look like.

Now to wait for the next book to be released.

What a fantastic series and group of characters.

Just terrific. Great storytelling.

Highly recommended. Love the author.

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow (4 book series)

If the Hat Fits #1

Under The Hat #2

Hat Out of Spell #3

Hat Trick #4 – June 23,2026

Bear Many Hats #5 – July 21,2026

Buy link

Hat Out of Spell (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow Book 3)

Blurb

Blythe Fairfield was just starting to feel at home.

She has a job at the local grocery store. A talking cat who insults her daily. A date with the sheriff that actually went well. And a cemetery full of dead relatives she’s been restoring one headstone at a time.

Then one of those headstones gets a new neighbor.

Griffin Midnight, a witch with more charm than sense, came back to Cauldron Hollow after breaking Blythe’s best friend’s heart. Now he’s dead in the Tallowmere family cemetery with a bottle of wine and two glasses, and the whole town is looking at the two women who had the most reason to want him gone.

One is Anya, Blythe’s best friend, who screamed at Griffin in public. Twice.

The other is Blythe, whose family graves someone turned into a crime scene.

Between a grandfatherly tea shop owner hiding a secret, a council member with a grudge against her house, and a killer whose magic is so subtle nobody knows it’s there, Blythe is running out of time and suspects. Pippin says the answer has been in front of her the whole time. Pippin says a lot of things.

But when Blythe opens her great-aunt Moira’s notebooks, she finds more than clues. She finds a secret that will change everything she thought she knew about her family, her best friend, and the familiar who’s been keeping his mouth shut since the day she arrived.

Some spells you cast. Some spells you inherit. And some hats are harder to take off than they are to put on.

April 27, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

211 pages

Book 3 of 5

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow

Review: Under The Hat (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow #2) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I really enjoyed Under The Hat more than the first story. The author is really defining her characters and the unique universe of Calderon Hollow here so we get a real sense of the nature of the town, and the magical strength of the powers of the families who live there.

Blythe Fairfield has made her choice to live in the house, accepting the magic and learn her role, whatever it may be. But the unstable Veil and shifting perspectives of the townspeople make it hard for Blythe to get a better sense of them and her new community.

I really liked how the different relationships are evolving here, between Blythe and the magical family on the other side of the ancient power feud, and even more so, between her and the Sheriff who “knows” instinctively that there’s something about her and the town that he can’t see or be involved with but also realizing it’s no less true.

The details, the history behind the old feud, the darker aspects of the town, it’s slowly getting revealed.

And it all gives depth to her and the series.

Just terrific. Great storytelling.

Highly recommended. Love the author.

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow (4 book series)

If the Hat Fits #1

Under The Hat #2

Hat Out of Spell #3

Hat Trick #4

Buy link

Book 2 of 4: Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow

Blurb

Blythe Fairfield chose to stay in Cauldron Hollow. She’s not sure the town has chosen her back.

Her relationship with Sheriff Paine Wilder is in ruins. Her bank account is worse. The only job she can find is running a cash register at the local grocery store, where her boss is a conspiracy theorist, her customers include a woman who screams about paying for eggs, and the one friend who made it all bearable keeps talking her into things she shouldn’t do.

Then a reclusive prepper turns up dead on his rural property, and Blythe finds more than a body. Buried beneath the man’s unfinished root cellar is a book of spells that should not exist, magic that breaks every rule Blythe has been taught to follow. She can’t leave it for the police. She can’t destroy it. And she definitely can’t stop thinking about what’s inside.

Someone killed a man for this book. And Blythe just brought it home.

Review: If the Hat Fits (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow #1) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 4⭐️

I love this author’s Haunted Ranch Mysteries series, so while I was waiting on the next book in that series to be released, I noticed that she had started another series, different location and perspective on a similar type of female character.

The author has a real fondness for older women starting over. I can get behind this.

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries series has the beauty of the Arizona desert and the unique nature that enhances the atmosphere and fantastic storytelling.

I’ve yet to find a similar surrounding landscape here that has the same feel or that is so striking that it acts as a compelling backdrop.

So it’s a nondescript setting that depends heavily on character development and storytelling. Luckily, it delivers on both accounts.

Where certain characters in other series are stereotypical personalities, here Bourgeous takes them outside of the usual configuration into something interesting.

The sheriff and townspeople all have characters that surprise the reader with their depth of personality and the growth they exhibit during the story. This continues throughout the series.

The overall magic system is one that is slowly evolving and being defined as each situation arises, and it’s an unusual one that envelops the entire town.

There’s an ancient witch family feud, a cat familiar, and of course, a sentient house, to go along with the main character of Blythe Fairfield, a woman who is restarting her life after divorce.

The language is one of someone quietly reviewing their past and present options, no panic but a sense of resolve to make things work. You immediately understand Blythe, the circumstances that brought her to Caldron Hollow, and the thought processes as each event comes her way. However, increasing wild each one is.

It ends with Blythe staying true to her values, at the beginning of her journey and a long way to understanding what’s ahead. The author has started to set much in motion but there is so much more that’s needs a foundation or exploration, especially with regard to the town and witch families.

I’m definitely going forward with the series. And recommending this. Great read!

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow (4 book series)

If the Hat Fits #1

Under The Hat #2

Hat Out of Spell #3

Hat Trick #4

Buy link

Book 1 of 4: Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow

Blurb

Welcome to Cauldron Hollow!

Sometimes the worst day of your life is just the beginning.

Blythe Fairfield has officially failed at adulthood. Divorced. Fired. Broke. When she inherits Gallows Gate House in the small town of Cauldron Hollow from her allegedly unhinged great-aunt, she decides it’s a temporary stop. Renovate. Sell. Leave.

Then her cat starts talking.

Cauldron Hollow isn’t just quaint. It was founded by two rival witch families. The Stoneharts stayed. The Tallowmeres were driven out.

Guess which family Blythe belongs to.

Between a house that hums with old magic, a violet streak suddenly appearing in her hair, and a snarky familiar named Pippin who keeps saying “Obviously,” Blythe barely has time to process her new reality before she stumbles over a dead body behind Merlin’s Diner.

The victim made enemies. Unfortunately, Blythe just made the suspect list.

With the town’s frustratingly handsome sheriff watching her every move and a killer determined to protect their secrets, Blythe must decide whether she’s still running from her inheritance or finally ready to claim it.

Turns out, if the hat fits… you might have to wear it.

If the Hat Fits is the first book in the Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow cozy mystery series. Expect humor, heart, magic, and a clean read with no swearing or explicit content.

Cauldron Hollow is an alternate universe to Coventry. You’ll see hints and shadows of our original wicked witches, but this book and series can be read and enjoyed on their own.

March 9, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

207 pages

Book 1 of 4

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow

Review: Banshee Cries (The Walker Papers Book 2) by C. E. Murphy

Rating: 3.5⭐️

Banshee Cries was originally released in an anthology and I’ve included the publisher/author’s notes about this below. It’s a good story with some interesting magical elements to this tale. However, its brevity also highlights some of the more irritating or worst aspects of the main character, Joanne Walker. She’s in her late thirties, but her personality is often more of a whiny juvenile, which she admits but does nothing to correct.

She’s a reluctant Shaman, a reluctant police officer, and really, a reluctant adult. And given all the mystical powers she’s empowered with and guidance by Coyote which she doesn’t follow through on, the serious lack of development in her character’s growth is slowly eroding any interest I have in her and the series.

There’s really terrific content here, a magical system that Jo decides her gateway into it is her love of car mechanics. So she envisions how her magic powers works the way most cars and their mechanical systems do. That’s exciting. And unique.

But then there’s the rest of the story. And the reader is left to deal with her waffling thoughts about her life, not wanting to admit she’s a shaman whose powers will “save the day” or whatever. This is only the second book and it’s tiresome.

I won’t even mention the ghost of the mother plot with ginormous holes in it.

So while I appreciate the potential here, and some of the other characters, as well as the unique magic system, the character herself is becoming progressively less interesting. On book 2. That’s an issue.

Haven’t decided yet whether I’m going forward or not. You can decide if you’re willing to chance it.

Like the covers.

Cover Art & Design: G&S Cover Design Studio

Cover Model: Marissa Turcotte

Author’s Note:

Banshee Cries was originally published in the anthology Winter Moon as ‘Book 1.5’ of the Walker Papers. With the reissuing of the series, it has been promoted to a full Book Two status, and the numbering of the books going forward will reflect that. Aside from the numbering, there are no changes from the original release of Banshee Cries to this one.

The Walker Papers (10 book series):

Urban Shaman #1

Banshee Cries #2

Thunderbird Falls #3

Coyote Dreams #4

Cauldron Bourne #5

Demon Hunts #6

Spirit Dances #7

Raven Calls #8

No Dominion #9

Mountain Echoes #10 – July7,2026

Buy link

Banshee Cries (The Walker Papers Book 2)

Blurb

The last thing reluctant shaman Joanne Walker wants is to be assigned to a case of ritual murders. It’d be creepy enough all on its own, but her boss, already trusting her magic more than Jo does herself, suspects there’s more to it than just a serial killer. As Joanne is pulled more deeply into the bloody mire, she begins to realize this is a murderer with a deadline—the changing winter moon seems to be key to the power they’re building.

But Joanne’s not the only one entangled in the increasingly dangerous magic raised by the killer: she has a protector, someone who has already given up their life to keep Joanne safe…and who may be the only person able to stand between Joanne and a dark power far greater than she’s ready to handle….

Publisher’s Note: Banshee Cries was originally published as part of the Winter Moon anthology, and was fondly numbered ‘1.5 of the Walker Papers.’ With the reissue of the series, Banshee Cries has been elevated to book two, and the series numbering henceforth reflects that change.

Publisher

Miz Kit Productions

Publication date

January 1, 2024

Language

‎English

Print length

120 pages

Book 2 of 10

The Walker Papers

Review: URBAN SHAMAN (The Walker Papers Book 1) by C. E. Murphy

Rating: 4⭐️

Urban Shaman brought me not only another great book but a new prolific author and series to explore. Love it when this happens.

In Urban Shaman, Murphy introduces a mixed race (Cherokee and Irish ancestry) Seattle police mechanic Joanne Walker, who on a flight home from a funeral, discovers not only is there mystical layers to her world but she’s a shaman as well.

In trying to save a woman from a threats from a Celtic god and the mythical Wild Hunt, Jo has to accept that she’s got shaman powers she’s not even close to understanding. And she needs them in order to survive the gods and the threats they have brought into her world.

The author combines Seattle location, a mechanic’s love for her cars, a middling law enforcement presence and two different types of mythology, Celtic and a broader spectrum of The People to this urban fantasy novel.

There’s murder, a race to understand the mystery behind the what the Wild Hunt and gods are doing, and most of the time, it’s spent in a dream scape of a urban fantasy world where Jo and Coyote are trying to heal her and lead her to knowledge.

This aspect of the story is where some readers will find themselves having issues. The magic isn’t well defined, especially Jo’s powers and how she’s developing them. And that so much of the story isn’t set in the real world of Seattle where the drama is occurring.

Perhaps future books will change that.

Jo is a really good and traumatized character (there’s a very sad, past history revealed here). And her relationship with the cab driver and her boss in the SPD have potential.

Looking forward to reading more of the series.

A winner here with the potential for a great series.

Cover Art & Design: G&S

Cover Design Studio Cover Model: Marissa Turcotte

The Walker Papers (10 book series):

Urban Shaman #1

Banshee Cries #2

Thunderbird Falls #3

Coyote Dreams #4

Cauldron Bourne #5

Demon Hunts #6

Spirit Dances #7

Raven Calls #8

No Dominion #9

Mountain Echoes #10 – July7,2026

Buy link

Book 1 of 10: The Walker Papers

Blurb

Joanne Walker has no use for the mystical, and up until this morning, the mystical had no use for her.

But an ancient god has reared his head, and the all-too-real riders of the mythical Wild Hunt are menacing the streets of Seattle. Caught in the middle of an age-old grudge, Joanne is forced to choose between accepting an unexpected magical heritage and facing this immortal enemy, or…dying.

(Look, nobody said it was a good choice.)

Guided by a cryptic coyote who visits her dreams and armed with magic she doesn’t know how to use, Joanne is befriended by a nosy cab driver who wants to tag along for the adventure as she hangs on to the desperate hope that she might survive the next few days.

Joanne’s journey from police department mechanic to urban shaman begins here…whether she likes it or not!

Miz Kit Productions

Publication date

October 1, 2023

Language

‎English

Print length

364 pages

Book 1 of 10

The Walker Papers

Review: Guardians of the Pack (The Other Wolf, #2) by Heather G. Harris

Rating: 3.5⭐️

Book 2, and my issues with this series and characters continue. Mostly due to the character of Lucy, but the lack of foundational knowledge about the world building is also a big part of the problem here.

Turns out there’s 4 different Other Realm series that have carryover characters and overlapping roles and storylines here. If you’re not familiar with them, then it’s a problem because Harris isn’t one of those writers who spends the necessary time in their stories filling in knowledge about their other work/universe. You either know or you don’t.

Which leaves any new readers lost or scrambling for information, a trying aspect of the book when there’s already several others to deal with.

The interesting elements here, such as the werewolves actually having two distinct personalities or beings within them, is a very good one. The wolves have names, personalities and in most instances, have been denied by their “human counterparts” , suppressed by werewolf history and pack mythology to a certain roles that had denied them their identity. Lucy and Esme are, currently, the only highly functional communicating pair.

This is a great storyline and it will be the one that carries me forward if I do so, into the series as I hopefully see it further expand and detailed.

I rated this novel higher because the main theme of kidnapped children and its investigation was suspenseful and kept me invested. It was especially due to the side story of the young werewolf and the gargoyles. The leader Bob and the youngest cub were east to relate to and feel emotionally attached to as well.

But, once again, that ending was not satisfying. The villain ended up as much a product of why this MF character is so problematic and the issues that continue to plague her. (“I didn’t feel so sorry for him anymore “). No words.

Just one more huge SMH moment and scenario.

I’m actually considering heading back to the Glimmer series, the first in the Other Realm universe to see if beginning with the main series will eliminate the world building issues and carryover problems.

Not sure Lucy had shown much development as a person yet so it’s hard for me to want to invest further time in reading her series.

Guardians of the Pack (The Other Wolf, #2) by Heather G. Harris is a bit of a mixed bag of narratively good elements and nicely executed storytelling threaded through with a questionable main character moments, and an unsatisfying ending.

Le sigh.

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

Guardians of The Pack: An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Other Wolf Series Book 2)

Blurb

I hate finding corpses. For some reason, my enemies think dead bodies work as a communication method. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer a letter.

When I find a pulverised gargoyle on my lawn, I can’t help but think things are about to get rocky. The gargoyles don’t expect me to look into the death, but who can ignore murder on their doorstep? Ex-soldier Greg Manners knows all about violence and he thinks that the ogres are involved. Deadly or not, I’ll go toe-to-toe with their lethal king if I need to. I’m determined to find justice – but just when I start investigating, one of the pack’s children is snatched.

I’m in a race against time to find him when it turns out that Bobby isn’t the first stolen child. I’ll have to navigate Other world politics to work out what the purloined children have in common. Maybe if I know why they’ve been taken, I’ll discover who took them. Because the clock is ticking and I am all out of suspects.

Esme and I have to work together to find the kids, before it’s too late…

Burn through this fun, fast-paced, laugh-out-loud mix of urban fantasy and mystery.

This is the second 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.

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

Publisher: Heather G Harris (October 6, 2022)
Publication date: October 6, 2022
Language: English
Print length: 358 pages

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