Tag Archives: Paranormal Romance

Total Eclipse of the Hunt by Mandy M. Roth

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Total Eclipse of the Hunt
Author: Mandy M. Roth
Series: Happily Everlasting World #5
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Cozy mystery, Paranormal romance, Small town romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2017

Thoughts

Jake was a great character in Once Hunted, Twice Shy, so I love that he got his own story and happily ever after! It also meant more Wilbur shenanigans. And just, general chaos. Plus, it opens up more of the Happily Everlasting world. Pete, Hugh and all of the other entertaining cast also make appearances, just so that Jake’s love story is all that much more fun and ridiculously enjoyable.

Kelsey is a great match for Jake, if not as engaging and relatable to some of the other female leads thus far in this series. She’s still got backbone, and I love that she comes “home” to rest in Everlasting. The fact that she gets the super dreamy centaur Jake when she decides to come to everlasting just makes it all that much better.

He might be a secondary character, but Wilbur is still completely totally and utterly a favourite. I mean, he pretty much spends the entirety of the book messing with and aggravating Jake and Hugh. I love that a seemingly innocent and sweet old man is actually the terror of a supernatural town. And that he finds serious entertainment in just… annoying pretty much everyone. And kidnapping people. And just generally being a menace.

Total Eclipse of the Hunt is ultimately a story about good and bad witches, and generations of wars between them. Having the name Babcock for a family of evil witches just… worked. On a level that I wasn’t expecting. I absolutely loved the whole dynamic, and that the guy I thought was evil wasn’t, and the one I thought wasn’t, was. A great little cozy mystery. But one that was about theft, and not death this time around.

<- Witchful ThinkingCurses and Cupcakes ->

Image source: Amazon

Witchful Thinking by Kristen Painter

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Witchful Thinking
Author: Kristen Painter
Series: Happily Everlasting World #4
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Cozy mystery, Paranormal romance, Small town romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2017

Thoughts

Witchful Thinking is a great story, and one that I will most likely read again. It was fun and light hearted, with just enough drama to keep me hooked in from the very first moment. Charlotte and Walker were a fun couple, and I like that they were in a race against time to figure out just who was hunting for the grimoire. And destroying Charlotte’s property, and just generally who was on the side of evil.

Whilst I really enjoyed this story, I found Charlotte to be almost annoyingly innocent. I mean, I still liked her, and eventually she showed some backbone. But it took a little while for her to get there, and it was a bit frustrating in the lead up. Then, it did make me even more happy when she decided to step up and act like an adult. Walker was incredibly loyal from the very beginning, and I found his inability to deviate from his loyalty to Charlotte to be quite cute and endearing.

This is the first Everlasting story I’ve read that wasn’t written by Mandy M. Roth – so it was nice to have a different perspective of this jointly created town. I love series which provide different facets of small town life by having stories crafted by different authors. That, and it gave me a whole new author to add to my shelves and investigate.

I love that this is a cozy mystery which features and evil book and evil witches. I mean, the book didn’t seem so evil, until you start learning about what spells inhabit it’s pages. I also love how the demise of the evil is actually really anticlimactic. A disgustingly fun way to spend an evening, guessing who the villain is and getting that easy happily ever after that I love.

<- Fooled Around and Spelled in LoveTotal Eclipse of the Hunt ->

Image source: Jana DeLeon

Once Hunted, Twice Shy by Mandy M. Roth

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Once Hunted, Twice Shy
Author: Mandy M. Roth
Series: Happily Everlasting World #2
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Cozy mystery, Paranormal romance, Small town romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2017

Thoughts

I love that this is a paranormal romance and a cozy mystery all rolled into one. I particularly love how Hugh and Penelope are falling in love and getting to know one another as they try and solve a pair of murders. Plus, then there’s Penelope’s grandfather and all of his insanity – the man who likes to kidnap others and is a kind elderly guy who also scares every single person in the town.

I love that Hugh is a werewolf, but his perfect soul mate is the daughter of a long line of monster hunters. And that Hugh is absolutely terrified of her grandfather. That in and of itself leads itself to a lot of high jinx and shenanigans throughout the story. It also means that instead of just Hugh and Penelope trying to solve a murder, her grandfather is running around causing chaos in his own controlling, crime-solving manner.

Although I absolutely adored Hugh and Penelope, I must admit that it was the secondary cast and the town of Everlasting that had me falling in love with this story. I mean, every single person in this was an absolute character. And all of their crazy together created an amazing and vibrant world that I can’t wait to get back to. And I can’t wait to see who falls in love next, who gets kidnapped, killed or robbed, whatever chaotic mystery is going to happen in the next Happily Everlasting World book.

I did end up guessing who the culprit was in this story, although, quite honestly, only moments before the big reveal. However, that is often why I like to read cozy mysteries – they are generally not filled with a mind bending mystery, but one that is big enough to keep you engaged. Plus, there is the fact that the culprit had a paranormal motive and wasn’t actually as evil as originally anticipated. Now I can’t wait for the next story in Happily Everlasting or Bewitchingly Ever After.

<- Dead Man TalkingFooled Around and Spelled in Love ->

Image source: Jana DeLeon

Born to Be Badger by Shelly Laurenston

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Born to Be Badger
Author: Shelly Laurenston
Series: Honey Badger Chronicles #5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters, Urban fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2023

Thoughts

Max and her team of insane honey badgers are absolutely, totally and utterly freaking fantastic. I mean, they are completely ridiculous and insanely violent, which I love. And then the whole finding their forever partners who want to put up with the ridiculousness and go along for the ride… priceless. Plus, aggressive mayhem and honey badgers – I’m never not going to love that combination.

Tock and her inability to even quite fit in with the rest of the honey badgers is brilliant. I love that she literally makes her own app to keep track of time and her scheduling. I mean, I feel how frustrating this is, and wish that I had her app. And ability to actually keep to whatever schedule I plan. Plus, she just embraces the fact that she’s a little abnormal, and uses it to freak people out and make her escapes… something that I honestly do myself. Frequently.

Shay is so completely calm and sane, which I feel like is necessary for someone who loves an insane honey badger. I love that Tock manages to also fall for one of the few men who is unable to keep any concept of time. She is so regimented, and he doesn’t really care where he is or when. They are completely enjoyable and fun opposites attract. Plus, it’s just fun to have Tock getting so completely out of control and frustrated every time Shay decides to just meander along.

Shay’s daughter, Dani, is completely adorable and I love that she is happily able to bond with Tock over STEM. That, and they agree that Stevie just shouldn’t be involved in the tutoring. Because Stevie is nuts and still completely capable of taking over the world… plus, there’s the fact that Tock is able to help Dani reinforce when she says the word “no”. I love how the girls in Shay’s life bond over STEM and telling a boy no… consent and STEM. Two incredibly important things for young women to learn.

Now that I’ve read Born to Be Badger, I’ve decided that I’ll probably need to reread the Honey Badger Chronicles and Pride series. Just because they’re hilarious, and I love doing rereads amongst all of my reading – revisiting beloved worlds is relaxing and enjoyable in a whole other way.

<- Breaking BadgerTo Kill a Badger ->

Image source: Amazon

Secret Santa for Grumpy Elves by Laura Greenwood

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview

Title: Secret Santa for Grumpy Elves
Author: Laura Greenwood
Series: Obscure Academy #3.5
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy, Paranormal romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 2021

Thoughts

I love that this is a Christmas story about an elf. One that doesn’t actually enjoy Christmas. Oh, and her name is Holly. I mean, yeah, if I had to deal with that much nonsense and the comments of others, I’d probably also feel a little bit reserved about that time of year. It also made for a great premise – the elf that is uncomfortable around Christmas falling for the elf that completely embraces it.

This is a fantastic novella that I’ll probably want to reread around Christmas time. It had all of the joyful festivities as the backdrop. Plus, it was really nice reading about Chris and Holly as they start the first steps of their relationship. There is so much promise at Christmas time, and so much promise at the beginning of a relationship, so pairing the two was incredibly cute, and a nice way to spend an evening.

My university never had Christmas traditions – probably because in the southern hemisphere, Christmas falls smack bang in the middle of summer holidays, and not just a short break like in the northern. I loved reading about all of the different stalls and set ups that the university had to celebrate this time of year. Although, to be honest, I’ve always loved reading and learning about any Christmas traditions, regardless of the location and paranormal nature of it.

There were so many side characters in this that I recognised, but I want to read more about. Although, some I only vaguely tried to connect in where I knew them from. I love the connectivity of this world and how everyone is somehow connected to everyone else – kind of like in real life if I’m being honest. The added mystery of just what kind of paranormal each person is just makes me all that much more excited to dive into this series!

<- Enchanting Songs for Silent SirensFlipping Tails for Seasick Mermaids ->

Image source: eBay

Pumpkin Spice and All Things Nice by Laura Greenwood

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Pumpkin Spice and All Things Nice
Author: Laura Greenwood
Series: Cauldron Coffee Shop #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy, Paranormal romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2022

Thoughts

I’m really enjoying stories written by Greenwood, they are simple and enjoyable, with enough action that they’re really not simple at all. And in the case of Pumpkin Spice and All Things Nice, the couple at the centre of the story is absolutely adorable. I love that Willow is a coffee shop owner who is also paranormal. And you know, all of the paranormal bents that there are on coffees and how they are drank / used as pick me ups. Then, there’s Azil. Who is definitely the coolest genie I’ve ever read about! I mean, something about him is just completely enjoyable and adorable. And, I love the mystery that he presents to start off this fantastic series.

This story definitely had a bit of a cozy mystery vibe to it, but without as much of the crime – but, I can’t wait to find out just how the people who like to recurse Azil are going to continue to show up. We’ve already had one culprit, and I can’t wait to meet more of them. Plus, there’s also just the general day to day running of a coffee shop and existing in a paranormal world – I could honestly read a series just based on this. The mystery and curse are just a great extra story line to spice up my experience.

I loved Sabine in Unfortunate Decrees and Iced Coffees, so it was nice to have a bit more time with her. And there were also a couple of scenes that were retold from Willow’s point of view. Although I might have really enjoyed her, I actually loved having her as a secondary character who helps to build on Willow’s story and acts as the catalyst for Willow and Azil’s adventures together. Plus, Sabine acts as a nice connection to the Grimalkin: Kittens series. One of the other reasons I’m loving Greenwood ­– how interconnected and clever her worlds are.

To top off all of the great characters, fantastic setting and intriguing plot line, there is the cat. I’m not entirely sure why the cat is as important as it is. But, I love any kind of animal sidekick / familiar. Especially one that just doesn’t really care about how their contrary presence impacts on others. I mean, this is exactly the thing that everyone loves about cats… now to dive in and find out more about what this trio can accomplish.

<- Unfortunate Decrees and Iced CoffeesHazelnut Latte and Something to Say ->

Image source: Goodreads

Pints & Potions by T.M. Cromer

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Pints & Potions
Author: T.M. Cromer
Series: The Unlucky Charms #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Paranormal romance, Witches
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2021

Thoughts

I absolutely adored Piper and Cian’s story – they had enough misunderstandings throughout to make it interesting, but not enough to make it painful. I love that they keep on jumping towards a relationship and then jumping backwards. Plus, some of the insanity of the Thorne family to keep things really spicy. I’m still disappointed that the Thorne Witches series is on Kindle Unlimited and I can’t currently read those books…

Piper’s spunk is completely adorable, and I love that she just didn’t cave to Cian’s influence early on in the relationship. That, and that she was able to figure out a way to still be herself when being consumed by a new love. She also found a way to be comfortable with what he was able to offer without trying to change him, but also without compromising herself.

Cian is incredibly stupid and ignorant, particularly since one bad experience makes him completely turn against the idea of love. But, I did love getting to watch him thaw throughout this. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still an absolute fool who makes some monumental mistakes, but he’s a redeemable fool – one that I ultimately appreciated and liked.

I can’t wait to see how the rest of this curse unravels – I love that there are three couples who are key to unravelling the curse. And now I can’t wait to see how each of these couples helps to create the happily ever after for their family. Plus, there are many family shenanigans and nonsense that is just too cute and entertaining to forget about.

<- More T.M. CromerWhiskey & Witches ->

Image source: Goodreads

Bonds by Susan Copperfield

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Bonds
Author: Susan Copperfield
Series: Royal States #6
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2019

Thoughts

I absolutely loved reading a romance which featured a search and rescue worker, because the whole Good Samaritan thing is just dreamy. And then, there’s the fact that there is also a paranormal spin on the search and rescue. The fact that the opening scene of this book is Jack using his wave bending powers to stop an oil spill and an environmental disaster… brilliant.

Each of the Royal Families in the Royal States have a seriously cool power, and I love that the Maine’s family gift is all about healing. And that their entire identity and economy are based around medicine and healing. Although, I can’t imagine having the will to heal to the degree that you actually give part of your life for another being – that is a level of commitment and kindness that I’m not entirely sure I could impart. The pitfalls of tying yourself to someone are also glaringly obvious and made me love the Maine Royals even more.

I kept on wondering just when the evil uncle was going to surface – I mean, he’s an evil uncle who really wants the crown. You know he’s going to show up and enact his nefarious plans the moment that he can… yet, when he finally makes his appearance, he was not only far more evil than I had realised. I mean, there are hints of even more terrible abuses than I had originally imagined. But, he also got a much more gruesome ending than I had expected too. Which was kind of nice… whilst also being seriously gross. And disturbing. Probably part of why I love reading this series, they tend to have a bit of extra blood and mayhem than I anticipate… because I’m a blood thirsty wench.

Bonds sets up Cold Flame really well, and I can’t wait to see what a story featuring my first New York Royal is going to entail. The fact that it’s a royal who doesn’t necessarily fit in with the rest of her family just makes me all that much more excited to dive into this story! It’s also highlighting how interconnected all of the Royal Families in the Royal States series are. They’re all marrying off each other, know each other’s secrets and just being entirely chaotic in their practices. I can’t wait to see how the New Yorkers are going to positively interact with the rest of the insane royal families.

Jack’s past and his reasons for hiding are a little bit sad. The survivors of a family genocide who are too scared to even use their talents, in case they are discovered. Although, I love that Jack is driven to constantly challenge himself, which is what ends them all in hot water. Now I kind of want more of his siblings to see how they fit in with the rest of the royals and establish their newfound freedom. Honestly, I constantly want to find out more about the characters in this series anyway, which is why I keep reading it…

<- HuntressCold Flame ->

Image source: Goodreads

Jace by Deanna Chase

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Jace
Author: Deanna Chase
Series: Wolves of the Rising Sun #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters, Werewolves
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2015

Thoughts

This was a much shorter and easier read than I was anticipating. Which honestly made me ridiculously happy – sometimes a short and easy romance is exactly what is needed to reset the brain and just drift off for a little while. This was incredibly pleasant with a whole lot of yummy lust in it. Incredibly enjoyable and fun.

Lannister is a truly horrifying ex and villain – I mean, it’s obvious that Skye is running from someone not so nice. But, it gets even worse the more the story unfolds. Plus, when it becomes obvious that he’s also the villain in Jace’s story – it’s pretty intense. But, I love how Skye is able to get her life back from his insanity.

Jace and Skye were a little bit instalove in this story, but it was kind of built on a friendship as well. I love that although both jump to a few conclusions, they are also able to give each other the benefit of the doubt. They worked as a very good couple, and I can’t wait to see what other women fall in love with the werewolves of the rising sun.

This was an incredibly easy and light story, one with just enough drama and action to make me not want to put the story down. I can’t wait to read more stories in this series.

<- More Deanna ChaseAiden ->

Image source: Deanna Chase

Gift of the Witch by Deanna Chase

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Gift of the Witch
Author: Deanna Chase
Series: Keating Hollow Happily Ever Afters #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Paranormal romance, Witches
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 2023

Thoughts

Abby is a really good lead, one that I loved getting to know. I also loved that she’s an earth witch with a young family, trying to negotiate her new role in life and the changes in her reality. Plus I just generally love that she’s got a lot of love with her small family, and the loyalty of some beautiful sisters.

Clay is a great partner to Abby and a fantastic family man. Plus, I love the idea of the brewery and how Abby’s brews are what save the day. His daughter (and Abby’s step-daughter) is also growing and finding her own feet within their fun new family dynamic. I really enjoyed the feeling of contentment that both Clay and Abby have within their lives and relationship.

Abby’s past friendship loss is heartbreaking, but I love how her ghostly friend is warning her of the dramas that are about to enter her life. As someone who hasn’t had the privilege of reading the Keating Hollow stories, it was nice that Chase still provided some history and background to Charlotte. But not so much that we got bogged down in the details.

This was a nice happily ever after story. But it also had a completely psychotic mother in the form of Abby’s mother. The cause of the curse is completely insane and I was actually gobsmacked at her audacity at the end.

<- More Deanna ChaseWisdom of the Witch ->

Image source: Goodreads