I really disliked this book. It had the tone of a Hallmark channel romance, but with magical creatures thrown it - very contrived. I had no interest iI really disliked this book. It had the tone of a Hallmark channel romance, but with magical creatures thrown it - very contrived. I had no interest in getting to know the characters, so I stopped after a few chapters. ...more
This is a collection of two paranormal romances featuring dragons who can shapeshift human finding their mates in a generic Robin-Hood-esque time periThis is a collection of two paranormal romances featuring dragons who can shapeshift human finding their mates in a generic Robin-Hood-esque time period of knights, lords, kings, and villagers. The first is about a lady dragon with a book horde and her knight suitor, the second about a hearth witch and her dragon lord with a rock collection horde. There are a few epilogues too, where there are some steamy scenes and a get together of all the dragons and their mates (happens every 25 years.)...more
This book had lots of talk about anxiety and mental health - maybe it is the author's cause to write about people coping with emotional demons in healThis book had lots of talk about anxiety and mental health - maybe it is the author's cause to write about people coping with emotional demons in healthy ways. But with magic. A British genie, stuck in an antique teapot, to be exact. Clementine wants to set him free, and he's thinking he'd maybe like that too, so they have a month to teach him to be human. The book did feel rather long, though I don't know what the page or word count was. ...more
There's a trend in fantasy right now to set it around the turn of the 19th century (Victorian era), and this book is one of that trend. This story is There's a trend in fantasy right now to set it around the turn of the 19th century (Victorian era), and this book is one of that trend. This story is very well done - I really liked it, and look forward to more of this series. The characters, setting, and mystery were all very satisfying.
The premise is that the family of a of a clergyman receives a message that he has inherited Wormwood Abby, because of the unexpected death of both his brother and nephew during a hunting accident. He, his young adult daughter from his first marriage Edith, his 2nd wife, and his 12 year old son go to meet the 3 surviving nieces at the Abby and try to figure out what to do about the inheritance.
There's a lot of mystery in the Abby - the eldest niece not being forthcoming, a suspicious neighbor, and odd baby lizard found in a fireplace and taken as a pet, and a very rude lawyer. Edith is a mystery writer herself, though, and so she sets out to solve the mysteries of the Abby....more
I did not like the heroine of this series, Cassie. It's about a recent divorce with a tween daughter leaving Atlanta and claiming an inheritance in a I did not like the heroine of this series, Cassie. It's about a recent divorce with a tween daughter leaving Atlanta and claiming an inheritance in a small, northern, sea-side town. That inheritance comes with the unveiling of their dormant witch powers, both mom and daughter, and a magical bakery/apartment building. The new matriarch of the town (after Cassie's aunt died) is a bully, and ends up very upset with Cassie at the end of book one. (Which didn't make sense at all considering that Cassie's snooping unveiled that the bully WASN'T to blame for the death of her long-ago love. You would have thought she'd be relieved, but instead, she was so embarrassed she went nuts for the rest of the books, doing increasingly horrible things that nearly kill people by books 3 and 4. Two of the books are about Cassie's ex-husband and ex-mother-in-law trying to get the tween daughter into their clutches. Book 4 has the beginning of a romance that is not backed up by much in the prior books. One of the books has Cassie being reunited with her dad. Cassie has several friends that are very tight knit almost the second she moves in.
What I really hated about the writing and the heroine is the way the bully, husband, and mom-in-law were painted as ultimate evil. There was no personal responsibility taken by the heroine, no acknowledgement of her own part in the disillusion of that marriage. It was men-as-enemies-feminism, and I really disliked the tone. ...more
I did not like the heroine of this series, Cassie. It's about a recent divorce with a tween daughter leaving Atlanta and claiming an inheritance in a I did not like the heroine of this series, Cassie. It's about a recent divorce with a tween daughter leaving Atlanta and claiming an inheritance in a small, northern, sea-side town. That inheritance comes with the unveiling of their dormant witch powers, both mom and daughter, and a magical bakery/apartment building. The new matriarch of the town (after Cassie's aunt died) is a bully, and ends up very upset with Cassie at the end of book one. (Which didn't make sense at all considering that Cassie's snooping unveiled that the bully WASN'T to blame for the death of her long-ago love. You would have thought she'd be relieved, but instead, she was so embarrassed she went nuts for the rest of the books, doing increasingly horrible things that nearly kill people by books 3 and 4. Two of the books are about Cassie's ex-husband and ex-mother-in-law trying to get the tween daughter into their clutches. Book 4 has the beginning of a romance that is not backed up by much in the prior books. One of the books has Cassie being reunited with her dad. Cassie has several friends that are very tight knit almost the second she moves in.
What I really hated about the writing and the heroine is the way the bully, husband, and mom-in-law were painted as ultimate evil. There was no personal responsibility taken by the heroine, no acknowledgement of her own part in the disillusion of that marriage. It was men-as-enemies-feminism, and I really disliked the tone....more
I did not like the heroine of this series, Cassie. It's about a recent divorce with a tween daughter leaving Atlanta and claiming an inheritance in a I did not like the heroine of this series, Cassie. It's about a recent divorce with a tween daughter leaving Atlanta and claiming an inheritance in a small, northern, sea-side town. That inheritance comes with the unveiling of their dormant witch powers, both mom and daughter, and a magical bakery/apartment building. The new matriarch of the town (after Cassie's aunt died) is a bully, and ends up very upset with Cassie at the end of book one. (Which didn't make sense at all considering that Cassie's snooping unveiled that the bully WASN'T to blame for the death of her long-ago love. You would have thought she'd be relieved, but instead, she was so embarrassed she went nuts for the rest of the books, doing increasingly horrible things that nearly kill people by books 3 and 4. Two of the books are about Cassie's ex-husband and ex-mother-in-law trying to get the tween daughter into their clutches. Book 4 has the beginning of a romance that is not backed up by much in the prior books. One of the books has Cassie being reunited with her dad. Cassie has several friends that are very tight knit almost the second she moves in.
What I really hated about the writing and the heroine is the way the bully, husband, and mom-in-law were painted as ultimate evil. There was no personal responsibility taken by the heroine, no acknowledgement of her own part in the disillusion of that marriage. It was men-as-enemies-feminism, and I really disliked the tone. ...more
I did not like the heroine of this series, Cassie. It's about a recent divorce with a tween daughter leaving Atlanta and claiming an inheritance in a I did not like the heroine of this series, Cassie. It's about a recent divorce with a tween daughter leaving Atlanta and claiming an inheritance in a small, northern, sea-side town. That inheritance comes with the unveiling of their dormant witch powers, both mom and daughter, and a magical bakery/apartment building. The new matriarch of the town (after Cassie's aunt died) is a bully, and ends up very upset with Cassie at the end of book one. (Which didn't make sense at all considering that Cassie's snooping unveiled that the bully WASN'T to blame for the death of her long-ago love. You would have thought she'd be relieved, but instead, she was so embarrassed she went nuts for the rest of the books, doing increasingly horrible things that nearly kill people by books 3 and 4. Two of the books are about Cassie's ex-husband and ex-mother-in-law trying to get the tween daughter into their clutches. Book 4 has the beginning of a romance that is not backed up by much in the prior books. One of the books has Cassie being reunited with her dad. Cassie has several friends that are very tight knit almost the second she moves in.
What I really hated about the writing and the heroine is the way the bully, husband, and mom-in-law were painted as ultimate evil. There was no personal responsibility taken by the heroine, no acknowledgement of her own part in the disillusion of that marriage. It was men-as-enemies-feminism, and I really disliked the tone. ...more
Mostly paranormal mystery, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next in the series when it comes out. This is about a seemingly Mostly paranormal mystery, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next in the series when it comes out. This is about a seemingly normal single mom with a dead-end job taking a somewhat dangerous and very well paid related job to better her daughter's life. Something's up with the heroine - after an encounter with a magical lady in a pizza place, she can understand birds and spiders and other creatures. It's weird. But she's focused on training, because if she doesn't learn the ropes, her magical insurance claim investigator job could be fatal. She has a partner who looks like a walking talking catman and is hard on her, but teaching her the ropes. She does nearly die, so it's not as cozy as I first thought, but the overall vibe is comforting....more
This is a cute, cozy-ish romance in a very magical land. The librarian Kiela and her sentient spider-plant assistant rescue some spell books from the This is a cute, cozy-ish romance in a very magical land. The librarian Kiela and her sentient spider-plant assistant rescue some spell books from the sacking of the capital by rebels and sail them to her old home on an island far away. The place is run down, but with the help of her handsome neighbor, she starts to fix it up. She needs an income and uses a spell in the books she saved to help her grow plants to make jam (though that is illegal. She isn't licensed to do magic, but the king is dead, so does it really matter out there in the boonies?) Eventually, a magic auditor shows up and threatens Kiela, but even that works out in the end. ...more
This book reminded me of Forthright's Amaranthine Saga. I imagine they started with the same source materials as inspiration. There's a shape-shiftingThis book reminded me of Forthright's Amaranthine Saga. I imagine they started with the same source materials as inspiration. There's a shape-shifting, multi-tailed fox as the main character, and that fox can be dangerous and is archaic in his relationship to the modern world. It's a romance, too. It was fine, but didn't hold my interest....more
This is a prequel to a book I read a while ago. I got it for free, and was reminded that I liked the other book quite a bit. The author's good. They aThis is a prequel to a book I read a while ago. I got it for free, and was reminded that I liked the other book quite a bit. The author's good. They are all set in faerie (with fae characters). In this one, the leader of the library fae is trying to woo the queen of the swordmaidens, because he needs protection of the library from monster creatures that will descend on midsummer's night, and librarians are not so great with swords. The story is cute, a little funny, and heartwarming. ...more
I did not like the heroine of this series, Cassie. It's about a recent divorce with a tween daughter leaving Atlanta and claiming an inheritance in a I did not like the heroine of this series, Cassie. It's about a recent divorce with a tween daughter leaving Atlanta and claiming an inheritance in a small, northern, sea-side town. That inheritance comes with the unveiling of their dormant witch powers, both mom and daughter, and a magical bakery/apartment building. The new matriarch of the town (after Cassie's aunt died) is a bully, and ends up very upset with Cassie at the end of book one. (Which didn't make sense at all considering that Cassie's snooping unveiled that the bully WASN'T to blame for the death of her long-ago love. You would have thought she'd be relieved, but instead, she was so embarrassed she went nuts for the rest of the books, doing increasingly horrible things that nearly kill people by books 3 and 4. Two of the books are about Cassie's ex-husband and ex-mother-in-law trying to get the tween daughter into their clutches. Book 4 has the beginning of a romance that is not backed up by much in the prior books. One of the books has Cassie being reunited with her dad. Cassie has several friends that are very tight knit almost the second she moves in.
What I really hated about the writing and the heroine is the way the bully, husband, and mom-in-law were painted as ultimate evil. There was no personal responsibility taken by the heroine, no acknowledgement of her own part in the disillusion of that marriage. It was men-as-enemies-feminism, and I really disliked the tone....more
A light, fast, easy read, but not that interesting to me. The character development is not as robust as I like, and the plot is very cozy while pretenA light, fast, easy read, but not that interesting to me. The character development is not as robust as I like, and the plot is very cozy while pretending to be higher stakes, but not convincingly. I wasn't intrigued by the fantasy elements or the characters. Entirely meh to me.
There's a young woman who can see the fae who deliberately lives in a magical dead zone, only they have found her somehow. There's a dwarf camped out in her back yard, despite all the protections she has in place. She has some old books from her ancestors to help her figure out how to get rid of him. ...more
Where has this author been hiding? I love the world he has created in this short story and full-length book The Tinker & The Witch. I can't recommend Where has this author been hiding? I love the world he has created in this short story and full-length book The Tinker & The Witch. I can't recommend it enough. This is a simple story that is very emotionally evocative. You become completely absorbed into Ardimus' experience. The idea is that a being was trapped in a cave with no way out long ago (as a child), and has grown up there, never realizing there is more than the cave. Then another being falls into the cave and his worldview is upended. ...more
Not my favorite series. It's ok, but doesn't quite jell together for me. I've only experienced this series as an audiobook, but I don't think the probNot my favorite series. It's ok, but doesn't quite jell together for me. I've only experienced this series as an audiobook, but I don't think the problem is the narration. Fundamentally, each story is a mystery that starts out Scooby-Doo low stakes and then whiplashes into something very dangerous by the end. There's also the meh chemistry between the heroine and the werewolf Sherriff. And the interpersonal dynamics that don't quite convince me of real interactions.
This one is about the murder of the heroine's father and getting her familiar back, but it takes a circumlocutious route....more
A well done formulaic fae romance - great if that's what you are in the mood for. The premise is that a human woman is chosen by a fae man and taken tA well done formulaic fae romance - great if that's what you are in the mood for. The premise is that a human woman is chosen by a fae man and taken to the fae lands every so often as part of a pact between the nations. The woman chosen didn't want to be and fights him over it. He's weak because of trechery by another fae against him. She changes her mind like she's bipolar, eventually realizing that her rich, kind, fae suitor is way better than her prospects back home. She uses her (weaker) magic to help him and makes friends with powerful fae. All is well in the end. ...more
This is a cute, cozy, light romance, with an artist as the female lead and a very behind-the-times vampire as the male lead. It's a fun, fluffy read tThis is a cute, cozy, light romance, with an artist as the female lead and a very behind-the-times vampire as the male lead. It's a fun, fluffy read that I enjoyed. Don't expect high literature, but this is a good beach read, or any time you want light romance. It's set in Chicago. She's broke and takes a room in a fancy house that's very underpriced with a roommate that works nights so she has to be quiet during the days. No problem, she thinks. He's very strangely formal, but nice, and very generous, so she lets a lot slide, until she finds out he's a vampire, at which point she gets scared Eventually, she gets over the fear, then silly stuff happens. ...more
This book is perfect. Really wonderful - beautiful! If you like fantasy, you should definitely read it. This author is now on my must-read-fantasy lisThis book is perfect. Really wonderful - beautiful! If you like fantasy, you should definitely read it. This author is now on my must-read-fantasy list.
This is a story of a young human man who was adopted by a tinkerer and learned his trade out in the bayou of a magical land. He comes across the only other human he's ever met, but she seems to have dementia, but she helps him and he is very grateful. He wants to help her in return and is drawn in by the mystery that surrounds her. He goes on a mini quest looking for answers that might help her, and succeeds. The relationships and experiences he has along the way are magical, the fantasy creatures, beings and societies very original. ...more
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