Stranded with the Kraken (Clearwater Monsters, Book 1) - Zoe Ashwood

Cosy, spicy, monster romance

This is the first book I’ve read with tentacle action. Who knew I’d like it!?

Stranded with the Kraken is book one of the PNR Clearwater Monsters series. It’s a long novella which is spicy from the start and stays that way throughout the story.

Our human FMC is snowed in with her hook-up, who happens to be a kraken shifter. All of those tentacles. What else is there to do when you’re snowed in during a power cut?

If you like forced proximity, cosy romance, big cinnamon roll monsters and a lot of spice to go with it, then I wholeheartedly recommend this.

Available from Amazon

A Taste of Magic (Magic of the Damned, Book 3) - McKenzie Hunter

Devious deities, monstrous magicians and more than a sprinkling of spice. 

This is the final installment of this PNR series and it didn’t disappoint. If you like your paranormal romance with devious monsters and a dash of spice, then this is a series for you.

Our FMC, Luna, is in a sticky situation. She has no magic; it has been stolen by a powerful Dark Caster who would happily leave the supernatural world without magic. Everyone in the supernatural world blames her. Most of them would happily see her dead, including family members of the Prince of Darkness, who has claimed her as his own. 

Will she be able to reclaim her magic or is it gone forever? Can her relationship with the Prince survive? Can she, herself, survive?

I love the way this ended. It could have gone down a wholly predictable route but it didn’t. 

The reading order is as follows:

Book 1 : A Touch of Brimstone

Book 2 : A Hint of Darkness

Book 3 : A Taste of Magic

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Dead Reckoning (Gwen's Ghosts, Book 5) - HP Mallory & JR Rain

I love where this series is going now. 

This is the fifth novella in this PWF series. I love the partnership of crime novelist turned amateur sleuth and her ghostly sidekick.

I really enjoyed the plot of this book. Good old fashioned investigating … or in Gwen’s case, sticking her nose into other people’s business.

If you’re a fan of light-hearted, cosy mysteries, I recommend this series.

The reading order so far:

Book 1, Dance with the Dead

Book 2, Dead and Gone

Book 3, Dead of Night

Book 4, Left for Dead

Book 5, Dead Reckoning

Available from Amazon

Dead Ringer (Haven Hollow, Book 30) - HP Mallory & JR Rain

A Real Dead Ringer for … Power?

 

I really enjoy reading about the world of Haven Hollow and its diverse cast of characters; they make me happy. The writing flows well and is easy to read. The world building is great, and all of the characters continue to develop well as the series progresses. 

This is a Spook Society book, so we are seeing the world of Haven Hollow through Darla’s eyes. Darla originally died in 1920’s America before she was resurrected and given a second chance at life, so she speaks with the slang of that era and is still getting to grips with the modern world.

The present day sees Darla trying her hand at being a private investigator. A power struggle within a wealthy, influential family sees Darla pulled into the turmoil, both on the living and the spiritual side. Unsurprisingly, she gets herself into a lot more danger than she planned for. 

The Haven Hollow series is written from a variety of points of view and features stories from Wanda’s Witchery, Poppy’s Potions, Spook Society, Haven Homes, Remarkable Remedies, Princess Procedural and Blood Rose Academy. They all run in parallel with each other. The reading order so far is:

Gypsy Magic : Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 1) 

Cashmere Curses : Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 2)

Faery Enchantment : Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 3)

Spandex Sorcery : Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 4)

Love’s Goddess : Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 5)

Demon in Denim : Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 6)

Taffeta Trickery : Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 7)   

The Black Cat Cocktail Club : Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 8)

French Country Frights : Haven Homes (Haven Hollow, Book 9)

All Hallows Eve : Remarkable Remedies (Haven Hollow, Book 10)

Mystic Veil : Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 11)

The Yule Log : Remarkable Remedies (Haven Hollow, Book 12)

The Broken Mirror : Remarkable Remedies (Haven Hollow, Book 13)

Art Deco Apparitions : Hallowed Homes (Haven Hollow, Book 14)

The Vampire’s Grave : Remarkable Remedies (Haven Hollow, Book 15)

Herringbone Hexes : Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 16)

Raising Cain : Spook Society (Haven Hollow, Book 17)

Druid’s Curse : Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 18)

Colonial Corpses : Hallowed Homes (Haven Hollow, Book 19)

Angora Alchemy : Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 20)

Day Dream : Remarkable Remedies (Haven Hollow, Book 21)

Ritzy Business : Spook Society (Haven Hollow, Book 22)

Pan’s Delight : Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 23)

Armed and Charmed : Princess Procedural (Haven Hollow, Book 24)

The Christmas Spirit : Remarkable Remedies (Haven Hollow, Book 25)

Blood Rose : Blood Rose Academy (Haven Hollow, Book 26)

Blood Bond : Blood Rose Academy (Haven Hollow, Book 27)

Georgian Ghouls : Hallowed Homes (Haven Hollow, Book 28)

Velvet Voodoo : Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 29)

Dead Ringer : Spook Society (Haven Hollow, Book 30)

Available from Amazon

 

Velvet Voodoo (Haven Hollow, Book 29) - HP Mallory & JR Rain

I love this new story arc. More please.

 

Another enjoyable read. The world of Haven Hollow and its diverse cast of characters makes me happy. The writing flows well and is easy to read. The world building is good and all of the characters have developed well throughout the series. I really like the recent underlying story arc that was introduced a few books ago and I’m keen to see where it takes us.

It’s good to see the growth in Wanda’s character. She started as a very prickly, unapproachable character who would hex someone in a heartbeat and not think twice about it. Now she is developing connections; friends, family and a fledgeling coven, albeit reluctantly.

Something is amiss in the Hollow. Something is hurting innocent residents. Something is specifically targeting the coven. Something is a threat at the most inconvenient time; just before a new member is about to be initiated. Wanda needs it gone before it destroys the small coven and the safety of the Hollow. 

The Haven Hollow series is written from a variety of points of view and features stories from Wanda’s Witchery, Poppy’s Potions, Spook Society, Haven Homes, Remarkable Remedies, Princess Procedural and Blood Rose Academy. They all run in parallel with each other. The reading order so far is:

Gypsy Magic : Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 1) 

Cashmere Curses : Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 2)

Faery Enchantment : Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 3)

Spandex Sorcery : Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 4)

Love’s Goddess : Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 5)

Demon in Denim : Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 6)

Taffeta Trickery : Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 7)   

The Black Cat Cocktail Club : Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 8)

French Country Frights : Haven Homes (Haven Hollow, Book 9)

All Hallows Eve : Remarkable Remedies (Haven Hollow, Book 10)

Mystic Veil : Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 11)

The Yule Log : Remarkable Remedies (Haven Hollow, Book 12)

The Broken Mirror : Remarkable Remedies (Haven Hollow, Book 13)

Art Deco Apparitions : Hallowed Homes (Haven Hollow, Book 14)

The Vampire’s Grave : Remarkable Remedies (Haven Hollow, Book 15)

Herringbone Hexes : Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 16)

Raising Cain : Spook Society (Haven Hollow, Book 17)

Druid’s Curse : Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 18)

Colonial Corpses : Hallowed Homes (Haven Hollow, Book 19)

Angora Alchemy : Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 20)

Day Dream : Remarkable Remedies (Haven Hollow, Book 21)

Ritzy Business : Spook Society (Haven Hollow, Book 22)

Pan’s Delight : Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 23)

Armed and Charmed : Princess Procedural (Haven Hollow, Book 24)

The Christmas Spirit : Remarkable Remedies (Haven Hollow, Book 25)

Blood Rose : Blood Rose Academy (Haven Hollow, Book 26)

Blood Bond : Blood Rose Academy (Haven Hollow, Book 27)

Georgian Ghouls : Hallowed Homes (Haven Hollow, Book 28)

Velvet Voodoo : Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 29)

Available from Amazon

 

Gorgon Gone Wild (Misty Hollow, Book 3) - HP Mallory & JR Rain

Things are ramping up in this spooky series

This series gets spookier with every book and I love it! This is a new Hollow series from these authors with a dark and sinister feel. Grab yourself a cuppa, a snack and a footstool because you’ll want to read this in one go.

Things in the swamp have gone from bad to worse. Teen weregators are missing, presumed dead and the mystery predator in the swamp seems to be the prime suspect. Things go from worse to disastrous when the weregator community’s pleas for asylum are rejected by the Hollow’s Vampire Mayor and tragedy ensues.

Dory is a Gorgon on a mission. She’s a descendent of Medusa who has left her reclusive colony and gone out into the wider world. Hired as protection by the weregators, she’s involved in their efforts to seek asylum in the hollow. 

She’s strangely drawn to the Mayor and he seems equally fascinated by her. During the course of her negotiations, she uncovers his secret and the reasons why the hollow is being built in an unconventional way. It’s worse than any of them could have imagined.

We finally get to see who the Mayor is and what makes him tick. I can’t wait for the next book.

The Misty Hollow series is written from a variety of points of view which all run in parallel with each other. They have an underlying story arc, so need to be read in the correct order. 

The reading order so far is:

Book 1 : Mermaid Mayhem (Eerie Investigations)

Book 2 : Big Girls Don’t Scry (Miscellaneous Magic)

Book 3 : Gorgon Gone Wild (Serpentine Solutions)

Available from Amazon

Big Girls Don't Scry (Misty Hollow, Book 2) - HP Mallory & JR Rain

This series has me hooked and it’s only book two!

This series is getting increasingly spooky and I love it! This is a new Hollow series from these authors but it has a very different feel to that of Haven Hollow. This already feels darker and more sinister. 

Something is not quite right in the Hollow. Something is not quite right with the resident vampire Mayor. Something is most definitely very wrong in the swamp surrounding the hollow. Trouble is afoot and no-one has any idea of what they are facing. The neighbouring weregator community are under threat and still at odds with the Mayor; tensions are rising. 

Bruja for hire, Gillette arrives at the partially built Hollow with her young daughter Luna. Hired to help put up protective wards, she soon discovers that the hollow is not being built to effectively make use of the ley lines and that there is something sinister behind that decision. 

Luna is coming into her own uncontrolled Bruja powers far too young, so Gillette has to stay in Misty Hollow to keep her daughter safe from her own coven. But at what cost?

As with the Haven Hollow series, Misty Hollow seems to be written from a variety of points of view which all run in parallel with each other and have an underlying story arc, so need to be read in the correct order.. 

The reading order so far is:

Book 1 : Mermaid Mayhem (Eerie Investigations)

Book 2 : Big Girls Don’t Scry (Miscellaneous Magic)

Available from Amazon