This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

 

DANGER WAITS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE GRAVE

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. But just when they’ve triumphed over the latest battle, Cat’s new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance . . .

 

With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumors abound that a species war is brewing. A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage. Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous “ally”—the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. But the price of her assistance may prove more treacherous than even the threat of a supernatural war . . . to say nothing of the repercussions Cat never imagined.

 

This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress, book five) by Jeaniene Frost

Start date: September 26, 2021

End date: October 4, 2021

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Trigger warning: offensive language, eating disorder

For a book supposedly revolving around the simmering war between vampires and ghouls spurred on by Apollyon, there’s very little action. Most of the book is Cat and the gang trying to learn where Apollyon is and Cat worrying about her new restricted diet. Apollyon is trying to instigate a war between ghouls and vampires by accusing Cat of trying to cause a war between the two species partly because of her half-vampire status (even though Cat is now a full vampire). It’s stated that he did the same thing with Joan of Arc, who it turns out was the only other half-vampire in existence. The vampires back then offered to turn her into a full vampire or be burned at the stake. She chose the burning. I’ll admit that I don’t know a lot about Joan of Arc, but I understood her as a Christian martyr, so this twist on her story feels blasphemous even to me.

Shapeshifted by Cassie Alexander

 

Nurse Edie Spence is once again called upon to save a life...and this time, it's personal. Can her new community of zombies, vampires, and shapeshifters come to her rescue when she needs them most?

When Edie was fired from her paranormal nursing job at County Hospital, her whole world came crashing down. Now she is once again shaken to her core. Her mother is deathly ill and there’s only one thing that will save her: vampire blood. But with the paranormal community shunning Edie, where can she find it…without losing her own life in the process?

Edie hopes to procure it at her new job at the clinic across town, where the forces of evil loom large. Vampire gang wars are rampant. Old underground enemies are rising to the surface. And Eide’s zombie ex-boyfriend has arrived at the scene—but is he the same man he used to be? And what should she make of the enigmatic doctor with whom she shares an unexpected connection? She’ll have to figure it out soon, because all hell is about to break loose—literally—and time is running out…

 

Shapeshifted (Edie Spence, book three) by Cassie Alexander

Start date: November 17, 2021

End date: November 19, 2021

Rating: 4 ½ out of 5 stars

Trigger warning: gang violence

Each novel gets better as the series progresses.

Shapeshifted picks up a little bit after Moonshifted left off. After Edie was shunned, she lost her job at County Hospital, meaning the protection that the Shadows gave to Jake, her brother, was gone. He’s back on drugs, and Edie is back to worrying if he’ll overdose and die in a ditch somewhere. She’s working overnights at a sleep clinic now. Not only would her previous job have no record of her working there (so Edie has a gap in her résumé), but none of her coworkers remember her either (so no current references). When Edie runs into her former coworker Gina in town, it becomes obvious the Shadows wiped her memory.

“You don’t remember me?”

She frowned deeply. “No. Should I?”

I blinked. Oh, no. I’d told the Shadows I didn’t want them to change my memories—maybe instead they’d changed everyone else’s?

“I’m sorry—I must have you confused with someone else,” I said. It wasn’t worth Gina wondering who the Shadows had stolen away from her for the rest of her day. I’d been the one to choose remembering. I didn’t think she would have chosen to forget. (Alexander 111)

One Poison Pie by Lynn Cahoon

What’s a kitchen witch to do when her almost-fiancé leaves her suddenly single and unemployed? For Mia Malone, the answer’s simple: move to her grandmother’s quirky Idaho hometown, where magic is an open secret and witches and warlocks are (mostly) welcome. With a new gourmet dinner delivery business—and a touch of magic in her recipes—Mia’s hopes are high. Even when her ex-little sister, Christina, arrives looking for a place to stay, Mia takes it in stride.

But her first catering job takes a distasteful turn when her client’s body is found, stabbed and stuffed under the head table. Mia’s shocked to learn that she’s a suspect—and even more so when she realizes she’s next on a killer’s list. With Christina, along with Mia’s meddling grandma, in the mix, she’ll have to find out which of the town’s eccentric residents has an appetite for murder…before this fresh start comes to a sticky end…

 

One Poison Pie (Kitchen Witch Mystery, book one) by Lynn Cahoon

Start date: October 30, 2021

End date: November 5, 2021

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Trigger warning: extortion, sex trafficking

This book was scatterbrained at times. There is a lot jampacked into one novel that, even for the first book in a new series, seemed like too much at once. The plot was kind of a mess, jumping all over the place, and even at the end, I felt I had more unanswered questions than I would have liked.

Before the novel begins, Mia Malone buys an old schoolhouse in her grandmother’s hometown of Magic Springs to give herself a fresh start after her breakup. She left behind her cheating ex-boyfriend, Isaac Adams, and the catering company she helped him build. She intends on turning the new property into a catering business once the building is up to code. Living with her until she can get back on her feet is Christina Adams, Isaac’s younger sister and the screwup of the Adams family. Mia is suspicious of Christina’s presence fearing she may have ulterior motives, but she gives her a position in her catering company anyway.

Moonshifted by Cassie Alexander

 

Check in to County Hospital’s secret ward—where paranormal activities lead to medical emergencies for one tireless nurse…

After surviving a brutal vampire attack, Nurse Edie Spence is ready to get back to work—attending to supernatural creatures in need of medical help. But her nursing skills are put to the test when she witnesses a hit-and-run on her lunch break. The injured pedestrian is not only a werewolf, he’s the pack leader. And now Edie’s stuck in the middle of an all-out were-war…

With two rival packs fighting tooth and nail, Eide has no intention of crossing enemy lines. But when she meets her patient’s nephew—a tattooed werewolf named Lucas with a predatory gleam in his eye that’s hard to resist—Edie can’t help but choose sides. The question is: can she trust this dangerous new ally? And can she trust her own instincts when she’s near him? Either way, Edie can’t seem to pull away—even if getting involved makes her easy prey…

 

Moonshifted (Edie Spence, book two) by Cassie Alexander

Start date: October 9, 2021

End date: October 10, 2021

Rating: 4 ½ out of 5 stars

Trigger warning: mutilation

Nurses Edie Spence and Charles witness a hit-and-run accident in front of the hospital they work at. The professionals spring into action to save the life of the middle-aged man quickly bleeding out on the street. It becomes obvious to them that the man is a werewolf but luckily his rescuers work on the supernatural floor of the hospital. What unravels from then is a mystery Edie is forced to solve to save her own life.

Breaking Badger by Shelly Laurenston

 

It’s instinct that drives Finn Malone to rescue a bunch of hard battling honey badgers. The Siberian tiger shifter just can’t bear to see his fellow shifters harmed. But no way can Finn have a houseful of honey badgers when he also has two brothers with no patience. Things just go from bad to worse when the badgers rudely ejected from his home turn out to be the only ones who can help him solve a family tragedy. He’s just not sure he can even get back into the badgers’ good graces. Since badgers lack graces of any kind…

Mads knows her teammates aren’t about to forgive the cats that were so rude to them, but moody Finn isn’t so bad. And he’s cute! The badger part of her understands Finn’s burning need to avenge his father’s death—after all, vengeance is her favorite pastime. So Mads set about helping Finn settle his family’s score, which has its perks, since she gets to avoid her own family drama. Besides, fighting side by side with Finn is her kind of fun—especially when she can get in a hot and heavy snuggle with her very own growling, eye-rolling, and utterly irresistible kitty-cat…

 

Breaking Badger (The Honey Badger Chronicles, book four) by Shelly Laurenston

Start date: September 20, 2021

End date: September 26, 2021

Rating: 4 ½ out of 5 stars

Trigger warning: graphic violence

I have been patiently awaiting the release of this book ever since I saw the teaser for it. I was a little nervous to see how Laurenston would continue the series considering the youngest MacKilligan sister is the 17-year-old Natalie Malone. Imagine my happiness when I realized the book followed one of Max MacKilligan’s basketball teammates instead. While waiting for this book to come out, I read the rest of the Pride series, so I was ready for those characters to make appearances in this book (which they did!).

Claimed by Rebecca Zanetti

A DARING RESCUE

Emma Paulsen is a geneticist driven by science. But she’s also a psychic, so when a dark, good-hearted vampire frees her from the clutches of the evil Kurjans, she realizes he must be the man who’s been haunting her dreams. But with a virus threatening vampires’ mates, Emma may discover a whole new meaning of “lovesick”. . .

A DEADLY DECISION

As King of the Realm, Dage Kayrs has learned to practice diplomacy. Still, it’s taken three hundred years to find his mate, so he’ll stop at nothing to protect her—even if it means turning his back on his own kind…

 

Claimed (Dark Protectors, book two) by Rebecca Zanetti

Start date: September 15, 2021

End date: September 19, 2021

Rating: 2 ½ out of 5 stars

Trigger warning: intimate partner violence, child abuse

            I liked that this book had an actual plot unlike the last book in the series. Emma Paulsen and Cara Kayrs were captured by the Kurjans at the end of Fated. Cara is rescued, and then Emma is rescued offscreen. Claimed starts by showing what happened offscreen. Emma has been whisked off in a helicopter on her way to a Kurjan named Franco who wants to force her to be his mate. Dage teleports (because that’s a power that some vampires have in this series apparently) to Emma’s location and kills the Kurjans in the helicopter before teleporting again with Emma to an area not far from the helicopter crash site. From there, Emma is reunited with her sister and introduced to her new in-laws.

Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost

 

AN IMMORTAL WAR HAS BEEN BREWING IN THE DARKNESS…

AND NOW ONE WOMAN HAS STUMBLED INTO THE SHADOWS.

Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept walking. But her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from inside a warehouse just before dawn. Suddenly she finds herself in a world she’s only imagined in her worst nightmares.

At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master vampire who thought he’d seen it all. Then Kira appears—this fearless, beautiful…human who braved death to rescue him. Though he burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life. Yet sending her away is unthinkable.

But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose either the woman he craves, or embracing the darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal destruction.

 

Eternal Kiss of Darkness (Night Huntress World, book two) by Jeaniene Frost

Start date: September 10, 2021

End date: September 12, 2021

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Trigger warning: attempted suicide, sex trafficking

Dare I say I liked this book?

This is the second book in the Night Huntress World series, which is a spin-off of the Night Huntress series involving Cat and Bones. This takes place in the same world with most of the same characters. I hesitate to even call this series a spin-off. The first book, First Drop of Crimson, starred Denise and Spade, and this book features two entirely different characters. This “series” doesn’t create anything new, and at least the first book requires previous reading to understand who the characters are and any sort of context a reader would need. Since these books are about previously established characters in the Night Huntress series having side adventures, I’d be more willing to include them in that series in between the main books versus separating them into their own. 

First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost

 

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Night Huntress series comes a breathtaking new journey to the dark side of desire.

 

The night is not safe for mortals, Denise MacGregor knows all too well what lurks in the shadows—her best friend is half-vampire Cat Crawfield—and she has already lost more than the average human could bear. But her family’s past is wrapped in secrets and shrouded in darkness—and a demon shapeshifter has marked Denise as prey. Now her survival depends on an immortal who lusts for a taste of her.

He is Spade, a powerful, mysterious vampire who has walked the earth for centuries and is now duty-bound to protect this endangered, alluring human—even if it means destroying his own kind. Denise may arouse his deepest hungers, but Spade knows he must fight his urge to have her as they face the nightmare together . . .

 

First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World, book one) by Jeaniene Frost

Start date: August 10, 2021

End date: August 12, 2021

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Trigger warning: sexual slavery, rape, miscarriage

After a night out with her cousin, Paul, turns into a deadly attack from an unknown, supernatural assailant who can turn from a dog into a man, Denise MacGregor wants to call Cat Crawfield in for reinforcements but finds she doesn’t have any current numbers for her best friend who recently traveled around the world running away from a pedophilic vampire (see my review of Destined for an Early Grave for more information). As a last result, Denise dials the number for Baron Charles DeMortimer, otherwise known as Spade, Cat’s husband Bones’s best friend and a man she hasn’t seen since he brutally murdered a man who threatened to rape her outside of a honky-tonk. Her disgust and fear of him are overwhelmed by her terror of whatever killed her cousin (and possibly is also responsible for the death of another cousin and her aunt), and she blurts out her suspicions over the phone.

“Perhaps it’s best if we don’t involve Cat or Crispin just yet,” Spade said, calling Bones by his human name as he always did. “They’ve had an awful time of it recently. No need to fret them if it’s something I can handle.”

Denise bit back her scoff. She knew what that translated to. Or if she’d just imagined all this. (Frost 13-14)

A Terrible Fall of Angels by Laurell K. Hamilton

 

ANGELS WALK AMONG US, BUT SO DO OTHER UNEARTHLY BEINGS IN THIS BRAND-NEW SERIES BY #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR LAURELL K. HAMILTON

Meet Detective Havelock, a man with the special ability to communicate directly with angels. A former trained Angel Speaker, he devoted his life to serving both the Celestial beings and his fellow humans with his gift, but a terrible betrayal compelled him to leave that life behind. Now he’s a cop who is still working on the side of the angels. But where there are angels, there are also demons. There’s no question that there’s evil at work when he’s called in to examine the murder scene of a college student—but is it just the evil that one human being can do to another, or is it something more? When demonic possession is a possibility, even angelic protection can only go so far. The race is on to stop a killer before he finds his next victim, as Zaniel is forced to confront his own very personal demons, and the past he never truly left behind.

 

A Terrible Fall of Angels (Zaniel Havelock, book one) by Laurell K. Hamilton

Start date: September 6, 2021

End date: September 7, 2021

Rating: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

There was so much, for lack of a better term, stuff packed into this novel. It’s an ambitious first novel of a series. I feel like Hamilton had a lot of ground she wanted to cover to establish this story and subsequent novels, and she packed it all into one nearly 400-page book. It’s not necessarily a bad thing but it’s not a great thing either.

Detective Zaniel Havelock works for the Metaphysical Coordination Unit (colloquially known as the Heaven and Hell unit), which is a part of the police department that deals with crimes with a supernatural bent. Zaniel is called to the scene of a murder, and what bumps the crime to Zaniel’s division are the angel wings found scattered across the crime scene. It becomes clear to Zaniel that the murderer was no angel when a live angel appears and tells him that the victim was killed by something unknown, something not demonic “but it should be” (Hamilton 18).

Shadowed Steel by Chloe Neill

 

In the newest installment of the USA Today bestselling Heirs of Chicagoland series, the vampires in Elisa Sullivan’s world are out for blood.

 

Elisa Sullivan is the only vampire ever born, and she bears a heavy legacy. After a sojourn with the North American Central Pack of shifters in the wilderness—where she turned a young woman into a vampire to save her life—Elisa returns to Chicago.

But no good deed goes unpunished. The ruling body of vampires, the Assembly of American Masters, is furious that Elisa turned someone without their permission, and they want her punished. When an AAM vampire is found dead, Elisa is the prime suspect. Someone else is stalking Chicago—and Elisa. She’ll need to keep a clear head, and a sharp blade, to survive all the supernatural strife.

 

Shadowed Steel (Heirs of Chicagoland, book three) by Chloe Neill

Start date: September 3, 2021

End date: September 6, 2021

Rating: 4 ½ out of 5 stars

Elisa’s actions in Wicked Hour have come to bite her in the butt in Shadowed Steel. Someone has turned Elisa into the Assembly of American Masters, the governing body for vampires, for the woman she changed into a vampire in Minnesota, Carlie. The AAM has devised the punishment for the crime of turning someone without that person’s permission (and without their permission) is to force Elisa to join a House and submit to Testing.

Fated by Rebecca Zanetti

 

MARRY ME

Cara Paulsen does not give up easily. A scientist and a single mother, she’s used to fighting for what she wants, keeping a cool head, and doing whatever it takes to protect her daughter Janie. But “whatever it takes” has never before included a shotgun wedding to a dangerous-looking stranger with an attitude problem…

OR ELSE

Sure, the mysterious Talen says that he’s there to protect Cara and Janie. He also says he’s a three-hundred-year-old vampire. Of course, the way he touches her, Cara might actually believe he’s had that long to practice…

 

Fated (Dark Protectors, book one) by Rebecca Zanetti

Start date: August 30, 2021

End date: September 1, 2021

Rating: 2 ½ out of 5 stars

Trigger warning: unhealthy representation of BDSM

I knew from the first scene that I wasn’t going to like this book very much. The story opens with Cara Paulsen being forced to flee her home by a stranger. Janie, Cara’s four-year-old daughter, wakes her up crying that “the bad men” are coming, and Cara’s reaction is to comfort her daughter who clearly had a nightmare. Then Cara hears noises in her house and immediately believes it’s the evil people. For being a scientist, Cara doesn’t think like one. If you hear hooves, think horses, not zebras. She doesn’t believe she’s being robbed or any other explanation for why someone might be in her house. Her immediate reaction is to run into the bathroom and try to escape through the window, which is at least logical. When the intruder bursts into the bathroom, what she has to say isn’t logical:

“You have the wrong house.” (Zanetti 3)

            I’ll let that reaction rub you, dear reader, the wrong way like it did me.

Wicked Hour by Chloe Neill

In the second pulse-pounding novel in the USA Today bestselling Heirs of Chicagoland series, vampire Elisa Sullivan gets drawn into the shifting sands of Pack politics.

 

Vampires were made, not born—until Elisa Sullivan came along. As the only vampire child in existence, she grew up with a heavy legacy, and tried to flee her past. When circumstances drew her back to Chicago, she stayed to keep it safe. With shifter Connor Keene, the only son of Pack Apex Gabriel Keene, at her side, she faced down a supernatural evil that threatened to destroy Chicago forever.

Now that the dust from the attack has settled, Elisa is surprised when Connor invites her to a usually private Pack event in the North Woods of Minnesota, and by the warm welcome she receives from some of Connor’s family, even though she’s a vampire. But the peaceful trip is soon interrupted. The shifters tell tales of a monster in the woods, and when the celebration is marred by death, Elisa and Connor find themselves in the middle of a struggle for control that forces Elisa to face her true self—fangs and all.

 

Wicked Hour (Heirs of Chicagoland, book two) by Chloe Neill

Start date: August 26, 2021

End date: August 28, 2021

Rating: 4 ½ out of 5 stars

 

This book starts off by answering the question of what happened after the events of the last book. Faithful readers will remember that Elisa Sullivan was left stranded in Chicago by the vampires of Maison Dumas when things got all murder-y at the peace talks. Following that, Elisa was essentially let go from her job with them and got one working for the Ombudsman office in Chicago. Elisa and Connor Keene shared a spicy (and confusing) kiss after saving everyone from the evil fairies, and it seems like they’re stayed in touch while they went about their respective businesses, Elisa in Chicago, and Connor in the Midwest. In the previous book, Lulu Bell was working on a mural at the North American Central Pack headquarters, and when this book opens, it’s the unveiling night.

Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost

 

HER DEADLY DREAMS LEAVE HER IN GRAVE DANGER

Since half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her undead lover Bones met six years ago, they’ve fought against the rogue undead, battled a vengeful Master vampire, and pledged their devotion with a blood bond. Now it’s time for a vacation. But their hopes for a perfect Paris holiday are dashed when Cat awakes one night in terror. She’s having visions of a vampire named Gregor who’s more powerful than Bones and has ties to her past that even Cat herself didn’t know about.

Gregor believes Cat is his and he won’t stop until he has her. As the battle begins between the vamp who haunts her nightmares and the one who holds her heart, only Cat can break Gregor’s hold over her. She’ll need all the power she can summon in order to bring down the baddest bloodsucker she’s ever face . . . even if getting that power will result in an early grave.

Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress, book four) by Jeaniene Frost

Start date: August 7, 2021

End date: August 10, 2021

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Trigger warning: child grooming, sexual abuse, offensive language

I have reached a point in reading this series where I feel like my book reviews serve a legitimate purpose. These popular books star awful characters in a way that makes their thoughts and behaviors seem normalized. Flawed characters make for dynamic writing, but the work must acknowledge in some way that the characters are imperfect. If it doesn’t, readers might aspire to be like them. My review today is going to touch on topics in this book that some readers might have difficulty reading about.

Wild Hunger by Chloe Neill

 

In the first thrilling installment of Chloe Neill’s spin-off to the New York Times bestselling Chicagoland Vampires series, a new vampire will find out just how deep blood ties run.

Some believed that Elisa Sullivan, as the only vampire child ever born, had all the luck. But the magic that helped bring her into the world left her with a dark secret. Shifter Conner Keene, the lone son of North American Central Pack Apex Gabriel Keene, is the only one she trusts with it. But she’s a vampire and the daughter of a Master and a Sentinel, and he’s prince of the Pack and its future king….

When the assassination of a diplomat brings old feuds to the fore again, Elisa and Connor must choose between love and family, and between honor and obligation, before Chicago disappears forever.

Wild Hunger (Heirs of Chicagoland, book one) by Chloe Neill

Start date: August 18, 2021

End date: August 19, 2021

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I really thought I was going to dislike this book. I put off reading the spin-off to the Chicagoland Vampires series because I was disappointed that that series ended. I didn’t want to read about the child of Merit and Ethan Sullivan (that should not have existed!). I wanted more stories with Merit and the gang. I grew to love her character, and I didn’t see how I could enjoy a story that took place in her world but didn’t involve her.

After reading quite a few not-so-great paranormal romance/urban fantasy books, I felt like I needed a palate cleanser. Enter Wild Hunger. I already liked one series by the author, so I figured I’d finally give the spin-off a try. At the very least, if I didn’t like it, I would have other books on my reading challenge list to give a chance to.

At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost

 

SOME THINGS WON’T STAY BURIED…

AT GRAVE’S END

It should be the best time of half-vampire Cat Crawfield’s life. With her undead lover Bones at her side, she’s successfully protected mortals from the rogue undead. But though Cat’s worn disguise after disguise to keep her true identity a secret from the brazen bloodsuckers, her cover’s finally been blown, placing her in terrible danger.

As if that wasn’t enough, a woman from Bones’s past is determined to bury him once and for all. Caught in the crosshairs of a vengeful vamp, yet determined to help Bones stop a lethal magic from being unleashed, Cat’s about to learn the true meaning of bad blood. And the tricks she’s learned as a special agent won’t help her. She will need to fully embrace her vampire instincts in order to save herself—and Bones—from a fate worse than the grave.

At Grave’s End (Night Huntress, book three) by Jeaniene Frost

Start date: July 25, 2021

End date: July 27, 2021

Rating: 2 ½ out of 5 stars

Trigger warning: sexual harassment, torture, sexual assault, offensive language

I’ve been reading this series purely out of spite. It started off with me despising Cat and chuckling at how badly written the rest of the characters are. I love to send snippets of the outlandish dialogue to my friends. I enjoy picking apart the plot to expose all the holes. (Where are the editors?) I love to hate it. The writing is awful, but each book gets a tiny bit closer to good writing.

One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

 

YOU CAN RUN FROM THE GRAVE, BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE . . .

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the government to ride the world of the rogue undead. She’s still using everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her, but when Cat is targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the vampire she left behind.

Being around him awakens all her emotions, from the adrenaline kick of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless passion that consumed them. But a price on her head—wanted dead or half-alive—means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no matter how hard she tries to keep things professional between them, she’ll find that desire lasts forever . . . and that Bones won’t let her get away again.

One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress, book two) by Jeaniene Frost

Start date: July 2021

End date: July 2021

Rating: 2 ½ out of 5 stars

Trigger warnings: sexual harassment, transphobia, bad writing

It’s been nearly five years since the events in Halfway to the Grave. Catherine “Cat” Crawfield has settled into her new life as Special Agent Catrina Arthur or maybe it’s Cristine Russell or Red Reaper or Brunette Reaper or somehow still Cat despite staging her death under that name. Not even a quarter of the way into the book, everyone gives up on any of the new names and all the characters call her Cat. The reason she needed a new name in the first place is because she killed the governor of Ohio at the end of the previous book, and a prerequisite to working for the secret government agency was to fake her death. Her mother, teammates, and even a new friend, Denise, call her by her old name except when they’re in public, but they don’t even seem to remember to do that all the time. Because of her noncommittal to her new identity, it wouldn’t be difficult for bad guys to track her down (spoiler alert: that’s what happens).

Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon

 

Dear Reader,

Being trapped in a bedroom with a woman is a grand thing. Being trapped in hundreds of bedrooms over 2,000 years isn’t. And being cursed into a book as a love slave for eternity can ruin even a Spartan warrior’s day.

As a love slave, I know everything about women. How to touch them, how to savor them, and most of all, how to pleasure them. But when I was summoned to fulfill Grace Alexander’s sexual fantasies, I found the first woman in history who saw me as a man with a tormented past. She alone bothered to take me out of the bedroom and into the world. She taught me to love again.

But I was not born to know love. I was cursed to walk eternity alone. As a general, I had long ago accepted my sentence. Yet now I have found Grace—the one thing my wounded heart cannot survive without. Sure, love can heal all wounds, but can it break a 2,000-year-old curse?

                                                                                                          Julian of Macedon

Fantasy Lover (Dark-Hunter, book one) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Start date: August 4, 2021

End date: August 6, 2021

Rating: 4 out of 5 starts

Content warning: child abuse, filicide, suicide, sexual slavery

            Dr. Grace Alexander is a sex therapist who desperately needs to get laid, according to her best friend, Selena. She’s a fortuneteller who believes her latest spell will end Grace’s self-imposed celibacy. It’s Grace’s birthday and a full moon to boot, so after some pizza and a little too much wine, Selena convinces Grace to summon Julian of Macedon, the sexy-as-hell man pictured in a supposedly magical book Selena got from a thrift shop. After chanting his name three times under the moonlight and nothing happening, Grace gives Selena some good-natured ribbing that has her going home demoralized. But soon it becomes clear to Grace that Julian is no longer in Selena’s book but within the confines of Grace’s home, and he has one mission on his mind: have earth-shattering sex with Grace.

Nightshifted by Cassie Alexander

 

Welcome to the secret wing of County Hospital—where vampires get transfusions, werewolves have silver allergies, and one nurse is in way over her head…

Nursing school prepared Edie Spence for a lot of things. Burn victims? No problem. Severed limbs? Piece of cake. Vampires? No way in hell. But as the newest nurse on Y4, the secret ward hidden in the bowels of County Hospital, Edie has her hands full with every paranormal patient you can imagine—from vamps and were-things to zombies and beyond…

Edie’s just trying to learn the ropes so she can get through her latest shift unscathed. But when a vampire servant turns to dust under her watch, all hell breaks loose. Now she’s haunted by the man’s dying words—Save Anna—and before she knows it, she’s on a mission to rescue some poor girl from the undead. Which involves crashing a vampire den, falling for a zombie, and fighting for her soul. Grey’s Anatomy was never like this…

Nightshifted (Edie Spence, book one) by Cassie Alexander

Start date: August 3, 2021

End date: August 4, 2021

Rating: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

Content warning: child abuse, sex, offensive language

Edith “Edie” Spence is a newly minted registered nurse working at Providence General Hospital. After her brother, Jake, overdoses one too many times on heroin, Edie is offered an extraordinary deal from a mysterious stranger: if she works for County Hospital on Floor Y4, the powers that be will make sure Jake stays clean. Without fully understanding what she’s agreeing to, Edie signs the paperwork. That’s when her life goes sideways—Y4 isn’t any old floor at County. It’s where firefighting zombies recuperate, syphilitic dragons get treatment, and vampire baby showers are performed.

2021 Paranormal Reading Challenge

Welcome back to the Paranormal Review! I decided to dust off the old blog to review some of the more recent books I’ve read and truthfully because I missed sharing my opinions with the world. Whether you’ve been a longtime follower of the blog or are a newcomer here, I hope you enjoy what I’ve got in store for you.

Even though we’re more than halfway through 2021, I decided to take on a reading challenge to pay homage to the reading challenge that started this blog. The categories came from past and present paranormal reading challenges on PaperBackSwap that I combined into one cohesive list. As I read and review, I’ll update this post with links to the corresponding review, so feel free to bookmark this page. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for books I should check out, don't hesitate to leave a comment.

Can't Wait for Those New Releases – Read books released in 2021.

1. Breaking Badger (Honey Badger Chronicles, book four) by Shelley Laurenston
2. A Grimoire for Gamblers (Trove Arbitrations, book one) by Amanda Creiglow
3. A Terrible Fall of Angels (Zaniel Havelock, book one) by Laurell K. Hamilton
4. Shadowed Steel (Heirs of Chicagoland, book three) by Chloe Neill
5. The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino

The Lost Boys – Read books with vampire or male lead characters.

1. Something from the Nightside (Nightside, book one) by Simon R. Green
2. Jacob (Nightwalkers, book one) by Jacquelyn Frank
3. Unmasked (Blood Bond Saga, book four) by Helen Hardt
4. Damon (Protectors, book one) by Teresa Gabelman
5. Dead Things (Eric Carter, book one) by Stephen Blackmoore

Lions, Tigers & Bears. OH MY! – Read books that have shapeshifters other than werewolves.

1. Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, book one) by Ilona Andrews
2. Wild Cat (Leopard, book eight) by Christine Feehan
3. Tempting the Beast (Breeds, book one) by Lora Leigh
4. Bunny and the Bear (Furry United Coalition, book one) by Eve Langlais
5. Fate Knows Best (Kindred of Arkadia, book one) by Alanea Alder

Calling Miss Cleo – Read books that involve psychic phenomena, premonitions, tarot, etc.

1. Suddenly Psychic (Glimmer Lake, book one) by Elizabeth Hunter
2. Slave to Sensation (Psy-Changeling, book one) by Nalini Singh
3. Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye (Psychic Eye Mysteries, book one) by Victoria Laurie
4. Jon’s Downright Ridiculous Shooting Case (Jon’s Mysteries, book one) by A. J. Sherwood
5. Truly, Madly (Lucy Valentine, book one) by Heather Webber

The Truth is Out There – Read books with psychic phenomena, aliens, Chupacabra, etc. Anything paranormal fits.

1. Playing with Fire (Tales of an Extraordinary Girl, book one) by Gena Showalter
2. My Colorful Conundrum (Paint Slinging Sleuth, book one) by Molly Fitz
3. Rosemary and Rue (October Daye, book one) by Seanan McGuire
4. Fantasy Lover (Dark-Hunter, book one) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
5. A Touch of Darkness (Hades & Persephone, book one) by Scarlett St. Clair

Life After Death – Read books that have zombies, vampires, or ghosts.

1. The Warlord Wants Forever (Immortals After Dark, book one) by Kresley Cole
2. Hotter After Midnight (Midnight Trilogy, book one) by Cynthia Eden
3. Nightshifted (Edie Spence, book one) by Cassie Alexander
4. How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire (Love at Stake, book one) by Kerrelyn Sparks
5. The Vampire Shrink (Kismet Knight, Vampire Psychologist, book one) by Lynda Hilburn

One If By Air, Two If By Sea – Read books that involve beings that can either fly or swim (angels, fairies, mermaids, selkies, dragons, etc).

1. Fighting Destiny (Fae Chronicles, book one) by Amelia Hutchins
2. Dragon Actually (Dragon Kin, book one) by G A Aiken
3. Dragons Don’t Eat Meat (Valkyrie Bestiary, book one) by Kim McDougall
4. Sleeping with the Fishes (Fred the Mermaid, book one) by Mary Janice Davidson
5. Darkest Flame (Dark Kings, book one) by Donna Grant

That Old Black Magic – Read books that have a main character who uses magic in some form (i.e. witches, warlocks, etc.).

1. The Wicked and the Dead (Faery Bargains, book one) by Melissa Marr
2. Magic to the Bone (Allie Beckstrom, book one) by Devon Monk
3. Easy Bake Coven (Easy Bake Coven, book one) by Liz Schulte
4. Dark Light of Day (Noon Onyx, book one) by Jill Archer
5. Touch the Dark (Cassie Palmer, book one) by Karen Chance

You CAN Judge a Book by its Cover – Read books that you love the cover art or picked it up to read based on the cover.

1. Jinn and Juice by Nicole Peeler
2. How to Save an Undead Life (Beginner’s Guide to Necromancy, book one) by Hailey Edwards
3. Priceless (Rylee Adamson, book one) by Shannon Mayer
4. Shifter Wars (Werewolf Dens, book one) by Kelly St. Clare
5. The Corsair's Captive (Corsairs, book one) by Ruby Dixon

One Word Titles – Read paranormal books that have just one word in the title.

1. Bitten (Women of the Otherworld, book one) by Kelley Armstrong
2. Stray (Shifters, book one) by Rachel Vincent
3. Fated (Dark Protectors, book one) by Rebecca Zanetti
4. Fireborn (Souls of Fire, book one) by Keri Arthur
5. Spirited (Tidewater, book one) by Mary Behre

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

 

FLIRTING WITH THE GRAVE . . .

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father—the one responsible for ruining her mother’s life. Then she’s captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.

In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She’s amazed she doesn’t end up as his dinner—are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn’t have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress book one) by Jeaniene Frost

Start date: July 11, 2021

End date: July 12, 2021

Rating: 2 ½ out of 5 stars

Content warning: sexual assault, offensive language 

I’m going to admit something tragic. I only chose to read this book because I was curious to see how the author would write the story past the premise. I knew full well I wasn’t going to like it, but I read it anyway.

The main character is Catherine “Cat” Crawfield, a 22-year-old who lives at home with her single mother and elderly grandparents in the backwards, little town of Licking Falls, Ohio. She has put off going to college initially to take care of her grandparents, but she spends most of her time killing vampires as retribution for the vampire who ruined her mother’s life. You see, Cat is a vampire hunter who’s also a half-vampire.