Wonderful, entertaining, slightly dark, paranormal Cozy!
586158
I love this book series. As a mystery lover and a resident of the Bay Area, this book, the 5th in the series, Lily Ivory is a
fictional character that I would love to have as a friend in real life. Witty dialogue, very descriptive scene locations and
a supporting cast of lovable, crazy San Franciscans', my only complaint is the book is too short. That's a good thing in this case,
go enjoy Juliet Blackwell's Haunted House Mystery series, or go further back to Juliet Blackwell's first pseudonym, writing with her
sister, as Hailey Lind writing the Annie Kincaid Art Lover's Mystery Series. Keep reading and buy Indie... BB
2809209
I have really enjoyed these Dark Mirror stories. It's not the typical supernatural story line of werewolves or vampires but it runs the gamut of Demons from Hell (which really aren't as bad as one might think), Faes, Weres, Vampires and even more supernatural beings that I've never even heard of.  That might sound like it's too much packed into one story but it's not - the author does a great job of blending all these characters in a good harmony.  And at the center of the story is the main character Cate Delacy who has wonderful wit, strength, powers of her own, and a personal favorite of mine - Southern charm.  I'll definitely be watching for the 3rd book which I hope comes very, very soon!
3221046
This was such fun! A whodunit with a creative, paranormal twist. Bridget dies accidentally and is sent to the afterlife - not quite Heaven, Hell or Purgatory. She has to live in the same outfit, without her Jimmy Choos and no hair products or make-up... an eternity with frizzy hair! She then discovers she must work for a "living", has curfew and has a gorgeous parole officer checking up on her antics. Did anyone mention the dead bodies she discovers and is accused of murdering?!

The fun begins from the first chapter - keep reading as the first few pages are slow, but necessary to set the scene. Her new best friend Sabrina is a charismatic hoot and the entire story is a quirky, original tale with well-placed dry wit and sarcasm amongst the shenanigans.

Of course you must suspend disbelief - you can hardly question if you think being dead is not the worst thing to happen to you, or being fashion conscious about your mother's choice of your funeral outfit, or worry if calories count after death. The ghosts tell ghost stories, the dead can die again and surviving death ("so to speak") won't kill you!

Thiis is an eclectic mix of paranormal, murder-mystery and comedy - a clean, charming cozy/ popcorn adventure with overtones of a budding romance, told from a first person point of view. Obviously more adventures follow but it can be read as a standalone. Overall, a fun, creative read, and I was lucky to find this free. Jordaina is truly talented - I loved this and can't wait to read more!
244733
Death and the Girl Next Door was so much fun and a quick read. The story-line was easy to follow, and within those first few chapters I knew some of the characters and I would get along just fabulously. There was a wonderful mix of personalities, and I loved how many of them had sarcasm as their form of humor. While I had a few hangups with some of the people, and not wanting info dragged out longer than should need be, Death and the Girl Next Door was still exactly what this paranormal lover was looking for.

Lorelei has had visions for as long as she could remember and it would occur, at times, when she touched someone. The visions would be a peak into that person's life, whether it was a glimpse into their past or their future. There were also times when the visions didn't make any sense at all. But regardless, I loved how she accepted that this was just a part of who she was. And her two best friends, Brooklyn and Glitch, did too.

But things started to get weird when the class loner Cameron, who they've known since grade school, started appearing everywhere Lorelei was. Including outside her house all night long. Creepy! And then things become even stranger when we met the new hot guy at school, Jared. Jared had a lot mystery surrounding him from just his name (I was like uhhh really, that's how you're going to play it?! Lol) to how he made Lorelei feel. So when push comes to shove, and Lorelei's whole world explodes on a city street, things got a lot more interesting!

I absolutely loved Lorelei. So I was happy to struggle right along with her, with not only trying to figure out what some people were, but also who was good and who was bad. Because while she'd always known Cameron, he acted a little psychotic lately. And while she didn't know anything about Jared, he made her heart do crazy things and I wanted him around just as much as she did. So be warned, there was a little bit of insta-love going on in this book. But regardless, I loved both of those boys! Cameron and Jared were broody, grumpy, held on to their secrets extremely tight and I just wanted to learn everything about them. And don't worry, there wasn't a love triangle at all.

Normally friends can fade into the dark when supernatural elements get involved, but thankfully Brooklyn and Glitch got to learn right along with Lorelei. Btw, I loved Brooklyn. She was funny, warm and I saw a lot potential for a possible future love interest for her. But Glitch? *shrugs* He never won me over, I never connected with him and I just didn't care about him. I'm sorry Glitch. Another thing I never connected with were the twins, Ashlee and Sydnee, and I didn't get Lorelei's hatred towards Brooke - those were people they all went to school with. But even with my issues towards not understanding feelings or not caring about certain characters, it was still so easy to become lost in their world. I absolutely adored this book, and I can't wait to see how the rest of the series goes! Plus I can't wait to spend more time with Jared so I can fall even harder for him, and Cameron too!

PS Yes, I know I didn't talk a lot about what happened in the story, but but but spoilers. It's hard to say anything without giving everything away. ;)
268638
First off, what an amazing cover... Fans of this series will not be disappointed by book 3. Im not a paranormal seeker by choice so hats off to the author for keeping me entertained!
I do like the fact that this novel  in fact this series  draws on actual events and happenings, which gives the whole book a down-to-earth shot of realism, which is more relatable than all out horror/ghostly goings-on.
This time were introduced to Elisha Grey, and I love the way the author weaves this story into the plot. Great read, works as a standalone too.
ARC copy received from the author.
4942147
I like cozy mysteries with a bit of paranormal or supernatural in them. Even Witches Get the Blues is a good set up for a series. There are no ghosts in Moonhaven yet, but along with normal humans, we meet witches, vampires, shifters, demons and hunters.
Moonhaven is a beautiful town filled with stores and buildings that look like settings of fairy tales or nursery rhymes, but theres a sinister undercurrent thats delightful.
In fine cozy mystery fashion, Haley solves the murder and clears her name. She meets her grandmother and begins to learn who she is and why she is drawn to Moonhaven. At the end of the book, theres a wonderful hook to the rest of the series. I won't give away any spoilers, but Im looking forward to reading every one of Wicked in Moonhaven series.
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.
3357130
Ms Hannas Bewitched by Chocolate series continues to entertain and, in fact, I enjoyed this book, for the most part, more than the last one. The story is really solidly constructed and the characters continue to be well developed. I was delighted that theres a lot more focus on Viktor in this book than in previous ones, and that he has become more of a main character than simply a secondary one. I just love him  hes so funny and had me laughing out loud at several points.

Until about three-quarters of the way through, the book is quite light, despite the murder that has taken place, and I really enjoyed the variety of amusing little incidents and scenes. Many of those scenes either involve Viktor, or Evie and her magic skills which don't seem to be improving! From a personal point of view, I wasn't so keen on the fact that the book is a bit more paranormal than fairytale magic, but thats just my preference.

We also have, of course, the ongoing will they, won't they not-quite-romance between the gorgeous James and our heroine, Caitlyn. Add to that a sexy Frenchman, a real English butler, and the irrepressible Pomona, and there are plenty of characters to hold a readers interest. And thats without the murder mystery or the Widow Mags latest drool-worthy chocolate creation. My biggest disappointment about this book was that it doesnt include the recipe!

Overall, I would say that they story is well written and watertight. I had no idea of the who and how of the murder right up until it was revealed, but all those ends are tied up nicely. However, the author has left plenty of little ongoing story threads open to keep us anticipating the next book. I shall look forward to seeing what happens next to Caitlyn, James, and all our other friends in Tillyhenge.

A review copy of this book was sent to me by the author. All of the above opinions are my own.
418529
Another great cozy mystery from Erin Johnson with the second book, Black Arts, Tarts & Gypsy Carts, in the Spells & Caramels series. After I read the first book last year, I downloaded the second and third to read in between other ARCs and thrillers I had set for January and February. I need to balance the light and heavy, or I get bored/frustrated with too much of the same thing. It seems this series continues to deliver on quality, imagination and humor. I recommend it for anyone interested in cozy mysteries, witches and cooking.

Imogen is new to the magic world, trying to learn how to cast spells and stay away from the prince in her new mystery land. He's engaged, she's nervous and there seems to be murders happening all the time a war goes on with the Badlands Army. In this edition, a carnival is in town, but when a seer is murdered, a rival is arrested for the crime. Imogen's certain her friend Rhonda wasn't the culprit -- and fights to prove it, all the while meeting different carnival folk and learning how to practice magic. In the end, she unearths the true killer when she makes a connection with the dead during an annual creepy ritual.

My favorite part of this series is the imagination behind all the characters, setting and actions. It's clear the author has built an entire world before writing the books, as it takes depth and design to architect this layer of intricacy in a story. Information about Imogen's background is kept minimal, as I'm sure that will be a focus of a future book, but when you learn things, you learn them quickly! Between vampires, shifters, and swallows, there's an entire structure to the world of witches and wizards. Add in Imogen's role as an assistant to the royal baker in the palace, she's constantly in the middle of situations where she is always out of her element. It's a great break from contemporary fiction, full of quirky but lovable characters, that leaves you wanting more. I enjoy the series and will definitely keep reading it in 2018. Charming. Vivid. Comforting.
1340423
I was really impressed by this book, the first in the series. Ghost books can be touch and go in my experience and this one actually worked quite well. I enjoy reading paranormal fiction as a complete escape from reality and this gave me enough chills and enough entertainment that I really felt I wanted to read on. The characters were interesting - Ellie, the narrator, has a past which gives a reason she's now hunting ghosts and which I suspect will be embellished in later books. Stacie was a bit annoying to start with but she developed nicely. We still don't know about Calvin nor Jacob, so the author has really set the scene for the series. I did find I had to suspend my disbelief quite a lot in some parts - in particular the episode in the lunatic asylum all seemed a bit too convenient for me. But frankly, this is entertainment and not fact and so I could get over it for the sake of the story. A really good start to the series.
1567867
I like Nocturne Falls. Halloween all year long? YES, PLEASE! Throwing in a seriously Christmas-themed shop in the center of it and having it peopled with Winter Elves adds a new element to this supernatural town. Having Jayne try to unravel a mystery just makes it better.

FYI, I'm torn on the whole Coop/Greyson thing. I like Cooper, but...I think I might be more of a vampire girl this time around. That's not something I say often, so I'm eyeballing Greyson now and wondering if he's going to turn out to have some nefarious plan up his sleeve. *crosses my fingers and hopes not*

Besides dealing with the sexy men hanging around, Jayne's doing her best to piece together what's been happening at Santa's Workshop. The missing elves are worrisome and there certainly *seems* to be something going on. But figuring it out while keeping her cover and subtly ferreting out information from anyone who will stand still long enough is tough.

Good thing Jayne had determination on her side.

All in all, a solid story set in a town I enjoy coming back to. Here's to more quirky adventures with Jayne and her sexy men (I'm still leaning toward the vamp. I'm confused about this, too.).

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
286277
Although this was billed as a "cozy" mystery, it's really nothing of the sort; there is a slight mystery entwined in the paranormal investigative theme, though, and it was fascinating watching the main character ferret out the explanation.  The book was simply a fantastic read, with characters that were, if drawn with a light brush, still very well presented, a storyline that was beguiling, and top-notch writing and editing.  Unlike most of the so-called paranormal cozy mysteries, this book was written intelligently, and although there are some very mild moments of romance, there is none of the egregious "hot detective" nonsense that one grows so tired of in recent novels.  The book was simply delightful.
2591646
A Mansion, A Drag Queen, and A New Job is the first book in the C.C. Dragons Deanna Oscar Paranormal Mystery series. With this title, I was expecting it to be quite humorous and it definitely had some fun, light moments, but it was actually a very well-written and intriguing cozy mystery.  Our heroine, Dr. Deanna Oscar, is a PhD psychologist and a psychic who is still learning to understand and control her gift. She is also a very likable, strong and independent woman who has her hands full and psychic talent on overload with ghosts, a serial killer who has her in his sites, and a cast of interesting and challenging secondary characters. Add in a beautiful haunted mansion, Ivy the drag queen, a couple of handsome guys and a great New Orleans backdrop, and you have a great story. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to those who like the mystery and paranormal genres. Received a copy of this book from Romancing the Dragon Review Group and voluntarily chose to review it.
460395
Now, that's entertainment! I loved this one. I would describe it as an ultra hip cozy mystery with a little more bite, lots of screwball comedy, a little suspense, and enough, but not too much, romance. The characters and their actions and situations are so well written I was right along with them; it was like I was on a wild ride with two great buds hit with one incredible, sometimes hilarious, situation after another and the ride was moving so fast and I was having such a good time I didn't have a chance to notice if I was missing anything.
The main characters--the twins--are very likeable and fun and very different from what's on the market. The supporting characters, the ones that you expect to stay with the series, are a variety of quirky, fun and lovable personalities. I must be the only one on the planet who didn't think the pop princess was supposed to be any specific person currently in the media. The person I pictured as I was reading was Haley Bennet's character, Cora, in the movie Music & Lyrics.
Although this is far from my favorite genre--paranormal romance, I do love a good book and this series is so fresh and fun and funny I'm hooked on it. When I buy a book it's to be entertained, and this one is highly entertaining. I think this one would satisfy the readers of the Stephanie Plum series, the younger cozy sleuths series (such as Charlaine Harris's Shakespeare series if they would like some humor or screwball with their cozy), and Chic Lit Comedy.
4079486
This was a great read! I loved Bill - he was so unique and not your normal character in this genre. His comic relief was the perfect balance to the dark underground city. It was hard getting into Tallis' character, the great looking, deep voiced guide on their mission to collect a soul from the underworld, at first due to the Celtic accent - I spent the first several chapters reading out loud, but then fell for him as hard as Lily (the dead before her time heroine.).  They clearly have a connection, and it left me wanting more.

H.P. Mallory does a great job of weaving today with the past with the paranormal. On their mission to the underground city, the relationships grew organically. It was fun, suspenseful, and smart!

This is a great escape book, filled with adventure, humor, history, and fun.
3394458
After having eagerly devoured the first book in this series (<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Secondhand-Spirits/dp/045122745X/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Secondhand Spirits</a>), I couldn't wait to see what the second volume of this series would bring. Just like in my review for the first volume, I have to warn all readers who may not be aware of what they're getting into. This is not a mystery. Yes, crimes & murders do occur, but this series is very much an urban fantasy with a touch of mystery in it. It very much deserves to be placed in the UF category, especially since this author has the chops to match up to genre biggies such as Charlaine Harris & Kim Harrison.

In this volume our favorite witch has been offered a deal that is hard to refuse: check out the ghostly goings on in the local school's supposedly haunted tower in return for a box full of vintage theater clothing. Wooed by the idea of getting more vintage goodies for her shop (which she uses as her own personal closet, just as any of us would), Lily agrees to investigate. When she finds signs of both ghostly AND demonic infestation, Lily knows that this task isn't going to be easy. Add in some interesting new characters & she just might have a chance of coming out of this alive.

I'm serious when I say that this is more UF than mystery, a genre category that was probably pushed on this series more because it doesn't fit the typical trappings of the UF story (gritty heroine, dozens of love interests, vamps & weres coming out of the woodwork, etc). This is way more lighthearted than a Harrison or Armstrong read & I absolutely love this series for it. I love that the main character has friends that are "normal", looks to others for help & isn't all death, blood & gloom all the time. (Not that any of that makes for a bad book, but in a sea of books with similar heroines it is nice to see someone do something different.)

I really do think that this book has managed to top the first one- with all of the main characters introduced in the first book, this entry dives into what makes it so much fun: lovingly described vintage clothing, spooks & the thrill of the chase. There's a few interesting new characters, one of which might have the potential to become either a new ally for Lily or a new love interest. (Or just a major PITA, but he sounds fun.)

If you haven't read the first book in the series, I really recommend that you check it out first just so you can get the gist of everything that is going on. You can read this as a standalone without really missing much, as the book does go over the happenings of the first volume, but it would probably be a better experience if you read Secondhand Spirits.

All I know is that Blackwell has a really good thing going on here & I'm hooked- I'm buying the next volume when it comes out, even if I have to stalk my store's delivery trucks to be the first one to get my hands on it.
1034107
I really liked this book.  I read a lot of cozy mysteries and some of them are not that great but this one I really enjoyed!  It had just the right amount of mystery, humor and paranormal fun to make it interesting!  I am definitely reading the rest of the books in this series!
4111271
You need this fun, action packed, paranormal series in your library!