Tag: urban fantasy

This Chick Read: Crowbones (World of the Others #3) by Anne Bishop

Set in the world of the Others made famous by Anne Bishops’s novel Written in Red, we return to The Jumble. The setting and characters that we got to know in Lake Silence. Vicki, as proprietor of the Jumble, a kind of vacation spot deep in the territory, has friends and guests over for Trickster Night. A kind of Halloween inspired evening where you get tricks or treats. She is firmly on the treat side of that line not knowing what some of her more creative guests might declare a trick. A knock on the door isn’t surprising but what is on the other side puts her Crow friends in a panic. Crowbones, a kind of boogeyman for the Crows, stands on the other side rattling a gourd. When Crowbones arrives that means someone will die and in this case it’s the imposter portraying Crowbones and Vicki needs the help of her human friends to help solve the mystery before the Others decide to intervene even further, with all of their deaths.

I’ll admit that when Anne Bishop released Lake Silence, the spin-off novel from her fantabulous Others series, I had a hard time connecting with these characters. Since that initial first read, I’ve listened to Lake Silence as well, and didn’t have any trouble at all diving deep into the horror-fantasy of Crowbones. Vicki as a main character, has gained strength, or “sand” as she calls it. Choosing to believe that her previous blood transfusion from the sheriff garnered her some of his stoicism and calm regard. She draws on this strength to stay calm for her guests, knowing that her position in The Jumble lends her some importance because she has the most friendships and the Elders are fascinated with her. Don’t get me wrong, she doesn’t go all Nancy Drew, leaving the investigation to the professionals, but she did seem to have more of a back bone, not being led by her fear as much as she did in Lake Silence.

The Crowbones story had many intricacies. As noted above, there is the relationship between the Others and their human townspeople, a town that has grown by 100 people since the last book. So there were many strangers to get to know. Our favorite characters were still around and it was nice to get to know them again and gel my feelings towards this ragtag group of hero’s be them Others or human.

Anne Bishop deftly wrote the mystery in this novel, but it really wasn’t that hard to figure out, with one small red herring. I didn’t mind though because the characterizations were so fun, albeit grisly. I really enjoyed how Sheriff Grimshaw and Ilya Sanguinati, one human the other vampire, now worked together as a team. They both need this outpost of intermingling folks to work, neither wanting another human culling.

I think despite this being titled #3 in the World of the Others that this novel could be read as a stand alone. You don’t need to have read Wild Country at all, but you may want to read Lake Silence because it will give you some background on the main characters that will make your reading experience more enjoyable. If you didn’t and don’t want to backtrack to the first book, feel free. My guess is that you’ll pick it up anyway because this one is so good. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

Click this link to purchase this book!* https://amzn.to/3HGIytm

COPYRIGHT 2022 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (2/28/22)

Good morning! Have you ever requested too many books and realized that you need to read and review several in the next five days in order to honor your commitments? This girl right here! Despite the weather being glorious, I sat this weekend out and read a few really good books! Seriously, not a stinker among them. (Thank goodness….) Truthfully, it was kind of nice to have the excuse to sit around and read. LOL Curious? Here is what I’ve been reading.

Thanks to Book Date who started this theme for bloggers to share what’s on their shelves. You can read her post here.

JUST FINISHED

I remember reading Lauren Kate’s Fallen series ages ago and was surprised to see that she had an adult contemporary romance novel. I scooped it up and was so glad I did! Unsurprisingly, her writing was still awesome, and the story was a slow burn romance, my favorite! This book is too cute you all, you need to give it a shot.

JUST STARTED

It feels so good to be back in the world of the Others! Someone decides to play a trick on Vicki and her guests at the Jumble, dressing as Crowbones, the boogeyman of the Crow Guard. Do the indigene have a sense of humor? Not really, but they do know how to protect their own. This is one fabulous Urban Fantasy novel and I can’t wait to find out who dunnit.

Are you reading a book that you just can’t put down? It’s the best feeling in the world, isn’t it?

Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chicks Sunday Commentary: My Top 5 Most Anticipated Book Releases- Mar’22

I know February is a short month, but seriously? Time is flying by this year! In already looking towards the March book releases I’m feeling like I’m falling seriously behind. There are too many books out there and too little time to read them. March has some amazing book releases, so I’m just going to add the five that are on my own radar.

#5 BOOK RELEASE

There is something about this synopsis that is drawing me in. It helps that the author is Lauren Kate because I know she will not let me down. By Any Other Name probably should be higher on my list except for a couple of much anticipated by me novels that are filling the top 2. Is this novel on your own radar?

Synopsis: What she doesn’t know about love could fill a book.
 
With a successful career as a romance editor, and an engagement to a man who checks off all ninety-nine boxes on her carefully curated list, Lanie’s more than good. She’s killing it. Then she’s given the opportunity of a lifetime: to work with world-renowned author and her biggest inspiration in love and life—the Noa Callaway. All Lanie has to do is cure Noa’s writer’s block and she’ll get the promotion she’s always dreamed of. Simple, right? 
 
But there’s a reason no one has ever seen or spoken to the mysterious Noa Calloway. And that reason will rock Lanie’s world. It will call into question everything she thought she knew. When she finally tosses her ninety-nine expectations to the wind, Lanie may just discover that love By Any Other Name can still be as sweet.

Click this link to purchase this book!* By Any Other Name

MY #4 BOOK RELEASE

Rebecca Serle’s novels touch my heart and boy One Italian Summer looks like it could be a tear jerker. I’m a big fan of this author and am eagerly looking forward to reading this novel.

Synopsis: When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: to Positano, the magical town where Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.

But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.

And then Carol appears—in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how—all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.

Rebecca Serle’s next great love story is here, and this time it’s between a mother and a daughter. With her signature “heartbreaking, redemptive, and authentic” (Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author) prose, Serle has crafted a transcendent novel about how we move on after loss, and how the people we love never truly leave us.

Click this link to purchase this book!* One Italian Summer: A Novel

MY #3 BOOK RELEASE

From Rebecca Serle’s mother-daughter novel in my #4 spot to a young lady who travels on a vacation with her parents, trying to understand her relationship with her father. I love this author and she often touches my heart with her novels. I’m anticipating another great read.

Synopsis: Right after the sudden death of her mother—her first and most devoted fan—and just before the launch of her high-stakes sophomore album, Greta James falls apart on stage. The footage quickly goes viral and she stops playing, her career suddenly in jeopardy—the kind of jeopardy her father, Conrad, has always predicted; the kind he warned her about when he urged her to make more practical choices with her life. 
 
Months later, Greta—still heartbroken and very much adrift—reluctantly agrees to accompany Conrad on the Alaskan cruise her parents had booked to celebrate their fortieth anniversary. It could be their last chance to heal old wounds in the wake of shared loss. But the trip will also prove to be a voyage of discovery for them both, and for Ben Wilder, a charming historian, onboard to lecture about The Call of the Wild, who is struggling with a major upheaval in his own life. As Greta works to build back her confidence and Ben confronts an uncertain future, they find themselves drawn to and relying on each other.

It’s here in this unlikeliest of places—at sea, far from the packed city venues where she usually plays and surrounded by the stunning scenery of Alaska—Greta will finally confront the choices she’s made, the heartbreak she’s suffered, and the family hurts that run deep. In the end, she’ll have to decide what her path forward might look like—and how to find her voice again.

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Unsinkable Greta James: A Novel

MY #2 BOOK RELEASE

Mercy Thompson is one of my favorite urban fantasy characters. She never thinks twice about sacrificing herself for others, and in this novel she could be sacrificing herself for someone who has been stalking her. I can’t wait to see what Patricia Briggs does with the characters in this universe. She never disappoints.

Synopsis: Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, must face her greatest fears in this chilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

The vampire Wulfe is missing. Since he’s deadly, possibly insane, and his current idea of “fun” is stalking Mercy, some may see it as no great loss. But when he disappears, the Tri-Cities pack is blamed. The mistress of the vampire seethe informs Mercy that the pack must produce Wulfe to prove their innocence, or the loose alliance between the local vampires and werewolves is over.
 
So Mercy goes out to find her stalker—and discovers more than just Wulfe have disappeared. Someone is taking people from locked rooms, from the aisles of stores, and even from crowded parties. And these are not just ordinary people but supernatural beings. Until Wulfe vanished, all of them were powerless loners, many of whom quietly moved to the Tri-Cities in the hope that the safety promised by Mercy and Adam’s pack would extend to them as well.
 
Who is taking them? As Mercy investigates, she learns of the legend of the Harvester, who travels by less-trodden paths and reaps the souls that are ripe with a great black scythe. . . .

Click this link to purchase this book!* Soul Taken (A Mercy Thompson Novel Book 13)

MY MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE FOR MARCH’22

I have read, listened to, and read again Anne Bishop’s novels that take place in the perfectly terrifying world of The Others. Crowbones finds us back in The Jumble with resort owner Vicki DeVine where she is faced with having to solve a couple of murders before the Others decide humans are more trouble than they’re worth. These novels are eery, creepy, and fantastically fun. I…. can’t…. wait…..

Synopsis: In this engrossing and gripping fantasy set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Others series, an inn owner and her friends must find a killer—before it’s too late.…

Crowbones will gitcha if you don’t watch out!

Deep in the territory controlled by the Others—shape-shifters, vampires, and even deadlier paranormal beings—Vicki DeVine has made a new life for herself running The Jumble, a rustic resort. When she decides to host a gathering of friends and guests for Trickster Night, at first everything is going well between the humans and the Others.
 
But then someone arrives dressed as Crowbones, the Crowgard bogeyman. When the impostor is killed along with a shape-shifting Crow, and the deaths are clearly connected, everyone fears that the real Crowbones may have come to The Jumble—and that could mean serious trouble.
 
To “encourage” humans to help them find some answers, the Elders and Elementals close all the roads, locking in suspects and victims alike. Now Vicki, human police chief Grimshaw, vampire lawyer Ilya Sanguinati, and the rest of their friends have to figure out who is manipulating events designed to pit humans against Others—and who may have put Vicki DeVine in the crosshairs of a powerful hunter.

Click this link to purchase this book!* Crowbones (World of the Others Book 3)

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase one of these books through one of the above links I’ll receive a small stipend.

There are so many other great books coming out in March that it was seriously hard to choose my top 5. I hope my choices helped bring some on your radar, but if you think I missed anything feel free to shout out your most anticipated book! There’s always room on my TBR (LOL!).

Have a great month of reading!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads3 Comments

This Chick’s Audio Review: Shifting Shadows (Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson) by Patricia Briggs

Shifting Shadows came out in 2014 and despite loving the Mercy Thompson series I didn’t have that sense of urgency about reading it. I had an Audible credit to use so I finally pulled the trigger and purchased Shifting Shadows. These short stories are narrated by Lorelei King who narrates the Mercy Thompson books and Alexander Cendese. I was expecting Holter Graham for the male voice and wasn’t familiar with Alexander Cendese but thought his narration excellent. As the narrator started reading the first short story, “Silver”, I was immersed in the origin story for Bram and Samuel, wondering why I had let this book lie in those shadows for so long.

For me, there were a couple of stand out novellas in this compilation. As a big fan of Patricia Briggs and both the Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega series I was really interested in the above mentioned “Silver”. Bram is the Moroch, or leader of all of the packs in the United States and he raised Mercy, and is Charles’s father (Alpha and Omega). I’m already invested in their story and so learning their origin and how they became werewolves was particularly interesting. Also, this was the origin story for Samuel and his mate Ariana, who were separated for centuries. Their story was interesting and heartbreaking and explained quite a bit about their motivations in later novels.

Possibly because I’ve been listening to the Alpha and Omega series recently I immediately knew who the characters were in “Seeing Eye”. Moira and Tom are side characters in one story featuring Anna and Charles. This novella is the origin of how the two of them met and how they were drawn to each other right from the start. Tom, a werewolf, comes to Moira, a witch, to ask for help in locating his brother who has disappeared. It’s a really quick, fast paced story and truly enjoyable.

“Alpha and Omega” is the first story in the Alpha and Omega series. Charles, is Brams son, but he’s also the enforcer for his father and is sent to clean up problem situations. He is sent to Chicago because some things have come to light that all is not as it should be with the Chicago pack. Anna, abused in her own pack, has seen something that her alpha has done that she knows is not right. So she calls the Moroch, Bram, and is put in charge of driving Charles around as he investigates. What they both don’t expect is that Charles’s wolf declares Anna his mate and he has to fight his instincts to protect while also deciding the outcome for her pack. This novella is so good!

The last story I’ll speak about in this review is also the last novella in the book, “In Red, With Pearls”. Warren, the openly gay werewolf gets his own story and it is a fun one! A woman in red, wearing pearls comes into the law firm where Warren’s boyfriend Kyle works. Something about her is suspicious and Warren suspects there is ill intent. Boy is there! This novel has the humor you expect from his character but we get a little more insight into he and Kyle’s relationship. Warren is a fan-favorite and this is a truly fun glimpse into their relationship.

If you like Patricia Briggs novels, short stories, have a commute, or like to listen while you work (gasp!), please check out this compilation. The Mercy Thompson universe has a lot of action and fantasy-filled drama and I promise there won’t be any regrets! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this audiobook!* Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson

Copyright 2021 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick’s Audio Review: Tricked (The Iron Druid Chronicles #4) by Kevin Hearne and narrated by Luke Daniels

After Atticus O’Sullivan helps kill Thor, the Norse Gods are on his tail looking for revenge. Needing to start fresh somewhere he calls on Coyote to help him stage his own death and in return he helps Coyote bring gold into a mine for a local tribe. What he doesn’t realize is that Coyote has an ulterior motive and he’s tricked into fighting two skinwalkers who attack their campsite. With Oberon and Granuaile by his side Atticus is again fighting for his life.

I am hooked on this series! I have been a fan of the narrator Luke Daniels, but I really think he’s at his best in this series. I find myself having fun and laughing out loud, especially during the inner monologues between Atticus and his dog Oberon. We see more of Granuaile in this novel than any yet to date and the chemistry between she and Atticus is sizzling! Unfortunately, she is his apprentice and I’m not sure he’s ever going to let himself fall for her but it’s fun to see him struggle!

I thought the plot of this novel was really interesting. I don’t read a lot of American Native inspired fiction but I do know that Coyote is a trickster god so it’s not too surprising when Atticus gets tricked into a fight he doesn’t want. I enjoyed the interaction between his Druid culture and the very spiritual Native Indian beliefs and learning how some things in the two cultures are more similar than they are different.

Atticus knows that he now has a lot of enemies and he’s going to be looking over his shoulder waiting for a fight, but he doesn’t realize that he may need to watch his front too. Someone that he trusts betrays him and that betrayal leaves him reeling and really, really angry. This sub-plot could lead to an interesting twist in a future story but for now I’m ok with letting that character go.

If you like fantasy, love audiobooks with humor, and want to add to your library this series is great and Tricked was an awesome fourth novel. Each novel has moved these characters forward and made me eager to read the next novel in the series. You can’t get higher praise than that! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase the novel/audiobook!* Tricked: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 4

Copyright 2021 The Reading Chick All Right Reserved

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chicks Audio Review: Hammered (Iron Druid Chronicles #3) by Kevin Hearne, narrated by Luke Daniels

Leif Helgerson, vampire, attorney, and friend to druid Atticus O’Sullivan, helped him wipe out an evil coven of witches in the last novel and it’s time for Atticus to return the favor. However, what Leif wants is to kill Norse god of thunder, Thor. Despite being warned by two other gods against killing Thor, he teams up with werewolf Alpha, Gunner, a Russian sorcerer, and some frost Giants and they head to Asgard for an epic battle.

Luke Daniels, as usual, does an amazing job with the narration of the Iron Druid Chronicles. There are so many characters and many different accents, I am amazed with how well he nails it and how much life he puts into these characters. My favorite again is Atticus’s dog Oberon who has a voice more intelligent than Scooby Doo, and it is an admirable sidekick and adds great comic relief.

Hammered has been the most difficult to get into of the three I’ve read in this series so far. When you read a series there are sometimes books that feel like filler or like you’re being set up for future plots. This book feels like one of those. You do learn Gunner and Leif’s back stories and also why all of these characters have a beef against Thor, which is semi-entertaining. I don’t get the feeling that this advanced Attitcus’s character but may in fact set him back a bit. You can’t help but think when Jesus warns you against killing Thor that it might not be a very good idea to do it.

This isn’t the first novel I’ve read that describes Thor as a big bully and not so nice god and I can’t help but think that a certain movie studio may have changed that character to fit female fantasies and sell tickets. When we meet Thor in this novel I did not visualize Chris Hemsworth’s handsome face. Hearne does a great job of wiping away any fantasy vision of Thorne to portray him probably as he was in the original myths, a big jerkwad.

Even though I felt slightly let down by the pace of this novel, I’m still a big fan of the series and I love the narration by Luke Daniels. I did immediately turn to the next novel, Tricked. This is one addictive bit of fantasy! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this audiobook!* Hammered: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 3

Copyright 2021 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (9/27/21)

It was a busy weekend with another family members birthday and lots of time spent in the kitchen making food for the celebration. It was my job to make a couple of pies. I’ll have to admit I enjoyed the quiet time, put in my ear buds and listened to a good book. I love it when I have a couple of hours where I can be in the book zone. When my minds split between two things it’s better to listen to something I’ve already read, so I got a copy of The Love Hypothesis. My pick for the best romance I’ve read yet this year. Narrated by Callie Dalton, it is fab-u- lous. What else have I been reading? See below!

JUST FINISHED

Luke Daniels is the narrator for this audiobook series and he voices Atticus, his dog Oberon, and all of the other characters in these books, perfectly. The mix of Kevin Hearne’s fluid plots, humor, and great world building with Daniels take on what these characters should sound like is book listening gold. I really enjoyed Tricked, the fourth novel in the series and highly recommend these if you are an urban fantasy fan.

JUST STARTED

I have a soft spot for historical mysteries and The Vanished Days is pushing all of the right buttons. Set during the Jacobite rebellion in the 1700’s I’m immediately swept away by the characters, setting, and yes, the mystery. If you are also a fan of this genre this book is out on Oct. 13, 2021.

As you can tell from all three of the books I’ve talked about in this post I’m all over the place when it comes to my reading tastes! What genre of book has you hooked?

Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: True Dead (Jane Yellowrock #14) by Faith Hunter

Jane’s secondary home base of Asheville, North Carolina may be home but it’s not where the Dark Queen should be living if she wants to keep her people safe. A threat to her empire has come to NOLA and Jane and her crew fly in to hunker down, hold the fort, and kick some vamp butt. Jane’s past is as vampire hunter and enforcer for the ex- Master of the City in New Orleans, but now that he’s gone Jane is keeping her people safe the only way she knows how. Investigating the threat and killing offer her enemies. This time there are some surprise in store.

I love that Jane is back in New Orleans, the place where it all began. Wrassler and the police LT. Jodie are getting married at HQ and Jane needs to make sure their wedding goes off without a hitch. Unfortunately there are enemies in the city who have other ideas over what needs to happen. Constantly under attack, Jane still managers to investigate the past, put pieces into a puzzle that she has been working on for awhile, a puzzle that will explain who the big bad is that is in town.

I have loved the evolution of enforcer to Dark Queen. I’ll admit that my head was spinning after Leo died, Jane got cancer, based herself out of a winery in Asheville, and healed. I hated leaving the Tequila Boys, and everyone at HQ behind, so when I saw the synopsis of this novel that Jane and her gang was headed back to New Orleans I was so excited to get the book and start reading. It was everything I wanted it to be. Although Jane is now the big boss as the Dark Queen, to these people that she knows so well she is still “Legs” and finds relief in being treated the same by her friends. At least in private.

There are some evolutions to Jane’s relationship with Beast that are best found out as you read the novel, but they bring an interesting twist to each dangerous escapade that keeps you on the edge of your seat and your heart pumping if you see if Jane will come out of this most recent war intact. As with all the novels, she has her two chosen brothers, Eli and Alex by her side, but her true brother Ayatas Firewind plays a bigger role in this book and their familial relationship advances adding another element to who Jane is and was.

I can’t end this review without talking about Jane’s relationship with her love Bruiser. He has his own bit of discovery and evolution in True Dead. Despite both of their characters learning and evolving never fear, they are truly bonded and together.

You’ve heard me say this before (now, 14 times!) but I have to repeat it. If you haven’t read this series please start with book #1. Admittedly that book is the worst of the series because all of these characters grow so much over every book and are a little flat in the first novel. The books just get better and better after that first novel. You can’t jump in at book #14. You wouldn’t understand the nuances in the story or characters so I wouldn’t even try but if you give book #1 a chance you will be in for a really fun, riotously fanciful, dark and thrilling urban fantasy series. You won’t regret the time it takes for you to catch up, I promise!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review and it was honest.

Click this link to purchase!* True Dead (Jane Yellowrock Book 14)

Copyright 2021 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (6/21/21)

I’m going to fess up I have not actually read any books this week. I have listened to one and am listening to another. I’m not sure if anyone is still interested because both books are from Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels series. LOL. Has anyone else found that when they have a stressful work week a previously read book is a great comfort? That’s what I’m going through right now. So, listening to the Kate Daniels series makes me feel good. For what it’s worth here is what’s currently on my shelf.

JUST FINISHED

Technically this book is it’s own series but it falls between book #9 and book #10 in Kate Daniels and it’s content was relevant to the series. This book is the beginning of Hugh’s story and is meant to be read before the final Kate Daniels novel. I think it’s the third time I’ve listened to this novel and it still takes me over half the book to forgive him for what he’s done in the other series. He is one seriously bad dude.

JUST STARTED

After finishing Hugh’s novel I quickly start Magic Triumphs which wraps up the series. It is so good.

What books are you finding comfort reading this week?

Happy Monday!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Million Dollar Demon (the Hollows #15) by Kim Harrison

Cincinnati has a new master vampire and she has decided to take control of the city. She is forcing people out of their homes to make room for her crew causing chaos on the streets. She’s also hassling Rachel’s allies and has kicked Rachel out of her temporary home. She wants Rachel out of Cincinnati. Rachel and her pixie pal Jenks head back to the church, their wrecked out home and a slew of homeless inderlanders follow. Everyone expects Rachel to step up and solve the problem of this master vamp who is out of control and completely insane.

Fifteen books in and I am still riveted by Rachel’s episodic life. In Million Dollar Demon Rachel just wants to find a home to live in but everyone expects her to step up and solve one of the biggest problems to hit Cincinnati in years. Candace, the new master vampire leads by making her followers fear her. When Rachel finally meets her she realizes the horrors that await her city of someone doesn’t step up to control the situation. Unfortunately for her she is the one who has to step up. She is dating the Sa’han of the elves, runs a pack of werewolves with the alpha David, and is scion to one of the most powerful living vampires in Cincinnati. Because of these relationships and her status as a demon born witch who helped save the demon realm in a previous novel, Rachel is the go-to to fix this problem.

Rachel has evolved so much through this series. She was just a young witch in the first novel and even though she still seems to stumble into trouble without a scratch despite not wanting the attention her status has totally changed. The one thing that hasn’t is that somehow she still seems slightly unsure of herself yet bullsh(t$ her way through most problems. I like sassy female protagonists and there is no one mouthier than Rachel Morgan.

There wasn’t much I didn’t like about Million Dollar Demon’s plot. There was plenty of action, heroics, and edge of your seat awareness that things might just go wrong to keep me reading rapidly. When I was younger Rachel was one of my favorite characters and I still like her a lot. Every time I read one of these Hollows novels I’m transported to a familiar place and it’s a comfort. I can easily get wrapped up in a story and forget about the outside world. I just wish Rachel had learned some confidence. She’s great at faking it but she’s still the insecure young girl she was in the first book. Maybe that was the one thing keeping it from being a five star read. I want Rachel to finally stand up and say I am here and no one is going to do that in my city, and mean it!

If you like paranormal action books this series is a lot of fun. Start with book one because I think if you haven’t read the previous novels it would be really confusing to start with book fifteen. This is urban fantasy escapism and boy this one’s a wild ride.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

Click this link to purchase this book!* Million Dollar Demon (Hollows)

Copyright 2021 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads