Summer's Opus

Title: That Old Witch Magic — Book 2 of the Wicked in Moonhaven series Author: J. D. Winters and Dakota Kahn Genre: Adult Fantasy Rating: Five Stars! Haley Greco still doesn’t know much about her past, but she does know one thing: Bentley St. Ames isn’t guilty of murder. Sure he’s a vampire. Sure he was seen threatening the victim. Sure he broke out of jail. As far as Haley is concerned though, that’s all speculation, and even though Bentley doesn’t seem inclined to proclaim his innocence, she’s certain he is — even when evidence starts to mount against him. Still, Haley — in her classic stubborn form — is willing to confront a gremlin wrangler, evil hunters, her major crush Deputy Sheriff Shane, and her own sorceress grandmother to prove it. It’s all a bit adventurous and as always, the authors deliver a fun and cozy mystery chock-full of wit and humor. My only issue, which revolves around Haley’s incessant stubbornness and brattiness, is truly a non-issue because...

Title: Realms of Ghosts and Magic: Fae Witch Chronicles Book 2 Author: J. S. Malcom Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy Rating: Four Stars In Book 2 of the Fae Witch Chronicles, we jump in right where we left off — with Cassie trying to figure out how to save her recently abducted friend. To do that, she must enter Faerie, which is a risky endeavor to begin with, and an undoubtedly harder venture when she’s trying to free a changeling. That’s never been done before, but that’s exactly what has to happen if she plans on rescuing her best friend. So when she runs into Cade, a half-blood thief who offers to help, Cassie couldn’t be more relieved. As the two begin to dig deeper into the labyrinthine fae city kingdom, Cade schools Cassie on all things fae. Namely, how it came to be that just a few fae now control all of the magic in their realm and how several missing humans have been spotted around town. Unfortunately, her best friend isn’t one of them, but just as Cassie and Cad...

Title: Even Witches Get the Blues Authors: J. D. Winters and Dakota Kahn Genre: Adult Fantasy Rating: Five Stars! Haley Greco wakes up in a strange motel room with no memories of her prior life, and with only one very odd clue to help unlock her identity: the deed to a property in Moonhaven, California, where everyone seems to know her. Back for less than a day, she quickly discovers that most of her family is missing, she has a reputation for being a wild child, and her eccentric grandmother seems to know more about her amnesia than she’s willing to admit. Naturally, Haley’s already bad day only gets worse when she stumbles upon a crime scene and manages to land herself on the top of the suspect list. She’s apparently no stranger to dealing with the cops though, and she’s instantly drawn to Shane McAllister, a tall, dark, and handsome, deputy sheriff who knows a lot more about her than he should — and seemingly in all the right ways. Yet, with nothing but gut feelin...

Title: Scintillate Author: Karen Tjebben Genre: YA Paranormal Fiction Rating: Four Stars Kate Archer is instantly drawn to Nick, the new boy at school. He’s handsome, smart, and interested in her — perhaps a little too much, at least according to just about everyone in Kate’s life. Even her parents think he’s creepy, but Kate instantly falls in love with Nick after he rescues her from a random, mysterious attacker. Romance blossoms — in epic teen-puppy-love fashion — so despite all of the warnings from family and friends, and in spite of the nagging feelings of déjà vu that Kate experiences, Kate and Nick’s relationship continues to grow. All is gushingly perfect between the two until Kate accidentally eavesdrops on a conversation that changes her life forever. Nick, as it turns out, isn’t just the boy next door, and Kate is just beginning her transformation into something that is both fascinating and horrifying. On a personal note, this book reminded me that ther...