Month: May 2022

Murder in Immunity by Anne Cleeland

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Contemporary, Mystery, Part of a SeriesLeave a comment

Murder in Immunity (Doyle & Acton, #15)Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Series: Doyle & Acton #15
Publication Date: 3/10/22
Period: Contemporary London
Number of Pages: 236

I’m not sure why I am addicted to this series, but I am. The male lead – Acton – is flawed (big time) and I honestly don’t care. The female lead (Doyle) is a bit over the top with the uneducated Irish vernacular – still, I honestly don’t care. The plots are convoluted and you really need to have read the whole series in order to understand what is going on – and yet I still don’t care. It just all works for me – all of it – from the fey, angelic Doyle, to the scheming Acton and all of the cohorts who support him. You’d think Acton would have learned by now – Doyle will always figure out what plot he has going and she’ll throw a wrench in the works – for his own good of course.

There is a LOT going on in this book, and I’m still not sure I followed all of it – at least not to the appropriate conclusion. We have murders being staged so that police would think they were open and shut cases – but they aren’t. We have Acton’s half-sister being deceived by a con artist even though Acton specifically warned her. We have those involved in the money-skimming plot from the last book trying to scramble and cover their rears. We have Acton and Savoie at odds with each other (aren’t they always?) Goodness – it keeps your head spinning and your fingers flippin’ pages so you can see what happens next. In the end, two people were supposed to die. One did die but the other was still alive and well when the book ended. The ending HINTED their impending demise – but – did it really happen? I guess we’ll learn in the next book.

If you love quirky characters, twisted mysteries, and an obsessive romance, this is the book and series for you. Frankly, I didn’t think I was the kind who would love those things in a book, but – I’ve found I LOVE them, but only in this series. It is really well written and well delivered. I hope you’ll give the series a try and that you’ll love it as much as I have. Remember though, if you start in the middle of the series, you’ll only end up confused and not liking it. Happy Reading!

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Bewitched by a Miss by Jane Charles

On By TracyIn Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Bewitched by a Miss (Magic and Mayhem Book 5)Bewitched by a Miss by Jane Charles

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Magic and Mayhem, #5

Release Date: May 31, 2022

Born into a magical family, Damon Norcott, the third son of the Marquess of Chandos never expected to be his father’s heir, but with the death of his older brothers, he is now Viscount Bentford and the guardian of his late brother’s three young daughters, all of whom will at some point inherit powers, as do all the women in his family, just as the men are tasked with protecting them. Ever cautious of their welfare, especially when their parents were murdered because his sister-in-law was a witch, Damon has sworn off marriage until the last of his nieces is grown and then he will find a nice witch and beget an heir. That was the plan until his eldest niece, Ianthe comes into her powers and his mother moves them all to Nightshade Manor in Bocka Morrow.

Miss Cordelia Vail, sister to the Viscount Lynwood, was born and raised in the magical town of Bocka Morrow and maybe the only resident that has never witnessed anything magical! Her older siblings all met their true loves with ghostly help and her younger sister swears she was saved from drowning by a merman and sees ghosts from Castle Keyvnor and even her younger brother Edward has seen pixies! But that doesn’t mean she has given up hope and when Edward convinces her to climb a tree and watch as their neighbors in Nightshade Manor arrive, she finally witnesses a magical moment! This leads her to meet Damon for the first time, which strikes her as odd since their sisters are good friends, as were their brothers and Cordelia has even met his mother several times in London. The attraction between them is instant and the friendship that grows is strong, but despite his feelings, Damon knows nothing can come of this since he is destined to marry a witch, so he tries to keep his feelings in check. But when Madam Boswell, foretells of darkness around him, he worries for his nieces and accepts Cordelia’s help as he isn’t familiar with the village and finds himself falling more in love with her every day and it seems like fate – but why would fate bring them together when they can never be?

This was a fun story and if like me, you are a fan of the Castle Keyvnor stories, you are going to be delighted to revisit Bocka Morrow! Cordelia and Damon are wonderful characters and the chemistry between them is apparent from their first encounter. The book is filled with magic, witches (good and bad), long-buried secrets, cryptic warnings, riddle-filled prophecies, mild love scenes (kissing only), and finally a HEA that hints at more magic to come! I really enjoyed reading this story and while I prefer a bit more heat in the books I read, I really didn’t miss the steam in this story. This is the fifth book in the series and it is loosely tied to the Castle Keyvnor books, but it is easily read as a standalone title. If you like a bit of paranormal in your historical romances, I highly recommend this series and this title especially.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*