Category: Check Content Warning/Triggers

Demons and Diplomacy by Megan Frampton

On By TracyIn Check Content Warning/Triggers, Contemporary in Period Dress, Historical Mystery, Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

Demons and Diplomacy (Ministry of Supernatural Affairs Book 1)Demons and Diplomacy by Megan Frampton

Tracy’s Rating: 2.5/3 of 5 stars

Series: Ministry of Supernatural Affairs, #1

Release Date: August 25, 2026

Cora Hastings serves as Britain’s Species Ombudsman in a Victorian London where supernatural beings have publicly joined society after the Great Revelation. Her role places her between humans and supernatural species, requiring diplomacy, order, and practical problem-solving. Marcellus, the Marquis of Hell, becomes central to her assignment when he arrives with his father, the Devil, and his characterization leans into charm, temptation, and demonic influence. The supporting characters, including Cora’s friends and the supernatural figures surrounding the diplomatic visit, mainly function around Cora’s work, the developing romance, and the broader political tensions of the setting.

Cora is assigned to escort and manage the Devil’s visit to London ahead of the Great Exhibition, a diplomatic responsibility that becomes more complicated once threats against supernatural beings begin to surface. As Cora and Marcellus work together, the story combines historical romance, paranormal politics, mystery, and fantasy elements. The central conflict involves maintaining peace between humans and supernatural society while uncovering a conspiracy connected to the exhibition and the Devil’s presence in London.

When I learned that Megan Frampton was trying her hand at Romantasy, I was all in, I have read all of her Historical Romances and love her writing style, so I was rather surprised to find that she had written this book in the first person and that it just didn’t flow as well as her previous books had. I thought the premise had a lot of promise, especially with its supernatural version of Victorian London and Cora’s role as a government liaison between species. The worldbuilding and political setup were interesting, but the romance developed too quickly for me and did not have enough emotional build-up to make the connection feel fully earned. Also, the first-person narrative made Cora’s thoughts around Marcellus feel repetitive and sometimes disconnected from the high-stakes situation around her. While I can see the appeal for readers who enjoy light historical paranormal romance with banter, this one did not work for me.

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

 

Blog Tour – World’s Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon by Olivia Dade

On By TracyIn Blog Tour, Check Content Warning/Triggers, Contemporary, New To Me Author, Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Rom Com, Romantasy, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

World's Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks DemonWorld’s Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon by Olivia Dade

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Supernatural Entanglements #2

Release Date: August 11, 2026

Middling oracle and cheese lover, Gwendolen “Gwen” Wexloff is preparing for her final evaluation by the oracle verification panel at the Delphi Academy when she meets Hugh Blacke, a demon who she thinks is a representative of the Supernatural & Enhanced Ruling Council (SERC) interviewing students. They chat for a few minutes, and she is incredibly attracted to him and thinks he might be attracted to her as well, but then she learns that he is actually one of the panelists. To say her evaluation went badly would be a massive understatement and her dreams of a better life for herself and her family are crushed. Now twenty years later, Gwen, who has been living in the Containment Zone, is single, pregnant, and has just battled a zombie breach and then had the most powerful vision she has ever had. From her vision she learns that there is a conspiracy to frame demons for the zombie breach and it will trigger a worldwide species war that will leave millions dead. She and her friends need to find someone powerful enough to help them prove the breach was meant to trigger the events that will lead to the war in Gwen’s vision, and she knows that there is only one person she can turn to, the man who witnessed her greatest humiliation and the man she hoped to never see again…Hugh Blacke.

Hugh Blacke is a powerful man, a lawyer and a councilor for SERC, he is known to be fair, law abiding and honest, so when Gwen shows up on his doorstep in the middle of the night, he agrees to hear her out and keep an open mind, despite the fact that her track record with him isn’t stellar. He has never forgotten Gwen and has even wondered about her over the years. He agrees to go to “The Zone” with her to examine the scene for himself, never expecting to get dragged into a fight for the future of the world! He is convinced that something shady is going on, but before he can leave, the authorities show up and he needs a good reason for being in “The Zone” in the middle of the night, so he pretends Gwen is his girlfriend and even fights one of her Troll friends to prove it. Now he and Gwen will have to figure out who is behind the plot and stop them before their evil plan can come to fruition and hopefully live long enough to explore the attraction that is clearly still brewing between them.

I really enjoyed this story, Gwen and Hugh are such likable and relatable characters that it is almost impossible not to root for them. This story is filled with emotion, found family, conspiracies, laugh out loud moments, betrayal, secrets, spicy love scenes, hope and finally an ending with a HEA! I do wish I had read the previous book in the series, but that is just because this one was so good that I feel like I missed out and not because I couldn’t follow this story. I have definitely added it to my TBR pile and am already looking forward to the next installment. Highly recommended.

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

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