Beautiful Nightmare (Scared Sexy #5) by Katee Robert

Beautiful Nightmare by Katee Robert

My Rating: ★★★★★

Gemma has never fit in with other demons. She even failed so badly in training that she was assigned to be a sleep paralysis demon because it’s the simplest job. Unfortunately for her, she’s more terrified of scaring people than she is at actually being even remotely frightening. It’s a good thing that Gemma’s accidentally found herself spicing things up with Caleb rather than scaring him… or is it?

Alright. I’m going to need Katee Robert to write more paranormal romance novels because this was such a cute and fun read. It was also a really interesting take on sleep paralysis demons. I enjoyed reading about the structure of demons and how getting "disappeared” is every demon’s worst fear.

I loved the characters, the world building, and the backstory. Now I need to finally start Katee’s vampire series because this was a huge hit and I need more paranormal stories from her! I wish this wasn’t a stand alone story because I liked it that much.

Space Vampire (Scared Sexy #4) by Ruby Dixon

Space Vampire by Ruby Dixon

My Rating: ★★★★★

Dana is an unhappy human pet of an alien scientist who is barely fed and forced to wear ugly ribbons and clap for the occasional treat. When the space station she’s living on gets abandoned, she accidentally gets left behind with the person everyone was escaping from: Vlad. Dana figures she should get her owner’s enemy on her side, but it turns out that Vlad is nice. He’s just an accidental alien vampire creation, and they need to get the hell off the space station before anyone returns and ruins their chance at freedom.

I’m a fan of Ruby Dixon, so of course I was excited to check out this novella. We follow Dana and Vlad as they work to get the abandoned escape shuttle going so they can escape before any of the scientists return. Along the way, they fall in love, pack up the abandoned escape pod with noodles, and get ready for their grand escape.

While it’s a short read, I loved every single moment. If someone told me I’d be all over an alien vampire romance novel last year, I would’ve just been confused. Now I’m hoping to get some paranormal alien novels from Ruby because phew. This was excellent! If you’re new to the alien romance scene, I urge you to pick this up.

Spicy Little Curses (Scared Sexy #3) by J.T. Geissinger

 

Spicy Little Curses by J.T. Geissinger

My Rating: ★★★★

Petra has never been someone who believed in the paranormal, which makes her current assignment even more fun for her to investigate. So what’s a no-nonsense journalist to do when faced with an old curse that has now marked her for dead? Well, she’s going to make that hot and irritating tattoo artist with the mysterious supernatural tattoos help her, that’s what!

I really enjoyed this novella! We follow Petra as she tries to figure out the truth behind Dax and his mysterious abilities along with his family’s curse. We also follow Dax as he tries everything in his power to keep Petra away only to discover she’s been marked for death without even falling in love with him! I enjoyed watching these two bicker their way through the entire story.

This was such a good story. There’s mystery, humor, and tragedy with an excellent fated lovers plot. I think the pet names were irritating and usually forced, but otherwise, I really enjoyed reading this. I’m excited to check out Geissinger’s other books because I was glued to the pages with this one.

Falling (Scared Sexy #2) by Christina Lauren

 

Falling by Christina Lauren

My Rating: ★

The second Cat’s boyfriend arrived wearing the wrong costume, she knew Halloween was going to be a total dud. Once he abandoned her with strangers at the party, she knew she had to get out of there ASAP. It’s only by chance that Cat realized that the party wasn’t a complete dud. Now she’s intrigued by the mysterious man lurking in the shadows because he’s clearly not human.

I was a bit excited to check this novella out, and the paranormal aspect was pretty compelling. I was a little confused about what Brigan was at first and initially thought he was a new take on vampires, but that’s okay. However, I think the details about the curse that left him a Fallen was lacking because the novella abruptly ended when things were just picking up. I actually had to double check to make sure I didn’t somehow jump straight past the last of the book.

That said, I didn’t particularly enjoy reading Cat’s perspective. She was too superficial for me, and that was especially apparent whenever she was narrating the story. Brigan was more interesting, but I was far more interested in the Fallen lore than I was in either character. The romance was lacking as well because Cat and Brigan had absolutely no chemistry, which is tragic given their past and what it takes to break the curse.

All in all, it was a fun read, but there was no chemistry and I didn’t particularly care for Cat. I think I’d like this a lot more if it didn’t abruptly end right when the story started to pick up. I wouldn’t even call the ending a cliffhanger because it was more like the rest of the chapters simply weren’t included. I’m honestly baffled by this decision because it’s left me feeling like I only read part of a story.

Hot for Slayer (Scared Sexy #1) by Ali Hazelwood

Hot for Slayer by Ali Hazelwood

My Rating: ★★★

What happens when a vampire slayer loses his memory after he saves the vampire he’s been hunting for centuries? Aethelthryth, aka Ethel, is about to find out because she’s got an amnesiac slayer on her hands. What’s even more confusing is why the hell did he save her when he’s worked so hard to kill her?! But 

I picked this up because this novella series seemed like a great way to check out some authors I haven’t read anything from yet. Amnesia has become one of my least favorite tropes over the last decade, so I rarely start a movie or book that has an amnesia plot. However, this time it was my own fault because I grabbed it and dove in without reading the synopsis. Oops!

That said, I liked this a lot. I had a love-hate relationship with it for a few, but Ali was hitting me with a lot of backstory and I was loving every second of it while waiting for the amnesia plot to get moving. The romance itself was pretty cute and wholesome in its own way, and this low on the spice front, so I’m going to remember it as being on the edge of wholesome in the long run. Plus, I really liked that Aethelthryth was not on board with starting a romance with someone who appeared to despise her up until he got amnesia.

All in all, this was a fun read. It’s cute, funny, and hits you with some good vampire-touched backstory. If you’re someone who enjoys amnesia plots, I think you’ll really like this. I ended up not hating the amnesia, so I think that anyone who enjoys amnesia plots is going to love it. I think that Ali could drop a full length novel with an amnesia plot and I would be on board with it, so take that as you will.

Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter, Vol. 4 by Reia; Hazuki Futaba

Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter, Vol. 4 by Reia; Hazuki Futaba

My Rating: ★★★★

Now that Iris and the duchy are back in the green, she’s ready to prepare for future disasters starting with preparing for potential floods. Unfortunately for her, the second prince’s camp is forging full speed ahead, especially once it looks like the king is not long in this world. Just when Iris thinks she’s prepared for anything, she receives a marriage proposal from an opposing kingdom and bad news comes her way…

I’ve been enjoying this series a lot, but I have been wondering if Iris was ever going to deal with the fact that she was reincarnated into a video game. I was glad to see she sort of deals with it this time around. It wasn’t anything deep, which I expected, but I’m glad it finally happened since it’s something I keep thinking about as I get deeper into the series.

A portion of this book was a little iffy because it focuses so much on Iris working and introducing new things to her duchy. The fact that every new thing she introduces goes super well is starting to get old, so I’m hoping to see at least one new system she brings forth get some pushback and/or just not go well in the future.

That said, there was a ton of character development for some characters and that was super exciting. It was also great to finally see the first and second prince’s factions finally fully face off. Plus, that cliffhanger was something else. I’d hate to see Iris of all people sit down and marry someone else instead of the person she’s in love with, but her reasons for being resigned to her fate also make complete sense. I guess we’ll see what happens! Hopefully, Dean will get it together and fight for her but we shall see.

Mushishi Collector's Edition 1 by Yuki Urushibara

Mushishi Collector's Edition 1 by Yuki Urushibara

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Kodansha Comics through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ginko is a traveling Mushishi who can never stay in one place too long because he’ll attract the very mushi he helps people deal with. The mushi exists somewhere between the living and the dead, and not everyone can see them, but he knows what to do once he’s looked into the situation. Along the way, he meets a variety of people he finds who are being affected by the mushi, including other Mushishis.

I’ve read Yuki Urushibara’s work before and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to get a chance to start this series. The story is absolutely wonderful. We follow Ginko on his adventures and see him helping several people, including those who don’t necessarily want his help. Along the way, we slowly begin to learn about Ginko and his life along with the characters he’s helping.

If you’re looking for a super mellow series, this might be up your alley. It’s a pretty slow burn, but we get a peek into the lives of those Ginko helps and get a little attached to some of them before it’s time for him to move on. The artwork is beautiful as well, so I really enjoyed going through the ups and downs with the characters. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store for Ginko along with what characters and different types of mushi we’ll see along the way.

Of Swamp & Sea, Vol. 2 by Mia Jay Boulton; Laurel Boulton

Of Swamp & Sea, Vol. 2 by Mia Jay Boulton; Laurel Boulton

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from 23rd St. through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After Mercy Gray Harding accidentally got possessed by the mist wolf that killed her father, things have gotten crazy. She has to leave home and never come back, and now that she has feelings for Jonah, she’s not entirely sure going back is something she wants to do. Together, they’re on a mission to get the wolf mist’s spirit out of her, but what if Mercy isn’t entirely sure that’s what she wants anymore? If only Jonah would stop insisting to lead a lonely life until the mystery behind his supernatural eye catches up to him…

I was so excited to start the second volume of this series. We’re back to following Mercy and her monster hunting friend, Jonah. This time around, we got some solid backstory on Jonah, which I was super interested in. Plus, it’s clear the two of them have feelings for each other, but Jonah is the stubborn party here. Though, I guess I don’t blame him once we learn about The Visitor and how he’s connected to it.

That said, we got to meet a new cast of characters and slowly set up the next volume in the process. I really enjoyed the group of traveling musicians they met. While I doubt we’ll see them again, it’ll be interesting to see if they pop up again, especially after the way things turned out. I also loved meeting Jonah’s old friend and getting confirmation on something I suspected might happen when I read the first volume.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and seeing the character growth that occurred. The artwork was stunning as always, and I really enjoyed the concept art at the end. I’m really enjoying this series, and now that it’s really picking up speed, I’m even more excited for the next volume than I predicted I’d be!

Murder on the Marlow Belle (The Marlow Murder Club #4) by Robert Thorogood

 

Murder on the Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood

My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from Poisoned Pen Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Judith was just minding her own business when Verity Beresford approached her about her missing husband, Oliver. Unfortunately, Oliver washed ashore shortly after, so of course Judith is on the hunt for the killer with her fellow crime busting friends. Along the way, Suzie claims there’s a prophecy about Judith, and Tanika may be out of a job if they get busted investigating. What will these friends do?

I enjoyed the first two books in the series, but the third installment was a total dud. However, I wanted to read this book because I was determined to give this series a chance because it wasn’t a series destroying book. If you were also disappointed in the third installment, I encourage you to pick this up because it’s back to being the same series we all know and love. I especially love that Suzie came in with a so-called prophecy after giving herself a Tarot reading, which was absolutely hilarious.

All in all, I found this to be a fun read. I enjoyed the murder mystery even though the real killer seemed somewhat random in the grand scheme of things. I enjoyed seeing Becks figuring out how to deal with not liking her daughter’s boyfriend. I grew to dislike Judith in the last book and now she’s back to being a character I enjoy. Lizzie Jenkins, the big actress who returned to Marlow, was an interesting character that I almost wish we saw more of. Plus, Judith met her match during the investigation, and that was extremely enjoyable to see play out. I’m excited to read the next book!

Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter, Vol. 3 by Reia; Hazuki Futaba

 

Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter, Vol. 3 by Reia; Hazuki Futaba

My Rating: ★★★★

Iris has come out on the other side of every threat to her wellbeing with the help of her family and those she trusts most. Now she faces a few new threats, and one of her closest friends and personal guards asks a question not even she expected. Is Iris truly ready to defend the duchy with everything she has? It’s something she has to think about while she faces the fact that she’s in love with Dean and that someone is plotting something right under her nose…

This time around, we see the aftermath of Iris overcoming being excommunicated. It’s open season on her, but between her own abilities and the people she trusts most at her back, she’s not one who will easily be taken down. This was a fun read, but I think my favorite parts ended up being when we see a different person’s perspective. I do think Dida’s perspective was ultimately lacking, but I still enjoyed seeing it.

Overall, this was a good read, but the ending rolled through so quickly that it was a little short on the details in some areas. I was hoping for more details there, but it is what it is. All in all, I’m excited to pick up the next book and see where we go next. We got a smidge past where the seventh volume of the manga adaptation left off, so I’m excited to see where Iris and company go next. I’m also hoping that we’ll start to rotate perspectives more often as well as seeing if there’s anyone else reincarnated into this world.