Pawsitively Betrayed by Melissa Erin Jackson

And here we are with the great finale to a pawsitively magical and mysterious series. I was so excited for this last book and it was definitely as intense and exciting as I had hoped it would be.

It has been amazing to watch Amber grow as a character throughout this series. She went from being someone who kept to herself, a reclusive cat lady, to someone who had a lot of strong friendships. I was a little sad that we didn’t get to see as much of Chief Brown as we have in the other books. Amber’s friendship with him was one of my favourites of the series. However, we did get to see lots of Edgar. Poor guy! I’m so glad things started working out for him (sorry, I can’t say more without giving anything away). Also, to be honest (and I think this was my least favourite thing about this book and maybe the whole series), I was not a fan of Jack. Sure, he was sweet and caring but felt a little useless (sorry!). I was really hoping that he would step up in this book and take a more leading role in the action, but he seemed to stay more as a side character.

The plot was quite fast-paced and I often found myself trying to figure out what was going to happen and who Amber could trust. I mean, the book is called “Pawsitively Betrayed” so a part of me was expecting one of Amber’s closer acquaintances to suddenly reveal themselves to be with the Penhallows. As result, I felt a lot like Amber: always being wary of people and wondering how in the world the Penhallows could be stopped. I would say this is a spot of good writing on Jackson’s part.

And, of course, I must mention the ending. It was really nice. Amber finally got some peace, was able to open the Quirky Whisker again, and reunited with some people she thought she would never see again. Overall, it was a lovely ending to this series.

If you haven’t read the Witch of Edgehill this series and enjoy cozy mysteries, I absolutely recommend that you do!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

Until next time! Keep your eyes open for my review of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, it will be coming soon.

RoseBlood by A.G. Howard

Let’s begin with something positive, shall we? I simply adore the Phantom of the Opera. Yes, I will be the first to admit that the story is a little strange with the Phantom’s insane obsession over Christine. But the music is absolutely divine! So needless to say, I was intrigued by the promise of a book based on the famous story. 

Firstly, I was not expecting it to involve vampires. Perhaps if I had dome some more thorough research, I would have discovered this before, but I didn’t, it came as a surprise when it was first stated. 

Second, let’s talk about our main character Rune. While I thought her twisted talent was interesting and could lead the story down various roads, I cannot say Rune was the most intelligent protagonist. Who lets themselves be blindfolded and escorted in a hearse to some off the charts club? Even if she was desperate for answers, this felt a little extreme. 

Thirdly, there was simply way too much explaining at the beginning. The first two chapters are spent with Rune in the limo and the reader primarily gets her thoughts the whole time. I felt like I was plowing through the words rather than being transported by them. 

But I’ve gone on long enough, I will leave it at this. Unfortunately, I do not recommend this book.

Goodbye for now!

Pawsitively Secretive (Witch of Edgehill #3) by Melissa Erin Jackson

 

Once again, Melissa Erin Jackson hit the mark! Pawsitively Secretive was a fun and suspenseful read. The entire atmosphere of Edgehill is charming and totally makes me want to live there! A town obsessed with cats?!? Yes, please!

One of my favourite things about this book was the relationships. First off, Chief Brown and Amber were hilarious and adorable. Part of me wishes that he was single so Amber and him could end up together. I think he is absolutely fabulous! But at the same time, I love their friend relationship and that it isn’t complicated by a romance. I really enjoyed the development of Edgar and Amber’s relationship. He may be grumpy, but he is super duper sweet and I kinda like him (despite his strange pizza toppings). And lastly, Kim really came through in this book. She’s a little crazy and talks a lot, but somehow I love her. Also, I’m so glad Amber has a good friend she can rely on. 

One thing I found, though, was that the pacing was a touch slow. There was this push and pull between the mystery and planning for the Hair Ball and sometimes the planning was a little heavy. Plus, there was a ton of description. It was nice to see the world come alive, but at the same time it slowed things down. 

This was mostly a clean read. There is some mild language, but nothing terrible. 

Lastly, can we talk about the ending!?! Oh my goodness! Like what just happened? Near the end of the book, I started wondering if Alan the PI would end up becoming a love interest, but then that twist at the end and now I have no idea what to think! I thought THAT was over. Anyway, now I cannot wait for book 4! Just three months! Just three months before it comes out. I think I can wait that long….   

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC.

If you have been wondering whether or not you should read this series. You definitely should!

Plus, book #1 only has 97 reviews on Goodreads! It deserves more.

 

Pawsitively Poisonous by Melissa Erin Jackson

This was a thrilling, enjoyable, and magical read!

Instantly, the title and cover captured my attention. It came across as quirky and unique and lately, I’ve been craving a fun, well-written book. Pawsitively Poisonous did the trick. Well, except that now I want a second book! Hopefully, it’s in the works!

Amber was a quiet, sweet, and mature individual with a huge heart. It was refreshing to have a main character who wasn’t a teenager and had already put down her roots. Another aspect that was different, was that there was no love interest. It seems like every book these days has to have at least some level of romance, so it was nice to have a break from that.  

The writing was lovely but simple and the voice that Jackson used fit the story perfectly. I also need to mention the setting… Edgehill: A town obsessed with cats. Loved it! ❤ ❤ All the little shops (Quirky Whisker, Purrcolate) were adorable, as well as the cast festival (Here and Meow Cat Festival).

Lastly, this was mostly a clean read. There were no sex scenes, but the mystery did sort of revolve around infidelity and there was some minor language.

This was a great read, though, and if you’re looking for a paranormal cozy mystery, this is the book for you.

“A deep-green tie lying across the cement walkway that led to the porch’s steps, looking more like a slithering snake than a discarded accessory.”  

“It wasn’t depressing, per se, but cheery didn’t come to mind either.”

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

 

The Legend of the Blue Eyes by B. Kristin McMichael

It’s hard to know what you’re getting yourself into with Amazon freebies and I picked this one up quite a while ago. So when I started, I thought, “Oh boy, I forgot that this was about vampires.” I’m not a fan of vampire books, but I had committed to so I thought I’d give it a try.

This could have been an interesting concept, however, it was not executed well.

I liked Arianna to begin with – she was sweet and innocent. Yet, there was not a lot of growth. Most of the time, she just went along with what everyone.

“It’s time to sleep.”

“Okay.”

It’s time to eat.”

“Okay. After all, he knows best.”

Maybe he does know best and it was okay at first, but I started to wonder if she ever thought for herself. She did somewhat redeem herself, though,  when she helped to heal the injured people. The other characters were rather bland…and those boys. (Oh boy here I go). First off, Devin was a creep! He seems to pick her up and carry her all the time! (She has two feet and a heartbeat) Also, he knows he favourite bra?!? (Gag!) Is that supposed to be romantic?? Because I find that rather disturbing. In fact, all three boys have a super unhealthy obsession with Arianna. They saw her when she was a child and instantly fell in love. Unrealistic and weird? Or is that just me? Also, about her aunt and uncle… I think her relationship with them added a lovely familial flare. But she believed that they were married? I’m not sure how that worked. Either they showed affection for each other and that would be weird because they’re siblings or they never showed affection, in which case, wouldn’t Arianna wonder about that?

Anyways… the writing was okay. There were some grammar mistakes and typos and the writing wasn’t really creative. The plot was a little slow. I kept waiting for things to develop and for the intrigue and adventure to really kick in, but it didn’t happen.

I hate having to say this… But I really don’t recommend this one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Werewolves and my WIP

Werewolves did you say werewolves?

Some of you might know that I’ve been working on my second novel and at draft #3, I thought it was time to push it out into the big wide world. It is a bit different than my first novel – it’s a bit darker I think. And this kind of scares me. What if people hate it? But isn’t this something every writer deals with each time they publish a book? I suppose it is; although, after the first novel there are expectations. Don’t you think?

So anyways, my book is about werewolves. Werewolves?!? You might ask, rather alarmed. Yes, werewolves. I understand your surprise because often when people say “werewolf novel,” you think erotica or horror. (I cringe then gag even as the thought passes my mind) But why does it have to be like that? It doesn’t. I took the idea of shapeshifters, people who transform into wolves, and wove a clean story around it. There are two things I hold to in all of my writing: NO profanity and NO sex. Further, yes, they are werewolves, but they are humans too, and are even believers in God. (although religion does not take foreground.)

But you are probably growing impatient with my ramblings so I will introduce you to my latest project.

* * * * *

Two years ago, Sara Black was nearly killed by her own kind. Werewolves. As an omega, she doesn’t fit into the hierarchy of a pack and if they can’t control her, then they want her dead.   

Sara thinks she is safe in the quiet town of Maybourne, until a hiker claims he was attacked by a wolf. The human authorities write it off as a coyote, but the victim’s description doesn’t match. That’s when werewolf Kieran Warrick shows up in town to investigate. He’s powerful and this makes dangerous. But for some reason, Sara can’t convince herself to leave. Maybe his bizarre claim is true. If it is, that means they are mates and belong together. Forever.    

While they fight and struggle to build love and trust, the wolf attacks continue. But the only wolves Kieran can find are wild ones. Is this just ploy or are there really more werewolves in Maybourne?

* * * * *
Keep your eyes open for the cover reveal!

Does this intrigue you? Do you have any questions about it? Anything at all? Then pop by the Contact page and send me a note. I’d love to hear from you!

Also, I will be looking for beta readers and reviewers. What is a beta reader? I’m so glad you asked! Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_reader) does a fine job of answering this: A beta reader is a test reader of an unreleased work of literature or other writing who gives feedback from the point of view of an average reader to the author.

If you are interested in beta reading or reviewing an ARC, please send me a note.

 

Have a lovely weekend!

E.J. Hill

Fledgling by Natasha S. Brown

Fledgling was an enjoyable read. I liked Brown’s take on the shapeshifting world. Wait a minute. Shapeshifting world, you mean werewolves? No, not werewolves and that’s exactly why I liked her story: it was not what I was expecting.

The main character, Ana, was sweet and brave despite the difficult situation she was dealing with. Brown did a wonderful job making Ana’s feelings about her health realistic. The protagonist, like any other teenager, wanted to be normal and to fit in with the other students. Chase, on the other hand, was okay. I didn’t find that there was tons of depth in his character. And the relationship… It started way, way too fast. It felt like in a week they were dating. Yeah, it happens sometimes, but for me, it would have been a little more realistic if the beginning stages were drawn out a bit longer.

As far as the writing goes… The way Brown described the settings was beautiful and detailed (although not overwhelmingly so) and made me feel as if I was in that place. I did find, though, that the first two chapters were written very neatly and elegantly, but that this articulation was lost a little in the remainder of the book.     

Another thing I enjoyed, was that it was a clean read. There wasn’t any swearing and although there were a few kisses, the couple didn’t sleep together.

Lastly, and this is a rather large elephant in the room. Ready? Maybe you want to cover your ears. Twilight. I’m not going to hate on the author about this because she did have some really cool original ideas. However, I was reminded often of Twilight. And I will leave it at that.

Altogether, this was a nice read and I recommend it to those who like ya paranormal romance.