Tag: Paranormal Romance

My Monster Secret, Vol. 1

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My Monster Secret, Vol. 1 by Eiji Masuda
Series Name: My Monster Secret
Genres: Aliens, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Seven Seas
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-626922-38-9
Rating: 4.5/5
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Description from the Book

Everyone knows Asahi is the worst liar in school – he’s so painfully transparent that his childhood frenemy has developed gossip tabloids around his best kept secrets. When Asahi falls in love with the enigmatic Shiragami Youko from his class, he decides to confess to her before she, and everyone else, can read his feelings like an open book. There’s just one problem – Asahi stumbles upon her secret, and it’s a lot bigger than his! Youko is, in fact, a vampire, and if the school finds out, she’ll disappear from his life forever.

Personal & Info

I think it was sometime back in July that I added this to my list as a, “meh, this might be good,” option. It wasn’t on my immediate list of things to get or read, so I threw it on an ongoing wishlist for gift ideas. I got it this past Christmas and my expectations were mediocre. Due to a sudden change in my reading plans, I decided to read it sooner rather than later.

I’m glad I did, because I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. I wasn’t even in the mood for comedy when I read this, but it made me laugh anyway. In my opinion, that on its own says a lot about the quality.

This appears to be a twenty two volume series that finished in 2020. It’s never too late to get into a series, though.

Characters

Asahi Kuromine is the main character. As the description says, he is extremely transparent about everything. He can’t keep secrets or win at card games.

Youko Shiragami is the vampire love interest. She’s a bit oblivious, and not at all the quiet polite person people suspect her to be.

Oka, Sakura, and Shima are Asahi’s friends. I don’t think the book says what their full names are, so these might be their last names, or a mix of first and last. All that matters, is these are the names they go by.

Mikan Akemi is Asahi’s childhood “frenemy.” She’s a journalist for the school newspaper, and she doesn’t care if something SHOULD be written. If the article causes someone distress, she gets joy from publishing it.

Nagisa Aizawa is the class representative. Her speech habits are unusual and she is a stickler for rules.

Story & Thoughts

Going into this, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew it was supposed to be funny like a rom-com, but that still leaves room to guess. I had no idea where the premise would take the story, either.

As of the first chapter, I’m hooked. This book makes me laugh out loud while reading. The comedy holds up from start to finish. Even the bonus comics crack me up.

The main characters are amusing. I don’t care much for the three friends, yet. They seem like solid side characters, but not quite important as of yet. I don’t like Mikan. She contributes to the humor, but at the same time, I hate her as a person. She is cruel and enjoys the suffering of others.

The art is charming in a 90s nostalgia sort of way. It has the long faces, huge mouths, and big eyes, while also looking modern enough to clearly not be from that time period. Youko Shiragami looks a little different between the cover and what is actually inside the book sometimes. Her serious face almost makes her look like a different person.

This take on vampires is different than what I’m used to seeing. Shiragami has wings and she says vampires only drink blood romantically. She doesn’t die in the sun either. I wonder what other lore about vampires of this world we will learn as the series progresses.

I’m not entirely sure, but it seems like there might be some love triangle or harem vibes. Nagisa Aizawa’s actions make me suspect, but I don’t think it’s that kind of story. I’ll have to read more of it to be sure.

Rosario+Vampire, Vol. 4

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Rosario+Vampire, Vol. 4 by Akihisa Ikeda
Series Name: Rosario+Vampire
Genres: Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Harem, Monsters, Romance, Vampires, Witches
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Viz/Shonen Jump Advanced
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-4215-1906-7
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

All-around average student Tsukune can’t get accepted to any high school save one…but on his first day, he finds the rest of the student body doesn’t appear average in the least. Best of all, the cutest girl on campus can’t wait to fling her arms around his neck! Wait a sec’ – are those her teeth around his neck too…? Tsukune’s going to have one heck of a hickey when he gets home from Monster High! But does he have a chance in H-E-double-hockey-sticks of raising his grades at a school where the turf war isn’t between the jocks and the nerds but the vampires and the werewolves?

Personal & Info

Since I’ve already read a large chunk of the series before, and seen the anime, I’m giving the volumes I’ve already read a slight bump in rating to show how much I liked it my first time through. I don’t want my familiarity with the series to hurt the score. There is less thrill when you already know what happens, so I’m accounting for that. The bump is only about a half star.

I can’t remember for sure, but I think the anime is significantly less accurate by this point. I can’t say for sure which episodes start to stray, because it’s been a while, but I know for sure the anime introduces another character before the events of this volume. That character, in the manga, is introduced after these events.

Honestly, looking at a list of the episode descriptions, several things appear to be changed or out of order. I HIGHLY recommend just reading the manga. I will no longer be mentioning the anime after this review due to the massive amount of differences.

Characters

Tsukune Aono is your every day incredibly average underachiever human with no special skills.

Moka Akashiya is a beautiful vampire love interest.

Kurumu Kurono is beautiful love interest number two. She is the big booby lady.

Yukari Sendo is an eleven year old genius, and a witch.

Ruby is a new witch character, who may or may not be significant later.

Story & Thoughts

It’s the start of summer vacation at Yokai Academy. The gang goes to the human world for a club field trip to practice some investigative journalism. Gin stays behind to attend summer school, and Miss Nekonome is the chaperone, although she isn’t much of one.

The entire volume focuses on the trip and the events that occur. We get more insight into the rift between witches and humans. Of course, Yukari also experiences a little character growth, since the volume’s theme is witches.

This is the first time we get to see any combat involving Yukari. Her techniques seem simple, but effective. I would guess her cards probably have metal edges. If they don’t, then the force she manages to put into them is amazing.

Another witch by the name of Ruby appears in this volume. I can’t remember how significant she is in the manga later on, but I know the anime liked to throw her in frequently for cameos. She shows off some cool witch abilities we have not seen in the story until now.

This volume ends in a major cliff hanger just when things are getting super serious. I recommend having volume five ahead of time, so you don’t have to wait.

Notable Issues

In a panel that recaps what species everyone in the group is, Moka and Kurumu’s species are mislabelled as switched. I’m surprised this mistake made it through editing.

Rosario+Vampire, Vol. 3

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Rosario+Vampire, Vol. 3 by Akihisa Ikeda
Series Name: Rosario+Vampire
Genres: Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Harem, Monsters, Romance, Vampires, Witches
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Viz/Shonen Jump Advanced
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-4215-1905-0
Rating: 4.5/5
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Description from the Book

All-around average student Tsukune can’t get accepted to any high school save one…but on his first day, he finds the rest of the student body doesn’t appear average in the least. Best of all, the cutest girl on campus can’t wait to fling her arms around his neck! Wait a sec’ – are those her teeth around his neck too…? Tsukune’s going to have one heck of a hickey when he gets home from Monster High! But does he have a chance in H-E-double-hockey-sticks of raising his grades at a school where the turf war isn’t between the jocks and the nerds but the vampires and the werewolves?

Personal & Info

Since I’ve already read a large chunk of the series before, and seen the anime, I’m giving the volumes I’ve already read a slight bump in rating to show how much I liked it my first time through. I don’t want my familiarity with the series to hurt the score. There is less thrill when you already know what happens, so I’m accounting for that. The bump is only about a half star.

If you want to watch the anime, I can say from experience the first few episodes are fairly accurate. However, as the show goes on it becomes very much less so. The manga is way better. I highly recommend reading the series if you want the best experience. I can say this from experience even though I haven’t finished the manga before. The difference is that significant.

Characters

Tsukune Aono is your every day incredibly average underachiever human with no special skills.

Moka Akashiya is a beautiful vampire love interest.

Kurumu Kurono is beautiful love interest number two. She is the big booby lady.

Yukari Sendo is an eleven year old genius, and a witch.

Gin, also known as Ginei Morioka, is the editor of the school newspaper club.

Story & Thoughts

I remember being on the edge of my seat back when I first read this volume. This one picks up where volume two left off in dealing with the protection committee. The story ramps up in the first two chapters as the gang takes on Kuyo, the committee leader. Tensions run high, and we learn another vampire capability.

The second half of the book deals with the fallout of the battle. Tsukune is uncomfortable with what Moka did, and his grades are slipping. If he doesn’t pass his mid-terms, he’ll have to attend summer school.

Considering the school’s purpose is to help monsters learn to blend in with humans, and looking at all the stuff that happens at the school, I find it surprising the school board isn’t super strict about everything. It seems like people and faculty are breaking rules all the time and nobody cares. I doubt that teaches anyone how to blend in. Clearly the protection committee hasn’t been doing their job.

The four panel comics at the end of this volume function as a fun Q & A. They are not at all serious, and we don’t necessarily get any answers to all the questions. Ms. Nekonome doesn’t appear in this volume, so she takes over this bonus section.

Rosario+Vampire, Vol. 2

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Rosario+Vampire, Vol. 2 by Akihisa Ikeda
Series Name: Rosario+Vampire
Genres: Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Harem, Monsters, Romance, Vampires, Witches
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Viz/Shonen Jump Advanced
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-4215-1904-3
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

All-around average student Tsukune can’t get accepted to any high school save one…but on his first day, he finds the rest of the student body doesn’t appear average in the least. Best of all, the cutest girl on campus can’t wait to fling her arms around his neck! Wait a sec’ – are those her teeth around his neck too…? Tsukune’s going to have one heck of a hickey when he gets home from Monster High! But does he have a chance in H-E-double-hockey-sticks of raising his grades at a school where the turf war isn’t between the jocks and the nerds but the vampires and the werewolves?

Personal & Info

Since I’ve already read a large chunk of the series before, and seen the anime, I’m giving the volumes I’ve already read a slight bump in rating to show how much I liked it my first time through. I don’t want my familiarity with the series to hurt the score. There is less thrill when you already know what happens, so I’m accounting for that. The bump is only about a half star.

If you want to watch the anime, I can say from experience the first couple episodes are fairly accurate. However, as the show goes on it becomes very much less so. The manga is way better. I highly recommend reading the series if you want the best experience. I can say this from personal experience even though I haven’t finished the manga before. The difference is that significant.

Characters

Tsukune Aono is your every day incredibly average underachiever human with no special skills.

Moka Akashiya is a beautiful vampire love interest.

Kurumu Kurono is beautiful love interest number two. She is the big booby lady.

Yukari Sendo is introduced in this volume. She is an eleven year old genius.

Gin, also known as Ginei Morioka, is the editor of the school newspaper club.

Story & Thoughts

This volume is primarily monster of the week style. Only one significant main character is added in this volume. She’s not very likable at first, but that gets better.

I recall coming across some adult themes with gross behavior my first time reading the series. This volume has the first encounter with that kind of thing. In chapter three (Test 7: Deadline!), there’s a really slimy guy who doesn’t care about privacy, discomfort, or consent. This particular chapter might be triggering for some people who are more sensitive to this kind of content. I will say, nothing physically sexual happens. At most, there is a boob grab. Use your own discretion when determining if you can tolerate this content.

I like how this book has a chapter focusing on Kurumu. I think it’s important that Moka doesn’t always steal the show. Kurumu is also capable, and we get to see more of her abilities here.

The story also gets more serious in this volume. There are more continuous events between chapters instead of isolated encounters. The protection committee is their first real big bad type threat. The first conflict is resolved in one chapter as usual, but the overall problem will continue past this volume. It’s not just a one and done like everything else has been.

Rosario+Vampire, Vol. 1

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Rosario+Vampire, Vol. 1 by Akihisa Ikeda
Series Name: Rosario+Vampire
Genres: Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Harem, Monsters, Romance, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Viz/Shonen Jump Advanced
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-4215-1903-6
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

All-around average student Tsukune can’t get accepted to any high school save one…but on his first day, he finds the rest of the student body doesn’t appear average in the least. Best of all, the cutest girl on campus can’t wait to fling her arms around his neck! Wait a sec’ – are those her teeth around his neck too…? Tsukune’s going to have one heck of a hickey when he gets home from Monster High! But does he have a chance in H-E-double-hockey-sticks of raising his grades at a school where the turf war isn’t between the jocks and the nerds but the vampires and the werewolves?

Personal & Info

Initially, I came across this series back when I was in high school. Every time I went to Barnes & Noble, I would see a display of volumes from the series. I managed to read a large chunk before obtaining my own copies, which I used to continue reading the series. I dropped off reading manga for a while, though, so I never got to finish it. It wasn’t until earlier this year, I think, that I finally finished my collection, so I can go back and read it from start to finish.

I still like this book, but since I’ve already read it before, and seen the anime, I’m giving it a slight bump in rating to represent how much I liked it my first time through.

If you want to watch the anime, I can say from experience the first chunk is fairly accurate. However, as the show goes on it becomes very much less so. The manga is way better. I highly recommend reading the series if you want the best experience. I can say this from personal experience even though I haven’t finished the manga before. The difference is that significant.

Characters

Tsukune Aono is your every day incredibly average underachiever human with no special skills. He is the male lead in this harem story.

Moka Akashiya is a beautiful vampire love interest. Everyone thinks she’s the prettiest girl in school and they all hate Tsukune for being around her.

Kurumu Kurono is beautiful love interest number two. I’ll let the book tell you her species. She is the big booby lady.

Ginei Morioka, or Gin, is the head of the school club our main characters join. He is a pervert.

Ms. Shizuka Nekonome is Tsukune’s homeroom teacher. She is very obviously a cat, and looks like the sexy librarian type.

Story & Thoughts

As the first volume, the focus is introducing the main cast and getting to know them a little. This book has four chapters, and introduces three significant characters. The chapter that does not introduce anyone important instead teaches us a little more about vampires.

There’s also a monster of the week element to the story. Each chapter seems to have an encounter with a different monster, usually resulting in some sort of beat down resolution. There are also “Bite-Size Monster Encyclopedia” informational boxes for most of the monsters once they’ve been unmasked. Unmasking in this case meaning shedding their human disguise.

The ecchi part of the series generally starts in chapter two. That’s when it starts to emphasize things like big boobs, swimwear, panties, etc. However, it’s a little funny that Moka’s combat scenes are always conveniently censored with shadows or something in the foreground to block it. At least it looks natural, unlike the blatant censor they use in the anime.

Art style is always a memorable thing when it comes to manga. Each artist has their own style, and while some are similar, they all have their own identifiable features. I love the art style for this series. It has its own charm that stands out to me.

There are some silly four panel comics at the end. I love when manga have those. My favorite one in this volume is Kurumu with the cookies.

Notable Issues

Some of the translation choices are interesting. I’m not sure if I noticed with my first read way back when, but most of the effect text uses odd spellings. For example, skweez and krash come up a lot instead of the regular spellings. I have no idea why this is a thing.

I don’t remember where, but in one of the scenes where Moka changes, someone said her hair turns from brown to silver. That must be a mistake or typo, because I’ve never seen her usual hair color be anything except pink. I don’t think pink can be considered any shade of brown. They aren’t anywhere near similar in color.

My Happy Marriage, Vol. 1

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My Happy Marriage, Vol. 1 by Akumi Agitogi, Rito Kohsaka, Tsukiho Tsukioka
Series Name: My Happy Marriage (Manga)
Genres: Fantasy, Historical, Romance 
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Square Enix
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64609-146-1
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

All She wanted was a bit of happiness…

Considered night worthless for having failed to inherit the superhuman powers of the bloodlines into which she was born, Miyo Saimori lives her days unwanted and unloved.

Her stepmother and very own father have little time or affection for her, and Miyo must suffer being treated as a servant by her half sister who, unlike Miyo, is blessed with the unusual powers of their blood.

Ultimately seen as nothing more than a nuisance and a drain on the family wealth, Miyo is packed off to the Kudo house as a bridal candidate for its heir, Kiyoka Kudo.

Whispers abound about the Kudo clan, the most powerful in all the land, but will the allegedly cold and cruel ouse into which Miyo aims to marry prove much warmer than the family she left behind?

Personal & Info

This is a fairly new release. It came out the same day as The Apothecary Diaries volume 6. I’ve seen it around a bit since the release, so when I saw it at my local bookstore, I decided to look into it.

This is apparently the manga version of the series, because there is also a light novel series. However, they are both extremely new to the English translation right now, so I don’t think it matters which one I start first. I think the light novel has a little more out than the manga does, but the manga was right there, so I wouldn’t have to order it.

Characters

Miyo Saimori is the main character. She experiences abuse from her own family, and is sent to court a man everyone considers cruel. Nobody expects her to stay long.

Kiyoka Kudo is the love interest of the story. Everyone thinks he is too cruel for anyone to marry, but he has high political standing and wealth, so many families try to arrange a marriage anyway. Most end in failure within a three day time period.

Yurie is Kiyoka’s housekeeper. She has taken care of him since he was young, and he trusts her implicitly. She is a very kind older woman.

Kanoko is Miyo’s step mother. She is a mean woman who resents Miyo. Her name does not come up in the volume, as far as I can remember, but it does in the short story at the end of the book.

Kaya is Miyo’s younger half sister. She receives everything Miyo does not.

Koji Tatsuishi is Miyo’s childhood friend, and the only person who is ever kind to her while she lives at home.

Shinichi Saimori is Miyo’s father. He cares not a whit for Miyo.

Sumi Usuba is Miyo’s mother. With this being a Cinderella inspired story, she is not around. We only see her in flashbacks.

Story & Thoughts

Halfway through the first chapter and this story already pulls on my heart strings. I was not expecting this to be this good. The cover doesn’t stand out to me, and the synopsis sounds mediocre, but dang. I’m going to have to keep reading the series.

The tone of the story comes off as rather serious. Miyo is a woman with a broken spirit. She’s sent to the Kudo household fully expecting to either be sent away or die there. She doesn’t even care which result occurs because either of them would be preferable to going back home, which she can’t do anyway.

There is some intrigue going on in the background, because it turns out the paranormal ability from the Usuba bloodline is special. There are people who want it. Even if Miyo herself does not have it, there’s still a good chance it could pass to her children. You know, because that’s how genetics work.

I don’t want to say too much, because I don’t want to detract from the experience of reading the book yourself. Just know that I am very interested in seeing where the story goes from here. I want to know what becomes of Miyo’s life under Kudo’s roof.

Combs and Memories

This is a short story in the back of the book. It’s about seven pages long. Miyo reminisces about a servant’s kindness regarding a comb. This is a novel style story, and if the light novel is anything like this, I’ll probably like that, too. I will likely get that version of this series eventually.

His Majesty the Demon King’s Housekeeper, Vol. 1

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His Majesty the Demon King’s Housekeeper, Vol. 1 by Saiko Wadori, Mika Kajiyama
Series Name: His Majesty the Demon King’s Housekeeper
Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Isekai, Romance 
Intended Age Group: 13+
Publisher: Seven Seas
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-63858-407-0
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

For Takatsuki Sakura, a trip to the library turns into a fantastical journey. She has been swept away to a grandiose castle ruled by a gorgeous demon king. Magic and wonder covers every room. Taking it in, Sakura can hardly breathe…because of all the dust and dirt. A curse has prevented this kingdom from cleaning. Only Sakura and her housekeeping knowhow can scrub away this dark magic and grime!

Personal & Info

Not going to lie, I grabbed this because the cover looks nice and the description mentions the word library.

Housekeepers and maids are always popular in manga. I don’t think I’ve actually tried any series with them in the title, though. I did see a couple episodes of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, and I like that. I’ll probably try reading or watching more of that eventually. Anyway, my point is, this is my first real try(maybe specifically with manga) at anything with maid or housekeeper in the title.

Characters

Sakura, is the main character. She’s an enthusiastic neat freak, because her mother traumatized her as a child.

His Majesty the Demon King, I don’t believe we get a name in this volume. We’re going to have to wait and see about that. He’s so pretty.

Milia is a cat demon with shapeshifting abilities. She’s the girl with purple hair on the cover.

Lehaye is the chamberlain to the King. He takes advantage of any profitable opportunity.

Sadeen is His Majesty’s personal guard. He’s mostly good at doing strong man things.

Ruval is a minstrel, and self-invited guest in the palace.

Story & Thoughts

Isekai are a dime a dozen these days, so I’m always a little wary when trying them. This one is surprisingly good. I give it a three and a half out of five. Three and a half usually means above average enough that it stands out to me and I want to continue the series. It seems like it can only get better from here. Several plot hooks are thrown in toward the end of the volume.

The kingdom this takes place in is heavily reliant on magic. Nobody knows how to do anything without it. This is why Sakura is their only hope for cleanliness.

This series is interesting because it has cleaning tutorials thrown in. Legit tutorials, like using salt to clean iron, and the use of baking soda as a cleaning agent. It even talks about alkaline solutions. You could probably legitimately learn some cleaning tips from reading this.

The King is not exactly what one would expect in a standard isekai. He’s literally just living in luxury, and has no plans to cause any chaos. There’s no evil army for a hero to fight against. He’s not even a villain. I think the atypical cast adds to the charm of the story. The whole thing is unexpectedly wholesome.

The afterward describes the series as a rom-com, and I do agree with that. There are funny moments scattered around, and the story doesn’t seem super serious. Nothing blatantly romantic happens in this volume, but there are definitely hints of romance to come. I’m interested in seeing what happens.

Lover at Last (Black Dagger Brotherhood #11)

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Lover at Last by J.R. Ward
Series Name: Black Dagger Brotherhood
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Berkley/Penguin
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-451-41880-7
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Qhuinn, son of no one, is used to being on his own. Disavowed from his bloodline, shunned by the aristocracy, he has found and identity as a brutal fighter in the war against the Lessening Society. But his life is not complete. Even as the prospect of having a family of his own seems within reach, he is empty on the inside, his heart given to another…

Blay, after years of unrequited love, has moved on from his feelings for Qhuinn. And it’s about time: It seems Qhuinn has found his perfect match in a Chosen female, and they are going to have a young. It’s hard for Blay to see the new couple together, but building your life around a pipe dream is just a heartbreak waiting to happen. And Qhuinn needs to come to terms with some dark things before he can move forward….

Fate seems to have taken these vampire soldiers in different directions, but as the battle over the race’s throne intensifies, and new players on the scene in Caldwell create mortal danger for the Brotherhood, Qhuinn learns the true meaning of courage, and two hearts meant to be together finally become one.

Personal & Info

As with Lover Mine, this is a volume I was looking forward to reading. Lover mine was a smidge disappointing though, definitely not as good as I thought it would be. I think Qhuinn’s book is done better. Both have long buildups over several volumes, but I just think this one is all around better in comparison.

I have to give props for putting an M-M story in the middle of an M-F erotic romance series. And not pulling any punches at that. No scenes have any censoring in comparison to the content we see in all the other volumes. I imagine this volume might make some angry if they are not expecting it, or have an extreme disinterest in M-M romance.

Regarding crossover parts with the BDB and Fallen Angels series, there is a mention in this volume. Back in a different book, when Assail makes his first appearance, the description of his home gives pause to wonder, but it is confirmed now. He lives in the house Vin DiPietro builds in volume one, Covet. He gets a mention in this book.

Characters

Qhuinn is essentially the main character for this volume.

Blay is important, because this is his and Qhuinn’s book, but he doesn’t get nearly as much screen time.

Layla gets a lot of attention, because of her arrangement with Qhuinn.

As minor characters for the volume, there are Tez and Assail. I don’t really care about the parts pertaining to Tez. I’m sure that will amount to something later, but in this book, all I care about is the romance. I don’t care about the Assail parts, either, at least not until the later parts. They seem irrelevant early on, and get more interesting toward the end.

Story & Thoughts

Upon finishing Lover Reborn, Qhuinn seems to have a strong resolve to make a move with Blay. That got me excited to read this volume. Fast forward to starting the book, and I find it surprising Qhuinn seems to have lost that motivation, and is instead rather unchanged from the previous book. This, I think, throws off the pacing.

I also think that Blay, as the love interest, has less screen time than the love interests usually get in the series. Things focus primarily on Qhuinn, and what goes on in his mind, and his life. He’s the one experiencing all the big changes, good and bad.

I both love and hate this volume, though. So many of the problems between Qhuinn and Blay could be easily resolved if they would just talk to each other honestly. Blay makes so many assumptions about Qhuinn’s life and doesn’t believe him when he tells the truth. And Blay chooses to live behind a lie of omission, which just makes things harder for Qhuinn, because he’s trying to respect something that doesn’t exist. So frustrating, but dang this is a good volume.

Aside from the primary couple of the book, I’m constantly drawn to the Layla x Xcor parts of the story. It’s like a variation of Romeo and Juliet, minus the suicide. I’m curious to see what happens. If they’ll ever be together, or if their relationship will end in tragedy. It’s already pretty tragic. They are unlucky to be drawn to each other.

Notable Issues

Why does Payne have to “recharge” but V doesn’t?

When Blay needs to feed, I swear his conversation with Qhuinn says he will do it alone, but when it actually happens Qhuinn goes with anyway. Did I misinterpret? Is this a mistake? Blay acts like he agreed to share all along, but that isn’t the context I see in that section.

Trigger Warnings

I’m just keeping a running list of trigger warnings that have been in the series so far, from what I can remember. If you’re reading the series, or considering reading the series, and you have sensitivities, you might want to know these. The list so far: abuse, attempted rape, drugs, kidnapping, sexual themes, rape, and violence.

Calluna (Spell Library #4)

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Calluna by Jewels Arthur
Series Name: Spell Library
Genres: Angels, Contemporary, Elves, Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Reverse Harem, Romance, Shifters
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Independent
Edition: Kindle
ASIN: B086GFHRZJ
Rating: 3/5
Amazon

Description

Calluna doesn’t buy into all the love junk she sees all over town. She’d rather spend her time working at her pet store Beastie Besties, where she’s recently been curing a slew of cursed animals. She’s determined to find the culprit and put a stop to the curses. Her goals do not change when she suddenly finds herself with multiple fated mates, and dark secrets come to light.

Personal & Info

I’m going to be honest. I don’t remember some of the serious story parts. However, I do remember most of the romance, which I think is the most important part of each book in this series. It’s been about a year since I read this, and this was the last one I read. So if I read more and review them, it’ll be from here on out.

Characters

Calluna is the main character. She’s something called a changeling. I’m not completely clear on all the lore for that, but I think in this case it means she was swapped with another baby.

Lars is Calluna’s friend, whom works with her at her pet store, where they treat cursed animals.

Landyn, I think he’s a griffin, and he works at a night club or bar, if I remember correctly.

Rhett and Damian, they are themselves a couple. Rhett is a fennec fox shifter, and Damian is a meerkat shifter.

Elias, I believe he is an angel.

Story & Thoughts

As usual for this series, I like the characters. They are always well defined and full of personality.

There are more lore dumps in this volume for how the world works. Rules about magic, some species laws, stuff like that. It makes the series feel more fleshed out. I love that stuff.

The writing style is a little different than previous volumes. This one rotates through all of Calluna’s mates at least once to help flesh things out. It gives a better idea of how the mate bond feels to each of them, and what their lives are like behind the scenes. It works well with the lore dumps to make them feel more natural.

At this point, four books into the series, I think it’s safe to say you never really know what you’re getting into. Violet and Lupine seem tame, and Juniper and Calluna are very sexual. Be ready for either possibility when digging into this series.

This one is a step up from Lupine, but not as good as Violet or Juniper.

I’m a little confused why Vampires are out and about during the day with nothing to say they were using any sort of covering like Bert does, which is specifically mentioned in the first book. There are two instances in here where different vampires are visiting somewhere outside their home in what appeared to be daylight hours, but nothing is specified about window coverings or what they are wearing to protect them from the sun. It seems odd.

I’m sad they never the epilogue never says what the men get for their tattoos, only Calluna.

Lupine (Spell Library #3)

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Lupine by Hanleigh Bradley
Series Name: Spell Library
Genres: Angels, Contemporary, Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Reverse Harem, Romance, Shifters, Wolves
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Independent
Edition: Kindle
ASIN:  B086BKF1ZN
Rating: 2.5/5
Amazon

Description

Lupine, a wolf shifter, and an orphan herself, runs the Silver Springs Orphanage. She’s never felt like she truly belonged. Always overworked and stressed, she’s always busy taking care of the twenty unique children of the orphanage. None of them are human.

When the mafia comes to town and moves in across the street, will Lupine find a home and connection with the wolves?

Personal & Info

First of all, there is a disclaimer at the start of the book saying the author usually writes in British English, but is writing in US English for this particular series, and it asks readers to be patient with the occasional British slip. That’s all fine and good. I don’t mind that. However, with this knowledge, I became aware of how many slips there were. There were a lot. I think this book needed someone with US English as their first language to proof it. It would have been fine on its own, but as part of a series, it felt jarring.

I don’t have good notes for this one, so I’m not sure I’ll have much to say. I’ll do my best anyway.

Characters

Lupine, the main character, is a wolf shifter in charge of running the Silver Springs orphanage. I think she has one employee/helper, but I can’t remember their name. I don’t think they are important for the purposes of the review.

Wren, Rehan, Camden, and Kalen are all the love interests. They are wolf shifter mafia dudes who move in across the street.

Story & Thoughts

I like the story and the characters.

I don’t think this is good as Juniper or Violet. It doesn’t seem like there is much actually going on. The problems in the other books come across as more dire. This one is more slice of life with minor inconvenience.

The confrontation toward the end is resolved quickly. It’s obvious there is more to Lupine’s story, because the main issue isn’t even addressed in this book. It doesn’t occur here, which makes the story feel lacking. To try explaining it better, I feel like finishing this one only feels like reading half a book. I believe there’s another Lupine book in this series later on that deals with the part that isn’t addressed in this one.

I’m actually surprised about the love interests. When I hear mafia, I don’t think of guys like these. They seem more like yakuza than mafia. Is there a difference? I think there’s a difference.

I find it amusing all five of them piled into Lupine’s bed. I’m not sure how comfortable that would be, but I bet it’s cramped. It just goes to show how close wolves like to be to their mates.