Tag Archives: urban fantasy

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Book Review: Accidental Magic, by Nicole Hall

It was chore day, and chore day means I need a new audiobook to get me through. I borrowed a copy of Accidental Magic, by Nicole Hall, from Hoopla.
accidental magic nicole hall

Magic is real, fairies are assholes, and everyone knew about it but me…

Sera Allen needs a change. The family house she inherits is the perfect place for a fresh start, except for the sexy neighbor she’d ditched years before and the surprise fairies living across the street. Before long, she’s neck-deep in magic, fae, and zombie bunnies, and her tenuous connection to her powers relies on the one man she wants to avoid.

Jake Thomas is happy in his mundane life. Magic is for other people. Until the girl who’d broken his heart moves back home and he finds himself drawn into the world of the fae. She needs his help, but can he trust her to stick around this time when things get rough?

With a dark force threatening the town, they’ll have to face their pasts and overcome their distrust to have any chance at a future. Together they can make magic, but will it be enough?

my review

This wasn’t bad, I just found myself unable to ever truly get invested in it. I thought the characters were kind of bland. The romance just picked up where it had left off years earlier, so there was nothing particularly tantalizing or titillating about it. The villains were always just off page, so I felt no threat from them, etc. The world isn’t elaborate or detailed.

Nothing was bad. The writing was fine. The narration by Chloe Ryan was fine. The editing (as far as one can tell in audio) seemed fine. I was never quite bored. But I also wasn’t overly interested. I wouldn’t warn anyone off the book, but I also don’t think I’ll read he next in the series.

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Other Reviews:

Modern Magic by Nicole Hall

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Book Review: Wolf Marked, by Alexis Calder

I purchased a copy Alexis’ Calder‘s Wolf Marked in order to read it as part of my Wolf Marked Reading Challenge. You see, three books titled Wolf Marked promoed on Sadie’s Spotlight within a very short time of one another. It amused me so much that I decided to read and review all three of them. Thus a mini reading challenge was born. This is the second Wolf Marked I’ve read. The first was by Veronica Douglas and the last will be Harper A. Brooks.

Knowing it ends on a cliffhanger, I considered holding off on reading this until I had book two in hand. I’ve agreed to read/review an ARC of Wolf Untamed, but it’s not available yet. But I also didn’t want to lose my Wolf Marked momentum. So, I went ahead and read it now. Wolf Marked

They tried to break me. Now I’m going to break them.

Cursed to never shift, the only thing I was looking forward to about the First Moon Ceremony was that the magic sealing me into Wolf Creek would break, and I could finally leave.

Instead, the ceremony reveals my true mate: Tyler Grant, future leader of my pack and the man responsible for my most recent concussion and black eye. He’s as brutal as he is handsome and fate is cruel to put us together.

There’s a rumor that a mating bond could break my curse and just as I’m getting my hopes up, Tyler destroys them all.

Instead of bonding with my mate, I’m beaten and left for dead.

A hot-as-sin feral shifter finds me and helps me back on my feet. But his help comes with a cost and I’m not sure I’m willing to pay the price.

With my former pack hunting me down, even an enemy might be a better ally than trying to stay alive on my own.

my review

I generally enjoyed this. Though the writing is good, I did find the beginning quite repetitive. Calder wants the reader to understand how abusive Tyler and his friends are, so we’re shown and told again and again. But once that tapers off the book smooths out significantly. The villains are a bit one-dimensionally evil, but it’s made up for with a feisty heroine and interesting side characters. The book does end abruptly at a high tension point, nothing at all is concluded here. But I went in knowing that, so I can’t really complain about it. I think I know how it’s all going to end (or at least what some of the big reveals will be). It’ll be interesting to see if I’m right. Either way I’m here for reading the future books and finding out.

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Other Reviews:

Wolf Marked:Moon Cursed 1 by Alexis Calder-Review & Giveaway Tour

Review: Wolf Marked ~ Alexis Calder

Don’t Judge Read – Review

 

 

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Book Review: Wolf Marked, by Veronica Douglas

Veronica DouglasWolf Marked was promoed on Sadie’s Spotlight. And when I received the book tour packet from Xpresso Tours, it included a free ecopy of the book. Though I didn’t agree to review it for the tour, I did decide to read it. It’s the first book titled Wolf Marked that I am reviewing for my mini Wolf Marked Reading Challenge. I’m reading three books with this same title.

wolf marked veronica douglas

Werewolves are hunting me.

I was just an ordinary girl waiting tables in a small-town bar. I had no idea magic was real. That was, until I backed my car over a werewolf a couple times.

In my defense, the wolf was trying to murder me, and I was all out of mace.

Now I’ve got a cult of rogue wolves on my heels, and the only one who can protect me is Jaxson Laurent—the leader of the Chicago pack.

He suspects I’m special and can’t take his eyes off me, but the problem is—he’s the sworn enemy of my family. Every time we get close it feels like something is going to rip out of my soul, but the heat between us is irresistible.

With danger around every corner and wolves howling in the night, I need to master my magic and stand my ground, or I’ll be dead before the next moon rises.

An action-packed urban fantasy, Wolf Marked features a kick-ass heroine, a dangerous hero, and a steamy slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance.

This story is set in the wider Dragon’s Gift universe created by Linsey Hall, and if you enjoyed the archaeology, history, and daring in her books, this adventure is for you!

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Review:
I largely enjoyed this, but thought it was a little unfocused; depending on the back and forwards between Sav and Jax to carry the tension. But I just felt a little whip-lashed between their supposed attraction and overt dislike of one another. I didn’t particularly feel their chemistry. But I liked them both. I liked how independent Sav was and how willing she was to go out on her own. And I liked that Jax was legitimately trying to protect his people and Sav, even if he wanted to strangle her too. I also thought Casey was hilarious and appreciated the abundance of strong female pack members, especially since jealousy over male attention wasn’t included as a plot device.

The book is set in a world created and opened by another author, Linsey Hall apparently. I suppose that makes this a spin-off of a sort and you feel it. Certainly, the death of Jax’s sister felt like it is the plot of another book somewhere. I don’t know if it is, mind you, but it feels like it is. The book is perfectly readable though, just kind of has that spin-off feel.

I found the villain easy to guess and the mystery around Sav is fairly obvious, even if we’re not technically told what it is here in this book. Plus, there’s some annoying repetition in the writing, All in all though, I had fun and will happily read another book in the Magic Side: Wolf Bound series.

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