Not Your Ex's Hexes: Supernatural Singles #2 by April Asher

(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book: (summary from Goodreads)

In April Asher’s next Supernatural Singles novel, Not Your Ex's Hexes, a one-night-stand between a willful witch and a broody half-demon conjures an adventure that wouldn’t be complete without several magical mishaps.

For her entire life, Rose Maxwell trained to become the next Prima on the Supernatural Council. Now that she’s stepped down, it’s time for this witch to focus on herself. And not think about her impulsive one-night stand with Damian Adams, a half-Demon Veterinarian who she can’t get out of her head. Neither of them is looking for a relationship. But when Rose is sentenced to community service at Damian’s animal sanctuary it becomes impossible for them to ignore their sparking attraction. A friends-with-benefits, no feelings, no strings arrangement works perfectly for them both.

After a sequence of dead-end jobs, it’s not until Rose tangos with two snarly demons that she thinks she’s finally found her path. However, this puts Damian back on the periphery of a world he thought he left behind. He doesn’t approve of Rose becoming a Hunter, but if there's one thing he's learned about the stubborn witch, it was telling her not to do something was one sure-fire way to make sure she did.

Working—and sleeping—together awakens feelings Damian never knew he had...and shouldn't have. Because thanks to his ex's hex, if he falls in love, he'll not only lose his heart—but his humanity.

my thoughts:

What a fun and engaging story! I really enjoyed April Asher's new novel, Not Your Ex's Hexes, the second book in her popular series, Supernatural Singles. Chock full of witches, demons, magic, and romance - this book will have you laughing out loud and cheering with joy as you read about Rose and Damian's misadventures in love. 

Rose is trying to figure things out. She's no longer aiming to be the next Prima and she's just had a one-night stand with a demon - her life is not exactly going according to plan. Except, now that she's forced to do community service (all in the name of an animal rescue gone wrong) at Damian's animal sanctuary, the two can't seem to stay away from each other. The only thing is that neither of them want a relationship...or so they say.  Oh, and Rose thinks she's found her calling - as a demon hunter. Yep, now Damian finds himself thrust back in the world he left behind, all because of Rose. The problem is, if he truly loves her, he'll lose his heart and his humanity thanks to the hex his ex placed on him - Yikes! Talk about a romantic crisis!

Asher has written a sweet and magical story that will captivate you right from the start. I know that I enjoyed getting to know Rose and Damian. I found their love story to be quite a treat to read. I would happily recommend Not Your Ex's Hexes to anyone and everyone looking for their next romantic read - you'll love this book to bits! Make sure to check it out!. 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!

REVIEW and GIVEAWAY: Bristol House: A Novel by Beverly Swerling

"In Bristol House: A Novel, seasoned historical fiction writer Beverly Swerling offers fans a mesmerizing new twist.  Swerling blends the vivid history of Tudor London with elements of a supernatural thriller for a riveting dual-period narrative."

about book:

Annie Kendall arrives at London's Bristol House to research ancient artifacts from the Holy Land.  Her flat has two remarkable features:  a stunning black-and-white mural of London scenes, and - apparently - the ghost of a Carthusian monk who leaves mysterious traces and refuses to be banished.  Hollowed out by loss and regret, and desperate to change her life and put her career back on track, Annie is determined to ignore the mysteries that slowly gather her into their net.

Oblivious to any personal peril, Annie pursues her research and meets Geoff Harris, a well-known TV personality who bears an eerie resemblance to the monk haunting her flat.  Why have both these figures come into her life, and what do they want?

This riveting dual-period narrative seamlessly blends a haunting supernatural thriller with the vivid history of Tudor London, a place where monks are being executed, Jews have been banished, and the power of Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell reaches into every corner of the kingdom.  Annie's search leads her to unravel the twists of time and emerge as a woman strengthened by the mysteries of what we can and cannot know, able to forgive herself for the past, and trust love in the future.   Widely acclaimed for her City of Dreams series, Beverly Swerling here delivers an enchanting and epic tale of a historian and a monk half a millennium apart.

my thoughts:

WOW!  Does this novel sound fantastic or what?  I love the idea of mixing historical fiction with a bit of the supernatural - makes for quite an interesting and rather spooky read.  Plus, Annie sounds like a woman on a mission.  She wants her career and personal life (custody of her kid and alcoholism under control) on track and is working toward those goals, all the while having to deal with a ghost who will not leave her alone.  Sounds creepy and a bit stalker-y.  I've never read any Swerling before, but when I heard about this book, I just knew that I had to get my hands on a copy.  I love anything and everything to do with London, especially since I lived in England for quite some time and always enjoyed visiting London-town on the weekends.  Its a bustling and exciting city that is rich in history and tradition.  So, to read about London in the sixteenth century, alongside twenty-first century London - well, that was quite a juxtaposition, but one that I truly enjoyed!   

As for the writing - it was terrific!  I couldn't put this book down!  Each night I loved settling down for bed with this tome in hand, because I knew that each page would bring more mysteries to unravel and more dramas to endure.  I found myself excited to find out what would happen next to Annie and Dom Justin.   The romance, thrills, and history all blended in nicely to create this complex and layered story that was rich and vivid in tone, character, and entertainment.  I would most definitely characterize Bristol House as an unforgettable read!

And, I would definitely recommend Bristol House to fans of historical fiction, fiction, stories set in London, and also fans of the supernatural.  You will love this book!  Here's a link to the author's site - check it out and find out more about Bristol House and Beverly Swerling!

GIVEAWAY:
Oh, and did I forget to mention that I have a copy to giveaway - thanks to the publisher!  All you have to do to enter this giveaway is leave me a comment (don't forget to include your email address).  Last day to enter is April 12th.  US residents only! 

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Sookie Stackhouse rocks!

I bought this book on a whim and brought it on vacation and actually read it whilst on vacation. I tend to take books with me when I go away, but never actually read them ( I always seem to be too busy to read). And I must say that I was really happy I read this book, it was just so much fun to read. It is what I would call a fluff book - an extremely easy to read book that has a good plot. Dead Until Dark is the first book in the 9 book series by Charlaine Harris which centers on vampires living in the mainstream society of Bon Temps, Louisiana. We are introduced to Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress at Merlotte's who can read minds and Bill Compton, a vampire trying to remodel his home and maintain a sense of normalcy. Sookie and Bill begin to date in this first book and soon, Sam (a shapeshifter and Sookie's boss), is trying to make his feelings for her known by asking her out on a date. Then there is Jason, Sookie's brother who is constantly in trouble with the law based on his sexual escapades with a few of the local women, who seem to turn up murdered. And there are so many other characters introduced in this first book, all of them interesting and unique. We have murder, sex, love and the supernatural spread throughout the storylines. We have a world where vampires have come out of their coffins and are now mainstreaming (living with the living) and relying on synthetic blood for their feeding habit. We have violence and crazy dripping off the pages in certain sections and a sense of hope emanating on other pages. All in all, a very good read. I have purchased the dvd set of season one of True Blood (which is based on the Sookie Stackhouse books) and will be watching that soon enough (tried to watch the first episode and the lights went out). And I have purchased a few of the other books in the series to get me along and will be posting about them when I finish reading a few of them. For now though, I am off to read my Oprah magazine. Cheers and Happy reading!!!