PARANORMAL ROMANCE – LairOfBooks

Spoiler Free Review: Fan Service by Rosie Danan

Title: Fan Service

Author: Rosie Danan

Pub. Date: March 11th 2025

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: eARC

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 415

Devin Ashwood was once the star of the beloved show The Arcane Files (It’s giving CW shows IYKYK) where he played a werewolf detective. Since it’s been off-air, his career has taken a downward spiral and he’s hell bent on trying to get the showrunners to revive the show. Devin is convinced that the show has a strong enough fandom to successfully return but when he doesn’t have much luck convincing the producers to give it another go, it throws him in a funk. When he wakes up naked in the woods outside of his L.A. home with no memory of the night’s events followed by video/photos of him going viral, Devin seeks answers. Was it a coincidence that the once-in-a-century fictional Wolf Blood Moon took place that night? He can’t make any sense of the claws and fangs but all paths lead him to ALex Lawson who has archived fanfiction and lore based off of The Arcane Files. It wouldn’t be the first time their paths crossed and Alex is not thrilled to see Devin again after a hurtful encounter when she was a young adult. Never meet your heroes…

The Teen Wolf fan that I am was absolutely ready to jump the minute Rosie Danan released the cover art for Fan Service! I had a feeling I would enjoy this one more than Danan’s previous release Do Your Worst and was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be the case. This was funny, spicy, and as some have stated in their reviews “a true love letter to fanfic readers and writers” Devin’s thoughts provide a dose of comedic relief as he navigates the changes to his body and also made their banter enjoyable. Admittedly, I didn’t immediately feel the chemistry between these two but by the end I was rooting for them. Even if I felt Devin absolutely owed Alex a sincere apology for what he said at the convention she attended in her youth, whether he knew she was listening or not. Alex definitely had more time accrued pining after Devin lol, and that’s ok! Once the wolf in him caught her scent, it was obsession from that point on! This was fun, I’m hoping we get more paranormal from Rosie Danan.

*•.¸♡ 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚎𝚙𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙, 𝚒𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗. 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚏𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚏𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚠𝚎𝚒𝚛𝚍 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛, 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚎𝚕𝚜𝚎. 𝙷𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚖𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚠𝚎𝚒𝚛𝚍 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚘. ♡¸.•*

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SPOILER FREE REVIEW: PHANTASMA BY KAYLIE SMITH

Title: Phantasma (Wicked Games #1)

Author: Kaylie Smith

Pub. Date: September 3rd 2024

Genre: Fantasy Romance/Paranormal

Format: eARC

Publisher: Forever

Pages: 497

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☆☆ARC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW☆☆

╰☆☆ “𝙸𝚗 𝚊 𝚍𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎, 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚏𝚊𝚒𝚛 𝚘𝚗𝚎, 𝙸 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍’𝚟𝚎 𝚔𝚎𝚙𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝚖𝚢 𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚕 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚞𝚜𝚝” ☆☆╮

The opening scene in Phantasma introduces us to Necromancer Ophelia Grimm and her sister as they’ve just discovered the body of their deceased mother. Ophelia realizes this now makes her the head of their manor and their home run family business with all things related to the dead. She’s been trained and prepared for this role by her mother since she was a very little girl and now the day has come where she must take over. Before she can get any of their matters in order however, her sister disappears without a word of her whereabouts. Ophelia searches for answers and while doing so discovers the debt the manor has incurred and that they may be losing the manor very soon. She has now inherited her family’s death magic as well as the financial burden of the manor that has been left behind. Her sister Genevieve Grimm has left the manor it seems to enter a competition that may give them the opportunity to win the cash needed to save their manor. Phantasma is a competition set inside a Gothic haunted manor made up of nine floors each with a challenge designed to fatally take out those who sign up. Only one will make it out alive and to that person, a wish will be granted. Demons, Ghouls, Poltergeists, and Phantoms are only some of the entities the contestants will come across as they race to beat each other to the prize. These challenges are NOT for the feint of heart, they tap into your deepest darkest fears and then use them against you. Ophelia’s entrance into Phantasma doesn’t go unnoticed by the ghosts of the manor, she is an enigma they will go after if only to see what makes her different.

The TiK Tok Girlies got this one right Book Lovers! OBSESSED is putting it lightly, I am sitting here counting down the days until April 8th for the release of ENCHANTRA! all other books will be paused while I dive back into the world of all things the Grimm sisters. If you’re looking for a read that will suck you right in and make you a front row spectator to a high stakes adrenaline inducing competition, then treat yourself to the experience that is this book! Hella descriptive, I found myself squirming at some of the deaths and yet still anticipating the next challenge…not sure what that says about me. Atmosphere is a 10/10, characters 10/10, plot and intrigue also are a 10/10. What I wasn’t expecting? the OCD representation to also be 10/10, as a person with OCD I have never read any character experience thoughts/compulsions I’ve also had. I had one of those moments while reading where I just nodded and smiled at feeling seen. Anyways, if you’re here to find out about the romance and spice levels fret not! Ophelia and Blackwell will have you asking yourself if a paranormal tryst is what’s missing in your life. The spice is a 10/10 between these two who found a minute between challenges and in spare rooms to get it on. Phantasma was a 5 star read for me and I just can’t wait to get my hands on Enchantra to see what Genevieve gets up to in her story arc.

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Spoiler Free Review: Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca

Title: Haunted Ever After (Boneyard Key#1)

Author: Jen DeLuca

Pub. Date: August 13th 2024

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Paranormal

Format: eARC

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 325

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☆☆ARC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW☆☆

Cassie Rutherford has decided to up and go buy a historic coastal cottage in Boneyard Key Florida after realizing just how much her social circle of friends has matured, married and most have had kids. She ditches Orlando and seeks comfort in a yellow cottage right by the ocean in a town that makes its money off of its haunted ghost tours. Her house seems quaint up until strange things start to happen in her new home. Magnets spelling out words she knows she didn’t arrange as part of her morning message on the fridge like “Wrong” and “My House” appear the next morning. She can never get her laptop to charge which really interferes with her work from home career and leads her to seek out a local coffee shop to work from. It’s not Publix but they sell coffee and that’s all she’s looking for…that and WIFI.

Local coffee shop owner Nick is used to tourists coming by and overstaying their welcome using his wifi connection while sipping on the same cup of Jo for hours on end. He doesn’t think Cassie is any different and doesn’t hold back from a jab or two at her type. The tourist type. When Cassie informs him she’s a Floridian native just not from the coastal side of the state, he is instantly curious as to why anyone from Orlando would move to Boneyard Key. Even more intriguing is just how much Cassie hasn’t heard of their ghostly town. So he volunteers to be her tour guide of sorts while holding back some truths about his own connections to the founding families and their ghostly ties.

The vibeZ Book lovers! I love a beachside read set in a small town with cute coffee shops and town happenings. This time Jen DeLuca gives us some bonus ghost characters who refuse to NOT tell their story with the help of the towns inhabitants. There are 12 prominent families with descendants still living in town, some of which can speak/see their dead ancestors. Nick spends his evenings walking with Cassie along the shore and sharing stories of the towns history and that of her newly purchased home. Cassie starts to piece things together while really enjoying Nick’s vibe and attention…until he starts acting differently which throws the story down the path of an unraveling mystery. The ghostly things happening to both Nick and Cassie were at times funny (text messages Nick Received from his ghost) and at others a bit creepy, that’s because the righting of wrongs was at the center of this paranormal story. It’s cute until you realize the pain behind the haunting of Cassie’s home. If you’re looking for haunted vibes on a beachside setting, this ones for you. The romance was there but the driving force is the mystery from the very start. We also get introduced to ghost tour guide Sopie and librarian Theo as side characters that I would LOVE to see get their own nerdy ghost story in the next Boneyard Keys installment 🤗

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Spoiler Free Review: Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe

Title: Love and Other Conspiracies

Author: Mallory Marlowe

Pub. Date: August 20th 2024

Genre: Contemporary/Paranormal Romance

Format: eARC

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 368

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☆☆ARC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW☆☆

Web series producer Hallie Barrett has just been dumped by her co-worker who also happens to be the star of the online series she was producing. Even though Hallie is way better off without that guy (all the red flags), she’s also stuck having to see him every day. This while also being tasked with coming up with a new series idea to present for the company competition or say goodbye to this beloved job she’s worked very hard for. While searching for inspiration one late night, she stumbles across a docuseries where the handsome host is passionately covering the legend of Bigfoot. She doesn’t believe in any of this stuff but she can’t help but binge watch every single episode as she asks herself why she’s dedicating so much time to what is clearly myth/legend. One lightbulb moment later and Hallie feels inspired to reach out to the Paranormal conspiracy theorist Hayden Hargrove. She hopes to convince him to turn his hit podcast into a web show. Hayden seems unsure he’s the right guy with the presence needed to pull off a web show and he is absolutely right! the banter that easily is exchange between Hallie and Hayden while she challenges his claims with a dose of skepticism is missing, until she steps in to help him during his audition. Her producers LOVE the chemistry they’re seeing play out between them! they see a viewership tuning in just for them and ask that they do the show together. While it isn’t what she’s expecting, as long as he’s oK with it she’s fair game to join while also producing.

10/10 I recommend listening to the audiobook for the cool/nerdy alien space music played during snippets of the web show, so much fun! I had such a good time with this book and found myself binge reading it while prepping a big meal, laughing and smiling from start to finish. I loved how even though Hallie didn’t believe in any of the Bigfoot and Mothman theories, she still respected how passionate Hayden was with his research and delivery. Hayden in turn sees all of Hallie’s quirks as charming and gives off all the green flags she is not used to seeing in a love interest. The audiobook narrators SLAYED their performance making the chemistry that catches the eye of Hallie’s producers MOST definitely felt in the audiobook, it’s easy to get wrapped up in their romance. I’ve already Marlowe’s next book Love At First Sighting to be released August 2025. If you’re looking for a Romantic Comedy with paranormal elements, I HIGHLY recommend giving Love and Other Conspiracies a go 😉

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Spoiler Free Review: Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chupeco

Title: Silver Under Nightfall

Author: Rin Chupeco

Pub. Date: September 13 2022

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Format: eARC

Publisher: Gallery/Saga Press

Pages: 512

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☆☆ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review☆☆╮

➶➶➶➶➶ 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕪 𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕖, 𝕣𝕦𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕡𝕡𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙, 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕕𝕖𝕒𝕕, 𝕜𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕨𝕒𝕪. 𝔹𝕦𝕥 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖, 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕤𝕦𝕗𝕗𝕖𝕣 𝕒 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕔𝕦𝕥𝕤 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕒 𝕕𝕠𝕨𝕒𝕘𝕖𝕣 𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕣𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕣𝕞𝕖𝕕 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕒 𝕡𝕒𝕡𝕖𝕣 𝕗𝕒𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕚𝕞𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕔𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕠𝕘𝕪, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕨𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕔𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕚𝕥 𝕒 𝕓𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕕𝕓𝕒𝕥𝕙. ➷➷➷➷➷

It’s been a long time since I’ve picked up a paranormal vampire book and an even longer time since I read anything with Polyamory. In part that’s because I often was left feeling like it wasn’t done well. Rin Chupeco however has brought back broody (some more playful) sexy vampires but also made it queer and Poly in the most satisfying of reads. Our MC Remy is a rogue Vampire Hunter who is an outcast among fellow Reapers. Remmy’s mother was the source of scandal for their family having eloped with a vampire. Many think Remy is a half vampire and his own father has used that to shape him to be a lethal weapon. There is a peace treaty between humans and vampires that is tenuous at best. When a new breed of vampires starts killing, he sets out to find answers and meets vampire heiress Xiaodan Song. She is warm and caring, all of the things he’s been taught vampires are not. Her fiance Lord Zidan Malekh has studied the new mutation and may have the answers to defeat them. That he infuriates the hell out of Remy and adds sexual tension just sweetens the journey. I loved this trio so much!

Silver Under Nightfall is so different than The Bone Witch trilogy and I still LOVED it so much! I’ve never watch Castlevania but I’ve heard this marketed for fans of that video game/show. It reads adult and has many gruesome battle scenes that are balanced out with many tender moments and good humor sprinkled throughout. In many ways it feels like even though Remy is tasked with killing vampires, he is still this sweet cinnamon roll everyone wants to protect. When paired with two powerful royal vampires, it does seem like he needs their protection but make no mistake he has also lived a hard life and can hold his own. The relationship between him and his father is toxic as hell, there’s talk of his father having him use his body when he was 13 years old to acquire info from the wealthy women in the aristocracy. Both Malekh and Xiaodan make sure he knows he’s worthy of love without having to give anything in exchange. Redefining intimacy and consent are huge themes in this book. All of our characters check in with one another and genuinely care about each others needs and wants. For those inquiring minds, the spice meter was broken with this one and I was here for it all! I should’ve known I was going to love Rin Chupeco’s adult Paranormal, I’m now left eagerly anticipating the next book in this duology.

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Spoiler Free Review: The Secret Society Of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

Title: The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches

Author: Sangu Mandanna

Pub. Date: August 23rd 2022

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Paranormal

Format: eARC

Publisher: Berkley Books

Pages: 336

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☆☆ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review☆☆╮

╰☆☆ “𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐭.” ☆☆╮

When thinking of books that give off cozy warm blanket paired with a cup of hot coco vibes, The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches should just magically materialize! quaint and whimsical best describe the setting of Nowhere House where we find a cast of characters that will steal your heart. Mika Moon is a witch who lives a very solitary life in an effort to protect her identity as well as that of the other witches in her network. It’s very rare these witches meet up but when they do, their leader Primrose makes it a point to emphasize their under the radar lifestyle. Mika however has found a clever way to not feel so alone. She streams videos of herself sharing magical elixir/potion making recipes under the guise that it’s all in good fun. Until her videos catch the attention of Ian, an octogenarian retired actor who is desperate to get her assistance. The estate of Nowhere House has been left the charge of three young witches who are in absolute need of guidance and training. Will Mika accept the offer to teach the girls how to control their powers?

Mika Moon is an Indian British witch with a penchant for naming her pets after mythological figures, she was lovely to meet on the page. There’s a lot of loneliness surrounding our MC even though she comes off super warm and kind hearted…not someone you’d take for living in isolation. It’s almost kismet that she’d meet such a loving welcoming bunch, some of who make it their mission to make her feel at home. Ian is dramatic and enchanted by Mika from the start, he very much gives off retired actor vibes. His husband Ken is Japanese and works as the Groundskeeper for the estate, he’s more laid back and serious. Ian and Ken are happily married and in love. Lucie is the plus sized 56 year old Housekeeper who will remind you she’s still young, I LOVED her! Jamie is our 36 year old Irish curmudgeonly love interest. He’s the librarian who is equal parts grumpy and protective over the young witches and also Mika. Altamira, Terracotta, and Rosetta are the young witches we meet with mischievous energy! I can easily see this turned into a movie and I’d buy my ticket on day one. I LOVED the fact that Ian specifically wanted Mika a woman of color to be the one to train these young children of color how to properly wield and control their magical abilities. The potion mixing was a plus, Mika’s Golden Retriever Circe was a plus, and the witty banter/slow burn between Mika and Jamie was *chefs kiss* perfection! this book was MAGIC Book Lovers! ❤

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Spoiler Free Review: The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

Title: The Dead Romantics

Author: Ashley Poston

Pub. Date: June 28th 2022

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Paranormal

Format: eARC

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 368

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☆☆ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review☆☆╮

Characters: 10/10 Atmosphere: 10/10 Writing Style: 10/10 Plot: 8/10 Intrigue: 8/10 Logic/Relationships: 10/10 Enjoyment: 10/10

Rating: 68/9.7 = ☆☆ 5 Stars☆☆╮

Rating system created by The Book Roast

★彡 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬. 𝐖𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 彡★

Florence Day is a ghostwriter for a prolific romance writer who happens to be on a deadline. After a very rough break-up, Florence can’t find it in her to write about love, she no longer believes in it. She’s on her way to meet her new editor and pitch him the idea for a book outside of the romance genre. She wasn’t anticipating him being an incredibly sexy “mountain of a man” or that he would deny her pitch at another book. The pressure is on and when Florence gets a call from her mother to come home because her dad has just passed…she has to return down south to a town that ran her off ten years ago. Florence sees ghosts, more specifically she sees those that need help crossing over. Her family runs the towns funeral parlor and the only other person who shared her gift was her dad. Ten years ago she helped solve the murder of a boy with the help of his ghost and that made headlines. Now back in town, she answers the funeral parlors doorbell only to find the ghost of her very handsome editor and his unfinished business. The one to make her question her new stance on love.

THIS BOOK!!! Yes, I’m a sucker for father/daughter stories but I bawled my eyes out while smiling and laughing all at the same time. Having lost my own dad, whenever I find one in the pages of a book with as much character and life as my own had…it’s a 5 star read. Although the reason for which Florence returns to her hometown is sad, it’s also treated as a celebration of life. Her family after all is in the business of death and preparing send offs, her father made sure that his is befitting that of his life. The whole family is awesome and supportive, quirky and honest. They have their issues like every family but they hash it out. The neighbors/town come to life and you get all the southern charm both good & bad. The romance was sweet, slow burn and hopeful! it doesn’t get better than a love interest who also loves reading romance novels and restores faith in love. Last but not least there’s a funeral parlor setting, Adams Family vibes, and queer siblings who fight and make up that made this a fun read with tons of personality! 🖤

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Spoiler Free Review: The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh

Title: The Beautiful

Author: Renée Ahdieh

Pub. Date: October 8th 2019

Genre: YA Paranormal/Historical Fiction

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Pages: 448 Pages

GOODREADS | BARNES & NOBLES | AMAZON

🖤ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review🖤

At its core The Beautiful is a Paranormal murder mystery with a steaming romance in the mix. Set inNew Orleans (FAVE CITY) 1872, our heroine Celine has been shipped off with 7 other girls to live in a convent. The intention is to have the girls meet eligible suitors to marry since they’ve had no luck thus far. Celine & her friend Pipa however are ahead of their times, feminists through & through who have trouble conforming. One encounter with a member of La Cour des Lions leads to Celine discovering night life in New Orleans. Captivating & enticing, she quickly falls down the rabbit hole that leads her to meeting the Lions leader, Sébastien Saint Germain. Coincidentally, the city begins to see young women being murdered. The victims are said to have been savagely drained of their blood. The person of interest is the young Sébastien Saint Germain which Celine finds herself being pulled towards. She begins to investigate the murders & quickly realizes she may be next on the killers agenda. Could the man she finds so alluring also be the one murdering innocent young women? Celine knows he’s the leader of a crime ring with a reputation in the under belly of New Orleans. This man is shrouded in mystery and darkness, well protected by his organized crime family he almost seems untouchable. Celine sets out to discover the truth all the while trying to stay alive.

Celine A bi-racial fashionista who studied under the best seamstress in Paris before being shipped off to New Orleans. Our MC who is a Feminist way ahead of her time & I LOVED reading her commentary whenever faced with expectations she had no plans on meeting. Celine is torn between living up to societal expectations vs. running free and living life to the fullest. She feels most at home amongst the members of La Cour des Lions. She’s also SUPER curious and intuitive.

Sébastien Saint Germain Fits the standard mold of ridiculously beautiful brooding MC (also bi-racial) who can’t be bothered. He has lost his entire family & has been taken in by his uncle who is a well known crime leader himself. Having had no children himself, Sébastien is his only heir and is expected to follow in his footsteps with the family business. Sébastien has no shortage of admirers, Celine just happens to be the one he can’t get out of his head.

Michael Grimaldi The police chief in charge of solving the murders and who has an age old feud with Sébastien. Michael is a bit rigid and a by the book type of man. When he finds himself falling for Celine, it puts him once again up against Sébastien. Of course, as is the case with most of the characters you come across in this world there’s more than meets the eye with Michael.

Pippa The closest thing to a friend for Celine, Pippa is the only one who can understand Celines dark & salacious humor. Pippa also is a feminist in her own way but she is more willing to conform to the norms. Pippa is what one would call a ride or die 🙂

Odette is by far my FAVE character in this world! Odette may very well be non-binary but I’m not 100% certain. This character also loves fashion and you can find them wearing a pant suit or ball gown. Odette is attracted to women and similar to Celine is just trying to live their life on their own terms & I couldn’t love them more for it! ❤

Arjun Desai (described as being from the Far East; a person of color) A member of La Cour des Lions, Arjun stands close to Sébastien as wise council. Arjun has studied law however due to the color of his skin during these times he was not permitted to practice law. Arjun is one character I would love to get more of in the sequel.

Without it being very clearly stated on the page, it is known The Beautiful is a story with paranormal creatures. It takes a subtle approach when introducing the different types of mythological beings we all know and love. I for one was very happy with the hints & descriptions the author leaves behind forming a picture of who & what inhabits this world. At the very end we’re left feeling that this will be an expansive world & I for one am READY for a paranormal series set in 1800’s New Orleans. I found myself effortlessly flipping the pages & getting invested in these characters one by one. This is one hell of an atmospheric read where New Orleans comes alive on the page. If you go in expecting less Fantasy & more Mystery/Paranormal Romance, then I think this will be one very satisfying read. The only reason I docked it 1 star is because if I’m being completely honest, it could’ve been cleaned up a tad bit & that would’ve helped with the inconsistent pacing. However, I truly enjoyed the chapter breaks where we get the POV of whatever thing or person is hunting & killing. This added all of the creepy vibes to this book & had me dying to know their true identity. I do believe this is laying down the groundwork for what I expect will be a world lush with Vampires, Lycans, Fae and possibly more. If you’re a lover of historical romance, mysteries, and the paranormal…The Beautiful will deliver with hints of more in the future.