Review: Unpredictable Magic by Faith Hunter

 

Unpredictable Magic (Everhart Investigations #1) by Faith Hunter

Publication Date: July 14th 2026 by Ace

Pages: 556

Source: Publisher  

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Angie and her brother, Evan, are witches with ties to Queen Jane Yellowrock, but they’re striking out on their own by launching Everhart Investigations, a detective agency specializing in paranormal crimes. When a woman hires them to look for her friend, a woman who went missing at a party hosted by the Queen, it’s immediately obvious that she’s leaving out important details. They discover the missing woman has ties to Angie’s ex-husband, a vampire and nasty piece of work, with his own diabolical agenda.

 

Unpredictable Magic was an engrossing, but complex first installment in a new urban fantasy series. As the opening book in a spin-off series, and my first experience with the connected Jane Yellowrock novels, it did take me a bit to navigate this magical world and its many players. Alongside witches Angie and Evan, who are still learning the full extent of their powers, the story features vampires, demons, and plenty of political maneuvering.

 

Despite the learning curve, I thoroughly enjoyed this introduction to the Everhart Investigations series. The world-building is unique, and the mystery kept me invested. With nonstop action and lots of danger along the way, I was hooked from start to finish.

4 Stars

Book Description:

Witches Angelina and Evan Everhart-Trueblood take a case that spirals out of control until the whole city is at risk in this exciting new novel from New York Times bestselling author Faith Hunter.

Angelina Everhart-Trueblood and her brother Evan run Everhart Investigations Inc., a PI firm in Chattanooga that solves paranormal crimes committed by supernatural beings. When their new client wants help finding her friend who supposedly disappeared during a reception at Angie’s aunt Jane’s winter residence, things get . . . complicated.

The client is not who she appears to be, and demons strike the city for the first time since the Demon War. On top of that, evidence is pointing toward the involvement of an overly ambitious vampire—who just happens to be Angie’s ex-husband.

As Angie and Evan team up with the CPD, they will have to dig deep into their magical reserves—and rely on some friends in high places—to rid Chattanooga of the danger creeping into their city.

Author Bio: Faith Hunter is the New York Times bestselling author of the Jane Yellowrock series, the Soulwood series, the Rogue Mage series, and the Junkyard series.

 

Review: The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley

 

The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy (Dearly Beloathed #2) by Brigitte Knightley

Publication Date: July 7th 2026 by Ace

Pages: 416

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

This is book two in the duology series, Dearly Beloathed, which should be read in order. The series is utterly delightful! I appreciated the catch-up chapter at the beginning.

 

Aurienne is a member of the Haelen Order committed to healing and saving lives and Oric is part of the Fyren Order, a guild of mercenary killers. Opposing orders and fierce enemies.

In the last book, Oric bribes Aurienne to cure his seith rot, a disease that weakens his powers and will eventually kill him. His bride enables the Haelen Order formulate a cure for the pox killing children all over the Tiendoms.

Meeting several times for the cure that may or may not work, Oric and Aurienne are forced to work together and with every encounter the hate dims a little more. The reluctant attraction between them ignites into a full blown, steamy affair! This is how you do spice!

Meanwhile, more details emerge about the pox outbreak and the sinister forces behind it. As their plans begin to unravel, the bad guys grow desperate. Aurienne, her order and the children are in grave danger. Despite Oric’s villainous persona, he can’t resist giving aid to Aurienne and her Haelens.

The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy was so much fun! The fast-paced, witty dialogue and gorgeous prose kept me hooked from beginning to end! A romance and mystery set in a rich fantasy world that didn’t weigh down the plot. I absolutely loved this journey and how it all turned out!

5 Stars

Book Description:

The stakes are high, the love is forbidden, and the slow burn turns steamy in this swoony, witty, and heart-stoppingly romantic sequel to instant New York Times bestseller The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy.

Osric is a member of the Fyren Order, a guild of assassins who gleefully murder for money. Aurienne is a Haelan, a scholar-healer whose Order’s motto is Harm to none. Clear-cut absolutes separate them: good and bad, right and wrong, light and dark . . .

Until they don’t.

When Osric first bribed Aurienne to heal him, he never imagined those lines would begin to blur. But every healing session draws them closer together. He finds himself developing unwanted feelings for Aurienne as her capable hands heal his body—and his heart.

Aurienne’s perfect life has been flung into chaos in the form of a devastatingly handsome assassin. She should be in her research lab, not illicitly healing a Fyren every full moon—nor wrestling an attraction to him that threatens to slip into something else.

Things go superbly sideways when Osric and Aurienne discover more about the deadly Pox deliberately unleashed through the Tīendoms. The plague may be the work of another Order—an Order far nastier than either of them can handle.

As the lines between Osric and Aurienne continue to blur, the balance between peace and war, and love and hate, trembles, shifts, and hinges on a heartbeat.

Sunday Post #345

 

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. I'm also linking up to The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance @Readerbuzz.

Happy Sunday!

It's been a warm week here with temps in the 80s and 90s. Summer is definitely here! Yesterday my husband and I celebrated our anniversary, thirty-nine years! We went to dinner at a a historic hotel in Nevada City (in California) and had nice evening out. 

Other than that nothing too exciting here, just the same getting out for walks and runs, early because of the heat. Keeping the garden in shape with deadheading and weeding and work. Work has been unusually busy which is surprising because the summers are usually slower.

We're getting ready to head to Montana again this week. This time we'll be flying. 

Sweet pea, scabiosa, and yarrow from the garden

Starla puzzle kitty

1000 Piece Puzzle Completed: Between the Blooms by Galison

Puzzle #35 of 2026

Read:

Moss'd in Space by Rebecca Thorne-4 Stars

The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy (Dearly Beloathed #2) by Brigitte Knightley-5 Stars

The Summer Share by Jenn McKinlay-4 Stars

I had a pretty good reading week with The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy being the standout. It was a duology.

Received:

The Cloak and Dagger Club by Jackie McMahon

A Map to Murder by Michelle Chouinard

Revelations How to Be a Werewolf by Jan Stryvant

Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves

Thank you to Berkley, Minotaur Books, Simon Maverick, Libro.fm, and Avid Reader Press!

How was your week?

Review: The Summer Share by Jenn McKinlay

 

The Summer Share by Jenn McKinlay

Publication Date: May 26th 2026 by Berkley

Pages: 368

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Hannah, a van-life travel blogger, and Simon are shocked to learn they’ve each inherited half of the same beach cottage courtesy of their grandfathers,. Hannah wants to keep the cottage, since it’s been a while since she’s put down roots and Simon wants to sell for financial reasons.

 

They butt heads over that, but part of the will stipulates they live there for two months before making any decisions. Cohabitating gives them a chance to see the other’s side and a chance to get to know each other. Of course, (this is a romance!) sparks of attraction fly between them.

 

The Summer Share is the perfect summer read! The small town of Cape Split in the Outer Banks of North Carolina sounded so charming and beautiful!  Exactly the kind of place I’d want to spend a summer! The quirky, friendly community welcome Hannah and Simon right away and give them glimpses into their grandfather’s lives. I loved the gentle slow‑burn romance and the way both characters find peace, acceptance, and love.

4 Stars

Book Description:

When two misfits discover they’ve inherited the same beach house, sparks fly in the most unexpected ways, in this hilarious and heartfelt rom-com from the New York Times bestselling author of Summer Reading.

Free-spirited travel influencer Hannah Spencer has spent five years touring the country in her vintage van. An unexpected inheritance from her Pops brings Hannah to Cape Split, North Carolina, where she learns she’s the new owner of a worse-for-wear seaside beach house. Or, rather, fifty percent of one. Turns out Simon O’Malley inherited the other half from his Gramps.

As Simon and Hannah spend the summer tag-teaming repairs on the crumbling cottage, they discover the house was once home to a timeless love story. Soon, they begin to wonder if the house’s romantic past may be a good omen for their future together. But there’s one problem—Simon is set on selling the property at the end of the summer.

Hannah thought one summer at the Split would be enough, except it isn’t like any place she’s ever been, and Simon isn’t like any man she’s ever known—and she’s thinking about putting down some roots. She just needs Simon to see their budding relationship and this newfound community the same way or their first summer share might also be their last.

Sunday Post #344

 

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. I'm also linking up to The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance @Readerbuzz.

Happy Sunday!

I hope everyone had a nice holiday!

I'm getting this up late because I worked the holiday and then went to my sister's for dinner and then watched the fireworks they do over the lake by their house. It was an amazing show!

I've been a bit MIA because we took a road trip from Northern California to Idaho, Grand Tetons in Wyoming and then ending in Montana at my daughter's place. It is a 13.5 hour drive by car to my daughter's house without stops. On the way we stopped in Twin Falls, Idaho to see Shoshone Falls, the "Niagara Falls of the West". You'd have never known they were there because it was flat all around and a very desert-y part of Idaho. The falls were low, but still pretty. Earlier in the year or depending on rainfall (photo below) all that rock there would be overflowing with water.

Shoshone Falls. Twin Falls, Idaho

From there we drove to Idaho Falls and spent the night, got up the next morning and traveled to Jackson, Wyoming and went white water rafting on the Snake River with class 2 and 3 rapids. It was so much fun! The highlight of our trip. A family of six and a couple from England were in the boat with us. The kids cracked us up! The guide (seen in the back middle with the oars) put the kids up in the front and they got soaked every time we hit rapids. We were all wearing wetsuits, so this wasn't too bad, but their reactions were hilarious! They loved it. 

My husband and I are at the back right. I'm in the green rain slicker. 

You can see it got pretty crazy in spots. We purchased the photos and a video taken by the rafting company and it was worth the money! Lewis & Clark River Expeditions is the company and I recommend them if you're ever considering white water rafting in the area.

This is the scenery in a calm spot on the lake. It was so gorgeous!

After we finished we went back to Jackson and had lunch downtown. Such a cute town in a beautiful setting. 

A ski lift you can ride up to the top in summer. We wanted to do this but just didn't have the time. It's steeper than it looks!

My parting shot of the Grand Tetons as we made our way to Montana.

It rained most of the time we were there, but I didn't mind it. We watched movies and did puzzles, went bowling, had friends over for dinner and went to the lodge for Mingo (Music Bingo) which was a lot of fun.

Pepper (my daughter's cat) puzzle kitty. My daughter was almost done with this puzzle when we got there and of course Pepper is laying on the area where the last pieces go! 

View from my daughter's back yard. The wildflowers were everywhere and so pretty!

It was such a beautiful trip! I'm happy to be home over the holiday, though. I don't like traveling over the holidays if I can help it, and I need some rest!

1000 Piece Puzzle Completed in Montana: Wildflower Farm by Werkshoppe

Puzzle 33 of 2026

500 Piece Puzzle Completed: Waterlilies by Sunset Magazine

Puzzle 34 of 2026

Peanut puzzle kitty. He wants a lot of attention we we come back from a trip.

Two weeks worth of reading (I didn't post last week):

Keep Them Close by David Ellis-5 Stars

Storm Tide by Paul Doiron-4 Stars

In Case I Go Missing by R.N. Swann-4 Stars

The Safe Room by Lisa Unger-3 Stars

The Plea (Eddie Flynn #2) by Steve Cavanagh-4.5 Stars

Thirteen  (Eddie Flynn #4) by Steve Cavanagh-5 Stars

Kill All Wizards by Jedediah Berry-4 Stars

We listened to The Plea on our trip out and then Thirteen on our way back. Both are Eddie Flynn and both were sooo good! If you're a fan of smart legal thriller I highly recommend the series! 

Received:

Keep Them Close by David Ellis

The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley

Unpredictable Magic by Faith Hunter

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons and Ace/Berkley!

How was your week?

Review: Keep Them Close by David Ellis

 

Keep Them Close by David Ellis

Publication Date: June 30th 2026 by G.P. Putnam's Sons

Pages: 368

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible | Libro.fm | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Keep Them Close started off with a bang and had me hooked from the first page!

 

Allison, a smart defense attorney, is successful, but her marriage is another story. I wanted to strangle her husband!

 

Luke, Allison’s brother, has a run in with the law and Allison’s ready to step in and help, but things are not as they seem.

 

Complicated relationships with betrayals sprinkled in, but at the heart of this was family.

 

Events from the past are woven into the present and I was riveted! Just when I thought I knew what was going on, a new angle came to light. I loved Allison’s quick, smart thinking!

 

Keep Them Close was a twisty and oh-so-good! Five stars from me, and easily one of my favorite reads of 2026!

5 Stars

Book Description:

From the bestselling author of Look Closer comes a new domestic thriller about betrayal and murder inside one twisted family

Siblings Allison and Luke have been through a lot together. They’ve always stood by each other. They’d do anything for each other.

When Allison’s husband, Finley, is murdered, Luke is right there by her side.

Until the murder investigation exposes secrets that could tear their family apart.

An illicit affair. A decades-old accident. A shocking betrayal. How do they explain Finley’s death? And why are the siblings suddenly avoiding each other?

As past tensions resurface, the truth might lie a little too close to home…

Review: Storm Tide by Paul Doiron

 

Storm Tide (Mike Bowditch #16) by Paul Doiron

Publication Date: June 30th 2026 by Minotaur Books & Macmillan Audio

Pages: 352

Audio Book Length: 10hrs 35min

Narrator: Henry Leyva

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

After the events of the last book, Mike Bowditch is facing a disciplinary hearing and has been demoted back to patrolling for the Game Warden’s office in rural Maine until a decision is made.

 

Meanwhile, there’s two suspicious deaths that point to a vigilante on the loose. Mike’s tipped off by someone who knows a little too much about his personal life, both past and present.

 

Also, Mike’s wife, Stacy, is weeks away from giving birth to their first child and notices a white van has been tailing her.

 

Mike is unsettled to find someone personally obsessed, especially since he has so much to lose, with a wife and baby on the way. As usual, Mike runs headlong into danger, and there were a few times I wanted to shake some sense into him. Especially when he landed in situations I wasn’t sure he’d survive. Still, his determination to find the stalker before the stalker finds him or his family made sense.

 

One of the things I love about this series is that Doiron brings the rough and beautiful landscape of Maine to life without slowing the plot!

 

I alternately read and listened to an audio version with Henry Leyva narrating. I love his performance! At this point, he is Mike Bowditch to me! Doiron’s wry humor comes through loud and clear through his performance and I enjoy his Maine accents.

 

Storm Tide is book sixteen in a series, but I jumped in late (book twelve) and have enjoyed every installment since!

4 Stars

Book Description:

Game Warden Mike Bowditch investigates a series of brutal killings during a life-changing year in Storm Tide, the harrowing new thriller from Edgar Award-nominated author Paul Doiron.

When the magnificent home of entrepreneur Brian Malloy mysteriously goes up in flames, Maine game warden Mike Bowditch tries to pull Malloy’s burning body from the fire but is too late. Malloy was suspected of murdering his young, illegitimate son. Now it looks like someone else has delivered a verdict.

Miles away, on a lonely stretch of icy railroad track, the body of Axl Deming, once accused of a brutal rape, is found literally cut in half. Though the two murders seem unrelated, a cryptic text from an unknown number draws Bowditch to the scene—and hints at a chilling connection. He suspects someone is orchestrating the executions of criminals who escaped justice, and for reasons he can’t explain, his own name is on the list, but the state police aren’t convinced. His search for the truth takes him through frozen harbors, trackless forests, and remote islands, far from rescue.

Meanwhile, Bowditch is facing a disciplinary hearing that could end his career. His wife Stacey, just weeks from giving birth, is being stalked by a stranger in a white van. And when he realizes someone has also been watching their home, the case turns increasingly personal.

To protect his family, Bowditch must work alone to uncover who’s behind the killings—and stop them before he becomes their next victim.